AL4 / DP0 gearbox: faults and reliability

• AL4 (PSA — Peugeot and Citroën)

  since 1998 · AL4

  With caution

  It is an old design (late 1990s) that is no longer in production; we have not found specific documentation of faults unique to the AL4, but given its age and the general pattern of any automatic gearbox with infrequent oil maintenance, you should check the service history before buying.^[3][4]

• DP0 (Renault)

  since 1999 · DP0

  With caution

  It shares the same basic design as the AL4, with the same doubts: it has been a discontinued gearbox for years, and without specific documentation of faults of its own you should verify the maintenance history before buying.^[3][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: OccasionalTransmissionDegraded oil: harsh shifts, slipping and overheatingYes: as with any automatic gearbox, if the AL4/DP0 oil degrades or drops in level, harsh shifts, slipping and overheating appear. We have not found a specific change interval from PSA or Renault, but several sources recommend checking it even if the manufacturer does not list it as necessary.
2. 2Low severityFrequency: OccasionalTransmissionJolt or sharp thud when engaging a gear from a standstillIt is a symptom described in general terms for automatic gearboxes with degraded oil: a jolt or a sharper thud than normal when moving from park or neutral into gear, especially when cold. We have not found sources confirming whether the AL4/DP0 suffers from it more than other gearboxes of its era.

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

Manufacturer

PSA (Peugeot Citroën) y Renault

Family

Caja automática desarrollada conjuntamente por PSA y Renault, comercializada como AL4 (BVA) en Peugeot y Citroën y con el código interno DP0 en Renault

Type

4-speed hydraulic automatic with electronic control

Production

since 1998

Makes

Peugeot, Citroën and Renault

Technical data^[1][2]

1. since 1998

   AL4 (PSA — Peugeot and Citroën)

   The designation used by Peugeot and Citroën for this 4-speed automatic gearbox, introduced in 1998 to replace the ZF 4HP20. PSA sold it generically as "BVA" in its compact and mid-size range (206, 207, C3, C4, Xsara Picasso, among others).^[1][6]

2. since 1999

   DP0 (Renault)

   The internal code Renault uses for the same gearbox developed jointly with PSA; the earliest source we have been able to date is its availability on the Renault Kangoo from December 1999. We have not found a source that explicitly uses the abbreviation "DP0" outside the designation already established for this file, so we treat it as the usual name on the Renault side without being able to cite it independently.^[1][8]