Occasionally when I hit the accelerator from a complete stop, the revs will build up and then the car will bolt forward with a hard shake. Is there a fix for this or will I need a new transmission?

Also, on a probably unrelated note, there's an occasional high-pitched squealing noise when I press the accelerator.

TIA

 

That doesn't sound good. Have you checked the oil level in the transmission? If it is low, that kind of thing can happen. Take the car to at least 2 transmission places and see what they say. Avoid AAMCO.

The squealing noise could be a loose alternator or power steering belt.

 

yeah, i'd do a drain and refill on it with Vavoline or Matic. Also, are you being careful to allow the car to come to a complete stop when backing up before shifting between reverse and drive? That's a good way to kill a transmission if you're not. It's a bad habit I see people do all the time.

I had a friend tell me his acura tranny went out at 180,000 something miles. I told him if he keeps popping his car into drive while going in reverse, he'll be replacing it again soon.

 

Well, that escalated quickly.

This morning I found that reverse will no longer engage. I had to push my car out of my parking spot. All drive modes work fine, but reverse acts like neutral; rev the engine and no movement.

Is my only solution a new transmission now?

If so, should I be looking for a rebuilt one or rebuild the one I have?

 

If you go to a transmission shop that will do a complete rebuild on your transmission, that will run you between $2K and $2.5K. But transmission shops are Jekyll and Hyde. One place is good and the next one is terrible.

Buying a rebuilt transmission off the shelf (like a starter or alternator) is probably a little less expensive, but usually more problematic. This is what you get at AAMCO shops and why they are so bad.

When you look at the age of your car, I would suggest you find a used transmission and get that installed. The transmission would be in the $500 price range plus installation if you don't want to do it.

 

Sounds like it is a transmission issue, which could be an insanely expensive fix. I drive a manual and my first gear would not lock in and whenever I put it in reverse, the entire car would shake. Then eventually, the other gears began having the same symptoms as the first gear did. I just got my transmission rebuilt by AAMCO and it ran me $1200.00 + tax and cost of parts... which then ran me up $2359. The car is now running great! But... Stay away from AAMCO... lol

 

used trans is the only way to go, rebuilds are iffy and don't last. i did a used trans 4 years ago and still holding together. have done the fluid exchange once as well. probably doing again soon.