97 Tiburon, automatic transmission problems

Hi,

I have a 97 Tiburon, Automatic Transmission, with about 110k miles.
Presently, it seems to go only into 1st and 2nd gear. When it tries
to switch to 3rd (or higher), it acts as if it's dropped into
neutral. No problem with reverse.

About 6 months ago I had the transmission flushed at the dealer,
because it would occasionally drop out of 3rd and higher while in
those gears. After the flush, everything seemed to work better...
for awhile, and one day "suddenly" gave out. Transmission fluid
levels are fine.

I haven't taken it to a mechanic yet, just trying to get an idea of
what this could be, and how much it would cost to fix it (if even
worth it). The alternate side of this question is: would $500 be
asking too much for someone to buy the car (assuming everything else
is in good mechanical order)?

Thanks for your advice,

-Ben

 

Plan for a transmission overhaul or replacement. Little other
explanation.

As far as value of the vehicle, that'll depend on the condition of the
rest of the vehicle. Even if I knew, I'm still no expert on vehicle
value.