If your vehicle is 20+ years old and has over 275k miles on it, then the cost of repair or replacement is most likely higher than the value of the vehicle. In this case, it’s typically not worth getting the car fixed unless it holds significant sentimental value.

The function of any transmission is transferring engine power to the driveshaft and rear wheels (or axle halfshafts and front wheels in a front-wheel-drive vehicle). Gears inside the transmission change the vehicle’s drive-wheel speed and torque in relation to engine speed and torque.

Transmission replacement will cost anywhere from $800 to $3,400 depending on the type of transmission you are buying. Used transmissions cost about $1,150 with average prices ranging from $800 to $1,500. Rebuilt transmissions cost about $1,950 with average prices ranging from $1,100 to $2,800.

Transmission Trouble: 10 Warning Signs You Need Repair

• Refusal to Switch Gears. If your vehicle refuses or struggles to change gears, you’re more than likely facing a problem with your transmission system.
• Burning Smell.
• Neutral Noises.
• Slipping Gears.
• Dragging Clutch.
• Leaking Fluid.
• Check Engine Light.
• Grinding or Shaking.

Transmission Repairs Often with a transmission repair, you are only fixing one specific part of the transmission. This repair can take place without having to rebuild the entire transmission. This option typically costs less than a rebuild or a replacement.

Transmission problems can cause the check engine light to come on as well, however it’s not always as apparent as other components within the vehicle. This can result in a lack of engine power, or the transmission will not respond because there is a problem with it.

As any car owner will agree, saving a transmission and avoiding major transmission service or car repair costs are very worthwhile goals. Indeed, some transmission shops and dealerships are quite expensive and lack experience with today’s complex transmissions, so it’s not just a about saving money.

Here are 12 tips that could help you avoid a potential breakdown:

1. Check your transmission fluid level, color and smell regularly.
2. Use the correct fluid.
3. Don’t overfill your transmission.
4. Avoid excess heat in your transmission.
5. Don’t tow in overdrive.
6. Install an auxiliary cooler.
7. Don’t overload your vehicle.

It is almost always less expensive to repair a car than buy a new one. Although something as severe as a blown motor or a failed transmission will run you between $3,000 and $7,000 to replace at a dealership, such repairs still don’t cost as much as buying a new car. You really need the car to last a while longer.

If you have a bad transmission it’s only a matter of time before your vehicle literally won’t be able to drive anywhere. Even if it is something as easy as running out of transmission fluid your car can be irreparably damaged. If you actually do run out of transmission fluid it’s like running out of your engine oil.

Transmissions don’t last forever, but they can last a long time and run well if you take care of them. With minimum effort and not much maintenance you’ll probably get about 100,000 miles out of it.

A used/salvage transmission ranges from $800 to $1500, a rebuilt transmission from $1100 to $2800 and a remanufactured from $1300 to $3400. The labor to remove and replace a transmission ranges from $500 to $1200 for 4 to 10 hours of billed time.

Most used car dealers would have to deduct the costs of repairing your bad transmission before paying you. This is because selling a car with a bad transmission to another buyer might land them in legal trouble. Most car dealers won’t pay above $500 – $1,500 depending on your car’s year/mileage/model/make.

Without service and maintenance, some transmissions can fail in as little as 100,000 miles. If you drive around miles a year, your transmission could be down for the count in seven years! With care and service, transmissions can last 300,000 miles or more.

Here are some simple precautions you can take to keep your transmission in tip-top shape.

1. Schedule routine maintenance.
2. Keep up with transmission flushes.
3. Stop completely before shifting from reverse to drive.
4. Don’t ride the brake.
5. Keep your engine accurately tuned.

With minimum effort and not much maintenance you’ll probably get about 100,000 miles out of it. That might seem like a long time, but it only takes five years to put 100,000 miles on your car, at an average of driving 20,000 miles per year.

This condition can also be caused by low transmission fluid, contamination due to lack of maintenance or water intrusion, or internal wear and tear on the transmission parts inside the transmission. A high revving engine is a typical sign that you have worn clutches or other parts inside the transmission going bad.

Issues That Can Happen From Having a Bad Transmission In some of the most extreme cases, you will not be able to give the car any gas, which means you may slow down and this can cause problems when trying to continue going, especially on a highway or major road.

Burnouts are just about the worst thing you can do to a transmission automatic or otherwise. It’s called a burnout for a reason: it will burnout your transmission.

Automatic transmissions that shift hard, jerk or shake during a shift change may mean your transmission fluid needs changed or fluid level is low. In manual transmission vehicles, abnormal gear shifts could indicate damaged gear synchros, worn clutches or other, more severe issues.

Clogged or loose vacuum lines. Leaky, loose, or clogged transmission vacuum lines or hoses affect the pressure in the transmission and can create all sorts of problems including hard shifting.

Dirty fuel injectors are among the most common reasons for why an accelerator becomes jerky. The dirty injector leads to your car losing power when you attempt to accelerate while at a stop and when you try to drive at a consistent speed. This is the result of an engine misfire.

With a manual transmission it jerks when you downshift because in the higher gear, your engine was running somewhat slowly. When you downshift you need to either slow down the car or speed up the engine (or both). The jerking is when your slow engine slows the car and your fast car speeding up the engine.

Ordinarily, working transmissions keep your ride smooth amid gear shifts. In manual transmissions, car jerks when shifting gears or car jerks when releasing clutch could demonstrate worn out gears, broken gear cables, or other, more serious issues.

Due to your transmission working so hard, the transmission fluid is needed to protect it from oxidation and from wear and tear from shifting and driving. A transmission flush will remove old, dirty fluids and replace them with new, clean fluids. A proper flush should also involve a transmission servicing.