Q: Car cannot shift to reverse
The other day I was driving and then stopped and parked the car for a while. When I was about to continue driving, I lost reverse out of the blue. This is the first time something like this happened. As the fluid was a bit low, I had it replaced along with the filter. However, I still couldn't shift to reverse. What should I do?
Recommended Services
| Car is hard to shift Inspection | $94.99 - $114.99 | Get a Quote |
It is possible this is caused by some dirt, grit, or other bit of trash in the valve body of the transmission. The valve body takes the mechanical selection of "Reverse" from the gear selector, and turns that into the hydraulic connections that activate the correct clutches and gear sets that do the work. Another possibility is if you aren’t getting a shift into 3rd gear (while in the "Drive" position), this could be a failure of the direct clutch in the transmission. This clutch is shared between Reverse and 3rd gear. A professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, can help diagnose this shifting problem and let you know what needs repair.
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing