What transmission failure looks like
Slipping is the classic symptom: engine revs climb but the car doesn't accelerate proportionally. Harsh or delayed engagement into drive or reverse, a shudder at light throttle, or a whine that changes with road speed all point the same direction.
No drive at all — the engine runs, the lever moves, nothing happens — usually means an internal failure, a broken input or output component, or a failed pump. That car is a flatbed job.
CVTs deserve a special note. Many CVTs are not economically rebuildable, so the shop's answer is a replacement unit, and on some models that quote lands well above the value of a car with 120,000 miles on it.
What the repair actually costs
A fluid-and-filter service or a solenoid pack fix can be a few hundred dollars, and it's genuinely worth diagnosing that far if the car is otherwise in good shape. Ask for the specific fault codes and what the shop believes is failing.
A rebuild on a conventional automatic typically runs $2,500–$4,500 installed; a remanufactured unit with a warranty often $3,500–$6,000. Modern eight- and ten-speed units and CVTs sit at the top of that, sometimes past it.
Compare that to the car's realistic private-sale value in running order. When the repair is more than half the running value, most owners are better off selling as-is — and the second-cheapest quote from a transmission specialist is worth getting before you decide either way.
What the car is worth as-is
A failed transmission removes one high-value used part from the equation and leaves everything else intact: the engine, the body, the wheels, the glass, the interior, the electronics, and the catalytic converter.
That's why the salvage offer on a bad-transmission car is usually close to the offer on the same car with a good one. Where it does matter is a strong, in-demand engine — if the motor is known-good, say so, because a healthy engine is one of the better cores a recycler can resell.
As always, curb weight and regional scrap pricing set the floor: pickups and body-on-frame SUVs out-earn sedans on weight alone, and the same vehicle earns different amounts in different states.
Selling it without paying for towing
A car that won't move needs a flatbed with a winch. Tell the buyer up front that it has no drive and whether it rolls and steers freely — those two facts determine the truck sent, and getting them right avoids a rescheduled pickup.
Towing should be included in the offer. If a buyer quotes a number and then deducts a tow fee at the curb, that's a re-negotiation, not a quote.
A car that's still drivable but slipping badly should not be driven to a buyer. A failing transmission can lose drive completely without warning, and a breakdown in traffic is a much worse day than a scheduled pickup.
Before the truck arrives
Have the title signed and ID ready, empty the car completely, and pull the plates unless your state keeps plates with the vehicle.
If the car is at a shop, settle or clarify the diagnostic bill — a shop can hold a vehicle against unpaid work, and that has to be resolved before any release.
Confirm the payment amount and method before the driver leaves, and cancel insurance only after the car is gone.