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.

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Customer Reviews
Mister Transmission had provided me...
Duncan Fleming
Mister Transmission had provided me with excellent service over the past year. They fixed a transmission leak, replaced a clutch, flywheel and wheel bearings. Their communication is great and repairs are always completed in a timely manner. Thanks Mister Transmission!
Date: April 14, 2026
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Good people. Friendly service. Great...
Cory Maksymchuk
Good people. Friendly service. Great work.
Date: April 14, 2026
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From our first call Mohammed...
Shauna Krasny
From our first call Mohammed was so helpful and took his time answering all of our questions. Trust me we had a lot of them. The rebuild was done in just a few days. We were given a fair price and their work was guaranteed with a 40k warranty. My husband and I are very happy with their work.Thank you to everyone at the Queensway location who helped us out!
Date: April 14, 2026
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Excellent service ,Honest peopleThanks Ray
J K
Excellent service ,Honest peopleThanks Ray
Date: April 14, 2026
Website: Google
Had an transmission oil change...
Marsha Smith
Had an transmission oil change maintenance scheduled. After the technician read the vehicle codes, discovered a transmission issue which required repairs. Mr. Transmission explained the issue and didn't charge me for the assessment or the time taken. Very much appreciated.
Date: April 13, 2026
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Top notch customer service -...
Kevtheschmidt
Top notch customer service - kept me informed of what was needed at every step of the way. Also dealt directly with our extended warranty provider, saving time and hassle.
Date: April 12, 2026
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Top notch customer service -...
Kevtheschmidt
Top notch customer service - kept me informed of what was needed at every step of the way. Also dealt directly with our extended warranty provider, saving time and hassle.
Date: April 12, 2026
Website: Google
Great service
Nathalia Fernandes
Great service
Date: April 12, 2026
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Special thanks to Gus and...
Beg NAHIDuzjaman
Special thanks to Gus and Ray from Mister Transmission located at 4950 Sheppard Ave. E. Scarborough Toronto. They are very simple to help you. They are very sweet, when you need their service. They are completely sound to provide their service. Their chemistry is the best for customer service and ultimate satisfaction.
Date: April 12, 2026
Website: Google
Top notch customer service -...
Kevtheschmidt
Top notch customer service - kept me informed of what was needed at every step of the way. Also dealt directly with our extended warranty provider, saving time and hassle.
Date: April 12, 2026
Website: Google
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