TransmissionGeneric OBD-II codeUrgency: Garage soon
Code P0715: automatic gearbox input speed sensor
P0715 means: transmission input/turbine speed sensor circuit "A".[1][2] The input/turbine speed sensor tells the gearbox control unit how fast the input shaft is turning, which it uses to calculate the gear ratio and torque converter slip. The code is set when the control unit does not receive the correct signal.[2][3]
System
Transmission
Urgency
Garage soon
You can drive carefully, but book a garage appointment as soon as possible
Possible causes
4
sorted from most to least likely
Type
Generic
The same on all makes
What code P0715 means
The input/turbine speed sensor tells the gearbox control unit how fast the input shaft is turning, which it uses to calculate the gear ratio and torque converter slip. The code is set when the control unit does not receive the correct signal.[2][3]
It is a generic OBD-II code (it starts with P0), so it means the same on any make. It occurs on automatic gearboxes.[1][4]
Original definition (SAE J2012): Input/Turbine Speed Sensor "A" Circuit[1][2]
Causes of P0715
From most to least likely, according to the sources.
Symptoms
- Warning light on.[2][3][4]Engine warning light: faults that cause it
- Gearbox in limp mode or stuck in one gear.[3]Limp mode: faults that cause it
- Harsh or erratic shifts and abnormal torque converter lock-up.[2][3][4]Judder when pulling away: faults that cause it
How to diagnose P0715
In order: from the most likely and cheapest to check to the most expensive.
Can I keep driving with P0715?
Garage soon
AutoDTCs rates it as high: risk of limp mode and harsh shifts, and advises avoiding the motorway until it is repaired. Other sources do not grade the severity.[3]
Documented faults related to P0715
Known faults of specific engines and cars, with their repair cost, the affected years and their sources.
Automatic gearbox (torque converter and CVT): the most serious faults by engine and car
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonMultitronicWear 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.
- Critical severityFrequency: Common2.0 CDI (OM640)Costly failure of the Autotronic (CVT) automatic gearboxYes: the Autotronic continuously variable gearbox, optional on the 180 CDI and 200 CDI, is the problem cited most by owners of the 140 hp version (24 of 114 testimonies) and a fault hotspot according to the ADAC up to 2006. A German source recommends avoiding it and choosing the manual gearbox.
- High severityFrequency: CommonMultitronicControl 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.
- High severityFrequency: Common7G-Tronic / 9G-TronicConductor plate and speed sensor failure (limp mode)Yes: one of the most cited weak points of the 7G-Tronic (722.9) is the internal conductor plate, which integrates the turbine, output and intermediate-shaft speed sensors; if it fails it can trigger a limp mode with delayed shifts or harsh jerks, although it does not always require replacing the whole gearbox.
- High severityFrequency: CommonAudi A6 C6Wear and failures of the Multitronic automatic gearbox on front-wheel-drive versionsYes: on front-wheel-drive versions with the Multitronic (CVT) gearbox, gebrauchtwagenberater.de documents jerking when pulling away that can progress to complete failure, especially on older cars; fiches-auto.fr adds selector lock-ups and torque converter breakages. The quattro versions, with the Tiptronic gearbox, do not share this problem.Repair (garage): €1,000Appears at around 120,000 km
- High severityFrequency: CommonMINI Cooper R50Faults in the CVT automatic gearbox, the manual gearbox and the clutchAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the Mini R50 accumulates 22 gearbox mentions and 32 clutch mentions, and the CVT automatic variant is described as fragile and 'to be avoided'. Wikipedia confirms that the CVT and the manual gearboxes were fitted depending on the year.
Gearbox mechatronic unit: the most serious faults by engine and car
- High severityFrequency: 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 severityFrequency: CommonMultitronicControl 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.
- High severityFrequency: Common7DCTJerking, hesitation and mechatronic faults at low speedYes: several sources based on owner accounts name the 7DCT as one of the most-cited weak points of these models, with jerking and hesitation on pulling away, missing gears (sometimes reverse) and, on the most affected diesels, more than a third of the accounts mentioning gearbox faults.
- High severityFrequency: Common7G-Tronic / 9G-TronicConductor plate and speed sensor failure (limp mode)Yes: one of the most cited weak points of the 7G-Tronic (722.9) is the internal conductor plate, which integrates the turbine, output and intermediate-shaft speed sensors; if it fails it can trigger a limp mode with delayed shifts or harsh jerks, although it does not always require replacing the whole gearbox.
- High severityFrequency: CommonAudi Q5 IAudi Q5 S tronic gearbox faults: jerking, vibrations and mechatronicsThe S tronic gearbox and the transmission account for 65 and 48 testimonies out of 322 on fiches-auto.fr, with jerking, vibrations and gear selection faults; there are cases of mechatronic unit replacement at 105,000 km. No official campaign found.Appears at around 48,000 km
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalMazda CX-60Transmission control module (TCM) software: the engine and electric motor clutch may not re-engage after brakingYes: campaign AR043A corrects a software fault in the transmission control module (TCM) which, after braking, can stop the clutch between the engine and the electric motor from re-engaging; the car may not respond to the accelerator. It is fixed by reprogramming the module at an authorised workshop.
Wiring, connectors and short circuits: the most serious faults by engine and car
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalBMW N62 / N63Additional turbo coolant pump with a risk of short circuit and fireIn 2011 BMW recalled 5, 6 and 7 Series, X5 and X6 models built between 2007 and 2011 because of the additional turbo coolant pump: moisture, a short circuit and, in extreme cases, a fire. In 2012 there was another campaign for a crack in the pump, with a more robust version.
- High severityFrequency: Occasional1.3 TCeBlown fuel pump fuseOn the Renault Captur II and Clio V with the 1.3 TCe engine, a 20-amp fuse can blow and leave the car without an engine. According to L'argus, in April 2021 this fault still had no factory fix; the official service centre's diagnosis includes checking, and sometimes replacing, the catalytic converter.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalM264/M254Poorly tightened 48 V earth wiring in the mild-hybrid system (fire risk)Mercedes-Benz has issued several recalls (2022-2025) because the 12 V and 48 V earth connections of some cars with a 48 V system may be poorly tightened: resistance rises, the connection heats up and a fire cannot be ruled out. The official workshop checks them and repairs them if necessary in an hour or more.
- High severityFrequency: Occasional1.9 TDIUnit injector tappet wear and injector wiring damageOn the unit injector system, the tappets that operate the injectors can wear if the oil is not changed on time, and the injector wiring can be damaged by contact with oil, causing misfires or loss of power.
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonRover 75Seat SRS connector fault with airbag and seatbelt warning light onAuto Express warns that the Rover 75's seat SRS connector can cause the airbags to fail, and dealers were fixing it with revised connectors. The Dutch APK inspection puts the airbag or seatbelt fault warning among the most frequent defects across almost all series.
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalAlfa Romeo GiuliettaShort circuit from badly routed wiring that can prevent gear shifting (KBA campaign, 2010-2015)Yes: according to Germany's KBA, on Alfa Romeo Giulietta cars built between 2010 and 2015 inadequate cable routing could cause a short circuit and, as a result, gear-shift failure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with code P0715?
Only as far as a garage, and avoiding high speeds: the gearbox may drop into limp mode.[3]
Is it the sensor or the wiring?
The sources cite both. The connector and wiring are checked first, and the sensor is replaced if it is out of specification.[2][3][4]
Does it affect every gearbox?
It is a code for automatic gearboxes with an input sensor; it does not apply to manuals.[1][2]
Will I pass the MOT with code P0715?
If the code has switched on the engine warning light, no: with that light on, the inspection records a serious defect, and on Euro 5 and Euro 6 cars the ITV (Spain's roadworthiness inspection, similar to the MOT) also reads the OBD diagnostic system. Repair the fault before you go; clearing the code just before the inspection does not help either, because it counts as a serious defect.[5]
Not sure what is wrong with your car? Describe what you notice in the symptom diagnosis or see all fault codes.
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- P0715 DTCDTCSearch · Technical documentation · consulted 29 October 2026
- P0715 trouble codeTroubleCodes.net · Technical documentation · consulted 29 October 2026
- P0715 diagnostic trouble codeAutoDTCs · Technical documentation · consulted 29 October 2026
- OBD Fehlercode P0715CarWiki · Technical documentation · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
- Desmontando mitos: ¿puede pasar mi coche la ITV con el testigo de «avería motor» encendido?Diariomotor · Motoring press · published 8 March 2021 · consulted 2 October 2026 · in Spanish