Yaris transmission slipping gears

I've got a 2021 Toyota Yaris with a gasoline engine and I'm having some serious transmission issues. The check engine light and transmission indicator light are both on. It's slipping gears and making grinding noises when it shifts. The error memory also has a stored error. Has anyone experienced this?

4 comment(s)

Sounds rough! I had something similar happen with my Yaris. Was it like the engine was surging, even when you were trying to keep a steady speed? For me, it felt like the car couldn't decide which gear it wanted to be in. Did you notice anything like that?

Yeah, I've noticed that too! It feels like it's hesitating and then lurching forward. What was the problem with yours?

Okay, the surging definitely points to the torque converter. The lock-up clutch in the torque converter was defective. Imagine the torque converter like a donut filled with oil connecting the engine to the transmission. The lock-up clutch is supposed to 'lock' the donut for better efficiency, but when it fails, it causes all sorts of shifting problems and that surging you describe. It needs to be replaced, and it’s not a cheap fix, so I'd recommend taking it to a trusted workshop.

Thanks a lot for the info! It seems like that's exactly what's going on. The workshop confirmed that the automatic transmission converter is defective, and the repair cost is estimated at 2120€. At least now I know what I'm dealing with!

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