Transmission problem
2001 Toyota Corolla Two Wheel Drive Manual 87457 miles
----------------------------------------------------------------
A few months ago I started having problems putting the third gear in. Sometimes it just wouldn't go in at all, sometimes it didn't stay in, just jumped out of it with a rather unpleasant noise (the kind you get when you try to accidentally put the reverse gear in while driving). All other gears work fine and with no trouble.
I checked with a garage and they quoted me roughly $ 2000 for a new gearbox. Is it possible that the fault can be fixed without actually replacing the gearbox? Surely if all the other gears work, the gearbox itself must be okay?
At the moment I am driving the car simply without using the 3rd gear, but I was told at the garage that with time, the other gears will go as well, and I should definitely have it fixed. Are they trying to rip me off, or could the other gears really go as well at some point?

I would have the linkage adjusted, check for problems with the linkage at the console, if everything is good (cable OK, no loose bolts, shift console OK not cracked) then third gear in the transmission would need to be replaced.

If a gear wears abnormally and grinds metal is will eventually ruin the transmission.

Another thing to do is to drain the transmission fluid looking for metal particles in the fluid, if you find some then a rebuild or replacement (or used trans. from a junkyard) is indicated.