5 of the Most Common Transmission Problems

April 25, 2018 | By Mister Transmission

Most Common Transmission Problems

Are you worried that there is something wrong with your transmission? Are you worried that something might happen to your transmission? It’s not always easy to tell when your transmission is acting up. With some parts of your vehicle, a problem can be plain to see, but with the transmission? This is not always so. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are five of the most common transmission problems.

No response

We begin our list of the top five most common transmission problems with one of the easiest ones to notice. When you shift gears in your vehicle, you expect your vehicle to, you know, shift gears. But sadly, this does not always happen. From the moment you put the key in the ignition and shift from park into drive, your vehicle should immediately go into the correct gear. For automatic transmissions, there is sometimes a delay before you feel the gear engage when trying to shift gears. This is usually a transmission problem.

What’s that smell?

Unless you’re sitting by a crackling campfire or fireplace, the smell of burning is rarely a good thing. And so too is this true for transmissions. If you smell burning coming from your transmission, you have a problem. This is often caused by low quality or quantity of transmission fluid. When transmission fluid breaks down, this causes increased friction the transmission will overheat.

Noise in neutral

Vehicles make noise. That’s what they do. When your vehicle is in neutral, however, it shouldn’t be making too much noise. If your transmission makes a great deal of noise while in neutral, you could have an issue. Luckily, this common problem can often be resolved by topping up or changing your transmission fluid.

Dragging Clutch

A manual transmission is more likely to experience a dragging clutch. If the clutch disk doesn’t disengage the flywheel when the clutch pedal is pressed, your clutch is dragging. The clutch still spins with the engine, though, and this makes it much more difficult (and sometimes impossible) to change gears. A dragging clutch will also often make a grinding noise when you try to change gears.

Obviously, you don’t want to experience any of these five most common transmission problems. But, luckily, a dragging clutch is often one of the more inexpensive transmission problems to get repaired. Frequently, the cause of a dragging clutch is an overabundance of slack in the clutch pedal. When there is too much slack, the linkage between the clutch disk and pedal it can’t pull  the clutch disk away from the flywheel.

Low fluid

As mentioned before, transmission fluid is vital to the health of your transmission. That is why whenever you see a patch of transmission fluid on the pavement where your car just was, you need to get that leak repaired right away. You should routinely check your transmission fluid levels to make sure you have enough fluid there. Furthermore, you must make sure that your fluid is still of good quality. Discoloured or malodorous transmission fluid is damaged transmission fluid. 

Mister Transmission

If you have been experiencing one (or more) of these dreaded five most common transmission problems, or any other transmission problems for that matter, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

image-reviews image-reviews
Customer Reviews
Very honest and trustworthy!!!! I...
Ryan Jorgenson
Very honest and trustworthy!!!! I brought my truck in after getting a error code. The dealership and 1 other shop told me that I need a new transmission at the cost of 8-11k I found this to be strange so I took it to mr. Transmission. They where unable to find anything wrong with my transmission. So they opened it up drained the oil and inspected for any metal shavings. When they found none they put new oil in and sent me on my way for only $400. I have been towing large equipment and plowing snow for months since with no issue. I highly reccomend Mr. Transmission!!!
Date: January 31, 2025
Website: Google
Spoke with Frank over phone,...
Parsa Namsehchi
Spoke with Frank over phone, always ready to help, and give quotes over the phone with a great warranty period afterwards
Date: January 31, 2025
Website: Google
Very friendly staff , great...
Sean Wilson
Very friendly staff , great straightforward service, highly recommend 👍
Date: January 31, 2025
Website: Google
Great service and super professional
Canadian Rooster
Great service and super professional
Date: January 30, 2025
Website: Google
Good place to deal with...
Ahmad Amine
Good place to deal with they're really care for their customer I recommend people to deal with that please thanks for them they have an honesty customer service.
Date: January 30, 2025
Website: Google
ALWAYS GREAT SERVICE.
Binbrook Auto
ALWAYS GREAT SERVICE.
Date: January 30, 2025
Website: Google
I was having issues with...
Laura Burchett
I was having issues with my Mazda and took my car here. Dan and his team were the only garage that were able to correct the issue. It did take some time but that was only because the parts were not readily available but Dan let me know that up front. I would not hesitate to take my car back to them for any other work that may be needed in the future.
Date: January 29, 2025
Website: Google
Great service, no issues.
Randy Nystrom
Great service, no issues.
Date: January 29, 2025
Website: Google
DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE, Brought...
Zack Brydges
DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE, Brought vechile in for transfer case and had it back the next day good service good price and very friendly people will definitely go here more often
Date: January 29, 2025
Website: Google
Took my truck to have...
Curtis Weisflock
Took my truck to have it looked at, fantastic service would recommend 100%
Date: January 28, 2025
Website: Google
Featured Services
Transmission Repair

The evolution of transmissions has made these machines and systems increasingly complex. When transmission repairs are required, determining the cause and cure for what ails can be tricky.

Read More
Transmission Technology

At Mister Transmission we have access to leading-edge diagnostic equipment, enabling us to offer you the fastest and most accurate findings about what’s going on inside your vehicle’s transmission.

Read More
Transmission Maintenance & Service

Just as you have other parts of your car serviced, your transmission needs maintenance to ensure a long life and avoid transmission problems.

Read More
Mister Transmission Blogs
Recent Blogs
Dodge Transmission Repair: Extending The...
Transmission repair is crucial for maintaining the performance and longevity of a
Read More
December 27, 2024
Ford Transmission Problems: When To Seek...
Ford vehicles are known for their reliability and performance, but like any car, they
Read More
December 20, 2024
Is The Honda Transmission Replacement Co...
Honda vehicles are known for their reliability, but even the most dependable cars can
Read More
December 13, 2024
Expert Tips For A Hassle-Free Transmissi...
Transmission oil is crucial for keeping a vehicle’s transmission system running
Read More
December 6, 2024
Is It Time For A Transmission Replacemen...
The transmission is one of the most critical components of a vehicle, ensuring that
Read More
November 28, 2024
Transmission Problems And How Mister Tra...
The transmission is a crucial component of any vehicle, responsible for transferring
Read More
November 21, 2024
Why A Transmission Rebuild Is Essential ...
The transmission is one of the most important components in a vehicle, responsible
Read More
November 14, 2024
Transmission Shop Services: What To Expe...
The transmission is a crucial component of any vehicle, transferring power from the
Read More
November 7, 2024
Expert Transmission Service: Ensuring Op...
Transmission service plays a critical role in maintaining the health and performance
Read More
October 28, 2024
Ford Transmission Repair Services: What ...
Owning a Ford vehicle comes with the benefits of reliability, comfort, and impressive
Read More
October 21, 2024