PULSCAR SORTING RULES - COMPLAINTS ABOUT REPLACING OR REBUILDING A WHOLE TRANSMISSION (NHTSA, 2015 TO 4 OCTOBER 2026)
Published alongside https://www.pulscar.io/blog/transmission-replacement-cost . License: CC BY 4.0.

The rules below were written before any complaint in the set was sorted, and a dated record of these rules was kept before sorting:
66444f1dbb7ff4065cb2266e176129b050062e15d4f17bac41d886285f872db9  (fingerprint of the rules text as first written)
2026-11-04T08:30:00Z  (date of the record)

Tie-break rules R1 to R9 were written from the first disagreements; R10 to R14 were added after the first three of five batches had been settled (they are marked below). The rule used for each settled complaint is in the column rule_applied of the complaints file.

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# Sorting rules — transmission replacement complaints (transmission-replacement-cost study)

Written before any complaint in the set was sorted.

## Pool (how the complaints were found)
NHTSA complaints received 2015-01-01 to 2026-10-04 (782,908 narratives, NHTSA flat files
downloaded 07.10.2026). A complaint is in the matching pool if its narrative matches any of four
case-insensitive patterns (P1-P3b, exact patterns in the appendix): a replace/rebuild/reman/swap/install
word within a few words of "transmission", "transaxle", "tranny", "CVT", "gearbox" or "trans"; or "new / used /
remanufactured / reman / rebuilt / replacement" within two words before one of those; or one of those followed
within a few words by "was / were / had to be / needs to be / will be ..." plus a replace/rebuild word. A word
that continues as a part or fluid (fluid, filter, control module, solenoid, mount, cooler, line, pan, gasket, seal,
sensor, valve, software ...) does not count as the transmission itself. 14,125 complaints match. A seeded random
sample of 3,000 of them (random seed 20261104) is what was sorted. The sample is random; no complaint was chosen by
its content.

"Transmission" here means the whole automatic or manual transmission, transaxle, CVT or dual-clutch gearbox
unit. A part inside it (valve body, solenoid, torque converter, clutch pack), the fluid, the cooler, a mount or the
transmission control module is NOT the transmission. An engine, a transfer case or a differential is not the
transmission.

For each complaint record exactly one CATEGORY, three yes/no FLAGS and one UNIT value.

## CATEGORY (one letter) — what the complaint says about replacing or rebuilding the whole transmission of THIS vehicle

N — Not about replacing or rebuilding this vehicle's whole transmission. Examples of N: the match was a part, the
    fluid or a module ("replaced the transmission control module"); the replacement was on another vehicle
    the owner mentions in passing; recall or bulletin text pasted into the complaint with nothing said about this
    vehicle's own transmission; a clutch, flywheel or engine job on a manual car with the gearbox not replaced;
    "replace" used about something else in the same narrative; a complaint where the transmission is only one item in
    a list of parts with no statement that it failed, was quoted, was replaced or was rebuilt.

T — Transmission replaced. The complaint states that the whole transmission/transaxle/CVT of this vehicle was
    replaced (done, not only quoted) with a new, remanufactured, used or unspecified unit. Includes a
    replacement done under warranty, recall or goodwill, and a replacement done after a rebuild.

B — Transmission rebuilt. The complaint states that this vehicle's own transmission was rebuilt, overhauled or taken
    apart and repaired inside (clutches, bands, seals, hard parts) and kept in the car (done, not only quoted);
    without T.

Q — Replacement or rebuild quoted, diagnosed or recommended only. A dealer, shop, maker or independent mechanic
    said the transmission needs to be replaced or rebuilt (or quoted a price for that, or declined to cover it),
    but the complaint does not say the work was done; without T or B. The owner repeating "they told me I need a new
    transmission" counts as Q. A maker's refusal to pay for a transmission replacement is Q.

A — Something else was done instead. Replacement or rebuild was suggested or considered, but the complaint states
    the unit was NOT replaced or rebuilt and a different remedy was applied or tried (fluid service or flush,
    software or reprogramming, solenoid, valve body, torque converter, cooler line, mount, sensor, engine repair);
    without T, B or Q.

O — Owner-attributed only. The owner says the transmission needs, will need or should get replacement or rebuild
    (or asks the maker for a new transmission) with no shop, dealer or maker diagnosis, quote or repair stated;
    without T, B, Q or A.

Precedence when more than one fits: T, then B, then Q, then A, then O.
(Transmission replaced after a rebuild that failed = T; a replacement quote and then a fluid flush that did not
help = Q.)

## FLAGS and UNIT

covered — the complaint says the maker, a warranty, an extended warranty or service contract, a recall, a special
    coverage or customer-satisfaction program, goodwill, or the dealer paid or agreed to pay for the transmission
    replacement or rebuild (in full or in part), or that the work was done free. "no" when the owner paid, when
    payment is not stated, when coverage was requested and refused, and for N.

refused — the complaint says the maker, dealer, warranty company or service-contract company was asked to pay for
    the transmission replacement or rebuild (or goodwill help) and said no, or that the owner was told the
    transmission is not covered. "no" when not stated, and for N.

returned — the complaint says the replaced or rebuilt transmission failed again, or the same symptom came back
    after a transmission was replaced or rebuilt. "no" when the outcome is not stated, when it held, and for N.

unit — what kind of replacement unit the complaint names, for T and Q only: new (new, brand new, factory new,
    OEM new), reman (remanufactured, reman, rebuilt unit, exchange unit, "refurbished"), used (used, salvage,
    junkyard, from another car), unstated (nothing said). For N, B, A, O write unstated. When two kinds are named,
    write the one that was installed (T) or first quoted (Q).

## Output
One line per complaint, comma-separated, no header, in the order given:
`odino,category,covered,refused,returned,unit,note`
category is one of N T B Q A O; covered, refused and returned are yes or no; unit is one of new reman used unstated;
for N write no,no,no,unstated.
note: at most 15 words, no commas (use semicolons), naming the evidence (e.g. "dealer quoted new transmission
$5,200; not done").

## Appendix — exact pool patterns (Python re module, case-insensitive)
```
U = (?:transmission|transaxle|tranny|cvt|gearbox|trans)\b not followed (after non-word characters) by
    fluid|filter|control|module|solenoid|mount(s)|cooler|line(s)|pan|gasket|seal(s)|range|sensor|shift cable|shift solenoid|shift interlock|oil|tcm|valve|computer|software|harness|wiring|dipstick|flush|leak|case bolt|speed sensor|input|output|bell
    and not followed by "cooler", "fluid" or "filter"
V = replac*|rebuil[dt]*|re-?manufactur*|reman*|swap*|install*
P1 = V  + up to 3 words + U
P2 = (new|used|remanufactured|reman|rebuilt|replacement) + up to 2 words + U
P3 = U + up to 4 words + (was|were|had to be|has to be|need(s) to be|needed to be|got|been|being|will be|would be|should be) + up to 2 words + V
P3b = U + up to 2 words + V
```

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TIE-BREAK RULES:
R1  "Diagnosed as needing replacement/rebuild; the vehicle was repaired" with no explicit statement that the unit itself was replaced or rebuilt = Q (not T/B).
R2  A replacement that is agreed, scheduled, in progress ("is being replaced", "will be replaced", "dealer is replacing") but not stated as finished = Q, with covered=yes where the maker/warranty company is paying. T only for "was replaced", "replaced", "had it replaced", "now has a new/remanufactured transmission".
R3  Q needs a person other than the complainant (dealer, shop, mechanic, maker, or a warranty company) to say the transmission needs replacement/rebuild, or to quote it, or to refuse to cover it. A code read at a parts store, an online search, a forum or "the owner was told" with no source named = O. A dealer who only refuses the owner's request to replace the transmission (no statement that it needs it) = O with refused=yes.
R4  A complaint where the owner only reports that online research points to replacement, without saying this vehicle needs it = N; "I need a new transmission" / "$3,000 plus to fix" with no source named = O.
R5  B (rebuilt) only when the unit is stated as rebuilt/overhauled/opened up and repaired in the car (done). "Requires a rebuild", "will be totally rebuilt", "dealer says rebuild" = Q.
R6  unit: for T, "new transmission", "brand new", "OEM new" = new; "remanufactured", "reman", "rebuilt/refurbished unit installed", "exchange unit" = reman; "used", "salvage", "junkyard" = used; "replaced the transmission" with no kind = unstated. For Q (not done), "needs a new transmission" is colloquial and = unstated; only "brand new", "factory new", "OEM", "new from the dealer/maker" = new. unit is unstated for N, B, A, O.
R7  refused=yes only if the narrative says the maker, dealer or warranty company was asked to pay (or the recall/coverage was checked) and the answer was no, or says the owner was told it is not covered / out of warranty / "VIN not in the recall" / "the owner must pay" / "would not budge on price". "The manufacturer was informed but no assistance was offered" with no request or statement of non-coverage = no. For N always no.
R8  covered=yes also for partial goodwill, partial maker payment, or a warranty/service-contract payment for part of the job. A rental paid by the maker with the repair paid by the owner is no.
R9  returned=yes only if the replaced or rebuilt unit (or the same symptom after that work) failed again in this vehicle; a different unrelated failure after the replacement is no.
R10 (added after shards 1-3) When the maker or a dealer performs a replacement and the narrative never says who paid, covered=no. covered=yes needs warranty, recall, goodwill, "free", "no charge", "covered", or a stated payment by the maker/warranty company.
R11 "Diagnosed with transmission problems, now I have to buy a new transmission" (owner states the need as the result of a shop/dealer visit) = Q.
R12 A program or recall eligibility cutoff the owner cites (prorated extension, VIN not included) is a refusal only if the owner says they asked and were told no; a sum with no named source is not a quote (O if the owner says it must be replaced, else N).
R13 Wording that only implies paperwork or a plan ("papers on a new transmission were placed", "ordered a transmission") with no statement that it was installed = Q.
R14 A complaint that names a shop only as "transmission rebuild or replace" (a shop name) without a statement about this vehicle = N.