Renault Austral (2022–today)Gearbox and clutchHybrid systemAutomatic gearbox (torque converter and CVT)
Erratic behaviour of the E-Tech hybrid automatic gearbox in the Renault Austral
On the 200 hp E-Tech hybrid Austral built from 3 October 2022 to 25 June 2024, the gearbox input shaft seal can wear out early and allow oil to leak towards the electric motor. Renault covers the repair (seal or complete gearbox) in France even after the two-year warranty has expired, but it is not a recall.[1][2]
Why this rating?
High severity: Risk of a serious engine, turbo or gearbox failure.
Frequency common: Renault acknowledges the defect without a recall: according to L'argus it covers the repair outside warranty for a potential fleet of 32,450 cars, and in some cases it had already reprogrammed the gearbox or replaced its actuator. CarWiki counts around 25 owners with a damaged-gearbox warning or gearbox lockout, and fiches-auto and AutoCentrum.pl add further testimonies. ‘Potentially affected’ does not mean faulty, which is why it is rated ‘frequent’ rather than ‘very frequent’.[1][2][3][4]
Symptoms
- The hybrid automatic gearbox stops responding or becomes locked in the park position (P), in some cases within days or weeks of purchase.[3]Gears will not engage: other faults that cause it · As soon as possible
- A dashboard warning of ‘electric motor overheating’, or a refusal to start with the message ‘risk of gearbox failure’.[1][2]Hybrid system warning: other faults that cause it · Garage soon
Why it happens
The testimonies do not identify a single component as the cause; they describe generic failures of the multi-mode automatic gearbox of the E-Tech hybrid system, in some cases accompanied by a transmission oil leak.[3]
Premature wear of the gearbox input shaft seal, which causes an oil leak between the gearbox and the electric motor; Renault had already reprogrammed and replaced the gearbox actuator on some cars.[1][2]
If it is not repaired: The most serious cases described leave the car immobilised or create a hazardous situation when the transmission fails while driving, for example on a motorway.[3]
Affected years and cars
L'argus limits the problem to the first phase of the 200 hp hybrid Austral, built between 3 October 2022 and 25 June 2024; Renault then corrected it on new cars.[1]
All faults of the Renault Austral by affected year
How much it costs to repair
Includes: Diagnosis with the manufacturer's equipment and, depending on the case, a software update or replacement of the affected component.[1][2]
According to L'argus, Renault covers the repair in France (replacing the seal or the complete gearbox, depending on the diagnosis) for affected cars even after the two-year warranty has expired; CarWiki reports that owners in Germany paid either nothing or part of the cost. We have not found what Renault does in Spain, and no price has been published.
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
- On a road test of an E-Tech version, check that the gearbox engages smoothly when you select forward and reverse several times and that it does not stay locked in park (P).[3]
- Check that there are no oil stains under the transmission area and ask for the gearbox's service history.[3]
- Check with the chassis number (VIN) on Renault Spain's campaign search whether the car has any outstanding recall, for any system.[5]
- On an Austral hybrid built before July 2024, ask whether the gearbox or the seal has been repaired, check with a Renault service whether the car is covered by the extended coverage, and look for oil between the gearbox and the electric motor.[1][2]
How to prevent it
- Keep the hybrid management software updates up to date at the official Renault service.
Recalls, campaigns and claims
As of 30 October 2026, we have no record of recalls, campaigns or extended manufacturer warranties for this fault. Check with an official dealer using the chassis (VIN) number: they will tell you whether the car has any outstanding campaign.
What owners say
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Renault campaign for this E-Tech gearbox fault?
It is not a recall, but according to L'argus Renault covers the repair in France for the 32,450 200 hp hybrid Australs built from 3 October 2022 to 25 June 2024, even outside the two-year warranty. We have found no equivalent confirmation for Spain.[1]
Does it also affect the non-hybrid TCe petrol version?
The testimonies describing this erratic behaviour refer specifically to the automatic gearbox of the E-Tech hybrid version, not to the gearbox of the TCe petrol version.[3]
Is it the same as the EDC gearbox fault on other Renaults?
No: the EDC dual-clutch gearbox on other Renault models is documented separately and is a different mechanism from the multi-mode gearbox without a physical clutch used by the Austral's E-Tech hybrid system.[3]
What can you do now?
We will put you in touch with a partner only if you authorise it in the form.
Other faults of the Renault Austral
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalBrakesABS-ESP control unit that does not warn of braking system faults (campaign 0EN9)The supplier programmed the ABS-ESP control unit of a batch of Australs (built from 23 March 2023 to 23 January 2025, 24,112 cars according to the KBA) incorrectly: if the braking system failed, the dashboard might not warn that ABS, ESP or emergency braking had stopped working. It is fixed by reprogramming the control unit.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalBrakesPark (P) lock and parking brake that do not engage properly due to a misaligned sensor (campaigns 0EWQ and 0EY9)On the Austral built between April 2024 and May 2025, the position sensor of the parking brake actuator may be misaligned, and the P-position lock may not engage properly when the engine is switched off, the seatbelt is unfastened or the driver's door is opened. The assisted parking brake still works. Renault replaces the actuator.
- Medium severityFrequency: CommonElectronics and infotainmentOpenR Link infotainment screen freezes and restartsThe openR Link screen in the Austral can go black, white or freeze. Renault fixes it with a remote update (version 3.2.0) for around 135,000 cars of several models built between April and mid-October 2024, and owners describe similar faults on other units.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalElectrical system12 V battery drain while parkedSeveral Austral owners report that the 12 V battery drains while the car is parked, sometimes accompanied by warnings that driver assistance systems or the parking brake are unavailable; Renault has not publicly acknowledged excessive standby drain, so we treat it as reported by owners and not as a confirmed fault.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyElectric front seat that slides back onto rear passenger (campaign 0E9W)With the Easy Access function activated, the Austral's electric front seat could slide so far back that the backrest hit a rear passenger. Renault recalled those built between 21 April 2022 and 28 November 2023 (27,893 vehicles across the Austral and Espace VI) and is fixing it with a software update.
- High severityFrequency: RareTyres and wheelsWheel bolts not tightened properly on 2022 Austral (OEF1 campaign)Renault recalled a small batch of Australs (and Mégane) built between 17 August and 5 December 2022 because the wheel bolts on one or more wheels might not be properly tightened, and a wheel could come off. Safety Gate puts the number at 393 cars worldwide.
The faults of its engines are on the Renault Austral page.
The same problem in other cars
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonOpel Grandland IHigh-voltage battery overheating and fire risk in plug-in hybrid versions (2019–2022)The plug-in hybrid versions of the Grandland X built between 2019 and 2022 have been the subject of several successive recalls, first a software update and then physical replacement, for the risk of overheating and fire in the high-voltage battery.
- High severityFrequency: CommonOpel Astra LFaults with the e-DCS6 hybrid dual-clutch gearboxThe Hybrid version of the Astra L has the e-DCS6 dual-clutch gearbox, for which fiches-auto.fr documents jerking, hesitant gear changes, mechanical noises and lock-ups in an analysis dedicated to this transmission, which is shared by several models in the Stellantis group.
- High severityFrequency: CommonPeugeot 3008 IIIFailures of the e-DCS6 dual-clutch gearbox of the 48V hybrid (Hybrid 136)Owners of the Peugeot 3008 III Hybrid 136 (e-DCS6) describe jerks, noises and selector lock-ups on the e-DCS6 dual-clutch gearbox, with complete gearbox replacements documented from 9,000 km; an analysis by fiches-auto.fr of this transmission, used in several Stellantis models, points to wear of the gear selection mechanism shaft as the main cause.
- Critical severityFrequency: Occasional1.5 HybridHybrid system shutdown without fail-safe mode (loss of drive)Yes, Toyota acknowledged it: on Yaris units built between July and November 2020, the hybrid system can shut down without a fail-safe mode and cause a loss of drive at high speeds. There was a campaign in October 2022; outside it there are few other cases, linked to the battery or the inverter.
- Critical severityFrequency: Occasional1.8 HybridThe car loses drive or stalls because of a hybrid system fail-safe mode faultYes. Toyota acknowledged that, in the event of certain internal faults, the hybrid management computer on units built before 2014 might not correctly activate fail-safe mode, and the car would lose drive or stall while driving. It was fixed by software; reprogramming at an official dealer is free.
- 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.
Faults with the hybrid system of the Renault AustralAll faults with the hybrid system (69)Cars with the most gearbox and clutch problems
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Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- Renault Austral. Prise en charge d'un problème de boîte de vitesses sur la version hybrideL'argus · Motoring press · published 13 December 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
- Renault Austral: Probleme, Rückrufe und Erfahrungen der FahrerCarWiki.de · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
- Fiabilidad y averías del Renault AustralFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Usterki Renault Austral – wady, awarieAutoCentrum.pl · Owners' forum · consulted 30 October 2026 · in another language
- Rellamadas y campañas de seguridadRenault España · Manufacturer · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish