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I have had 2 cars in the past 3 years that the transmission has gone out or going out maybe with this one. The car we currently have has had a transmission swapped out from a junkyard within the last 3 momths from a reputable shop dealing only with transmissions. Within the last week from me driving it solely for a few months now it has begun slipping at about 40mph and downgrading shifts quickly on a few occasions. The tell tale signs of a transmission going out from my experience.
It is starting to get quite frustrating. Either I have the worst luck with transmissions or I drive in a way that causes this. My GF says I drive like Mario Kart. I'm extremely safe though. I have had my fair share of accidents when younger and learned my lesson. I may not slow down to 10 mph on a turn, but I don't tailgate and always on the lookout for the idiots who swerve lanes or look like they will pull out in front of me. If I speed it is only 5mp over the limit on highways. You get me drift, yet I don't wait for lollygaggers. If the light is green I'm going, I'm not in the car to sit at a light for no reason. If I can safely make a turn at 35mph or whatever I will. I feel secure in my seat buckled up. You could say I drive like there is no passenger in the car (which there isn't most of the time).
At about $1500 for another swapped out transmission on a 150k 2006 pt cruiser which just had this done a few months ago I'm starting to think I drive in a certain way that causes this.
Tempted to just buy a $1500 vehicle and maintain it cheaply until it dies of a transmission like the rest of them did. I don't like to settle for less, but these vehicles can't keep up with me!
Speed doesn't kill transmissions as much as flooring it at intersections to try to get up to speed faster might wear them out faster. I've always been a slow accelerator and my transmission is still going after 170K miles knock on wood.
I try to hyper-mile to time the stoplights so I don't have to stop but still go 5 above the speed limit otherwise.
Once a slushbox hits 150K they are prone to going out, especially when the fluid is never changed in them. This is just the way it is. Don't buy cars with 150K on them unless you know how to do major work yourself or drive a stick shift.
Speed doesn't kill transmissions as much as flooring it at intersections to try to get up to speed faster might wear them out faster. I've always been a slow accelerator and my transmission is still going after 170K miles knock on wood.
I try to hyper-mile to time the stoplights so I don't have to stop but still go 5 above the speed limit otherwise.
Once a slushbox hits 150K they are prone to going out, especially when the fluid is never changed in them. This is just the way it is. Don't buy cars with 150K on them unless you know how to do major work yourself or drive a stick shift.
The cruiser had 70k miles on it when we got it 5 years ago. Recently (last year or so) I have been driving it mostly before I had the Mustang and the transmission went out. Obviously we are talking about a junkyard transmission, but I would assume the experts know what they are doing and getting a 70k mile transmission should last longer than 3 months.
I don't think I floor it by any means, but I don't hesitate to go or get up to speed quickly. Places to go, people to see right?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I would attribute your problem to the make/model, not your driving style. We had a 2002 Jeep Liberty (Chrysler product) that needed a rebuild on the trans at 90k, $3,400. The PT was a Consumer Reports "worst cars" pick.
All I can tell the OP is that I have never experienced transmission failure on any of my cars, and that includes various models from Dodge, Volvo, Chevy, VW, Ford, Honda, and Subaru, with odometer mileages up to 170k. And, in my younger days, it wasn't unusual for me to do some very hard accelerating.
IMHO, what made the difference for me is the fact that I change the trans fluid (and filter--if so equipped) every 3 years or 30k miles--whichever comes first. By contrast, many people whom I know never service their transmissions, and they never seem to be able to get more than 120k miles from their transmissions. Some of them have had to overhaul their trans by 90k miles.
When the OP buys a car w/o a maintenance history, it behooves him to do an immediate trans fluid change, and then to follow a 3 yr/30k regimen thereafter.
I have had 2 cars in the past 3 years that the transmission has gone out or going out maybe with this one. The car we currently have has had a transmission swapped out from a junkyard within the last 3 momths from a reputable shop dealing only with transmissions. Within the last week from me driving it solely for a few months now it has begun slipping at about 40mph and downgrading shifts quickly on a few occasions. The tell tale signs of a transmission going out from my experience.
It is starting to get quite frustrating. Either I have the worst luck with transmissions or I drive in a way that causes this. My GF says I drive like Mario Kart. I'm extremely safe though. I have had my fair share of accidents when younger and learned my lesson. I may not slow down to 10 mph on a turn, but I don't tailgate and always on the lookout for the idiots who swerve lanes or look like they will pull out in front of me. If I speed it is only 5mp over the limit on highways. You get me drift, yet I don't wait for lollygaggers. If the light is green I'm going, I'm not in the car to sit at a light for no reason. If I can safely make a turn at 35mph or whatever I will. I feel secure in my seat buckled up. You could say I drive like there is no passenger in the car (which there isn't most of the time).
At about $1500 for another swapped out transmission on a 150k 2006 pt cruiser which just had this done a few months ago I'm starting to think I drive in a certain way that causes this.
Tempted to just buy a $1500 vehicle and maintain it cheaply until it dies of a transmission like the rest of them did. I don't like to settle for less, but these vehicles can't keep up with me!
A junkyard transmission imo is borrowed time driving.
Sounds like you're driving aggressive. I don't know if aggressive driving is the only culprit but let me ask you
Do you take the transmissions in for required service?
Do you check the fluid level between services?
A transmission that's driven hard as you drive can overheat. When they overheat fluid can come out the vent and your fluid level gets lower. Running a transmission with low fluid level will overheat and kill it. Heat is what kills transmissions and your style of driving can overheat the transmission
I've had trucks with factory transmissions last 150-190,000 miles with nothing more than recommended service intervals.
Guys like my Hex's new boyfriend drive like Mario, so they're pretty much forced to buy Audi Quattro's or higher end cars.
My uncle couldn't drive any lawnmower except John Deere with the "fluid drive" transmission and no truck other than Ford F-350 or higher, as he's so hard on the drivetrain.
Mario Kart drivers can't be anywhere near a Pt Cruiser, as an example. That's not to say you're not a good driver, you just squeeze the bejesus out of the vehicles potential, and lower end cars cant' take it.
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