Fix Trans or trade in? New old FRS
 

Hey,

First time posting here. I've wanted an FRS for the longest time and I finally did this May. It was my first car so I went with a (Mitsubishi) dealer and got a used standard - 90,000 KM, black, in Canada for $12K.

I couldn't test drive it on the highway cause it was during the pandemic but almost immediately after I bought it, I recognized a high pitched whine from the 6th gear. Over time a grinding/rattling noise has started to come from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears.

I got back in touch with the dealer as soon as I bought it and I've since been arguing with them. I even had it checked by the Toyota dealership and a 3rd mechanic and they tell me that it's transmission and clutch issue and could be costly - complete replacement or just as much work. [Total trans and clutch $5600 + $800 @ Toyota Dealer]

The dealership I bought it from basically washed their hands off it because I didn't buy their "warranty". Finally after escalation to their management, the guy offered me a $1000 dollars to fix this (which would barely cover the labour)
or trade it in for the price I bought it for from him for a '13 black Subaru BRZ he has with 35K km. He hasn't given me a fixed price but the thinks its gonna be $16K CAD.

I'm kind of stuck - what do you guys think I should be doing?

Getting the car fixed at another cheaper Auto Shop or going with the lower mileage BRZ or fight for something else?

Which car do you like better? Get that one. If you keep the car the money spent is similar.

Get the FRS fixed. If you get a different car, it's more of the same- something else could be wrong. At least with this car they're willing to cover some of it

If it were me I'd take the $1000, source a second hand g/box and throw it in the car one weekend.

If you are not mechanically inclined or don't have the tools the other cheap option is to find a second hand g/box yourself and get several quotes on installation from local mechanics. A dealer will almost always be the most expensive option and whilst you know you are getting shiny new parts being a dealer does not guarantee the mechanics doing the work will do a good job.

I'm with Turdinator on this one

I noticed your post said that you're in Canada. eBay has lots of used BRZ transmissions for cheap and the $1000 you'll get should be more than okay to cover the cost of shipping and the unit. Find a low mileage one and you should be okay for a long time. I personally have bought 3 transmissions on eBay from the LKQ seller which ships in Canada, where I also live.

Now being that it is your first car, just be sure that the noises you're hearing aren't just a part of the operation of the car. I've owned many manual trans cars and this one has the rattliest, whiniest, roughest gearbox I've ever heard