Have you ever asked yourself, “why should I replace my transmission?” Here are the potential signs you must replace the transmission:
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- Check engine light illuminating
- Weird loud noises from the transmission
- Difficulties shifting gears
- Significant fluid leaks
- Low transmission fluid
With advanced technologies, vehicles are becoming more durable, and they don't need much maintenance as before. However, you will deal with these major repairs at some point in time, and you will have to consider thousands of dollars to pay for fixing the major problems.
Some of the components that might face major problems are your vehicle's transmission. The transmission is a core component, and when it goes bad, you cannot drive your car at all. Unfortunately, there are some instances where you can't fix the transmission, but there are many instances where you might be ready for a transmission rebuilt or complete replacement.
Understanding the main symptoms that indicate you need a new transmission helps you determine what to do next. In other words, you might conclude that you have to sell your car rather than wasting your time counting money and effort.
This article walks you through five very common indications to help me answer the question, “why should I replace my transmission?” Whenever you notice any of these indications, you have to step back and evaluate the situation closely because your vehicle might not be worth the repair.
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How long does the transmission last?
The transmission is a typically adorable component, and it should last for up to 300,000 miles, if not more, in some vehicles. However, some external factors and other forces might cause your transmission to fail prematurely. Therefore, it is essential for you as a driver at different layers yourself with different symptoms indicating transmission problems.
Also, there might be some problems in how the transmission was manufactured. In other words, there could be some issues with insulation that caused transmissions of certain vehicle brands to fail immediately. In these situations, the manufacturer will typically release a recall to bring all buyers back to the dealership to get the transmission replaced favorite charge.
Therefore, if you're dealing with some transmission problems at the early stages of your vehicle’s lifespan, it could be the case that there is potentially a recall. Therefore, you'd better check with your dealership or consult the manufacturer to see if there are certain recalls targeting transmission problems in your vehicle's brand.
Why should I replace my transmission?
When your transmission fails, you have to replace it immediately. Otherwise, you cannot drive your car. However, you can always think about the other scenario of selling your vehicle instead of considering the very expensive transmission replacement costs.
They are very common symptoms that should immediately help you answer, “why should I replace my transmission?” Whenever you notice any of these five symptoms, you must consult your mechanic for a transmission replacement or rebuild:
1. Check engine light illuminating
The first and most straightforward indication that you need a new transmission is when dealing with a check engine light illuminating. Unfortunately, this can be confusing because the check engine light might be related to many different problems.
Therefore, you must confirm that the check engine light is illuminating because of a transmission problem. You can use a scanning tool like the OBD scanner and connect it to your computer in the vehicle. The scanner should display an error indicating a major problem in your transmission. Depending on your scanner, you might only get the error that you can search on Google for what it means plots you can also get more details about what to expect and how much the repair costs are.
2. Weird loud noises from the transmission
The second potential storm symptom that you're dealing with is a very bad transmission is when you hear very loud noises coming from the transmission side. As a rule of thumb or move experts always say that whenever you hear any noises coming from any site in your vehicle, you must take it seriously because it could indicate a major internal issue.
The same principle applies to loud noises coming from the transmission. Whenever you hear these noises, you must consult the mechanic as soon as possible. Sometimes, depending on the noise's severity, you might be dealing with a completely failing transmission that requires replacement or rebuilding.
The more you ignore these noises, the more complicated the problem gets and the closer you get to the need for transmission installment.
3. Difficulties shifting gears
When your transmission gets to a point where you can't or has difficulties shifting gears, this is a strong indication that you're dealing with a completely failing transmission. If it is very serious and very severe, it could get you involved in major car accidents if you ignore it.
Therefore, you need to check with your mechanic to see if the transmission is repairable considering the difficulty of shifting gears. However, if you're a mechanic and confirmed that your problem has to do with failed transmission, the only solution is to rebuild or install a new transmission.
4. Significant fluid leaks
The transmission requires a specific fluid to operate properly. Depending on your transmission type, the fluid might only be responsible for lubricating it or might involve how the transmission operates.
When the transmission goes bad, it might allow fluid to leak from the small and weak seals on the transmission. So therefore, when you notice a severe fluid leak underneath the vehicle, you got to confirm that it's first a transmission fluid, and then you can tell that it could be a significant problem with the transmission.
Keep in mind that there are different vehicle fluids in your car, and any of them could leak. For example, if the fluid leaking is just water out of the AC system, you shouldn't be too weird because it's not a problem. However, if it's leaking is either a transmission fluid or probably an engine oil, this is when we're talking about significant repairs and significant situations that might prevent you from driving your vehicle a single mile.
5. Low transmission fluid
Of course, if you're experiencing a significant fluid leak in your transmission, you'll notice that the transmission fluid level is not at the right optimum point as recommended in your vehicle’s owner's manual.
Therefore, whenever you try to top it off, you'll still deal with a little transmission fluid which is a significant problem. Did you know that if you drove your car when the transmission fluid level is very low, you could easily lead to damaging the transmission completely?
How much does it cost to replace the transmission?
If your mechanic confirmed that you're dealing with a completely failed transmission, unfortunately, the only solution would be to replace the transmission. Typically, transmission replacement should cost you between $1800 and $3400. This price range should include both labor and parts.
Keep in mind that the price range differs significantly if you're driving a luxury car because it could be way more and might end up close to $10,000, if not more.
Some people might think that rebuilding the transmission should be cheaper. However, that's not always the case. Depending on your situation, transmission rebuilds might cost you between $2000 and $3000. So yes, the upper limit could be a little bit slower, but it is still within the significant repair costs that you might deal with during the life span of your vehicle.
What other symptoms of transmission problems?
Many other symptoms could indicate you are dealing with a bad transmission. However, these symptoms do not necessarily mean that you need to install a new transmission immediately because it could be something that your mechanic might be able to fix.
The better for you is to keep an eye on these minor symptoms because that's where it will make a difference. In other words, if he was able to determine these minor problems, you will most likely consult your mechanic and fix the issue as soon as possible. However, ignoring these problems for a long time gets you to a point where you have to install a new transmission.
Let's take a closer look at some of the very common symptoms indicating the need for transmission repairs:
1. The transmission does not respond fast
You might deal with situations where your mechanic doesn't respond very fast on rare occasions. If this happens, you shouldn't ignore the problem, even if it happened one or two times over a month, because it might indicate that your transmission needs attention.
2. The transmission smells like burn
When the transmission is overheating and not receiving enough lubrication, you might notice a strong burning smell. They will smell almost like a rubber-burning smell. If that's the case, check with your mechanic and have him determine whether you have a leak or whether the transmission fluid requires a flush.
The transmission makes noises in neutral
Your vehicle's turn should not make strong noise when you put your car in neutral. If that's the case, you're most likely dealing with some transmission problems assuming that these messages are coming from the transmission side.
3. The gears slip
Sometimes your vehicle's gears might slip, and if this is not a very common continuous situation, it could be an early sign of that transmission. Therefore, do not ignore the problem and have your mechanic technical, so check whether you're dealing with anything internally.
4. The clutch is dragging
Finally, if you're driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, you'll have a whole list of problems related to the clutch. If the clutch is dragging between now and then, it could be a problem with the transmission, and that's why we have to immediately consult your mechanic to see if you can resolve the issue without needing to install and no transmission.
What are the vehicles that will most likely need transmission replacement?
Some vehicles will most likely need transmission replacement than others. You must understand these vehicles because you can prevent yourself from dealing with these major complications by not buying a used vehicle from this brand.
You can also familiarize yourself with when exactly to expect these transmission failures to determine whether you're getting a good deal in a certain vehicle.
Here are the 10 most common vehicles that will most likely need transmission replacements:
- 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
Final thoughts
The transmission is a core component in every vehicle, and it might get to the point of time where you have to replace it because it completely failed, unfortunately.
When your transmission fails, you might ask yourself, “why should I replace my transmission?” Unfortunately, there are some situations where there's no way you can fix this transmission, and your only solution is to replace it. This article provided very common symptoms that you need a new transmission.
If you got to this point, you got to evaluate the situation closely and confirm if it's worth fixing the transmission to install a new one or not. Sometimes your vehicle's value might not be as good, and that's when you have to consider selling it instead of wasting your money. Of course, if you're looking to sell a vehicle with major transmission problems, you can always reach out to Cash Cars Buyer!
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