The cost of replacing a gearbox on some sedan models is around 200 million VND. Photo: Toyota. |
On a car forum, a Toyota Vios owner shared a price list of replacement parts, in which the CVT gearbox was quoted by the manufacturer at over 195 million VND excluding installation costs. This price has caused a stir in the community because for many people, spending more than 200 million to repair a B-segment sedan is too expensive.
The cost of replacing a gearbox is always high
Toyota Vios is a best-selling sedan in the Vietnamese market for many years. With prices ranging from 458-545 million VND, this model is often chosen by many users as a taxi.
The image posted by the car owner shows that the Toyota Vios’ CVT gearbox costs 195 million VND to replace. In addition, customers must also pay an additional 2.5 million VND for disassembly and installation labor.
After adding taxes and related fees, the price to replace the gearbox was raised to over 213 million VND. Thus, compared to the Toyota Vios’s listed price, the gearbox alone accounts for more than 46% of the value of the entire car.
Price list of replacement costs for the gearbox on the Toyota Vios. Photo: NVCC. |
According to findings by Tri Thức – Znews, the replacement cost of the CVT gearbox on Toyota sedan models in other markets is also relatively high, ranging from 3,000-8,000 USD.
It is not only the gearbox on the Toyota Vios, the cost of replacing and repairing this engine on most car models in Vietnam is quite high, exceeding 100 million VND. Previously, many forums also buzzed about the price list of replacing and installing gearboxes on Honda’s C-segment sedan models.
Specifically, according to the manufacturer’s price list, the price that customers have to pay to replace the gearbox on the Honda City is also up to 120 million VND, excluding taxes and installation costs. Previously, many Mitsubishi Attrage owners also expressed concern that the cost of replacing the CVT gearbox if an incident occurs is also at 200 million VND, including taxes and labor costs.
Contacting a Toyota dealer in Ho Chi Minh City, the consultant confirmed that the replacement and installation price for the CVT gearbox on Toyota is the same as the price list posted on the forum. This person also said that the gearbox is a very difficult part to repair, especially for models that use the wrong standard gearbox oil or have an accident that breaks the belt.
“This is the main engine of the car so the high price is inevitable”, this person added.
Not easily damaged if properly maintained
Speaking to Tri Thức – Znews, Mr. Duc (HCMC), the owner of a garage specializing in auto repair in Tan Binh district, said that the structure of the CVT gearbox consists of a drive belt, an input pulley and an output pulley. This leads to belt slippage if the driver accelerates suddenly. Over time, this condition occurs more frequently and in the worst case, the belt can break.
“If the car owner does not change the oil regularly, about 40,000-80,000 km or maintain the belt regularly, 80,000 -120,000 km, it can lead to belt breakage, damage to the entire gearbox”, Mr. Duc explained further.
According to Mr. Duc, if the CVT gearbox is damaged, the replacement or repair cost cannot be low. Most of the time when a problem occurs, the CVT gearboxes are completely damaged, affecting many other parts and components inside the car, leading to increased costs.
Mr. Duc said that at his garage, the cost of repairing the CVT gearbox ranges from 25-30 million VND, depending on the damage. For some vehicles, when the gearbox fails, affecting other functions, the repair cost will increase many times.
The cost of replacing the CVT gearbox on many car models is always over 100 million VND. Photo: Car and Driver. |
“Other parts on the car if damaged can only be repaired for that part, however, if the gearbox belt breaks, it will damage the related parts around the gearbox, hence damaging the entire system. The cost of repairing a damaged gearbox is even more expensive than the cost of replacing it”, Mr. Duc explained further.
However, the repair shop owner also said that the case of a broken gearbox belt is very rare, accounting for a small proportion of the common faults when owning a car. For car owners using CVT gearboxes, simply changing the gearbox oil according to the manufacturer’s recommendations will avoid this situation.
Mr. Cong Hoang (HCMC), owner of a Honda City, also said that the cost of replacing the CVT gearbox on some car models exceeding 100 million VND was information he had found out before buying his first car. However, the consultant at the dealership, as well as friends, had also confirmed that this was a rare occurrence that did not need to be over-concerned about.
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