In translation, as in other disciplines, the notion of problem has generated growing interest over recent years. However, studies centred on the translation problem taken as a whole, still do not represent a homogeneous research trend, and this is further aggravated by the lack of studies which compare and contrast the different contributions on this matter. In response to this need, this article analyses and develops the notion of problem as it has been described by some leading scholars reflecting on the translation process. In the first part, the notion of problem as seen from other disciplines is reviewed. In the second part, the main studies on the translation problem and different approaches are compared and analysed, and relate problem-solving processes in translation with translation strategies. The aim of this article is to further our understanding of the problem-solving processes in operation during translation, and to present a retrospective of some of the most significant works in this field.