Once in a while, everyone ends up sparring with the two angels on their shoulders. No, not the “good” versus “bad” pair, these are the “save” versus “spend” guys.
One whispers, “There are many more fun ways to spend $500 than on a transmission fix that you’ll never even see.” The other counters with, “Do you really want to break down in Chile’s salt flats?”
That’s the dilemma facing Canadian content creator Leah Zecchino (@zecchinoleah), a van lifer who took to the internet asking for advice. The reason? Her 2020 Ford Transit AWD 2500 series van needs a pricey service. Her video, now at 95,600 views, is eliciting many well-argued, if conflicting opinions.
First: What’s Wrong With Her 2020 Ford Transit?
Zecchino is a dedicated van life girl (she’s on her second van). That means, she really needs reliable wheels (and everything else) because home is where the crankshaft is. So, when multiple mechanics told her she needed to drain and refill her transmission fluid and replace her filter, she listened.
Option one: the Ford dealership. It’s more expensive, $1,700, but her impression is that the techs are visibly more confident.
Option two: a mechanic who says he can do it for about $1,200 ($500 saved), but who seems less confident. “They’re asking a lot of questions; they’re researching things,” Zecchino notes of this interaction. Still, she says her warranty is accepted at this non-dealership mechanic, and though it doesn’t cover this specific service, if the mechanic gets in there and finds something else wrong, it would be covered.
The job is expensive because the filter is purportedly “in a weird place” and requires six or seven hours of labor to replace. Ford said, “something about the drivetrain and transmission having to come off,” she recalls.
What’s Everyone Else Saying?
There are arguments on both sides of going to a dealership versus an independent mechanic. A few self-described mechanics stepped in to ask pointed questions and give detailed answers.
Larry Christian, who says he’s a Ford tech, and Brandon Hall agree: “If [you’re] having issues with your transmission, a service replacing the fluid and transmission will not fix anything. The filter in your transmission does not need to be changed, it’s a screen, not a traditional filter. There are multiple ways to change the fluid without pan removal if you just want to do the service as a maintenance item,” Christian says.
Then a fellow Transit traveler offered some welcome news: “I have the same van those are things I always go to Ford for. They also processed my warranty for me and got everything approved. I had my whole transmission replaced and they also did a transmission service in the past. It’s a sealed transmission so they make it impossible for smaller shops,” wrote Angie Marie.
While Rob clarified Zecchino’s “drivetrain” confusion: “Transit vans are nightmares to work on! To remove the trans, you remove the complete drivetrain from the body. I’d take it to Ford and I’m not normally in favor of dealers.”
What’s a Girl to Do?
In a follow-up video, she reports that after servicing at the Ford dealership, the van got a clean bill of health. The tech just blamed her heavy buildout for the wear and tear.
Cost? Right about $1,500, and the tech was “confident that the issue was resolved,” she reports.
Then, just an hour and a half down the road (in a subsequent video), the shifting starts to feel weird again. So she took it back to the dealership. This time, they look it over, and the tech allegedly advised her, “If I was you, I would post this van on Marketplace and get money out of it while I still can.” This is the same mechanic who just the day before told her the vehicle was completely fine, she says.
In a follow-up to the follow-up, she’s dropped it off at an independent mechanic’s shop. The good news is that they accept her Lubrico warranty. She says she estimated the cost to replace the transmission is a jaw-dropping $13,000—more than double the amount Zecchino says she currently has in her account.
Now she says she feels “a little bit stupid for trusting Ford in something that I care so much about.” But she is back on the road with a brand-new transmission and a renewed appreciation for extended warranties.
Are Extended Warranties Worth It?
Forbes reports that, though public sentiment has largely turned against extended warranties due to robocalls and scams, they can be worth it for “peace of mind.” It reviewed multiple extended warranties and listed the pros and cons of seven. But the overall takeaway: they can help lower maintenance costs and defray the expenses of surprise breakdowns wherever they occur.
Motor1 reached out to Zecchino via her email and to Ford via its media email. We’ll update this if they get back to us.
Update Dec. 4, 2025: In an email to Motor1, Ford stated, “A representative of Ford says the company has reached out, but due to Zecchino’s international travel, they have not communicated.”
