Our first step in solving the Subaru transmission dilemma was bringing it to a transmission specialist nearby. This, as it turned out, was the only step needed, as he confirmed what our mechanic had said (the problem was the rear differential) and told us it would cost approximately $1,800-$2,000 to replace.

All right. $2,000 is a lot less than a new car, we said. The transmission mechanic also said that the work was guaranteed for 12,000 miles or a year, and that he didn’t expect there would be future issues due to this. He was unsure why the problem happened in the first place, but suggested the differential fluid had been neglected or had been drained out and never replaced. For my part, never having had an all-wheel drive car, I didn’t even know there was a fluid to maintain. Now that I know, I’ll be a lot more cautious.

In short, we decided to fix it.

The repair took a few days, and we picked the car up this morning. The total cost was $1,850, $1,000 of which was the part itself. Ouch.

It was not, however, so ouch that we had to put it on credit. Nay, we didn’t even need to dip into our emergency fund (in part because we just received our economic stimulus rebate). That was an immense relief.

I hope this signals a new era in our financial lives – a time when other unexpected expenses can’t manage to throw us off the path to financial freedom.

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