Gears gone in Ford Ka+
My 2019 Ford Ka Sport (53,000 miles, one careful lady owner!) has developed a fault with first gear.
The gear stick is constantly jumping out of first, making a dreadful noise, unless I physically hold it in. (This makes hill starts almost impossible - especially so in the hills of Matlock, Derbyshire, where I live!)
A local garage has tightened the gears and changed the rubbers to no avail. The idea is now to strip the gearbox and send it off to Northampton to be fixed at an estimated cost of £1,600!!
My questions are as follows:
a) Is this a common fault with Ford Ka+ cars?
b) Is this estimate acceptable?
c) Is there anything less drastic that could have caused this problem?
The gear stick is constantly jumping out of first, making a dreadful noise, unless I physically hold it in. (This makes hill starts almost impossible - especially so in the hills of Matlock, Derbyshire, where I live!)
A local garage has tightened the gears and changed the rubbers to no avail. The idea is now to strip the gearbox and send it off to Northampton to be fixed at an estimated cost of £1,600!!
My questions are as follows:
a) Is this a common fault with Ford Ka+ cars?
b) Is this estimate acceptable?
c) Is there anything less drastic that could have caused this problem?
Asked on 26 August 2025 by Rosalind Kawalek
Answered by
David Ross
Jumping out of gear can be caused by issues such as worn synchromesh, worn gears or bearings, but assuming that things such as the shift cables and clutch have been checked and deemed to be not the cause, then it is likely that a rebuild or replacement gearbox is the only option at this point. If you feel that the cost is excessive, you could try an independent gearbox specialist who may be able to provide a better quote.
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