Noticable Heavy Shifting
 

Over the last couple of months, I have noticed this issue getting worse when I let off the gas in the car, it seems to decelerate more than it should, and especially when the transmission downshifts. this issue seems to be most noticeable when shifting from 1st to second (transmission is not slipping from what I can tell.) I have noticed that when I let the car coast and am driving close to a wall or barrier with the windows down I can hear a reciprocating ratcheting noise. My assumption is that the timing chain needs to be replaced but I don't want to do that unless it fixes the problem. Any other ideas of what it could be?

If it's timing chain you hear it would be in relation to engine speed and not vehicle speed. Can you hear the sound while in neutral and coasting along? If you were coasting slowly and tapped the accelerator a few times would you hear the noise? You also mention you hear it more when it downshifts but then mention it's most noticeable while upshifting from 1st to 2nd, are those two different example cases?

The noise is most noticeable when I let off the gas and let the car coast, or if I rev it in neutral, but it doesn't make noise until the rpm's start to fall. The deceleration is most noticeable when coasting at lower speeds (2nd to 1st, not 1st to second; my apologies. Along with 3rd to 2nd.) or when in sport mode when the engine maintains higher rpm's. Hope that clears it up. I am not even sure if they are the same issue but it seems like it to me.