I'm not quite sure what a throwout bearing is, but I know if they're worn out or in need of replacement, they'll squeak.

My dad's Volkswagen Golf TDI has about 78,xxx miles on it, and lately it's been making a sort of squeaky noise right when you start it up, and a bit when you take off from a stop. Also, its idle is a little rougher than normal.

My dad keeps saying it's "some transmission bearing" and the repair guy is telling him that he needs a new transmission. Is this really necessary? I mean he's saying we should look for a used transmission to replace this one. My dad's not too clear with me on the details right now but I'll come back and edit once I know exactly what's happening.

I guess I'm basically asking...what are the symptoms of a throwout bearing problem, does what I described sound like that sort of problem, and is replacing the transmission really a logical solution to this? I feel like replacing the transmission to fix such a problem is like buying a new cell phone because your battery died.