okay so here is my situation: I have a 2020 hyundai elantra with about 79k miles on it. recently the transmission started slipping. I was quoted $3800 to fix it with a brand new CVT transmission ($2800 parts, $1000 labor). I am financing this car and still owe about $8000 on the bank loan for it. I’ve only had it a little over a year.

The mechanic said that everything else on the car seems to be fine and he’s confused why the transmission would go out so soon but that it’s not unheard of with CVTs.

I am very fortunate to have gotten my monthly payment for this car to be only $200. (i put a hefty down payment on it). I’m graduating college this month and starting my adult life, and if i end up trading this in, it’ll probably be valued around $8k - $10k. if i finance a new car, i’d want it to be an actual NEW car, no older than 2023/25 and really low mileage (because what’s the point of just financing yet another old(er) car that might give me issues as well.) i’d want this to be the car i keep for majority of my adult life. I won’t have a down payment for it, so i know my monthly will be real difficult to get any lower that $400-$500. I hate the idea of that, I want to move out and start my adult life so I don’t wanna add that much to my monthly expenses.

I can afford the transmission repair, it’s just that the tranny is on backorder from hyundai, so i’d also be budgeting in about a months worth $ for a rental car. i start a new job in a couple weeks and ill be working 2 summer jobs and they’re both 30 mins drive from home, which is a 2-3hr bus ride in my city with extremely unreliable and inefficient public transport. its just not feasible since ill be out of the house all day, exhausted and have to travel a lot between the two jobs.

I like my car. it has never given me any other issues, ever. i’ve only had it like a year but this is the first time i’ve experienced a mechanical issue, engine light, etc anything like that! but i worry that i’ll replace the transmission, and then something else will go and i’ll end up in a cycle of pouring money into it. or that i’ll replace the tranny and then something goes wrong with the new one, or something goes wrong with the way they installed it (even tho i plan on getting a minimum 1yr warranty from the auto shop on their labor). or even, that i replace the tranny and the issue doesn’t go away. I obviously have to get a few second opinions, shop around for quotes etc.

Maybe it’s not the full tranny that needs to be replaced maybe it’s a sensor, a mount, a solenoid etc. I had the fluid flushed, and the TCM reset expecting it to fix my issue, but it did NOT. the symptoms are: after about 2-3 mins of driving it, when it heats up a bit, i experience jerking/shuddering when i accelerate. i can drive it but i have to barely give it any gas, and i can’t take it on the highway. on like the 2nd day of having this issue, i was driving, started feeling the shudder and i guess i gave it too much gas and it went into limp mode. my foot was all the way down on the gas and it was accelerating at a snails pace, extremely rough and barely going, but still went. Maybe there’s something else i can look into?? something else that could trigger this issue?

What would you do?