Can a transmission be checked?

If taken to a transmission place, can a used car have its transmission checked for potential problems in a meaningful way --- would it tell anything that driving it would not necessarily indicate? Or do transmission problems just more or less appear out of nowhere?
I am considering buying a used car, but am afraid of having to replace the transmission as I did on my last Taurus.

Hi, Here's a tip for you,,,Before you purchase the vehicle...Get the VIN# and take it to any (tarus?) Ford dealer and have them run the vin for prior maintenence history....That should tell you how the car was maintained...Go from there...GOOD LUCK....Clay...

Having a dealer check for prior maintenance history is a good suggestion, but will likely only show results if all service was performed by a dealership. Once the car is out of warranty, many owners will not continue to pay dealership labor rates.

Depending on the year of Taurus you are referring to, the transmission is computer controlled to some extent and therefore professional scan tools can access the transmission computer and pull often-times meaningful data. The "generic" scan tools from your local chain auto parts stores will not be able to access the transmission computer.

-Rod

Actually, the car is being sold by a Ford dealer. I got a Carfax report that showed that this 2001 Wagon was serviced at 37 miles on 9/22/2001, sold a month later, serviced on 9/1/2004 with mileage 48880, and then on 1/28/2005 with mileage 48882, passed emissions on 6/30/2005 at 57000 miles and went into dealer inventory in January of this year.


Does that not seem weird that there is a difference of 2 miles and 5 months for the service visits? What might account for that? A death of the driver, or someone who spent the winters in the South and did not take the car? A clerical error? Or something sinister, like a severe malfunction?

Any comments?

As noted in a previous post, only 2 visits for service are listed by Carfax. Would a dealer have any other information? Is a visit at 48,880 miles too long to wait for service?

The vehicle is a 2001 Wagon SE.

Thanks for your help.

its getting close to a tranny fluid flush and filter change aside from how the car shifts when you drive and computer sensors. when the filter is changed chances are there is a magnet in the transmission pan. it is there to collect metal shavings. that is your indicator of transmission wear if there is excessive shavings. a few is not bad and is normal hence the need for the magnet.