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Can a Bad CV Joint Affect the Transmission?

Can a Bad CV Joint Affect the Transmission?

A bad CV joint will may make your car vibrate a lot, even though it may not be noticeable for a while. Can a bad CV joint affect the transmission?

A bad CV joint can affect your transmission. If your CV joint isn’t working properly, it will cause your car to overly vibrate, which may cause other issues with your car over time as well. If there is something wrong with your car, you should get it fixed quickly. 

Make sure you get your CV joint looked at if your car has started vibrating more than normal, or if there are other issues starting to arise as well.

Constant Velocity Joints

The constant velocity joint (CV joint) is a common mechanical part in automobiles. Nearly every car that uses front-wheel drive has a CV joint, and some rear-wheel drive vehicles do. Your vehicle quite likely has it. 

Your engine moves your driveshaft, which moves your wheels. The CV is a friction-free way of transferring power from your driveshaft to other moving parts.

The CV joint has two main parts. First, there is the inner CV joint, which is connected to your driveshaft and transmission. Second, there is the outer CV joint, which is connected to your driveshaft and wheels. 

How Does a Damaged CV Joint Affect Your Transmission?

A damaged CV joint leads to excessive vibration, which is bad for your car’s transmission.

The two CV joints plus the CV axle transfer power to your wheels. If a CV joint is bad, it will shake constantly and increase wear and tear on other parts of your car. 

Are CV Joints Durable?

CV joints last for a long time, but they fail eventually. They are one of the many things you may have to repair if you have an older vehicle. 

Are CV Joints Durable

After about 100,000 miles or so, the CV joints may fail. Anywhere between 70,000 and 130,000 miles is common. How gently you use your vehicle determines how long the CV joints last. 

Gentle Driving vs. Rough Terrain

If you use your vehicle on rough, bumpy terrain, it will increase wear and tear, including on your CV joints. Sometimes, using a vehicle off-road is worth it. However, your truck won’t last as long if you use it this way. 

People who use their vehicles for gentle travel may not have any problems with their CV joints for 130,000 miles. If you use your vehicle off-road often, even 70,000 miles is optimistic. 

Better-made cars have CV joints that will last longer. If you buy a model with a bad reputation anything may break faster than you expect. Get a vehicle that is known to have excellent parts. 

What Do You Do If Your CV Joint is Damaged?

First off, you should not be driving your car with a damaged CV joint. If you continue driving with this problem, it could do serious damage to other parts of your car.

You could also lose control of your car and have a serious accident if your CV suddenly fails. 

What Do You Do if Your CV Joint is Damaged

Unfortunately, you might not notice that your CV joint is damaged right away. Even when it is starting to fail, your car will still run, and you might not notice if you don’t know what to watch out for. 

How Can You Tell If It Is Damaged?

If your CV joint is damaged or wearing out, you may notice early if you know what signs to look for. The signs might be subtle and difficult to notice at first.

However, the signs will become a bit more noticeable over time, and you may notice that your car isn’t performing as well as it should. 

Weird Noises When Turning

If your car is making noises, that is a bad sign and you should take it to the shop to find out what’s wrong. If your CV joint is failing, your car will make noises when you turn. 

The noise sounds like clicking or popping. Try going into a wide-open area and reversing your car when making a sharp turn.

If this leads to a lot of popping and clicking, your CV joint is breaking down. 

Uncomfortable Ride

If you notice that your car is more bumpy and uncomfortable than it used to be, it could be a problem with the CV joint.

There might be continuous vibrations no matter how you drive your car. Sometimes, you only notice the vibrations when turning or when turning at a certain angle. 

Grease On Your Tires

If you ever notice any grease dripping onto your tires, it is probably a damaged CV joint. Take your car to the shop before the problem gets any worse. 

Get Regular Checkups

Take your car to the shop for a checkup regularly. If you get a mechanic to look at your car regularly, they will notice a failing CV joint before it does any damage.

Damage to one part of your car can lead to damage to another part of your car, including a bad CV damaging your transmission.

If you notice something obviously wrong, like your car has a leak or has trouble going around corners, you need to fix it. 

A lot of people get in accidents because their brakes fail. Your brakes can fail if you don’t go to the shop and check them.

People sometimes “save money” by not getting their cars checked, but this almost always leads to bigger expenses later on. 

More Benefits of Regular Checkups

There are many reasons to get your car checked regularly. Trust me, you will save money and not spend money this way. 

Better Performance

If you keep your car maintained properly, it performs like a new car. The acceleration, gears, steering, and traction will all be smooth if you keep up with maintenance. It is more fun to drive a car that is performing excellently. 

Safety

A poorly maintained car is a safety hazard for you, anyone else in your car, and anyone else on the road. Your car can stall in the middle of the road, your brakes can fail, and you can lose control of your steering. 

Greater Efficiency

An older car that has problems gets worse mileage than a newer or better-maintained one. Your mechanic also knows what the best oil for your car is. 

Preventing Depreciation

Over time, your car will depreciate and be worth less and less money. However, you can slow the rate at which it depreciates. If you maintain it well, you may be surprised by how much it is still worth in several years. 

What Do Mechanics Look at During Checkups?

Every mechanic is different, but there are some common things that many mechanics look at. 

Windshield

A mechanic will look for cracks or other damage to your windshield. Windshield problems are a safety hazard, so your car will fail a safety inspection if there is any windshield damage that needs to be fixed. They will also check the seal to see if it is loose.

Condition of Your Tires

Old tires are unsafe. Over time, cracks will appear in the rubber, and you may not notice them. Eventually, the steel belts will separate from the rest of the tire. 

Your car won’t pass a safety inspection if your tires are cracked. All of your tires should be the same size, and your spare tire should be in good condition. 

Fluid Leaks

Fluid leaks are also dangerous for you and your passengers. If your car is leaking fluid, something is seriously wrong. 

Seat Belts

A mechanic will also check your seat belts to make sure they work and are easily accessible. 

Lights

A mechanic will make sure your turn signals, emergency flashers, headlights, high beams, backup lights, brake lights, and side lights all work properly.

Brakes

A mechanic will also test the performance of your brakes. You may need to replace your brake pads. 

Steering

A mechanic will also inspect the steering. If any parts are loose or worn out, they will tell you what needs to be fixed. 

What Happens When Your CV Joint Fails?

If your CV joint fails completely, you won’t be able to control your car. You will involuntarily pull over to one side of the road. This could lead to an accident/injury/death, so you want to fix your CV before this happens.

Replacement Cost

CV joints cost up to $800 to replace. Most of the cost is labor, which can be $400, $600, or more. The part is relatively cheap. 

Key Takeaways to CV Joints and Your Transmission

A bad CV joint can damage your transmission.

If your CV joint fails while you are driving, you may lose control of the car and get in an accident. 

Sometimes, a bad CV joint will lead to excessive vibration, or to popping and clicking sounds when turning. 

Take your car to a mechanic and get it inspected fairly often, or you might not notice a problem before it gets worse. 

Zach Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of VehicleAnswers.com! Having owned a wide variety of vehicles in my life, I was astounded at how hard it can be to find answers to common automotive questions. Rather than sit idly, I decided to create this website to help others!