Mustang gearbox grinding noise – where do I even start looking in Sharjah?
I'm honestly at my wit's end here and I'm hoping someone on this forum has been through something similar because I really don't know where to turn anymore. I've got a 2015 Mustang Ecoboost that I picked up about a year ago, and for the most part it's been a solid car, nothing too fancy but it gets me where I need to go and puts a smile on my face most days. But recently I've started noticing this really unsettling grinding noise that seems to be coming from the transmission area, especially when I'm shifting from second to third gear. It's not super loud or anything, but it's definitely there, kind of like a metallic rubbing sound that I can hear clearly when the windows are down and I'm driving next to a wall or barrier where the sound bounces back. At first I thought maybe it was just the exhaust heat shield rattling or something loose underneath, so I took it to a general garage and they had a look, told me everything seemed tight and not to worry about it. But the noise hasn't gone away, and if anything it's become a bit more noticeable over the past couple of weeks. I've been doing a ton of research online, reading through forums, watching videos, trying to figure out what could be causing it, and from what I can gather it could be anything from low transmission fluid to a worn synchronizer or even something more serious like a bearing starting to fail inside the gearbox itself. The thing that really worries me is that I'm not exactly sure who to trust with this kind of problem because I've heard so many stories about people taking their cars to workshops that claim they know what they're doing, only to end up with a bigger bill and a car that's still broken. I live in Sharjah and I've been asking around, talking to friends and colleagues who are into cars, and I keep getting different recommendations, some people swear by certain places, others say stay far away from them, it's honestly confusing and I don't want to make the wrong call here. I stumbled upon a website recently that seemed to have some useful information about Mustang transmission issues, the address was https://gearboxrepairsharjah.ae/brands/mustang/ and it looked like they actually specialized in these cars rather than just being a general workshop that happens to work on American models sometimes. But you know how it is with websites, anyone can put up a nice looking page with fancy words, it doesn't necessarily mean they know what they're doing when they actually have your car up on the lift. What I really need is someone who's been in my shoes, someone who had a similar issue with their Mustang and found a workshop in or around Sharjah that actually fixed the problem properly without charging an arm and a leg or cutting corners. I don't mind paying a fair price for good work, I just don't want to be taken advantage of because I'm not a mechanic and I don't know enough to call them out if they're feeding me nonsense. This car is my daily driver and I can't afford to have it sitting in a shop for weeks while they figure things out, so I really need to find a place that's reliable and efficient. Has anyone here dealt with a grinding noise in their Mustang's gearbox and managed to get it sorted by a good transmission specialist in Sharjah? If so, please share your experience, whether it was positive or negative, because any information would help me make a more informed decision. I'm planning to take the car somewhere within the next week or so because I don't want to ignore this and end up with a complete transmission failure that leaves me stranded on the side of the road. I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can offer, and if you've got specific names of workshops or even mechanics you trust, that would be gold. Thanks in advance for reading and for any help you can throw my way.