The service life of automatic transmissions can vary due to several factors. The factors that seem the most significant include operating conditions, factory defects, and maintenance histories.
Some vehicles can run over 200,000 miles with the original transmission and zero maintenance, while others can be serviced regularly using factory spec ATF and still have transmission failure by 150,000 miles or sooner.
There has been debate for years over "multi-vehicle" aftermarket fluids being better/worse/equal compared to factory spec fluids available at dealers. This argument will most certainly continue for many years to come.
Please share your personal experience with automatic transmission longevity in your current and past vehicles.
How were they used: Easy freeway commutes? City driving? Heavy loads?
How did you maintain your automatic transmission: OCI, drain/fill or flush, serviceable filter, factory fluid or multi-vehicle fluid, DIY or dealer/shop, etc?
Did the transmission have any factory defects (either non-typical defects, or well known defects that were common to that vehicle model)?
Any other details that might be relevant?
Some vehicles can run over 200,000 miles with the original transmission and zero maintenance, while others can be serviced regularly using factory spec ATF and still have transmission failure by 150,000 miles or sooner.
There has been debate for years over "multi-vehicle" aftermarket fluids being better/worse/equal compared to factory spec fluids available at dealers. This argument will most certainly continue for many years to come.
Please share your personal experience with automatic transmission longevity in your current and past vehicles.
How were they used: Easy freeway commutes? City driving? Heavy loads?
How did you maintain your automatic transmission: OCI, drain/fill or flush, serviceable filter, factory fluid or multi-vehicle fluid, DIY or dealer/shop, etc?
Did the transmission have any factory defects (either non-typical defects, or well known defects that were common to that vehicle model)?
Any other details that might be relevant?