Transmission...what are the most common reasons to have one go bad?

last june we bought our son a buick roadmaster...big safe reliable car for boy that tends to bump into things...anyhow he told us the transmission went bad so I wonder if anyone might know why a transmission would go bad? He told us he swearved in a snow storm to miss hitting a dog...I do not beleive him...what do you yahoos think? and should we fix it for the little booger or make him take the bus?

Transmission...what are the most common reasons to have one go bad?
I can answer your question regarding the cause of all automatic transmission failures in one word, HEAT. HEAT is an automatic transmission's worst enemy. Moving a 4,000 lb. car like a Buick Roadmaster under heavy load (teenager with a lead foot) will certainly cause it to fail. Have you checked the fluid level? What is the colour (red, or brown)? Does it smell burnt? Do you see metal filings on the dipstick when you wipe it off? As far as fixing it for him, I wouldn't. I would let him take the bus, and find out how much it costs to fix it. Once you have this information, let him save up the money himself to pay for the repair. The fact you already BOUGHT this car for him is more than generous enough. Now it's time to teach him some responsibility!!!!





Edit: With mileage THAT low, there's no excuse!!! I agree with GMGUY 100%. This reminds me of a story about an 18 year-old whose Mustang came into the shop "on the hook". Opening up the rear diff cover revealed "metal mush". This kid came into the shop "bragging" that this happened while he was doing a "neutral drop" at the stoplight. I couldn't believe the father paid the $3500 repair bill WITHOUT A FUSS!!! It boggles my mind!!!
Reply:Some information has been left out here. How many miles are on this Buick? It is not uncommon for a transmission that has not been properly maintained to fail. Also with all teens they tend to feel that the faster they can get to the next red light the better. (I have never been able to figure that one out) If the car has 150K miles on it, it is possible the transmission just gave up. That is a lot of miles for a transmission to pull a big heavy car like that. What I think should be done is to have him take an auto shop class and repair the transmission him self. Transmissions can often be had in a wrecking yard for around 150 to 300 dollars. If he is in an auto shop he can pull the transmission him self and install the replacement. Saving about 4 to 8 hours of labor. Taking the bus will also (Hopefully) teach him to care for what he has. The replacement of the transmission will also help him understand what is involved in the repair of such a creature. Everyone should at least take some kind of auto class to understand how to recognize problems and get them resolved as soon as possible. Don't be too hard on the boy. He's young and needs to learn life’s lessons. I hope this helps. I would have helped more if I had a little more information on the age of the transmission. They will start to slip and can burn up just from normal use if the transmission is not properly maintained. Happy Revving
Reply:Really depends on the failure of the trans. hydraulic or mechanical..It seems like there is a question on whether he caused it..and you may not know until he is 30 yrs old the truth behind it..But If you bought the car for him and have been putting gas and other maintenance money into it my vote is make him pay for it!!!!See It every day parents putting stupid money into cars for their children..And the ones that do are in the shop for major failures several times..But when the kid foots the bill you should see the difference..
Reply:he has probably running the heck out of it. Hard starts accelerating quickly or running it to high rpm's an causing hard trans shifts. not servicing it regularly or changing fluid.
Reply:Split the cost with him.





It may not really be his fault that it failed. His driving was probably a part to the tranny failure, but you can't say that some high mileage/old car tranny failed cuz your son was driving it. It just wore out over time.
Reply:Something smells fishy here.





Reminds me of the time I told my parents a tree fell in front of me and I wrecked my dirt bike. I still hear about that one.





Fix the car. You'll have years of enjoyment busting his chops.
Reply:heat. its the most issue for a tranny to go bad.that why its very important to keep an eye on the fluid.