Q: Can having your engine seize cause transmission problems too?

If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, the engine drives the transmission through a fluid coupling known as a "torque converter". As a consequence of this design, if the engine were to suddenly stop, the transmission (and differential) would continue turning and there is little likelihood of damage. Any mechanical component in a vehicle can fail and the probability of failure will increase if the vehicle was previously damaged, abused, or not maintained. As far as predictions of what additional components on the car can or will fail, such can only be determined if the vehicle is thoroughly inspected, and in the case of some components cannot be predicted at all, for some parts and assemblies that cannot be readily disassembled. Buying a used vehicle does have significant risks associated with it. To protect yourself in any used car transaction, YourMechanic recommends that a pre-purchase vehicle inspection be performed. That inspection, carried out by a certified Mechanic, dispatched to your location by YourMechanic, will give you very specific data regarding any current problems with the actual car you want to buy. Even though you already own the car, you can still request an inspection in order to determine if there are going to be any obvious problems going forward. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic.