Watch Driver Wreck Transmission After Putting It in Reverse While Going 45 MPH in 4WD

Some people still think the “R” on the transmission lever’s golf ball comes from “rocket mode.” To them, I can only say don’t try to go “to the moon” as this will only end up with a wrecked car and a hefty repair bill. And unless you’re a rich Youtuber who affords to cover these expenses incurred while pursuing science, we can’t stress enough: don’t try this at home, don’t try this on a public road, don’t try this; at all! It can hurt more than your bank account, it can actually kill you and the people around you.

Watching the guy at Autovlog trying this in the name of science is better than trying it ourselves. That’s because nothing wrong can happen from behind the phone or computer screen. If you remember, Michael Vaim already attempted to shift an automatic transmission in reverse five years ago. The car was a Ford Fusion, and in that case, the safety checks prevented it from engaging in reverse. So no fun at all.

A couple of years ago, Michael acquired an old Ford Ranger truck with no such things as electronic safety checks, so he began to experiment. The question was the same: what happens when you engage reverse while driving at speed. Back in 2020, surprisingly, the transmission did engage in reverse. As you can see in the first part of the video below, which is a re-run, the wheels began spinning backward when the clutch was let out. The transmission was in 2WD mode and miraculously resisted the abuse without complaining.

The second attempt was after putting the transfer case in 4-low mode and speeding up to 45 mph (72 kph). Michael has difficulties putting it in reverse, but after a bit of wrestling with the gear lever, he succeeded. This is marked by a wide range of protest sounds from the transmission, ranging from bangs, grinding noises, whines, and finally, a ticking noise.

Although this doesn’t sound catastrophic, it was for some components inside the gearbox or the transfer case. The video shows the truck coming to a stop, and this is pretty much it. Although the gearbox lever appears to shift gears properly, the car does not move at all, as if there’s no physical connection from the engine to the wheels.

Now you know enough not to try putting your car’s transmission into reverse while driving forward. As for the Ford Ranger ruined during this experiment, we can’t say much. Maybe Michael Vaim will fix it and use it for more abuse and engagement on his Youtube page. Or maybe, with the crazy used car prices, he would sell it for a cool $30,000 and be done with it. Who knows?