Here's How Long The Automatic Transmission In Your Car Will Probably Last

When you think of the parts of your car that have a finite lifespan, you probably think of the usual suspects like your tires or windshield wipers. In actuality, though, every single part of your car is only good for so long, it's just that most of it is built tough. Barring extreme circumstances or just lengthy ownership, you'd ideally never experience a sudden hardware failure. It can happen, though, and you should be vigilant for it.

Take, for instance, your automatic transmission. It's just a lever for shifting into drive, right? It couldn't possibly experience that much wear and tear. Well, all that gear shifting actually takes a very real toll on the components of the gearbox. Built tough though it may be, any automatic transmission has a general shelf life, and once that time expires, those gears could go out of whack at the drop of a hat. The big question is what that shelf life is.

Assuming you buy a brand new car with an automatic transmission and practice good driving habits throughout the entirety of your ownership of it, the transmission should stand up to around 200,000 miles of driving. Based on average driving habits in a middling car, you're looking at consistent performance for around seven years, in the best-case scenario.

Bear in mind that your transmission won't immediately keel over the moment your odometer cracks 200,000. If your car is well cared for and you don't do anything especially stressful with it, it is very possible to continue using an automatic transmission past the 200,000 mark. Of course, as a car gets up in years, it starts requiring more consistent, precise care, so while you can continue using the same transmission, don't be surprised if doing so becomes both more demanding of you and potentially more dangerous.

The major factor that determines the longevity of your automatic transmission is what you do with it. If you practice good driving habits and regularly bring your car in for upkeep and maintenance, especially transmission fluid replacements, the transmission will probably last much longer. On the other hand, if you're very hard on the transmission and don't service it at all, it could end up dying on you with as little as 10,000 miles on the odometer.

If you want to keep your transmission pristine, remember your automatic transmission care basics: don't drive in an overly aggressive manner, don't shift gears while the car is in motion, and give the car a moment to warm up before driving, especially in colder temperatures. Ignoring these basics will put extreme wear and tear on the transmission, which will decrease its overall lifespan.

Treat your car and all of its components with love and respect, and it'll happily carry you for years to come. Disregard your car's health, and you're on the fast track to sudden hardware failure.