What's the highest mileage neglected tranny you've seen?

[Corollaman]

I've seen transmissions with 150,000 miles+ on the original fluid still running fine, just curious to see anyone else's experiences. Please include make and model. For starters my wife had a 1992 Buick skylark 3.3 v6 auto with 150,000 miles, hand me down from grandparents. The transmission had never been serviced, but shifted fine.

 

[Tomioka]

04 Freightliner M2-106 with Cat C7 engine and Allison MD3060 auto trans 190,000mi. Dipstick looked dirtier than the engine oil. Still handles the abuse fine. Not sure how I'm gonna tell the shop mechanic it needs 30qts for a complete changeover.

 

[Lou_Boyle]

2001 Yukon XL. 13 years and 213K miles. Original transmission and fluid. The entire drive train was still perfect when we traded it in (even had original brake pads) although the rest of the car was rather used up.. We never towed anything heavier than a U haul trailer though.

My son had a 2003 Tahoe , just traded with 240K miles. Also possessing an original never touched transmission. Was starting to have some occasional shifting irregularities when he let it go. The Tahoe did tow a fishing boat pretty regularly during its last 100K. mi of residency.

 

[01rangerxl]

We don't usually change the trans fluid on the trucks at work and they go quite a while. Mostly 4L60Es and a couple of 80Es. One of them went to 485K behind a 5.3 with no fluid changes.

 

[Jetsfan421]

190k miles Jeep Cherokee rwd. My dad won't for the life of him change his dang transmission fluid or filter. Some people never learn. The fluid is brown and gritty. He is the sole owner and never changed it over the 20 years he's had it. Shifts fine.

 

[Leo99]

Have 387k miles on wife's Rav4. I've exchanged 3 qts of fluid over its life. The fluid is black. Slips a little every now and then. About once a month shifting from P to D and it won't engage. Just slips. Shifting back to P and then to D again and it works fine.

 

[CharBaby]

Two 2004 Toyota Camry LEs w/4 cyl.
Both over 250,000 miles with the OE ATF and running & shifting fine.

 

[alchargo]

1998 Chevy Cavalier 2.2L with 4T40E. Sold it at 280k miles. It was a "sealed" transmission and no fluid was ever added or removed. I surprisingly never had any serious issues with the powertrain. Body rust, however, was another story all together.

 

[FowVay]

For me, I suppose it was a Volkswagen DSG. The manufacturer recommends 40,000 mile oil and filter changes on these and I had one that had gone 160,000 miles and never been serviced.

I did the fluid and filter change and ran a clutch adaptation for adjustment and sent it along its way. Never a hint of trouble so I guess it was no worse for wear.

 

[Red91]

Worst I ever saw was making a living behind the dumpster at a burger King.

 

[Kira]

Was the Burger King dumpster in Alabama? I'm shocked!

It actually took me a minute to get that horribly realistic joke....well done

 

[gman2304]

Originally Posted by Kira
Was the Burger King dumpster in Alabama? I'm shocked!

It actually took me a minute to get that horribly realistic joke....well done
I always put in a little extra effort into spelling the entire word.....transmission.

 

[dippschtick]

Originally Posted by Red91
Worst I ever saw was making a living behind the dumpster at a burger King.

 

[Hall]

There's seems to be some disconnect here.... Many examples of transmissions operating just fine, with 200k to 400k miles on them, on the original fluid so I'm not sure how "neglect" applies in those cases.

 

[ls973800]

2004 Buick Rendezvous, purchased new by my wife. She drove it for 6 years and 80000 miles, then gave it to our son. He drove it until November of 2018 and had 265000 miles on it. Never had a transmission fluid change/flush the entire time. Never had to add fluid either. The fluid was still reddish but had a slightly burnt smell.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Friend of mine had a 270K Jeep Cherokee AW4 on the original fluid. It wasn't pretty.

The transmission outlasted the Jeep once it turned into two jeeps

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
There's seems to be some disconnect here.... Many examples of transmissions operating just fine, with 200k to 400k miles on them, on the original fluid so I'm not sure how "neglect" applies in those cases.



BITOG definition: Pan drop or Fluid exchange, preferably with a universal ATF which costs no more than $6 a bottle, no less than every 50k miles. .

 

[2013ecof150]

My buddy's dad drove a taxi in DC for years. 97 Crown Vic, with just over 300k when he sold it. Original 4R70W. Fluid never changed and looked like used diesel oil but shifted fine. Go figure.

Another truck at work, 09 F150. Original 6R80, 290K, fluid looks and smells terrible but shifts just fine.

 

[dadto2]

Our S70... The placard in the door says manufactured March 1999, my wife bought it new, and we've never added a drop of transmission fluid. the odo said 266,971 when I parked it at work this morning. That car has 99 problems, but the tranny ain't one!

 

[jeepman3071]

2001 Ford Ranger SOHC 4.0 V6 - 200k miles with no fluid changes. It shifted fairly hard at times.