TIL ordering the cheap transmission flush was the wrong call for my 2002 Tacoma

Six months ago I decided to save $180 and go with the basic flush at a quick lube place instead of paying my usual shop to do a proper drain and fill. The truck had 190k miles and the fluid was dark, so I figured any fresh fluid was better than none. Two weeks later the transmission started slipping on the highway near Austin, and I had to shell out $2,400 for a rebuild. My mechanic told me the high pressure flush probably knocked loose years of gunk that then clogged the valve body. I always thought cheap maintenance was smarter than skipping it, but now I see that some services are worth paying for the slower, gentler method. Has anyone else had a simple maintenance choice backfire on an older vehicle? What did you switch to after that?

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sage30816d ago

Heard a mechanic say flushes are scams on high-mileage trucks, drain and fill only.