Gearbox, clutch and transmission
Problems with the automated manual gearbox: symptoms, cost and affected models
We have documented 26 faults with the automated manual gearbox in 5 engines and gearboxes and 19 cars, affecting 54 models of car in our database. The most important by severity and frequency: i-SHIFT automated gearbox actuator failure (1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC), multi-mode gearbox failure (risk of breakage) (E-Tech Híbrido) and software fault in the i-Shift automated gearbox that can prevent starting or make the car roll backwards (Honda Civic VIII).
How it works and why it fails
Automated manual gearbox (Dualogic, Easytronic, MMT...)
An automated manual gearbox is a single-clutch manual gearbox in which an electrohydraulic or electric actuator operates the clutch and selects the gears. It is cheaper than an automatic, but the actuator and the clutch are known weak points on several models.
What to do
If the gearbox is slow to shift, stays in neutral or will not start in first gear, check the actuator and the level of its fluid. When buying a used car with an automated manual gearbox, ask for the gearbox's repair history: replaced actuators and clutches are a good sign.
General explanation by MotorFiable. The specific faults of each engine and car, with their sources, are on the linked pages.
Common symptoms
The symptoms that come up most often in the documented faults with the automated manual gearbox. Open each one to see what other faults cause it.
Problems with the automated manual gearbox by engine
From most to least important (severity × frequency). Each page details the affected versions and years, symptoms, cost and how to check for it.
- 1High severityFrequency: Common1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTECi-SHIFT automated gearbox actuator failureYes: the i-SHIFT gearbox (a single automated clutch) in the Jazz II and Civic VIII fails repeatedly at its electronic actuator, between 95,000 and 180,000 km; in the worst case, the repair was not worth it against the car's value. Honda also updated the software for a separate reverse-gear fault.Appears at around 95,000 km
- 2High severityFrequency: CommonE-Tech HíbridoMulti-mode gearbox failure (risk of breakage)On the Clio, Captur, Arkana, Austral, Duster and Jogger with the E-Tech engine, reports describe a risk of the multi-mode gearbox breaking and being replaced. Renault has launched a campaign over a primary shaft seal fault (2020-January 2024, ~150,000 vehicles) that lets oil into the electric motor.
- 3High severityFrequency: OccasionalDualogicActuator or hydraulic pressure fault: the gearbox drops into neutral on its own or refuses gearsYes: when the actuator, the position sensor or the electrohydraulic control pressure stop validating the engaged gear, the Dualogic can drop into neutral on its own while driving or refuse to engage gears. Several cases are documented, some described as very dangerous, on a bend or when leaving a motorway.
- 4Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalDualogicPremature wear or breakage of the Dualogic clutchThe Dualogic clutch can wear out or break sooner than expected: there are documented cases of a failed clutch ("HS") at 27,000 km on a Fiat 500 0.9 TwinAir and of breakage at 35,000 km on a 1.2, far below the usual life of a clutch.Appears at around 27,000 km
- 5Medium severityFrequency: Occasional1.0/1.2/1.4 EcotecSlow shifts and clutch actuator wear on the Easytronic gearboxThe Easytronic automated gearbox, available with this engine on the Corsa, Astra, Meriva and Adam, changes gear slowly and with jerks according to several sources; there are also some cases of actuator wear or clutch control unit failure, although the evidence on its real-world reliability is limited.
- 6Medium severityFrequency: Occasional1.33 Dual VVT-iPremature clutch wear and MMT gearbox actuator faultsThe manual clutch has been reported worn prematurely on the Yaris, Auris and iQ with this engine, and the MMT automated gearbox can fail because of the actuator that operates it, with repairs of €900 to €1,800 according to a German source; we have not found equivalent prices in Spain.Appears at around 35,000 km
Engines and gearboxes with faults with the automated manual gearbox
Problems with the automated manual gearbox by car
Faults documented on specific cars, which occur with any engine. From most to least important.
- 1Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalHonda Civic VIIISoftware fault in the i-Shift automated gearbox that can prevent starting or make the car roll backwardsYes: Honda recalled Civics with the i-Shift automated gearbox built between May 2008 and December 2011 because a software error could stop the car from moving, cause the engine to stall abruptly or make the car roll backwards unintentionally when restarting after using reverse.
- 2High severityFrequency: OccasionalAlfa Romeo 147Hydraulic pump and actuator failures on the Selespeed robotised gearboxAlfa Romeo 147 versions with the Selespeed robotised gearbox occasionally suffer failures of the hydraulic pump and actuator that control the clutch and gears, with jerky shifts or difficulty engaging gear.
- 3High severityFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C4 Picasso IBMP6 robotised gearbox faults: jerks and actuatorThe listing records 81 reports on the BMP6 robotised gearbox, with jerks, slow gear engagement and actuator failures at around 120,000 km.
- 4Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalCitroën Berlingo IIEarly clutch wear, especially on the ETG6 automated gearboxThe same reliability survey puts the clutch as the second most cited system (24 cases): it can slip, seize or wear its release bearing prematurely, above all on diesel versions and used vehicles carrying loads; one documented case reports clutch wear at just 37,000 km on the ETG6 automated gearbox.Appears at around 37,000 km
- 5Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C2Sensodrive automated gearbox faults on the Citroën C2C2 owners with the Sensodrive automated gearbox describe jerking, hesitation when engaging a gear and refusal to select a gear, according to the reports on fiches-auto.fr. There is no known public recall.
- 6Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C3 IJerks, gear rejection and lock-ups in the SensoDrive robotised gearboxOn versions fitted with the optional SensoDrive robotised gearbox (a manual with an automated clutch), fiches-auto.fr documents that the gearbox can jerk badly, refuse to engage a gear or get stuck in neutral; it records 29 gearbox problem cases among the owners consulted.
- 7Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C3 IIHesitant pull-away, judder and slipping in the automated manual gearbox (BMP6/ETG5)On versions with the automated manual gearbox (BMP6/ETG5), fiches-auto.fr documents hesitant pull-away, clutch slipping and harsh or slow gear changes as the clutch and actuators wear; an incorrect learning (adaptation) can make the symptoms worse.
- 8Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalHonda Jazz IIi-SHIFT gearbox software fault: stalling at traffic lights and rolling backAccording to gebrauchtwagenberater.de, a software fault in the control unit of the i-SHIFT robotised gearbox can stall the engine at traffic lights or make the car roll backwards; it affects units built from 6 May 2008 to 13 December 2011.
- 9Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalKia StonicJerking in the 6iMT automated gearbox and clutch wear in the DCT7 gearboxThe Stonic's 6iMT automated gearbox can jerk when changing gear, and the DCT7 dual-clutch gearbox can wear its clutch early with heavy use in dense traffic or when towing; there are also accounts of a manual clutch failing after very few kilometres.
- 10Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalOpel Vivaro ATecshift automated gearbox actuator and control unit faultsAuto Express warns that some Vivaro A drivers have had problems with the optional Tecshift automated gearbox: the actuation system and the electronic control unit can cause faults when selecting gears. It is the same basis as the Trafic II and the Primastar, with similar complaints.
- 11Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalPeugeot 1007Faults with the 2-Tronic automated gearbox on the Peugeot 1007According to fiches-auto.fr, the 1007's 2-Tronic automated gearbox causes jerking, hesitation when pulling away and locking up while driving, with at least 8 mentions out of 86 reports; clutch wear makes the jolts worse. No public recall is on record.
- 12Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalPeugeot 3008 IJerking from the BMP6 robotised gearbox and clutch wearThe BMP6 robotised gearbox can jerk or hesitate when pulling away if the system does not manage the clutch bite point well; on diesel versions, the dual-mass flywheel and clutch can also wear sooner than expected.
- 13Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalRenault Trafic IIClutch actuator fault in the Quickshift6 automated gearboxAuto Express reports complaints about the optional Quickshift6 automated gearbox on the Trafic II: the clutch actuator mechanism gives trouble and can be expensive to repair. The Primastar and the Vivaro A, which share the drivetrain, have the same gear selection problem described.
- 14Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalRenault Twingo IQuickshift automated gearbox faultsThe Quickshift automated gearbox, offered from spring 2001, is advised against by several owners on fiches-auto.fr, with various transmission faults. This is based on owner reports, with no campaign or reliable cost figure.
- 15Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalToyota Aygo IIThe clutch of the x-shift automated gearbox wears out prematurelyOn versions with the single-clutch x-shift automated gearbox, several owners describe noise from the release bearing and slipping that is hard to modulate, with the clutch disc wearing out sooner than expected in heavy urban use.
- 16Low severityFrequency: Very frequentCitroën C4 Picasso IIETG6 robotised gearbox with abrupt gear changes (2013-2015)2013-2015 C4 Picasso II models with the ETG6 robotised gearbox change gear less smoothly than a torque-converter automatic, with noticeable head movement; Citroën replaced it with the EAT6 automatic from 2015.
- 17High severityFrequency: RareFiat 500Premature clutch wear and jumps into neutral on the Dualogic gearboxTestimonies from Fiat 500 owners with the Dualogic robotised gearbox describe a clutch that wears out sooner than expected (cases between 27,000 and 55,000 km) and involuntary jumps into neutral or refused gear changes in automatic mode; there is no official campaign or specialist press to confirm it.Appears at around 27,000 km
- 18High severityFrequency: RareHonda Jazz IIActuator failure on the Honda Jazz II's i-SHIFT automated gearboxAccording to the fiches-auto.fr reports, the i-SHIFT automated gearbox actuator on the Jazz II has failed at around 95,000 and 120,000 km; one owner describes it as a known problem with no help from Honda. There are only two cases.
- 19Medium severityFrequency: RareMercedes-Benz Sprinter T1NSprintshift automated gearbox that stops changing gear and stays in one gearCarWiki reports that the Sprintshift automated gearbox in the 903 Sprinter can stop changing gear and stay in one gear. A software update may help, but the gearbox often has to be opened. We have found only this source, which gives no figures.
- 20Medium severityFrequency: RareNissan PrimastarProblems with the optional automated manual gearboxA 2013 Auto Express review warns that problems have been reported with the Primastar's optional automated transmission, a six-speed manual gearbox with automatically operated clutch and selector, and that it can fail when selecting gears. It gives no mileages, causes or costs.
Problems with the automated manual gearbox by make
Problems with the automated manual gearbox in your car
11 cars have several documented faults with the automated manual gearbox. Choose yours to see only the ones that affect them, by engine and by year.
Frequently asked questions
Which engines have the most faults with the automated manual gearbox?
By severity and frequency, the 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC (i-SHIFT automated gearbox actuator failure, high severity), the E-Tech Híbrido (multi-mode gearbox failure (risk of breakage), high severity), the Dualogic (actuator or hydraulic pressure fault: the gearbox drops into neutral on its own or refuses gears, high severity), the 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec (slow shifts and clutch actuator wear on the Easytronic gearbox, medium severity) and the 1.33 Dual VVT-i (premature clutch wear and MMT gearbox actuator faults, medium severity).
Which cars have problems with the automated manual gearbox?
Among those we have analysed: Honda Civic VIII (software fault in the i-Shift automated gearbox that can prevent starting or make the car roll backwards), Alfa Romeo 147 (hydraulic pump and actuator failures on the Selespeed robotised gearbox), Citroën C4 Picasso I (BMP6 robotised gearbox faults: jerks and actuator), Honda Jazz II (i-SHIFT gearbox software fault: stalling at traffic lights and rolling back), Citroën Berlingo II (early clutch wear, especially on the ETG6 automated gearbox), Citroën C2 (sensodrive automated gearbox faults on the Citroën C2), Citroën C3 I (jerks, gear rejection and lock-ups in the SensoDrive robotised gearbox) and Citroën C3 II (hesitant pull-away, judder and slipping in the automated manual gearbox (BMP6/ETG5)). In total, 19 cars with documented faults with the automated manual gearbox.
What symptoms does a fault with the automated manual gearbox cause?
The most frequently cited in the documented faults: gearbox will not select gears or drops into neutral, jerking or juddering when accelerating, clutch slipping, judder when pulling away or at low speed (automatic gearbox), automatic gearbox fault warning and gearbox or clutch noise or rattle.