If you’re a car owner, you know your transmission is one of the most important components of a healthy vehicle. Conversely, when you have a transmission problem, it’s generally somewhat of a big deal. Because of this, it’s important to be vigilant of signs of a bad transmission, so you don’t have to do a transmission repair. It can save you a big trouble in the long run, as well as protect your bank account from a costly repair.
These can be both easy to notice and more subtle, but all of them are signs you need to bring your car in for some tender love and care. It’s not an issue to be taken lightly, and if you ignore some of these signs, it could be both detrimental to your car and dangerous for your person.
This blog will break down some of the main components of an average transmission, as well as what to look for if you suspect you might have any transmission issues. Because transmission issues are so common, certain issues are telltale signs of a bad transmission. While almost everyone has experienced some issues in the past, some cars are more likely to suffer from transmission problems than others. At a glance, 10 of the most notorious cars for transmission issues are listed below (sorry, Nissan owners):
- 2013 Nissan Sentra
- 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
- 2014 Ford Focus
- 2019 Kia Forte
- 2013 Nissan Murano
- 2011 Ford Fiesta
- 2014 Infiniti QX60
- 2011 Nissan Rogue
- 2016 Nissan Altima
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
How Important is A Car’s Transmission?
You may be wondering, how important is a car’s transmission really? According to the Universal Technical Institute, the transmission is one of the most important components of any motor vehicle. In short, it moves the power from the engine to the wheels in order to drive the car forward. There are manual and automatic transmissions, with the latter increasingly becoming more popular as the former is phasing out.
In plain terms, it largely contributes to the power reaching the wheels through the gears and allows a car to move, speed up, and slow down. Additionally, fixing a car’s transmission is one of the most expensive repairs you can make. Because of this, it’s important to get out in front of issues to prevent potentially irreversible damage to your car or your health. Without further ado, here are five common signs to look for if you suspect you might have a poor transmission.
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Trouble Switching Gears
Your car shouldn’t have trouble maneuvering through gears as you attempt to speed up or slow down. If you are experiencing this, it’s important to get your transmission checked, as this is the most likely culprit. It could be as simple as low or incorrect transmission fluid, or it could be indicative of a larger issue. Either way, if it goes unnoticed, it could be detrimental to your car or dangerous for its passengers.
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Strange Smells From Under The Hood
If you ever notice any sort of burning or any other strange smell coming from under the hood, it’s important to take your car to an auto shop immediately. But this is a common symptom of a larger transmission problem. It’s likely due to either an old, leaking, or burning fluid that needs to be changed or updated. Especially as your car reaches older age, this fluid needs to be replaced, or it can lead to a blown transmission, which your car won’t come back from.
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A Transmission Warning Light
If you have an old car, you may become conditioned to seeing several warning signs popping up on your dashboard. Any warning lights shouldn’t be taken lightly, but particularly if you see your transmission light, get your car checked out before it fails or blows. While this may seem obvious, you’d be surprised at how many people chalk up these crucial warning signs to simply having an old car.
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Odd Sounds
If you hear any sounds that sound off, such as a grinding sound or clunking sound, it could be indicative of a transmission issue. If you have a manual transmission, and the gears don’t want to shift and come with uncomfortable sounds, it’s like the transmission. In an automatic, the sound could be more of a buzzing or humming noise, which could be less noticeable than in a manual. Either way, out-of-place sounds almost always mean there’s an issue under the hood. In many cases, a poor or failing transmission is the culprit.
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Excessive Rattling Or Shaking
If your car is struggling to handle normal drives or ordinary functions and reactions by rattling or shaking as you attempt to get from point A to point B, you likely have a transmission problem or something else just as serious. Your engine should not shake, rattle, or roll while you’re driving. It’s a sign of an unhappy transmission if you have these issues paired with another notorious transmission symptom listed above.
Conclusion
Of all the things that can go wrong in a vehicle, a poor transmission is both one of the most serious and one of the most expensive things to repair. That’s why it’s crucial to address warning signs immediately and take preventative measures for positive transmission health. This may look like routine checks, replacing the transmission fluid often and not driving your car in an extreme or overbearing fashion. To recap, some famous telltale signs of transmission issues include:
- Trouble switching gears or accelerating
- Weird engine smells, like burning
- Warning lights in your dashboard
- Odd sounds or noises when shifting or driving
- Excessive rattling or shaking while driving
If you have experienced one or several of these symptoms recently while driving, it’s very important to bring your car in for a transmission check. You won’t regret it and will likely save yourself a much larger payment in the future or even extend the life of your car by several years. Nobody likes having car issues of any kind and having to do a transmission repair. They’re always inconvenient. But fixing them as early as possible will be less of a headache than waiting for bigger consequences.
