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Having a transmission repaired is a major automotive investment, so it's important to find a good transmission repair shop to do the work. If you need your car's transmission diagnosed, overhauled, rebuilt or replaced, here are five questions to ask the transmission repair shops in your area that will help you identify the best one to have your car taken to.

Does Your Transmission Repair Shop Have Any Memberships?

Good transmission repair shops are often members of professional organizations. A shop may be a member of any of the following organizations:

• the local Chamber of Commerce
• the Better Business Bureau
• the Automotive Service Association

Who Will Actually be Performing the Work?

You'll not just want to know that the repair shop has a good reputation, but you'll also want to know that the actual technicians who will be doing the work are skilled and experienced.

If you can, try to talk directly with the technician who will be looking at your car's transmission. An in-person conversation is often the most efficient way to communicate what's wrong with the car, and it gives you an opportunity to personally assess them.

Often, however, technicians are busy. If they aren't able to get off the garage floor and talk with you directly, ask about their training and experience. You can ask the following questions:

• what training programs they've been through
• how many transmissions they've rebuilt
• whether they have an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification

ASE certification, as MoneyTalksNews explains, is awarded to individual mechanics after they complete a two-year automotive repair degree, pass an exam and have been working in the field for two years. Technicians that meet these requirements, and thus are certified, have had both academic and practical training -- and are highly qualified to work on cars.

Is a Warranty Included with the Work?

Transmission repair shops that are confident in their work will stand behind it with a warranty on the work they provide. Shops typically don't provide warranties on the parts they use themselves, but reputable ones typically only use parts that come with manufacturer warranties. The warranties that shops provide are typically on the labor, which is the work they provide.

When inquiring about a warranty, it's important to determine precisely how long the warranty lasts. Automotive warranties may be good for a number of years, a number of miles, or whichever comes first.

How Long Will the Work Take?

You don't necessarily want to go to the fastest transmission repair shop in town, because quality shouldn't be sacrificed for speed. You should find one that can take care of your car in a timely fashion, though.

In general, a transmission repair often takes about four days. This gives the technician working on your repair a day to diagnose the problem, a day to diagnose the issue, a day to take out your car's transmission, a day to rebuild your the transmission and a day to reinstall it. The job can take more or less time, though.

If a shop says the work will take weeks or they can't get to it quickly, you might be able to get your car back faster if you have it taken somewhere else.

Do You Provide Written Estimates?

As mentioned, having a transmission repaired is a significant investment. Just basic repairs can range anywhere from $500 to $1,500, and putting in a rebuilt a transmission can run anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500, according to Transmission Repair Cost Guide.

You shouldn't be in the dark on how much repairing your car's transmission will be. Reputable shops are able to accurately estimate the cost of a job, and they'll back up their estimate in writing so that you can budget accordingly.

For more information, talk with local transmission repair shops in your area, such as American Transmission Center, directly.