I have a 1991 legacy awd wagon with 2.2 and automatic. About 2 weeks ago the car would not move in reverse but works perfect in drive,goes thru all the gears great. What could be the problem?

thats kinda strange.i always thought 1st and reverse where the same gear, or maybe thats just on manuals.

Reverse still needs a clutch or band (not sure which.. think its a band) to engage it. Could be a broken reverse band, rare but not unheard of. Could be something stuck in the valve body also.

Reverse just sounds like its in neutral?

 

nipper

Possibly a bent release fork? Or maybe worn detent balls. I suppose have you tried to adjust the Cable?

Just wondering if you found what the problem was yet? Have a 93 legacy with same problem.

what does the ATF look like? smell like? when was the last time it was changed?

Wow, sounds familiar. I used to own an '89 XT-6 FrWD with the 4EAT. Something happened to the tranny at about 130k miles. It lost reverse and either 1st or 2nd I think. Here is the strange part - it would not even ROLL backwards, in ANY gear. I drove it this way for several hundred miles and had to be very careful how I parked. The only way to move the car backward was to put a floor jack with wheels under one of the front tires and lift it up so that the differential could spin the lifted wheel forward while the other wheel rolled backwards. I ended up having the trans. rebuilt by Kelly Transmission in Albuquerque. It cost me a bit over $2000, but was smoother than ever when I got it back.

 

This is the first time I've heard of anyone else with a similar problem.

 

-Nassor

'89 XT-6 FrWD (retired at just over 200k mi., running fine w/lifter tick)

'98 Legacy OB 2.5L DOHC (spun rod bearing)