How many times have you been in a car when the transmission went ?

[alembicguy]

Twice. Once in my old Chevy pickup and second on my in laws Cadillac.

[MadMan118]

Once in a truck(big one) the input shaft totally just snapped. Shifter just went limp n my hand 80,000 lbs and no gears was a scary event

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by seanm

Everybody should experience having a transmission failure at least once!

Ok, maybe not.........

Having my engine disintegrate was bad enough.

[Jim Nazium]

Once.

'78 Camaro. It was my college car. The tranny died, I kid you not, as I was pulling into the parking lot to take my very last final exam. I coasted into the parking spot and left it there. Sold it for $400 right from that same spot. It was like it knew it had to get me through school, then it gave up the ghost.

[stratovani]

I've never had an automatic crap out on me, but I have had to replace a couple of clutches on the manual tranny equipped cars I've had. My 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage had a 5-speed, and 4th gear never engaged. It wasn't too bad though, you just gunned it in 3rd gear, then shifted to 5th, and you were cruising just fine after that.

[Richland123]

Twice - once on a trip to New Jersey and my 1995 Chevy S10 Pickup automatic transmission went out in Harrisburg, PA - second time was in my driveway when my 200 Chevy Venture mini-van automatic transmission went out and I only had forward and no reverse. Not a good situation either time and not cheap to fix. About $3,000 each time.

[FrenchBassQC]

Originally Posted by Richland123

Twice - once on a trip to New Jersey and my 1995 Chevy S10 Pickup automatic transmission went out in Harrisburg, PA - second time was in my driveway when my 200 Chevy Venture mini-van automatic transmission went out and I only had forward and no reverse. Not a good situation either time and not cheap to fix. About $3,000 each time.

Chevy is the common dominator here. It happened once for me with a Mazda Protégé automatic transmission would not go beyond the second gear. Annoying when going back home from work on the highway and this happens, you hope the next exit is not too far....

[PWRL]

Twice. Once in a Geo, about 12 years ago, and once in the car I have now, about two months ago. Always a fun thing to happen on the freeway in the middle of the night in the rain. Fortunately it was just a solenoid.

[Richland123]

Originally Posted by FrenchBassQC

Chevy is the common dominator here. It happened once for me with a Mazda Protégé automatic transmission would not go beyond the second gear. Annoying when going back home from work on the highway and this happens, you hope the next exit is not too far....

You are so right. The three worst vehicles I ever owned were the Chevy S10, Chevy Venture, and a Mazda Pickup. I will never buy another Chevy of any model.

[NG51]

Speaking of Chevy, back in the day my 58 Chevy broke a clutch arm in rush hour traffic-had to turn the engine on and off to move the car-got it home though. My Trooper,loaded with equipment, blew a counter shaft in the middle of the night- made a really interesting noise.

[MrDOS]

Guh - funny this post is here now. 2001 Volvo XC70, just last week. Speed limit 50 two lane with no shoulder.

Do yourself a favor - if you must get a Volvo XC70, get a 2005-2007!

[Pilgrim]

Never had a tranny go out in driving since 1966. I've had a few clutches get hinky, but always got them home so I could replace them. I've also had to pull transmissions and rebuild them because either teeth were stripped or the bearings were going out, but bearings always gave plenty of audible warning and stripped teeth didn't prevent me limping home.

There are some advantages to driving manual transmissions. Nothing there that a half-decent mechanic can't fix. I don't work on automatics, though - too technical.

Best advice is something I got from a transmission mechanic friend - have your automatic transmissions power-flushed every 30K miles. It's money well spent.

[ryco]

Three - once coming home late at night from Tri-Cities to Seattle. Went up the Vantage Hill on I-90 in a Chev Luv full of gear. Kept shifting from third to fourth and decided to leave it in third to get around two trucks. Big sandpaper noise and left with only forth. Lugged up to the top of the hill to a rest stop. After the tranny cooled a bit I had 1st & 4th. Babied it to Seattle [Mountlake Terrace] over Snoqualmie Pass.

Once on the way to a gig in Tacoma lost the tranny on I-5 at Federal Way. It just started grinding. Had the other guys come get us. Next day towed it to the band leaders house. It was a 4x Chev Luv. Went to the local NAPA and the store owner had just rolled his Chev Luv 4x, so he sold me the tranny for $200. There is a long nightmare story to getting it re-installed - don't really remember ('83) and don't want to think about.

Going home to Seattle from the Oregon Coast to MLT in an S-10 and tranny started grinding in Drain, OR. Babied it to Eugene and spent 3 days waiting for repairs. By then had AAA so they paid for the motel.

Lost a clutch in Tillamook, OR in a Chev S-10. Fortunately that's where I was vacationing, so AAA paid for a loan car. Over night at the local GMC dealer shop.

Dropped a drive line in a Luv on the way to an audition on 405. Fortunately, it was where the driveline met the differential in back. I've heard a dropped driveshaft in the front can come up through the floor. Called brother-in-law, got some heavy duty screws and was good to go. Didn't get the gig.

When my wife and I were working musicians we signed up for AAA+. Has saved our butts a few times. Especially the 100 miles free towing to anywhere you tell 'em. Still a member.

I like Chevs because they ride well and they are quick, but they do have a lot of issues. I went thru 3 Luvs and the little 4 cylinders just worked themselves to death. Had two S-10s and they were a little better. The electrical was always an issue with my Chevs. Gauges would go out.
By the sound of this post it would sound like Chevs are total crap, but we put hundreds of thousands of miles on 'em. My last 95 S-10 had 430,000 before she died in 08 - timing belt, not worth it to replace.
I now drive a Toyota Taco. Not nearly as quick and drives like a little truck, but very dependable.

[ulrich]

Twice, plus one failed clutch lever.

'67 Beetle refused to go in any gear other than 4th. Killed the clutch driving it home. (what's a clutch swap, when you're gonna pull the engine and trans anyway) Years later the clutch lever failed, and I had to power shift from the Haight Ashbury to Sunnyvale, with a stop for gas along the way.

Company F250 slushbox died on the Frisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, in traffic. Cal Trans was there in seconds.

Oops one more: lost second on my CBR600f. Meh, rode it like that 'till I sold it.

[uOpt]

The only transmission failure I had was a Ford Escort.

It failed in a way that blocked the (front) wheels, which I really don't appreciated. However, it happened when I got going after a red traffic light so no harm done, except no self-towing.

[Joe Gress]

Once.

In the Antichrist.

It was no bueno.

[mattgreven]

Twice. Once in a VW microbus on the way to a gig, more recently in family Suburban.

[4dog]

Dodge ram 1500 had to drive for 45 miles or so in 2nd gear with no a.c. in august in 100° f , Texas summer, with a crew of four men complaing the whole way, coulda killed em, i didnt.

[giacomini]

Never, I drive manual cars.

[Mike N]

Originally Posted by giacomini

Never, I drive manual cars.

You're not trying hard enough.

Side step the clutch at six grand and see what happens to a manual trans