Joe,
I'm sorry but you are getting a load of crap. I paid about $85 to have my transmission flushed on my 2001 Sport Trac about 4 years ago. It was done at a local Kwik-Kar lube center. I watch the entire process and it is a very simple procedure.
The machine was loaded with 10 quarts of a 100% synthetic Mercon-V compatible fluid. The clear plastic lines are attached to the cooling line that pumps the fluid from the transmission to the cooler, and the line from the flushing machine goes to the cooler. When the vehicle is started and the idle is increased to about 2000 rpm and the fluid gets pumped out of the transmission. As the old fluid is pushed out of the transmission, the new fluid is pushed back into the cooler and transmission. With the clear plastic lines you can see the fluid moving through the lines.
When all the old fluid is pumped out of the transmission you will see the fluid coming out of the transmission change from the dark brown dirty color to the bright red color of the fresh new fluid.
It appears that some of the quotes you are getting include droping the pan, changing the filter and then flushing the fluid. And others that claim you need 30 quarts of fluid to flush the transmission are totally false.
A 10 quart flush of the 5R55e transmission will replace about 98% of the fluid in the transmission. Even if they ran 30 quarts through, they would still never achieve a 100% fluid replacement !!!
I just checked with my local Kwik-Kar Lube shop that did the fluid flush on my 2001 Sport Trac, and the price is still the same ($85) for my 2003 Sport Trac. So I will be getting mine done sometime next week.
Transmission Flushes in this area run from $85 to about $130. Anyone who tries to charge you more are ripping you off. They are either trying to sell you un-needed additives, additional fluid, or some other bogus service that is not needed.
I don't necessaryly say that you should go to every quick lube center. Some are better than others. Our local Kwik-Kar lube is a privately owned franchise and the lady that owns it is very well known and has a very respecable reputation in the community. Also, the fact tha I can watch the entire procedure I can insure that the tech does not screw up, and they also warranty their work, 100%
PS: Most lube shops will not accept fluid you purchased, so check with them first. Remember that most of their profit comes from the sale of the oil and fluids and the labor charges are built into their standard fee for that service. They generally will not break down the flush into labor/fluid components
...Rich