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.

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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.

Mister Transmission Team

The Mister Transmission team consists of certified transmission specialists with decades of combined experience in diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining automatic and manual transmissions.

With over 60 years of service across Canada, our experts provide trusted, accurate, and up-to-date automotive advice to help drivers make informed decisions about their vehicles.

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Customer Reviews
Ken is always nice and...
Jer 13leafs
Ken is always nice and knowledgeable. He quickly ordered the part It arrived in under 30 minutes and installed. Will bring back car for further diagnostics and service Thank you very much
Date: July 16, 2026
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Good customer service and fixed...
Danny Sirizzotti
Good customer service and fixed the issue.
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Incredible service in a timely...
Shayne Campeau
Incredible service in a timely manner. Jo and his team cut no corners and got me rolling again in no time. Service like that is hard to come by anymore. If you're having transmission issues this is where to go. Thank you Jo & team!
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dealing with mr, sanjay was...
Wil Liam
dealing with mr, sanjay was and is delightful ,the comradery is great, lotsa laughs, workmanship appears good so far ,only been 1 day tho, if workmanship is anything like sanjay ,do not expect any problems , will return gladly
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I had an issue on...
SUNNY KUNNAPPILLY
I had an issue on my truck transmission 2 years back ,which the great dealers suggested to replace complete transmission. I got a suggestion from one of my friends and Mr .transmission had done few small works, replacement parts with very low cost .Still I don't have any issue from then . Recently I had a situation on my steering wheel,and dropped my truck immedialtly ,they had replaced some parts & I got my truck back to work next day . They are the best 💯🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Thomson Electric Sunny
Date: July 16, 2026
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Had a awesome experience at...
April Skjonsberg
Had a awesome experience at Red Deer,Mister Transmission I took my 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder,they were courteous and a great price. I would recommend this business to all.
Date: July 15, 2026
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I’m very happy with the...
Adrian Ursache
I’m very happy with the service I received at Mister Transmission. Even though they had no openings, Chris understood my situation and managed to fit me in. He took the time to help with my transmission problem, and I truly appreciate it. Highly recommended!
Date: July 15, 2026
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Brilliant customer service with easy...
Kaidyn Landry
Brilliant customer service with easy to talk to employees, they booked and completed my inspection next day and within 15 minutes. Very well informed employees, and honest opinions with no undercutting. Certainly the place to go to for any vehicle problems for anyone
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Great spot to go to!...
Blane Johnson
Great spot to go to! I would not hesitate to go back, they are honest from the start.
Date: July 14, 2026
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Short and sweet. Had a...
Mike LeFebvre
Short and sweet. Had a Trans done in Pickering. Had a problem with seal leakage. Returned to Pickering location and no longer there. Drove to Mr Trans on Westney 195. Explained my problem. Steven the manager spoke to tech Tom and gave me a solution. Tom dismantled complete Trans. Found some serious flaws and proceeded to remedy them. Their work ethic customer service is top notch. Dealing with these guys is both comforting and educational. I highly recommend this specific shop for all transmission work bar none. Thanks again Steven and Tom. .
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