EAT6/EAT8 gearbox: faults and reliability

• EAT6 (AT6-III / AM6-III, since 2014)

  since 2014 · AT6-III, AWF6F25, AM6-III, AWF6F45

  With caution

  It shares the same valve body and solenoid valve weak point as the EAT8, with jerking and hesitation documented on several models; it is worth checking the service history and doing a cold test drive before buying.^[1][7][8]

• EAT8 (AWF8F45, since 2017)

  since 2017 · AWF8F45

  With caution

  It is the most widespread version today, with the same documented pattern of jerking and hesitation, sometimes fixable with a software update, and, in a minority of cases, early failures that force a gearbox replacement; it is worth checking the history and testing the car both cold and warm.^[1][2][4]

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.

1. 1High severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsValve body failure leading to immobilisation or gearbox replacementYes, though in a minority of cases: there are documented failures of the EAT6/EAT8 valve body with limp mode, and several owners have had to replace the whole gearbox after very few kilometres, from around 4,200 km in one case.Repair: €2,000–€9,000
2. 2Medium severityFrequency: CommonTransmissionJerking and hesitation when changing gear, especially when coldYes: several owners of EAT6/EAT8 models describe jerking or hesitation when changing gear, more often with a cold gearbox. It is usually down to valve body pressure or calibration, and the dealer often fixes it, though not always completely, with a software update to the control unit.Repair (garage): €1,000–€2,000
3. 3Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationGearbox oil advertised as "lifetime" that is best changed preventivelyThe manufacturer does not include a scheduled EAT6/EAT8 oil change in the official maintenance, but several specialists recommend renewing it every 60,000-80,000 km: it degrades with heat and mileage even if sold as everlasting, and ageing fluid contributes to the jerking of the related fault.Repair (garage): €150–€400

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

Manufacturer

Aisin (para PSA/Stellantis)

Family

EAT: cajas automáticas Aisin de convertidor de par para PSA/Stellantis (distintas de la e-DCS6/e-DCS7 híbrida)

Type

Torque-converter automatic with epicyclic gear sets, 6 or 8 speeds depending on version (EAT6/EAT8)

Peak torque

450 Nm

Production

since 2014

Makes

Peugeot, Citroën, DS and Opel

Technical data^[1][5][6]

1. since 2014

   EAT6 (AT6-III / AM6-III, since 2014)

   Six-speed version of this Aisin family; on the Peugeot 308 II it arrived in 2014 alongside the 1.2 PureTech 130, and it also equipped versions of the 3008 II and 5008 II with entry-level and mid-range engines (1.2 PureTech, 1.6 THP, 1.6/2.0 BlueHDi). Internally PSA distinguishes the AT6-III (AWF6F25) for petrol and the AM6-III (AWF6F45) for diesel.^[5][6]

2. since 2017

   EAT8 (AWF8F45, since 2017)

   Adds two more ratios (eight in total) and handles more torque, 450 Nm and up to 480 Nm depending on the application; it debuted in 2017 with the 308 II facelift and became the main automatic, and on several models the only one, for the rest of the cars on this page, including a plug-in hybrid variant (e-EAT8) that falls outside the scope of this article. Aisin identifies it internally as AWF8F45.^[1][5][6]