Lately, you may have noticed that your car's transmission is having issues with changing gears. You may feel like it slips or skips gears while you are accelerating. Or, you may find that your car gets stuck in one gear for too long, causing your engine to rev up too high before it finally switches to the next gear.

If so, there is a serious problem with the car's transmission that is causing these difficulties with gear changes. Although you can still drive your car, there are a couple of reasons why you should not ignore the issues and continue to do so without having the transmission checked out by a professional.

1. Increases the Risk of an Accident If You Continue to Drive Your Car with Slipping or Sticking Gears

One reason you should not ignore the problems with gear changes is that doing so increases your risk of an accident. When the gears start to slip, there is a delay in your ability to control how quickly your car moves. 

Or, if the gear becomes stuck, your car will momentarily lose power. In either of these scenarios, you would not be able to move your car quickly enough to avoid an object or other vehicle, which could result in an accident.

2. Puts Excessive Strain on Your Car's Motor and Increases the Risk of Engine Failure

Another reason why you need to have your transmission checked out right away instead of continuing to drive your car is that doing so puts excessive strain on the engine. When the gears slip, the engine has to work hard to compensate for the delay in shifting.

If the gears keep getting stuck, the increase in revolutions per minute (RPMs) will make the engine run hotter and harder than normal. If either of these issues continue, you may wind up with a damaged engine along with the failing transmission.

Just because you can still drive your car when the transmission gears are slipping or sticking does not mean that you should. The faulty gears increase your risk of having an accident because of delays in shifting and power. The problems also put excessive strain on your car's engine, which could lead to failure if something is not done about the problem sooner rather than later. If your car is experiencing delays while shifting or is getting stuck in one gear, take your vehicle to an auto shop that offers transmission repair services to have them assess the problem to see if the transmission can be repaired or needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

For more information on transmission repair, contact a professional near you.