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01J0AW

Multitronic gearbox: faults and reliability

Audi Multitronic (01J/0AW) · Audi and Seat

The multitronic is the continuously variable (CVT) automatic gearbox that Audi fitted, with front-wheel drive only, between 1999 and 2014: first the 01J code and, from 2007, the 0AW. It was fitted to the A4 from the B6, the A6 and the A5. Its reliability is limited - Gebrauchtwagenberater calls it Audi's "black sheep": the 01J concentrates control unit failures, jerking when pulling away and chain wear; the 0AW is notably more reliable, although it does not eliminate them entirely.[1][2][3]

Risk index
64
High risk · what it is
Documented faults
3
2 of high or critical severity
Type
Continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a link chain running between cones, with an electronically controlled multi-plate start-off clutch instead of a torque converter
Technical data[1][2][3]
Production
1999–2014
8 models on this site

9 sourcesHow we work

Which Multitronic versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

  • Multitronic 01J (1999-2007)

    1999–2007 · 01J

    With caution

    It is the generation with the most documented control unit failures, jerking when pulling away and chain wear; it is only worth considering if the gearbox oil change history is verified, there are no stored fault codes and a cold road test shows no jerks or noises.[1][3]

  • Multitronic 0AW (2007-2014)

    2007–2014 · 0AW

    With caution

    It notably improves on the 01J's reliability, above all in the control unit, but none of the sources consulted says it completely eliminates chain wear or jerking when pulling away; apply the same checks as for the 01J before buying.[3]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the Multitronic

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1Critical severityCommonFrequency: CommonTransmissionWear of the variator chain and conesYes: the variator uses a chain of more than 1,000 links between two pairs of cones that wears with mileage, especially if the oil is not changed regularly. Gebrauchtwagenberater ties the gearbox's reputation to "numerous total failures"; Schaeffler/LuK sells a kit to repair the chain.
  2. 2High severityCommonFrequency: CommonElectronicsControl unit (TCU) failure and limp modeYes: the multitronic control unit, especially in the 01J code (up to 2007), is one of its best-documented weak points. Overheating with oil seeping into the control unit causes fault warnings and limp mode and, if ignored, can end up damaging the gearbox itself.
  3. 3Medium severityCommonFrequency: CommonClutchJerking and vibration when pulling away from cold (multi-plate clutch)Yes: with no torque converter, the multitronic pulls away using an electronic multi-plate clutch that can jerk or vibrate, especially when cold, if its plates are worn or the oil no longer has the right properties. It is one of the most cited fault symptoms of this gearbox.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the Multitronic is

The multitronic is the continuously variable (CVT) automatic gearbox that Audi reserved for its longitudinal-engine, front-wheel-drive models: it was never offered with quattro. Unlike other CVTs, which use a steel belt between two pulleys, the multitronic variator transmits power through a chain of more than 1,000 links running in an oil bath between two pairs of cones, whose spacing varies the transmission ratio continuously; and instead of a torque converter, it pulls away using an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch. Audi introduced it in 1999 in the A6 C5.[1][2][4][5]

The original code, 01J, was fitted from 1999 in the A6 C5 and, from the B6 generation (2000), in the A4 too; the 0AW, with a redesigned control unit and higher permissible torque, replaced it from 2007. Besides the A4 (B6, B7 and B8) and the A6 (C5, C6 and C7), Audi offered it in the A5 and, through Seat, in the Exeo, until it was dropped from the catalogue around 2014 in favour of the S tronic dual-clutch gearbox (LuK, the chain manufacturer, puts the end of component supply at 2015).[3][6][7][8][9]

Despite the comfort and fuel savings it offered over a manual gearbox, its reputation for reliability is limited. Gebrauchtwagenberater sums it up, translated from German: "it does not enjoy a good reputation: numerous total failures have given it a reputation for being problematic" within the Audi range. The 01J concentrates the best-documented control unit failures, jerking when pulling away from cold and chain wear; the 0AW, from 2007, is notably more reliable, although none of the sources consulted claims that the problem has disappeared completely.[3]

Manufacturer
Audi
Type
Continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a link chain running between cones, with an electronically controlled multi-plate start-off clutch instead of a torque converter
Peak torque
400 Nm
Production
1999–2014
Makes
Audi and Seat

Technical data[1][2][3]

What changed between versions

  1. 1999–2007

    Multitronic 01J (1999-2007)

    The original multitronic code, with a six-plate multi-plate clutch and a maximum permissible torque of about 310 Nm according to English Wikipedia. It concentrates the control unit failures, jerking when pulling away and chain wear best documented by the sources consulted.[1]

  2. 2007–2014

    Multitronic 0AW (2007-2014)

    Arrives in 2007 with a redesigned control unit and more torque capacity: up to about 400 Nm according to English Wikipedia (German Wikipedia gives a progression from 300 Nm in 2002 to 400 Nm in 2006, with a reduction to 380 Nm in 2007, without specifying which code each figure applies to). Gebrauchtwagenberater describes it as notably more reliable than the 01J.[1][2][3]

Cars fitted with the Multitronic

8 models sold in Spain. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

Audi

Seat

Compare the Multitronic

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. 1.MultitronicWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  2. 2.MultitronicWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  3. 3.Typische Probleme & Haltbarkeit der MultitronicGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  4. 4.Getriebetechnologien: multitronicAudi · Manufacturer · published 2011 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  5. 5.Transmisión variable continuaWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  6. 6.Audi A4Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  7. 7.Audi A6Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  8. 8.Schaeffler: RepSet für Audi Multitronic Getriebeamz · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  9. 9.LuK (empresa)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish