42RLE having issues shifting from first to second gear

[DC0046]

2004 Rubicon, 42RLE, two inch lift, MML, 1.125 body lift. 5:13s. Bought the jeep a couple of years ago with 58,000 miles. Now has 97,000 miles on it with probably another 20,000 being towed, but not on the odometer. It has always had an issue at very slow speeds shifting down from second to first, have to give it a second to find first. I will probably die with this jeep and have way more money in it than I could ever get for it, but I like it and its perfect for what I have it for. Went by a transmission shop I trust and owner says its probably going to go out at some point and very expensive to rebuild. (Around $3,000). He told me to drive it until it didn’t function anymore. Shifts great under all other circumstances. Has had fluid changed (sucked out, not flushed). Thoughts on the issue and thoughts on the cost of a rebuild from the many experts on this forum. Thanks in advance.

 

[Chris]

A new 42RLE transmission is around $1500 give or take (I've looked into it). Labor would likely be somewhere between $600-$1200 depending on who does the work, so I think $3000 is probably on the high side of what it should cost to put a new transmission in there. I'd probably get more quotes than that.

However, my experience is that most automatic transmissions will last to about 200k miles before they need a rebuild. This of course assumes that you haven't beat them to death or towed extreme loads with them (a transmission cooler is also a must for the 42RLE). Of course that's not to say a transmission can't go bad prematurely. It may indeed be the transmission going out, but the fact that it's always had that shifting issue seems to me that it's more likely another issue (maybe a bad shifter solenoid?). I'd take it to a few more shops and see what they say. It's always best to get a few opinions.