No one knows your vehicle better than you do. Yes your trusted automotive shop knows the ins and outs of your vehicle, but when it comes to the performance and feel, no one is going to be more suited to tell when something is just not right than you. When you start to hear or feel something that isn’t normal it is always a good idea to have it looked at. It may be something simple and easy to fix. Or it may be a sign that something major is getting ready to fail. Whatever the outcome may be it is better to know and be prepared than it is to be surprised with an unexpected bill. The picture shown is of a manual transmission that is currently being replaced in our facility. If you look closely at the input shaft coming out of the transmission you can see that the surface is gouged and damaged badly. This is due to the customer continuing to drive after he started to hear something unusual. The clutch release bearing was starting to fail, which in of itself is a fairly easy job, however it does have a cost well over $1000. The customer chose to not verify or repair the noise, and continued to drive the vehicle. When he finally brought it in for service we found the above damage to his transmission. This transmission is now destroyed and needs to be either rebuilt or replaced at a substantial increase to the cost of the repair. Had the customer come in as soon as he started to hear something out of the ordinary he could have saved himself quite a bit of money. In summation, it is always better to have it looked at and verified, even if it is an expensive fix, than it is to continue to drive it causing more damage. So when you start to hear or feel something a little off with your vehicle, make an appointment to have it looked at. Regular inspections at a shop you trust can also help catch issues before they turn into major repairs and expenses.