How Long Can You Drive With A Bad Transmission?

June 10, 2020 | By Mister Transmission

How Long Can You Drive With A Bad Transmission?

Procrastination: it’s something we’re all guilty of. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? But what about your transmission? How long can you drive with a bad transmission?

Car problems always seem to strike at the most inopportune times. If your transmission is acting up, how long can you get by before taking your vehicle into a transmission shop?

You know the feeling. You’ve got a big presentation at work, a big exam coming up, or you’re about to attend your best friend’s wedding where in the ceremony you’ll be the best man. And then your car decides it won’t work. If it’s your transmission that’s the problem, maybe you’ll keep slipping out of gear and into neutral. Maybe you’ll have a struggle just to shift gears at all. Or maybe it will make such a noise that you are afraid to keep driving it. Just your luck, huh?

Except, in many cases, luck had little to do with it. Usually, you had a chance to repair your transmission before, but for one reason or another, you did not. Maybe you were just procrastinating or maybe you did have a good excuse, but that does not change your current situation. Now you have a bad transmission. What will you do?

Very few transmission problems come out of nowhere and instantly render your vehicle inoperable. Usually you have a bad transmission before you have a completely broken transmission.

Can you still drive your transmission if it changes gears roughly? Can you still drive your transmission if you see that it is leaking a little transmission fluid? Can you still drive your transmission if it is making funny noises? Can you still drive your transmission if it keeps slipping out of gear and into neutral?

The answer to all these questions is, usually, yes, though in this last scenario that can be quite dangerous. The truth is you almost always can drive on bad transmission. But for how long? Well, that is up to you.

Driving with a bad transmission is a simple matter of risk analysis. How much are you willing to risk having to get major transmission repairs or even a transmission replacement?

It’s always best to nip small problems in the bud before they become big ones. If you absolutely must drive with a bad transmission, check your transmission fluid first. Topping that up may ease (or even solve) the problem. If you’re really not sure, contact us at Mister Transmission and we might be able to give you an idea of how bad your transmission is. In any event, you want to drive with a bad transmission for as short a time as possible.

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Customer Reviews
This is the best shop...
Craiglan Gushmore
This is the best shop around. Highly knowledgeable and professional technicians. They are specialists with transmissions but also fix everything that I had wrong with my vehicles. Provide effective and efficient maintenance services as well. Highly recommend taking your vehicle here. Honest and reasonable pricing.
Date: September 12, 2023
Website: Google
The only place out of...
Ethan
The only place out of 6 mechanics that would even look at my volkswagen transmission. The people here are super kind and will try their hardest for the best possible results
Date: September 11, 2023
Website: Google
I did an engine shampoo...
Rakesh Vithalbhai
I did an engine shampoo in my 2000 Bonneville, and 2 days later wasn't able to shift from Park to any other gear such as Drive, Reverse, Neutral. 5 years ago Mister Transmission had rebuilt my transmission, so I took my car there for assessment. My car was promptly looked at by Brian Reid, and was also fixed the next business day. It's just like new again! Thanks, Brian, for your honesty, integrity, and such professional and great service! I would highly recommend Brampton's Mister Transmission to anyone for their car repairs, and more specifically, ask for Brian Reid!
Date: September 10, 2023
Website: Google
Great experience! Very honest and...
Alexis H
Great experience! Very honest and fair to work with
Date: September 10, 2023
Website: Google
I brought my Honda CRV...
Joanna Blachut
I brought my Honda CRV to this location to check what was wrong and Giorgio was able to figure it out. He even called me back to check how was the car. Excellent customer service! Giorgio is a mechanic that I can definitely trust.
Date: September 10, 2023
Website: Google
Friendly, and knowledgeable staff. Good...
Roger Thiessen
Friendly, and knowledgeable staff. Good experience . Would reccomend to others
Date: September 8, 2023
Website: Google
Great service They were able...
Tym Swanson
Great service They were able to look at my car, and they determined it was not transmission related. They took the time to arrange the vehicle to get to an other shop where it was repaired. Thanks Jordan and team for being transparent and honest!
Date: September 8, 2023
Website: Google
Many thanks to Cecil for...
Vicky R
Many thanks to Cecil for the flexibility! Our travel couldn’t continue without your kindness and empathy. We were pretty far away from home and you were so welcoming and kind. You done the job pretty fast no matter of the long week-end. The world need more good man like you. A lot of thanks to Fred as well who work pretty hard the transmission of my Promaster. Vicky 💜
Date: September 7, 2023
Website: Google
Very friendly
Phil S
Very friendly
Date: September 7, 2023
Website: Google
Awesome customer service with amazing...
Johnny Neganiwina
Awesome customer service with amazing competitive prices...
Date: September 7, 2023
Website: Google
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