I’ve been passively looking at the used car market to get a second car to keep miles off my Camaro. I found a 2014 Malibu 2.5L with 55k miles and a clean CarFax. It’s been serviced at a Chevy dealer, and they’ve been changing the brake fluid and coolant regularly. However, I didn’t see any record of the transmission fluid being changed. The maintenance schedule says to change it every 97,500 miles, so it’s not far past halfway. The car drives well and shifts smoothly. Should I drain and refill the transmission fluid now, or wait until I hit the mileage interval? Overall, the car is in pristine condition for an 11-year-old vehicle, and I got it for $11k.
A drain and fill would be the best approach. NEVER do a flush, and it will be fine. Avoid additives or treatments; they usually cause more harm than good.
I plan on using the fluid the manual recommends. I’ll either have the dealer do it or buy the fluid myself to take to another shop.
That’s the right way to do it! Universal fluids are a bad idea; they can ruin transmissions. Regular fluid changes will keep your Malibu running well.
Since it’s a GDI engine, change the engine oil frequently too. It can accumulate gas in the oil pan, which needs to be addressed with regular oil changes.
Sounds like a solid buy! Just keep up with maintenance, and you should have a reliable car for years to come.