Having a major transmission overhaul is so expensive anyway, people
probably feel they're getting ripped off when they're writing the check
no matter if it's legit or not.
 My local (reputable) transmission shop, which a guy started from the
ground up and built it into a large, state-of-the-art facility employing
probably 20-30 people, charged about $1800 for R & R of a Chrysler 604.
 That's a pretty fair amount of cash.
  But I WOULD be interested to see a breakdown of that bill--i.e. how
much the actual hard parts cost (which they buy in quantity), and then
labor, (which they're likely very proficient at).
 So it could very well be that there's $300-400 in parts and just a few
hours labor and people willingly pay upwards of $1800 for the service,
all day every day.
 There is, however, a lot of overhead and expensive (specialized)
equipment, i.e. two dynos, torque converter reconditioning machine(s),
huge inventory of parts, training, office & bookkeeping, paying &
retaining QUALITY people to oversee the operation, not to mention
dealing with all the used fluid and parts, etc.

"Andrew" <noaddress@home.com> wrote in message news:vb49f.3694

Actually, wrong again, Andrew.  Dealerships vary enormously in quality of
repair.  Unless you know one that you are sure of, you are just buying into
a false feeling of security.  And you will pay heavily.

You need to research the local options and see if you can find a garage
that has a good reputation for ability and honesty.  The AAA website
gives some 'approved' mechanics or shops over the USA.  In fact,
if you are worried about having trouble on the road, AAA membership
might not be a bad option.

Check your local Better Business Bureau for complaints against mechanics
and garages.  Go to www.ripoffreport.com and check.

When you have narrowed your list, and have finally found a good shop,
support them.

The dealership has a lot of advantages besides the appointments/coffee
and donuts in the clean waiting room.  They see the same cars/engines
over and over and thus learn what to look for when repairing it.  How
many times does a Mr. Goodwrench mechanic see a 3400 V6?  Lots.  And
they have all the recall notices/TSB bulletins right there.  Plus they
have the proper tools and diagnostic software and have ready access to
the proper parts.  Not to say that there aren't crooked dealership
service dept's, but with thousands of GM dealerships nationwide, you
could easily find a reputable one.  Also buying an extended warranty to
cover your vehicle to 100,000 miles might be wise.  My extended warranty
has already paid for itself 2 times over and there's still 15,000 miles
left on the warranty, and it's not even a GM warranty (it's an
aftermarket warranty).  What I do is:  I buy low mileage used cars with
proven maintenance histories (oil changes, etc.) and buy the extended
warranty (which is like $1000 and can be added to the car's price and
financed -- still saving thousands over not buying brand new).  I
haven't had to pay a repair bill in years.