If you're looking for “what cars have the most transmission problems?” Here's the list:
- 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
Whether you're shopping for a brand-new vehicle or a used car, doing some research help prevent purchasing a vehicle with major mechanical problems. Understanding what cars the most transmission problems have is one of the first questions you have to ask yourself before making a final decision.
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Automotive experts came up with a list of all brands of vehicles expected to have major mechanical problems, including those related to transmission. This article walks you through the list and helps you identify whether you should purchase them or not.
Keep in mind that if you own one of these vehicles that we're going to mention in the lists, it's not the end of the world because you probably still have time before these major problems occur and once, they happen, it's never too late to sell the vehicle and use the money towards a better car that doesn't have any issue.
What is the transmission, and what does it do?
The transmission is one of the most significant components in your vehicle. It is responsible for receiving the energy from the engine and distributed it evenly among the wheels. But, more importantly, the transmission is smart enough to utilize the engine's energy properly, so the engine doesn't have to run at the highest speeds per limit when you don't want to move the wheels very fast.
In other words, the transmission helps regulate the energy coming from the engine and distribute it among the wheels to benefit the car and prevent damages due to stress.
How much does it cost to replace a bad transmission?
Unfortunately, transmission repairs are very expensive, and they are very comparable to engine repairs. Therefore, the last thing you want to deal with is major transmission failure, and when that happens, many drivers end up giving up on their vehicles by either trading them or selling them.
Depending on what problems your transmission has, repair costs can reach somewhere between $300 and $1400. Keep in mind that if your mechanic decided that you'll need a new transmission, repair costs could jump easily up to 5000 if not more.
You can still repair the transmission if there is hope. However, when it's at a point where it's beyond repair, you can either decide to go with a used transmission or a brand-new transmission.
With a used transmission, you take advantage of lower costs, but there is no guarantee that this transmission will serve you for a good number of years. On the other hand, the brand-new transmission is one quick guarantee that at least the transmission will serve you beyond the warranty time.
What cars have the most transmission problems?
Automotive experts and scientists went through detailed surveys to look for trends and signs indicating mechanical problems in certain vehicles. Interestingly, they found some clear trend that the following vehicles are more susceptible to transmission damages more than others:
- 2013 Nissan Sentra
2013 Nissan Sentra tends to have major transmission problems, and the problem also occurred in the other model years like 2012 and 2015. Transmission problems are most likely to occur around 77,000-123,000 miles.
If you're interested in an alternative to this vehicle without transmission problems, consider checking the Honda Civic model years from 2011 to 2015. Also, the Toyota Corolla years of 2011 and 2015 are a good choice. Finally, consider checking the Mazda 3 model years of 2013 to 2015.
- 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder also has major transmission problems that are expected to occur at around 58,000 miles and 108,000 miles. If you are looking for an alternative, you can check the Toyota Highlander model years of 2012 to 2016.
- 2014 Ford Focus
2015 Ford Focus transmission problems are expected to occur relatively earlier than dimensioned vehicles. Most customers had these issues at around 31,000 and 60,000 miles. If you're interested in other alternatives like this vehicle but do not have major transmission problems, check out the Mazda 3 model years from 2013 to 2015. Also, Honda Civic is a great choice and focuses on the model years of 2012 to 2015.
- 2019 Kia Forte
2019 Kia Forte also has transmission problems that surprisingly occurred at as low as 12,000 miles. Other customers mentioned that transmission issues occurred at around 23,000 miles, but it's still much lower than the previously mentioned vehicles, which is very concerning.
If you are interested in other alternatives, look at 2017, 2018, and 2020 Toyota Corolla. Also considered checking other models from Kia, including the 2017 and 2019 Kia Soul.
- 2013 Nissan Murano
The 2013 Nissan Murano also has transmission problems occurring at around 84,000 miles to 100 and 19,000 miles. If you're looking for alternatives, consider checking the Ford Edge 2015 model year and the model years from Toyota Highlander, including 2012 to 2016.
- 2011 Ford Fiesta
Many customers of the 2011 Ford Fiesta indicated that transmission problems occurred relatively later than the other vehicles mentioned in this list. These problems are most likely to happen at around 115,000 and 145,000 miles. Alternatives to this vehicle include the Honda Fit model years of 2011 to 2013 and the Hyundai accent the model years from 2012 and 2013.
- 2014 Infiniti QX60
2014 Infiniti QX60 is another common vehicle that tends to have major transmission problems. The problems are expected to occur at as low as 92,000 miles and as high as 95,000 miles.
A good alternative for this vehicle is the Lexus RX, and you can focus on the model years ranging from 2012 to 2016.
- 2011 Nissan Rogue
Nissan also had many vehicles suffering transmission issues like the 2011 Nissan Rogue. This vehicle has transmission issues occurring at around 94,000 miles and if you're looking for an alternative, consider checking the Honda CRV model years of 2011 and 2013 or probably 2011 Toyota RA V4.
- 2016 Nissan Altima
Another vehicle from Nissan suffering transmission problems is the 2016 Nissan Altima. According to customers, transmission problems are expected to occur at around 42,000 miles and probably 77,000 miles with this vehicle.
The Volkswagen Passat is a good alternative to the Nissan Altima, and you can focus on the model years of 2016 and 2017. Another great option is the Toyota Camry model years from 2015 to 2017 model years.
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Finally, the 2013 Chevrolet traverse also suffered from transmission problems, and these problems occurred at around 110,000 and 135,000 miles. Unfortunately, experts did not highlight an alternative to this vehicle that does not have major mechanical problems in the transmission.
Is it worth fixing transmission problems?
It all depends. The way you evaluate whether it's worth fixing the transmission or any major component in your vehicle is by comparing the repair costs to your vehicle's value.
If you notice that repair costs are approaching 75% or more from the vehicle's value, it is obviously not worth fixing it. On the other hand, if repair costs are not very high, it is definitely worth fixing the transmission because your vehicle will not run. There are plenty of available choices in the market that you can select from, including those decent used options.
Keep in mind that most private buyers will not be interested in buying your vehicle with major transmission problems. Therefore, your options are limited but, cash cars buyer is one of the fewest companies that guarantee to buy your vehicle no matter what type of problems are attached. Cash cars buyer wouldn't mind buying a vehicle that has damaged components and missing components.
Therefore, we advise you to reach out to our team by giving us a call at 8669244608 or use our online platform that helps you get a quote within a couple of minutes only.
What are the common signs of a bad transmission?
If you own one of the mentioned vehicles, it's not the end of the world because you still have some options. One way to deal with the situation is to watch for any symptoms indicating early transmission failures.
If you detect these problems early, there is a chance that you can fix the transmission without completely replacing it and paying 000s of dollars under air costs.
Let's take a closer look at some of the common symptoms indicating that your transmission is failing or is about to fail:
- Burning smell
One of the first and most common symptoms indicating a failing transmission is a burning smell. This is because when the transmission deteriorates, the internal parts can't get damaged, and the damages might impact the gearbox, causing the burning smell.
- Fluid leak
Also, if the transmission fluid is very low, there might be a sign of fluid leaks around the transmission. You will notice this by looking underneath the vehicle and seeing some signs of fluid puddles that look more like transmission fluid. It is important to educate yourself about the different fluid colors in your vehicle so you don't get mixed up between transmission fluid leak or something like the motor oil leak.
- Check engine light illuminating
When your vehicle notices a big problem with the transmission, it will immediately grab your attention by raising a check engine warning light. However, keep in mind that the warning light does not only illuminate due to problems with the transmission, which means that you must do further inspection to confirm the real culprit and fix it.
- Unhealthy transmission fluid
Another common symptom is indicating that your transmission is about to fail when you notice that the transmission fluid does not look good. In other words, if the fluid looks like it has a lot of contaminants or debris, it indicates that it is time to flush out this fluid to keep up with the transmission and prevent its full damage.
- Weird noises
Since the transmission contains a transmission filter, this filter might get clogged over time of use, and when this happens, it will make some weird loud noises. You'll also notice a significant reduction in the transmission performance associated with this noise.
- Transmission shaking
Also, if you drive a vehicle with a manual transmission, you might notice some shaking and grinding when the clutch grinds out against the surrounding components. Therefore, consider replacing the clutch immediately to prevent complicating the issue and causing complete transmission failure.
Conclusion
The transmission is a critical component in your vehicle, and without this component, your vehicle cannot simply run. Transmission problems are very catastrophic, and they require very high repair costs. Therefore, understanding “what cars have the most transmission problems?” helps you prevent buying a vehicle with major transmission problems.
The good news is that older model researchers put together a list highlighting these vehicles to help customers stay away from them or be prepared for such problems. However, if you own one of the vehicles mentioned in the previous lists, it is not the end of the world because you might still be at lower mileage where the problem is not expected to occur.
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