Slight jerk when my Q5 shifts down – should I be concerned?
I've had my Q5 for about three years now and it's been absolutely flawless, but over the last couple of weeks I've noticed something that's been bothering me and I'm not sure if I'm overreacting or if there's actually an issue developing. When I'm slowing down to a stop, particularly in stop-start traffic, I feel this subtle but noticeable jerk when the transmission downshifts from second to first, and it's getting more frequent than I'd like. It doesn't do it every time, maybe one out of three or four stops, but it's definitely become more noticeable than it used to be. The car still shifts up smoothly and there are no warning lights on the dash, but I can't shake the feeling that something might be starting to go wrong with the gearbox. I've been doing some reading online to try and figure out what could be causing this and I found this really helpful resource on Reliable Audi Transmission Warning Signs that listed a bunch of things to watch out for, including rough shifting, hesitation, and unusual noises. My car doesn't have any of the other symptoms, which is reassuring, but I'm still a bit paranoid because I've heard transmission repairs can be incredibly expensive and I want to catch any problems early before they become major. I'm wondering if this could just be the car learning my driving habits or if it's a sign that the transmission fluid needs changing, or something more serious like a valve body issue. Has anyone else experienced this with their Q5 or similar Audi model? I'd love to hear if this is just a quirk of these cars or if I should be booking it in for a diagnostic check as soon as possible. I don't want to ignore it and end up with a huge bill down the line, but I also don't want to waste money on a garage visit if it's nothing to worry about. Cheers for any insights.