I have a 2003 HCH with just over 64,000 miles on it. I've had 2 recurring problems for about the last 20,000 miles or so, which seem to come and go in severity.

The first problem is that when I step on the gas pedal from a stop, the car will make a stuttering noise. After looking at it and not being able to figure out what was wrong, the dealer flushed out the transmission fluid, which fixed the problem for a couple thousand miles, but it has begun happening again.

The second problem is that the car will surge or lunge when I drive at slow speeds (5 - 15 mph) (this makes driving through a parking lot very difficult). This also stopped when the transmission fluid was flushed, but has also returned, and is getting worse. Now I can feel slight waves of surges even at medium speeds (30 - 40 mph), and driving at 10 mph makes me feel like I'm on an amusement park ride.

The dealer has said I need a whole new transmission, which was going to be something like $3,000. I haven't had that done yet, I thought it seemed a little extreme for a car with only 64,000 miles to need a completely new transmission.

Does what I described sound like an entire new transmission is necessary? Also, what are the dangers of continuing to drive the car in this condition? I'd hate to spend $3,000 to completely replace the transmission if it could be repaired instead. Thanks for any information.