Beware Of These 8 Used Cars Known For Their Transmission Problems

When it comes to mechanical issues, there's really nary specified point arsenic a bully problem to have, isolated from possibly erstwhile nan origin of your cheque motor ray is conscionable a loose substance cap. Anything other is apt going to correspond a headache astatine champion and a costly repair measure astatine worst, pinch nan achromatic container engineering of a transmission being among nan astir ominous and terrifying. It's seldom a DIY task and almost ne'er inexpensive, pinch moreover seasoned mechanics occasionally stumped by nan complexity of modern transmissions.

And we do mean modern complexity. If you spell backmost to 1980, three-speed autos and four-speed manuals were common. Fast guardant to coming and six-speed manuals are nan norm, pinch automatics averaging much than eight. So maybe it's not your mechanic's responsibility that they can't hole your transmission. Anyway, we'd for illustration to thief you debar learning immoderate much astir this nan difficult way. And while location surely are some nearly indestructible transmissions retired there, others are demonstrably not that.

We're not present to repetition forum scary stories aliases vague reliability rankings. Every car connected this database earned its spot because there's documented grounds of transmission-related problems. We don't conscionable mean proprietor frustration, but National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filings, callback reports, and method work bulletins that should person you putting your defender up if you're moreover reasoning astir taking possession of 1 of these cars.

Ford made nan Focus for decades. It started retired successful Europe, made its measurement to nan United States, and helped Ford support a lengthy foothold successful nan mini car marketplace earlier deciding to spell each successful connected trucks and SUVs while not trading immoderate cars astatine each that aren't named Mustang. 

The car business is hard, and it's moreover harder erstwhile your transmission stinks. For nan 2012-2016 Focus, that meant a DPS6 Automatic Transmission, commonly known arsenic Ford's PowerShift transmission. Affected units were known to "slip, buck, kick, and/or jerk," behaviors that you whitethorn statement are wide considered undesirable. One regular culprit was nan automatic transmission power module, which could only beryllium addressed by package flashes. 

To adhd further frustration, 1 dealership reflash seldom did nan trick, though erstwhile you exceeded 3 Ford would salary you $50 a popular for your problem arsenic portion of nan resulting class action settlement.

The Ford Fiesta is simply a coagulated small driver tin of racking up superior miles, provided nan transmission doesn't deny you. Unfortunately, since 2011–2015 models stock nan aforesaid DPS6 transmission arsenic nan Focus we conscionable covered, that's a existent possibility. And unless you for illustration watching cablegram news successful a waiting room while drinking bad coffee, you astir apt don't want to move those $50 transmission flash apology fees into a gross stream.

Regardless, there's a metallic lining pinch nan Fiesta, particularly for enthusiasts. Because nan DPS6 headaches were specifically tied to nan automatic transmission power module, nan issues don't impact manuals. 

According to WardsAuto, nan Fiesta really has a beardown three-pedal return complaint by modern standards — thing for illustration 25%, which tops nan database among each Fords. So if anyone insisted that they statement their ain gears successful their Fiesta and were conscionable startled by seeing your car connected this list, this is simply a bully spot to insert your "I told you so."

First of all, we conscionable request to constituent retired that group like Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained think your CVT dislike is measurement overblown and bordering connected irrational. But if you came present for CVT-related schadenfreude, we're astir to statesman that information of today's programming. This peculiar CVT caused condolences crossed a fistful of Nissan models of this era, and we're going to screen a mates of its implementations. It was branded arsenic nan Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission from a trading standpoint, but erstwhile nan work bulletins went retired to explicate really to reside nan "judder," it was referred to simply nether its soul code, RE0F11A.

The bully news for owners is that Nissan did so widen nan transmission warranty pinch respect to nan judder, truthful owners were mostly capable to support their Sentras going, moreover though that often meant replacing nan full transmission. Now, for immoderate Sentra nerds retired there, it's worthy pointing retired that nan Turbo models of this era really didn't autumn nether this peculiar CVT rumor aliases nan related warranty extension. That's really because nan Turbo came pinch an action of a six-speed manual aliases a wholly different CVT, which happens to person its ain unsocial CVT problems. 

But hey, Nissan has since doubled down connected their CVT use, and if we're being honest, the 2026 Nissan Sentra looks much appealing than ever, truthful possibly 1 bully continuously adaptable move deserves another?

For Altimas of nan 2013–2016 vintage, we're still connected nan aforesaid CVT issues arsenic nan Sentra, but this clip pinch higher stakes, astatine slightest arsenic acold arsenic income measurement is concerned. In that era, erstwhile nan mid-sized sedan marketplace arsenic a full was shrinking, Altima income grew twelvemonth aft year. That intends that a full batch of transmissions were replaced astatine Nissan's expense.

As acold arsenic nan Altima was concerned, nan issues were confined to nan four-cylinder models. You could reason that's particularly unfortunate because we're now talking astir an extended reliability problem that affects different affordable models well-suited to prudent regular driving, though besides notorious targets for questionable subprime financing offers. 

Not that there's anyone whose life really has a batch of room for unplanned transmission failures, but there's immoderate further reproach to wounded erstwhile you're talking astir a precocious measurement mundane car that group are really conscionable trying to usage to get to work. That said, it's not for illustration nan Altima has a stellar estimation for reliability speech from this, either.

What was erstwhile a boxy body-on-frame off-roader pinch a spot of characteristic was, successful 2013, making its automotive heel-turn into blobby crossover territory pinch a unibody construction, underwhelming styling, and — present it comes – a problematic CVT. 

To beryllium clear, Pathfinders would spell connected to acquisition a assortment of CVT-related problems beyond nan 2013 model-year rumor we're discussing here, but this peculiar lawsuit is nan 1 wherever a poorly clamped hose tin detach from nan transmission lipid cooler, triggering a speedy informing ray earlier nan transmission craps retired completely.

So dissimilar nan different issues we've talked astir truthful far, this isn't a matter of creating bucking, clunking, vibration, aliases peaks and valleys successful powerfulness delivery, but alternatively leaving you definitively connected nan broadside of nan road. The bully news is that nan solution was a callback that delivered a elemental and reliable hole – clamping nan hose properly. So while you mightiness extremity up having to drawback a tow complete to nan dealership, you won't walk nan remainder of your conveyance ownership acquisition racking up $50 "we're sorry you had to person your conveyance flashed again" checks for illustration they were handing retired complete astatine Ford.

The XJ Jeep Cherokee is 1 of nan astir important vehicles of nan past 50 years. It started successful nan 1970s arsenic a Wagoneer-derived SUV, past became a segment-defining lighter-duty unibody-ish XJ successful 1984. From there, it evolved done nan Liberty-era before Jeep revived nan Cherokee sanction successful nan 2010s. Although nan 2014 return of nan Cherokee included immoderate much trail-capable variations, nan resurrection of nan sanction was mostly greeted arsenic nan grocery-getter crossover that it was.

As portion of nan debut of this all-new Cherokee, Jeep touted a blase nine-speed automatic — a analyzable creation aimed astatine "all but imperceptible" shifts. Well, nan shifts were, astatine slightest occasionally, perceptible. 

This was peculiarly existent erstwhile you perceived that your Cherokee had shifted neutral without warning, leaving drivers pinch a abrupt nonaccomplishment of powerfulness caused by a poorly-designed wiring harness. This is different 1 that tin very plausibly time off you stranded, but it was addressed via recall. So if you were 1 of those excited caller Cherokee early adopters, get your wires sorted.

The 2015 Chrysler 200's interior was inspired by a fancy Eames lounge chair, if you're into that benignant of thing. Unfortunately, nan transmission was inspired by nan transmission from nan Cherokee we conscionable discussed, by which of people we mean that they're some Stellantis products and it's a batch of nan aforesaid hardware. 

Once again, nan rumor was a wiring harness and, conscionable for illustration pinch nan Cherokee, nan solution is to get it successful for nan callback correction. It's an almost painfully elemental creation hiccup, pinch "insufficient crimps," arsenic nan NHTSA put it, successful nan wiring harness, starring to unexpected shifts to neutral and resulting successful a complete nonaccomplishment of power.

And yes, if you cheque retired that callback announcement we conscionable linked, you'll find that parts sharing wrong nan Stellantis family has each nan implications you'd expect. Those insufficient crimps didn't conscionable impact that Cherokee and this Chrysler 200, but besides immoderate 2015 Ram ProMaster City vehicles, arsenic good arsenic immoderate 2015 Jeep Renegades. Three cheers for automotive synergy!  

In a roundup of vehicles plagued by mechanical failures, it's easy to commencement assuming patterns, particularly erstwhile they reenforce immoderate preconceived automotive biases you mightiness have. Maybe you're people skeptical of CVTs aft that bad acquisition pinch a rental car aliases person a earthy suspicion of parts-sharing cousins from Stellantis. But our past introduction shows that erstwhile it comes to a bad tally of transmission reliability, it tin hap to anybody.

The 2002–2004 Honda Odyssey suffered from an rumor wherever a buildup of power could lead to chipped cogwheel teeth and, eventually, complete nonaccomplishment resulting successful an unceremonious transmission lockup astatine speed. The rumor besides affected corresponding Pilot vehicles successful 2003 and 2004. The resulting callback included installing an lipid pitchy kit or, successful immoderate cases, a complete transmission replacement. 

Honda mightiness really beryllium entering our database present pinch nan astir utmost transmission rumor of nan bunch, if for nary different logic than that it included nan anticipation of a sudden, perchance catastrophic lockup pinch small aliases nary warning. Our thoughts are pinch you, Odyssey owners of nan early oughts, but we do admit nan crippled twist for nan extremity of our list.