Can Changing Your Car’s Transmission Fluid Damage it?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Maintaining your car is just is as important as washing it regularly, if not more so. However, there many different maintenance items to address during the time that you own your, one of which is changing its transmission fluid. Whether it’s equipped with an automatic transmission or a manual one, your car has transmission fluid that will need to be changed regularly. But can changing this fluid actually damage the car?

How often should the transmission fluid be changed?

Two men check the transmission fluid level on a car. | (Photo by Tim Brakemeier/picture alliance via Getty Images)

RELATED: Is Changing Your Car’s Clutch Fluid Necessary?

It varies. Every vehicle will have a different interval in which its transmission fluid needs to be changed, so be sure to check your car’s owner’s manual to find out. If you’re ever poking around underneath the hood of your car, then another way to check if the transmission fluid needs changing is to check the transmission’s dipstick. Much like checking the car’s engine oil, you only need to pull out the dipstick, give it a wipe, and then reinsert and check it again to observe its condition and level.

According to M&J Sunshine, there are markings on the dipstick that will indicate if the fluid level is low or normal. Also, the newer the transmission fluid, the cleaner and pinker it will be. As such, if you find that the fluid in your car is dirty or black, then it’s definitely time to change it. Keep in mind that many new cars today don’t have a transmission fluid dipstick, so you’ll have to get it checked by the dealer or a qualified mechanic.

Transmission change versus a transmission flush

Mechanics change the transmission fluid in a car.
Mechanics change the transmission fluid in a car. | (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

If you decide to change your car’s transmission fluid yourself, then it’s typically a “drain and fill” type of job. You’ll first need to locate the “drain” and “fill” plugs on the transmission and undo the “fill” plug first. The reason for this is that if you drain the transmission and the “fill” plug is stuck, you won’t be able to fill it in the end.

When pulling the drain plug, you might notice that a small amount of fluid comes out. Amsoil reports that this is due to about two-thirds of the transmission fluid remaining in other parts of the transmission, like the torque converter. As such, it’s important to change the fluid regularly in order to get all of the debris and dirty fluid out over time.

If you don’t want to wait for all of the fluid to be clean, then you can do a flush instead. A full fluid flush will require a special machine that hooks up to the transmission lines in order to pump new fluid in and flush out the dirty fluid entirely. While it can clean up the transmission internals better than a simple fluid change, keep in mind that a proper flush could cost you anywhere between $100 and $150, depending on the car.

Can changing the car’s transmission fluid damage it?

No. If anything, changing a car’s transmission fluid will prolong the life of the transmission and keep the car running longer. If you don’t change the transmission fluid regularly, if not at all, then you run the risk of the transmission being damaged. Also, it’s important to use the correct transmission fluid for your specific application. So be sure to check the owner’s manual for the right one.

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Audi and Volkswagen Are Getting Sued Over the Water Pump

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Nobody wants to see their shiny new car leaking coolant, especially a luxury model from Audi. One of its SUVs, the Q5, has won Kelley Blue Book’s Best Buy Award for four years straight. Audi is partially owned by Volkswagen, which makes several great vehicles of its own.

However, several Audi and Volkswagen models are prone to a severe problem. CarComplaints.com reports that both automakers face a lawsuit over a defective water pump. Is there enough evidence to justify a widespread recall of the affected vehicles?

The latest Volkswagen lawsuit details

Water pumps in certain Audi and Volkswagen vehicles are made of plastic that cracks easily in a short period of time, the lawsuit alleges. Once this happens, the coolant could leak onto the thermometer or melt the electrical plug attached to the car’s engine. The engine also won’t be able to operate at regular temperatures, resulting in engine failure.

One of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, Michael Zhao, purchased a 2018 Volkswagen Golf R that began leaking coolant in October 2020. At the time of service, the VW dealership confirmed a leaking coolant temperature control actuator caused the problem. Service technicians replaced the water pump assembly without issue, but it cost the plaintiff $1,340.82 in repairs.

Zhao’s Volkswagen Golf R had only 76,451 miles on the odometer, and some drivers might experience this problem sooner. A leaking water pump could also cause the engine to stop functioning while the car is in motion. Even if the driver pulled over, being stranded on the side of a highway waiting for a tow could be dangerous.

Cars from Volkswagen and Audi also aren’t cheap. For example, a new VW Golf R started at $39,785 when it debuted for the 2018 model year. Potentially defective equipment obviously hurts the vehicle’s value. The plaintiffs in this suit believe the automakers should adjust their vehicle prices accordingly.

Which vehicles have bad water pumps?

Several Audi and VW vehicles have plastic water pumps, but only ones with certain engines. 2015 to 2018 Volkswagen Golf and 2017 to 2019 Golf Alltrack models with a 1.8-liter engine could encounter this issue. 2015 to 2019 VW Golf SportWagen models could also have the 1.8-liter engine with the defective water pump.

The 2015 to 2019 VW Beetle and 2015 to 2020 Audi A3 might also have a potential water pump leak. These affected cars could have either a 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter engine. 

Every other car with the leaky pump on the lawsuit’s extensive list would have a 2.0-liter engine. This includes the Audi A4, A4 Allroad, A5, A5 Sportback, A6, and Q3. The Audi Q5, Q7, and A3 are also on the list, but not all-wheel-drive models. Only AWD versions of the Audi TT and TTS show up in the lawsuit.

The Volkswagen Arteon, Atlas, Golf R, GTI, and Tiguan could all have water pumps that leak. Model years for both the affected groups of Audi and VW cars span from 2015 to 2020.

Responses from Volkswagen

The plaintiffs are convinced Volkswagen knows about the issue but won’t fix it under the standard warranty. In addition, some pumps malfunction after the warranty has expired, making the coverage useless. The lawsuit also claims VW should be using aluminum instead of plastic to make the water pump.

Volkswagen settled a similar water pump lawsuit last year. However, the new lawsuit adds even more vehicles, claiming VW didn’t take responsibility for each car affected. So if you own any of these vehicles and have noticed leaking coolant, you might want to get it checked soon.

However, Volkswagen has yet to issue a recall for the problem, so expect to pay out of pocket if your warranty doesn’t cover it.

RELATED: 2022 Volkswagen Taos: You’ll Pay Up to $900 Extra for These Advanced Safety Features

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Here are 10 of the Cheapest SUVs to Insure

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re planning to purchase a new SUV, finding the right one for you and your family is only one part of the process. In order to even purchase the vehicle, you’ll need to ensure that you are able to insure it. However, insurance can cost a lot for many new trucks and SUVs, so here are 10 of the cheapest SUVs to insure.

The cheapest SUV to insure might not surprise you

When it comes to insuring an SUV, the size of the SUV can have an effect. This is evident in the following list of the cheapest SUVs to insure, which was consolidated by Value Penguin.

A list of the 10 cheapest SUVs to insure | Value Penguin

RELATED: Does Car Insurance Cover Water Damage?

Taking a look at this list, what might not surprise you is that the Honda CR-V sits on top as it only costs $2,346 annually to insure. That means that it’s about 21% cheaper to insure than the average SUV insurance cost of $2,975 per year. Following behind the Honda CR-V by a narrow margin is its main rival, the Toyota RAV4, which is then followed by the Chevy Equinox.

Making your way down the list, you might notice that the larger SUVs cost more to insure than the smaller ones. According to Value Penguin’s study, the insurance costs for smaller SUVs were 17% less than the larger ones. The study shows that it costs $2,700 per year on average for small SUVs and $3,250 for large SUVs.

However, if you need a larger SUV with three rows, but don’t want to pay a hefty premium for insuring it, then the Chevrolet Tahoe could be your best bet, followed by the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander.

The price of the SUV also has an effect on insurance

A red 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid driving
2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid | Honda

Another point that the Value Penguin study showed was that the lower the price of the SUV, the cheaper it is to insure it. As such, the five cheapest cars on the list were the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, all of which cost 16% less to insure, on average, than the five most expensive cars.

The five most expensive cars include the Chevrolet Traverse, the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Toyota 4Runner, and Chevy Tahoe. While none of these entrants are considered luxury SUVs, it’s important to note that the elevated insurance rates could be due to the increase in value of these SUVs as compared to their smaller, cheaper counterparts.

Your insurance quotes may vary

A red Toyota Motor Corp. RAV4 sports utility vehicle (SUV) at the company's dealership in Yokohama, Japan
The Toyota RAV4 | Toru Hanai/Bloomberg via Getty Images

While we can all take this information as a general rule of thumb when it comes to insuring an SUV, keep in mind that your personal insurance quote can vary. When providing you with a quote, insurance companies factor in information like your driving record, your age, location, and overall risk that the vehicle has. Ultimately, insurance rates can vary widely based on these factors.

However, Value Penguin conducted the aforementioned study using a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record and living in the four major metropolitan areas around the U.S., including LA, New York, Chicago, and Dallas. Also, the sample insurance premium included full coverage insurance, which goes above the state minimum requirements.

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Grandmother’s Kia Sorento Bursts Into Flames: ‘I’ve Deen Driving Around on a Bomb’

by Gabrielle DeSantis

One of the most important aspects of a car is safety. Drivers want a vehicle that will protect them in a crash, and they certainly don’t want a car that will burst into flames. But that’s exactly what happened to a grandmother driving a 2017 Kia Sorento last month. On a ride home from work, she pulled over in the nick of time before fire engulfed her SUV.

The Kia Sorento midsize SUV debuted in 2002. Its low price set it apart from other SUVs, and it quickly became a successful seller for the brand.

Over the years, it saw various generations and iterations. By the 2017 model, the Sorento was on its third generation. Kia changed the build to give the SUV better handling and more powerful engines.

The 2017 Kia Sorento also offered seating for five or seven, making it a versatile pick for families. Plus, it boasted advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety even awarded the Sorento a 2017 Top Safety Pick award.

A woman’s 2017 Kia Sorento burst into flames on an interstate

This past May 18, Helen Miller was driving her 2017 Kia Sorento home on Interstate 40 in Morganton, North Carolina. The front passenger side of her SUV caught fire while Miller was driving, but she didn’t notice, The News Herald reported. Another driver signaled her to pull over after spotting the flames. She stopped on the shoulder and got out before fire engulfed the front of her Sorento.

Miller sustained injuries while climbing up an exit ramp to escape the fire, but she said she was lucky to have been driving alone:

“I’ve been driving around on a bomb. If my grandson would have been in the third row seat, I would’ve burnt to death getting him out … One way or another, kids were coming out of the car, but I may not have … the what-ifs is what kill me.”

Helen Miller via The News Herald

Kia said it’s looking into Miller’s incident. The automaker told The News Herald that its vehicles sold in the United States “meet or exceed all federal government vehicle safety standards.” It added, “If a fire is determined to be the issue of a Kia manufacturing issue, KMA will work with the customer to reach a satisfactory resolution to the matter.”

Unfortunately, Miller said her insurance won’t cover her injuries because she sustained them outside of her SUV.

Other drivers have reported the same problem

Kia recently recalled 2014 and 2015 Sorento models for fire risk. But Miller’s 2017 Sorento showed no unfixed recalls when The News Herald checked her VIN on the NHTSA website. However, the newspaper found complaints of instances similar to Miller’s.

The investigations into these more recent fires are ongoing. Perhaps we’ll soon see more models added to the Kia recall.

RELATED: Consumer Reports Thinks You Should Avoid the 2012 and 2013 Kia Sorento

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