The procedure is simple: You bring your car to your local Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care center. They perform a TransCheck 21 Plus Inspection, which includes checking your transmission’s fluid, looking for leaks, examining its performance, and looking for any computer system trouble codes that could indicate a problem. From there, they’ll give you a complete report on your transmission’s condition, and recommend any services that might help improve your transmission’s longevity. Maybe there won’t be anything required, or maybe they’ll recommend a service. From there any follow-up appointments can be scheduled accordingly.

And, to go along with catching problems early, every Cottman location is giving away prizes to their first customers! Catch transmission problems early, and get rewarded. But, whatever they suggest, you can bank on two things: It’ll cost a lot less than a complete transmission rebuild, and it’ll extend the life of your transmission.

Who should have their transmission checked? According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the following vehicles have exhibited many transmission issues:

2002 and 2004 FORD EXPLORER – owners experienced many issues with the transmission from a complete transmission failure, Over Drive light blinking, transmission slips when shifting, difficulty shifting, and more.

2003 Honda Accord – owners report complete transmission failures, not shifting properly, slips out of gear, will not shift into certain gears, irregular shifting, and more.

2013 Nissan Altima – many issues with CVT.

2001 Honda Civic – Complete failures, slipping, gears will not engage or pops out of a gear at random.