Renault EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch): DC4/EDC6 de Getrag and EDC7Dual-clutch gearbox (DSG, EDC, PowerShift...)
EDC gearbox overheating and safety neutral on the EDC
Why this rating?
High severity: Risk of a serious engine, turbo or gearbox failure.
Frequency occasional: The only documented official Renault action is a software update for Mégane IV GT cars built up to January 2017: as it was a preventive recall already fixed by software, it is not enough on its own to consider the problem "very frequent". Outside that specific campaign, fiches-auto collects several independent cases of dropping into neutral or failure through overheating in different models (Mégane, Espace, Captur) and mileages, which points to a recurring but minority problem within overall production.[1][2]
Symptoms
- The gearbox drops into neutral or has very few gears available after a period under heavy load (dense traffic, long hills) or when it overheats.[1]Limp mode: other faults that cause it · Garage soon
- Gearbox fault warning on the dashboard when the control unit detects the anomaly.[1]Gearbox warning: other faults that cause it · Garage soon
Why it happens
According to fiches-auto, in some cases the EDC gearbox goes into neutral "en forte charge ou quand elle surchauffe" (under heavy load or when it overheats), as a protective measure for the unit itself.[1]
Renault officially confirmed, in a 2017 recall, that a software calibration older than version SW818 in the EDC7 gearbox (internal code DW5) of the Mégane IV GT allowed the gearbox to heat up under certain conditions of use, which Renault described as an increased risk of an accident.[2]
If it is not repaired: If the gearbox enters this protective mode, the car may momentarily be left without gears or with very limited drive while moving; the very reason for Renault's 2017 campaign describes it as an increased risk of a road accident.[1][2]
Affected cars and years
The cases documented by fiches-auto cover both engines under 250 Nm (probably the dry-clutch EDC6) and higher-torque diesels (probably a wet clutch); the only official Renault action confirmed by an independent source concerns the EDC7 (DW5) in the Mégane IV GT.[1][2]
| Version | Years | Codes |
|---|---|---|
| EDC6 (6-speed: DC4 dry or DW6 wet) | since 2010 | DC4DW6 |
| EDC7 (7-speed, wet clutch, DW5) | since 2016 | DW5 |
Models fitted with the affected versions
Dacia
- Dacia Duster II2021–2024
Renault
- Renault Clio IV2012–2019
- Renault Clio Vsince 2019
- Renault Captur I2013–2019
- Renault Captur IIsince 2019
- Renault Mégane III2013–2016
- Renault Mégane IV2016–2023
- Renault Kadjar2015–2022
- Renault Scénic III2010–2016
- Renault Scénic IV2016–2022
How much it costs to repair
Includes: The case documented in France (€2,100) corresponds to a repair of the EDC automatic gearbox without specifying whether the clutch, the mechatronic unit or the complete gearbox was replaced; the software update in the 2017 Mégane IV GT campaign was free for the affected vehicles.[1][2]
The €2,100 figure is a single documented case (a Renault Captur 1.2 TCe 120 in France), not an official rate or an average; we have not found an equivalent price for the Spanish market. The software update from the 2017 campaign is free only for Mégane IV GT cars affected by that specific recall.
Prices in Spain, including VAT. A workshop hour costs on average €38–66 at independent garages and €77–134 at dealerships in Spain, depending on the region and the brand. How we calculate costs
How to check for it before buying a used car
- If the car has spent a long time in traffic jams or does journeys under sustained load (towing, mountains), check during the test drive that the gearbox does not drop into neutral or show warnings after several minutes of demanding use.[1]
- If it is a Mégane IV GT built before the end of January 2017, check with the VIN at renault.es/rellamadas.html whether the SW818 software update has already been applied.[2]
- Ask whether the car has ever been immobilised by a gearbox fault warning and what was done to fix it.
How to prevent it
Recalls, campaigns and claims
Software updateRenault España · 26 April 2017
Calibration update of the EDC7 (DW5) gearbox in the Mégane IV GT
Renault Mégane IV GT cars built up to 23 January 2017 with the DW5 (EDC7) automatic gearbox and software calibration older than SW818: the gearbox could heat up, which increased the risk of an accident. Renault updated the software free of charge at its official network.[2]
What owners say
Frequently asked questions
Why does the EDC gearbox overheat?
According to the documented cases, it happens under heavy or sustained load; the unit protects itself by dropping into neutral or limiting the available gears. In the specific case of the Mégane IV GT, Renault identified an insufficient software calibration in the EDC7 (DW5) gearbox as the cause.[1][2]
Is it dangerous if the gearbox drops into neutral?
Yes, it can be if it happens while driving: the very reason for Renault's 2017 campaign on the Mégane IV GT describes it as an increased risk of a road traffic accident, although in that specific case it was corrected with a software update.[2]
Does this overheating affect every Renault with an EDC gearbox?
We have not found a campaign covering all models: the only official recall we have confirmed is the 2017 one for the Mégane IV GT (EDC7/DW5 gearbox). Outside that campaign, there are isolated cases documented in other models and engines, but with no official action from the manufacturer.[1][2]
What can you do now?
We will put you in touch with a partner only if you authorise it in the form.
Other EDC faults
- High severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsControl electronics fault: "check gearbox" warning and loss of gearsYes: a fault in the sensors or switches that tell the control unit the position of each clutch (the "manocontact") can make the EDC gearbox lose the gears associated with one of the two clutches, for example only the even gears or only reverse, with a "check gearbox" warning on the dashboard.
- Medium severityCommonFrequency: CommonClutchPremature dry clutch wear and low-speed judder (EDC6/DC4)Yes: the dry-clutch EDC6 (DC4) is known for juddering and running roughly at low speed, and its clutch wears out sooner than one in a wet gearbox; several owners document clutch and complete gearbox replacements across different Renault models since 2010.
- High severityRareFrequency: RareLubricationOil leak from the EDC output shaft sealOne documented case (Renault Captur 1.2 TCe 120, failure at 48,000 km) describes an oil leak from the output shaft seal ("joint spy") of the EDC gearbox that ended in a complete automatic gearbox failure; we have not found other cases with the same exact diagnosis.
More faults with the dual-clutch gearbox on other engines and cars
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentDSG7 DQ200Mechatronic unit failure: pressure accumulator, pump and cracked housingYes: the mechatronic unit is the DQ200's most cited weak point. Its pressure accumulator and hydraulic pump can fail because of a housing design defect, with fault warnings, limp mode or loss of drive; Volkswagen has acknowledged the problem with service actions and software updates.Repair (garage): €600–€2,200
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentPowerShiftJuddering, hesitation and slipping of the dry clutch (DPS6)Yes: the dry-clutch DPS6 judders, hesitates when pulling away and slips in a very large number of cars. Ford revised the clutch and software at least six times without fully solving it, and in the US a 2020 court settlement covered close to 600,000 Ford Fiesta and Focus cars.
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentPowerShiftClutch pressure plate breakage (2018 and 2019 recalls on the Focus and C-MAX)Ford recalled the Focus III and C-MAX II with the Powershift gearbox over the risk of the clutch pressure plate breaking, in two successive campaigns (2018 and 2019) covering vehicles built between August 2012 and May 2018.
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentFord C-Max IIClutch pressure plate breakage in the PowerShift automatic gearboxThe PowerShift automatic gearbox, a dry dual-clutch unit with no torque converter, had two successive Ford campaigns on the C-MAX II for the risk of the clutch pressure plate breaking, which between them cover vehicles built from 2012 to 2018. Owners also document numerous clutch replacements out of warranty, some before 100,000 km.
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentFord Fiesta VIIJudder and clutch slip in the Powershift (DPS6) automatic gearboxThe Powershift (DPS6) automatic gearbox, a dry dual-clutch unit, has attracted many complaints of judder when pulling away, hesitation and clutch slip. Ford revised the clutch and software several times, and in 2020 a US court settlement also covered the Fiesta (2011-2016) alongside the Focus. In Spain it was sold with the 1.0 EcoBoost engine.
- High severityVery frequentFrequency: Very frequentFord Focus IIIJudder and clutch slip in the PowerShift automatic gearboxThe PowerShift automatic gearbox (DPS6), a dry dual-clutch unit with no torque converter, has piled up numerous complaints of judder when pulling away, vibration and clutch slip. Ford applied several clutch and software revisions, and in the US it reached a court settlement covering around 600,000 Focus and Fiesta owners.
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Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- 1.Fiabilité de la boîte EDC : problèmes en série ?fiches-auto.fr · Technical documentation · published February 2020 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- 2.FACUA alerta de la llamada a revisión de los Renault Megane IV GT por un problema en la caja de cambiosFACUA · Consumer association · published 26 April 2017 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish