Mechanic Warns About Common Mistake Drivers Make That Could Put Their Transmissions at Risk

A mechanic is sharing one simple thing drivers should do — or rather, shouldn’t do — to extend the lives of their automatic transmissions.

“You want to know one of the easiest ways [people] destroy their automatic transmissions?” the unidentified mechanic from RCJ Mobile Mechanics asked in the company’s recent TikTok, which has more than 13,000 reactions and has been shared nearly 6,000 times as of this writing. “It’s not just not servicing them on time.”

He went on to warn what happens if you have your car in reverse and then shift it into drive before coming to a complete stop. “What you’re doing is grinding the gears,” he explained. “Same for if you’re in drive and you want to go in reverse [and] you just put the car in reverse before coming to a full stop.”

“That’s the way people destroy their transmissions,” the mechanic continued. “So if you never know, now you know. Try and come to a complete stop before shifting the gears.”

Several commenters on the mechanic’s TikTok confessed to being guilty of this potentially costly habit.

“My transmission went out 2 weeks ago and I’m not gonna lie I do this a lot so it makes sense 😭😭😭I just bought a new car so I have to break this habit,” admitted one, while another wrote, “I will stop, I just rebuilt my transmission for 5k 😩.” A third lamented, “I wish I knew this 2 cars ago 😩😩😩.”

As emphasized by Guessing Headlights, these gears are designed to move a vehicle in opposite directions, so shifting between drive and reverse while the car is in motion at all places unnecessary stress on the vehicle.

In a post about “5 Things You Should Never Do in an Automatic,” Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers lists not coming to a complete stop before shifting among them. They explain that “this means that the transmission is performing the duties of the brake. As it acts as a brake, the transmission is under additional stress that will cause it to wear out more quickly.”