5 Cars With Transmissions That Are Basically Unbreakable

When an engine fails, the loss is immediate, and usually very apparent via smoke, noise, and a loss of some or all power. When a transmission fails, however, it's much more subtle and insidious, starting with slipping gears, a jerk here, a shudder there. The next level up would be harsh shifts, culminating in no power being given to the wheels at all. Transmission repair bills are among the highest on cars, and for older vehicles, the cost of a transmission repair can exceed the value of the car (or truck) itself. That's why vehicles that have reliable transmissions are worth their weight in gold. Given that cars that have manual transmissions have been becoming rarer in recent years, all of the ones on this list are automatic units. 

However, the transmissions we list are all extraordinarily different from one another, sharing nothing but their reliability and durability in common, really. We avoided new cars, because we didn't have reliable data to prove longevity in those cases. Readers are requested to note that, obviously, not every vehicle that has the same transmission will also last the same miles; as there could be any number of differences between two vehicles that share the same transmission. The individual upkeep, maintenance, and climate of a used car will have a lot of bearing on how its transmission will hold up. It is always prudent to do in-depth research before making a purchase decision, and thoroughly inspect any pre-owned car before buying. With all that said, here are five cars that have unbreakable transmissions.

We kick things off with the first-generation Toyota Tacoma that ran from 1995 to 2004. Though Toyota had been making pickups before, the Tacoma was the first time the company named a model. The first gen Tacomas were available with three different engine choices that included a 2.4-liter four-banger, a 2.7-liter four-cylinder, and a 3.4-liter V6, with a couple different transmission options, including both manuals and automatics. 

We specifically want to talk about the Aisin A340 transmission, which could be equipped to all three of those engines. The biggest V6 powerplant made an impressive 190 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque, and the first-gen was available in three cab configurations: double, access, and regular; with bed lengths of 5, 6, and 7 feet respectively. Regular cabs could also be had with a 6-foot bed. As far as the transmission itself goes, the A340 was a four-speed automatic gearbox that was first launched in 1985. 

The gearbox shares Toyota's legendary reliability, because, well, Toyota actually owns Aisin, at least in part. As far as reliability goes, the Tacoma (as a whole) has a 25.3% chance of lasting until 250,000 miles, according to iSeeCars. This is more than five times the average vehicle's chance of reaching that mileage on the odo, which is all that needs to be said about the Aisin A340. The good news for prospective buyers is that even if an A340 transmission needs work, parts are cheap, and internet help is plentiful.

Many people will have heard something along the lines of "this car is equipped with a ZF transmission," and that's with good reason. What people don't realize is that ZF is actually a Germany-based company that designs transmissions, and then licenses that design to carmakers across the world. We daresay that ZF, which is an acronym for the company's full name, Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, is one of the most popular transmission manufacturers in the world. The 2019 Dodge RAM 2500 is just one of many brands that happens to use an eight-speed automatic from ZF. We specifically included the RAM 2500 because it, too, ranks well in the iSeeCars study on vehicles likely to reach 250,000 miles, with a 17.3% probability of doing so. 

That number is 1.3 times the average for the pickup truck segment, which is fairly impressive. Only the units that had the 6.4-liter Hemi engine as an option could be had with this gearbox, which is a shame, since it's one of the most reliable transmissions of all time. In fact, we've also listed a ZF eight-speed — which mechanics praise a lot –before, on our list of the best transmissions ever that were fitted to production cars. As things stand, the most recent RAM 2500 models are still available with an eight-speed box from ZF, albeit an updated version. It's worth noting that the RAM 1500 has actually been using the ZF eight-speed since 2013, but the 1500 ranks lower than the 2500 in the iSeeCars study.

Dodge has long been obsessed with making its muscle cars the most powerful ones on the market. But, with great power, comes great torque, and Dodge (which is now one of the many brands owned by Stellantis) had to come up with a gearbox that could handle all that oomph. Its solution for the 2015 models was to simply use an existing gearbox, which ended up being the 6060, manufactured by a company called Tremec. This same six-speed, RWD gearbox is also used in other high-performance models, such the Camaro ZL1 from Chevrolet. In both the Camaro ZL1 and the Challengers that are equipped with it, the Tremec 6060 is rated to handle 650 lb-ft of torque. At the root of it, the 6060 improved durability by just making a lot of components bigger, thicker, and more load-bearing. 

For instance, some items on the 6060 that got larger (versus the old non-magnum T56) include the roller bearings on the input shafts, mainshaft, the teeth on the number three and four synchros, and the gear cogs themselves, among others. Interestingly, Tremec also markets a souped-up version of the 6060 as the T56 Magnum, which is likely an ode (but largely unrelated) to the T56 transmission that was used in the legendary Dodge Viper two decades ago. Additionally, readers should also note that the Challenger is not listed on the iSeeCars study, but for all the points we mentioned above, we decided to include it in our piece.

We're back to the kings of reliability, Toyota, with this next one, as it comes in the form of the Toyota 4Runner. It is one of their five mid-size SUVs –and, contrary to popular belief, Toyota only actually makes one full-size SUV, which is the Sequoia. Back to the 4Runner though; there have only been six distinct generations of 4runner since the model was introduced back in 1984, which really brings out the brand's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" design philosophy. We specifically want to talk about the fourth and fifth generation 4runners, that ran from 2003 to 2024 — so, just over two decades — as these used the bulletproof A750 transmission. 

What many people might not realize is the fact that this box is also made by Aisin, who made the A340 that we introduced you to above. It makes sense — a very reliable car company will be expected to have very reliable transmissions, and Aisin seems to keep on delivering, at least according to owners on forums like Toyota-4runner.org. As far as the unit itself goes, the 750 is actually branded and produced by Toyota, which is an important distinction, as variants of the 750 are also used in cars from other companies, most notably, Suzuki and Mitsubishi. The Toyota A750s come in two variants, 2WD and 4WD, designated with the suffix of "E" and "F" respectively, with the most serious problem seemingly being a solenoid failure. The design was so robust that it later gave rise to a six-speed variant, called the AB60E, albeit with modifications.

It should surprise no one that the next vehicle on our list is another utility-focused one, in the form of the Ford Super Duty. We specifically want to focus on the 2011-2019 model years, as these were when the F-250 was shipping with the 6r140 transmission, made by Ford themselves. Note that there was another six-speed Ford Transmission known as the 6r80 (that was also pretty reliable, actually), though the 6r80 was intended for lighter-duty applications, such as in Transit vans and the F-150. Further, the 6r80 (and, unfortunately, the 6r140) would eventually be phased out in favor of a 10-speed transmission down the line, which had a slew of problems. 

And yes, the 6r140 was available in most of the Super Duty range from Ford, starting with the F-250, and going all the way up to the behemoth F-550. Given that vehicles from this range are intended to be workhorses, it's no surprise that Ford engineered these to last a long time. For instance, the 6r140 can handle over 1,000 pounds of torque, and has intelligent systems that downshift earlier when going downhill with a trailer. 

That rugged engineering is probably a factor in the F-450 getting a 28.5% chance of reaching the 250,000-mile mark on the odometer, at least according to the same iSeeCars findings. That score is 2.2 times the average pickup truck's chance of reaching that mileage, and, interestingly, the F-150 actually performs half below the average, with just a 5.9% chance of reaching that mark.

To begin our research, we first shortlisted several reliable car models, and then looked into the transmissions that they had, and then, to whittle the list down, we did a few things. Say that we wanted to include a transmission named "X" on this list. First, we identified a model that carries that transmission, and looked it up on AutoTempest. If a large number of these cars were above 100-150k miles, that's checkbox one. 

Second, we looked at the iSeeCars score for "probability of reaching 250,000 miles." Third was to look at online sources, mainly garages and mechanic reviews, and some editorial reviews where they were available, preferably from authors who'd been hands-on with the cars. Where a large number of models had the same transmission, we chose to go with the most famous or the most sold one, as applicable.