[HydroKane]

The reason I believe it is the transmission is based on a lot of things and most are things that have happened before. I will explain and you are right it still may be a cheaper fix.

I was just getting back from a about a 2 hour drive. I was driving going around 60 MPH and when my speed started to drop and was going to accelerate. While attempting to accelerate the RPMS shot up above 6k. It felt like it was out of gear but slightly still in gear just not working like turning to accelerate. I tried 2 other times and same thing happens so I am just coasting sorta. I dropped the gear to 3rd gear. It felt like it down-shifted however it was giving me the same problem. I pulled off the road into a residential area and reduced speed to drop the transmission into 1st gear. Once it was in first it started to work. I then got on the road and accelerated to around 45 when the problem happened again. This time I put it in 3rd gear and it stuck and I was able to drive in 3rd gear but it would not go above 3rd. At this time the automatic transmission service light kicked on. I pulled up to a light and stopped and put my car back into D(rive). When the light turned green I tried to accelerate but it sputtered and wouldn't drive as if I had a MANUAL tranny and tried to start in the wrong gear (not first gear.). I then dropped it into 1st and it took off, I was able to get home just using 3rd gear. I parked my vehicle let it cool off. Later that night I took the vehicle about 4 blocks to see if anything magically changed, this time it started and was fine until I 45ish and it started to act as if it was out of gear. this time as I turned around, I was un-able to use 3rd gear only 1st and second. So I drive home slowly. (tranny service light off now).

I hope this helps. to me it sounds like a tranny early failure and slipping. Please let me know what you think.