[Transmission] Advice on ETG6 gearbox

[Adambichon]

Hello. I'm looking for advice / warnings / reassurance on the semi-automatic Berlingo! 

We are keen to get a used Multispace (our budget seems to point us to the 2015 to 2017 versions) which, as you likely know, has the ETG6 semi-auto gearbox. However, we are hearing warnings (from other forums, people we know) about the unreliability of the gearbox. I know it has this slightly jerkier drive compared to a full auto – but I'm sure that's something we would get used. It is more the possibility of it breaking which is the main worry. My impression is it is very expensive to fix/replace (£3000+?), so would likely mean the car would be a right off for us. :-( 

There's a particular 2015 model / 30k miles, which we've got our eye on. And would be my first car!

Would love to hear people's experiences who have it, to assuage the fears (ideally!), or likewise, maybe persuade us to go manual (which is an option, though auto is preferred).

Thanks so much.

[rnamman]

Hello. I'm looking for advice / warnings / reassurance on the semi-automatic Berlingo! 

We are keen to get a used Multispace (our budget seems to point us to the 2015 to 2017 versions) which, as you likely know, has the ETG6 semi-auto gearbox. However, we are hearing warnings (from other forums, people we know) about the unreliability of the gearbox. I know it has this slightly jerkier drive compared to a full auto – but I'm sure that's something we would get used. It is more the possibility of it breaking which is the main worry. My impression is it is very expensive to fix/replace (£3000+?), so would likely mean the car would be a right off for us. :-( 

There's a particular 2015 model / 30k miles, which we've got our eye on. And would be my first car!

Would love to hear people's experiences who have it, to assuage the fears (ideally!), or likewise, maybe persuade us to go manual (which is an option, though auto is preferred).

Thanks so much.

Hi, We've had a Multispace auto 90 VTR since new in 2014, and have done about 42K mileage without any problems.   Most of the mileage has been a non-stop trip to London from the south coast in the early hours and a return journey in traffic in the evening. The auto isn't as smooth as my Volvo 2.3 auto was, but that almost drove itself it was so smooth.  The Berlingo auto is good in traffic, it creeps when you want it to, and the start-stop works unless you've got headlights on with heater fan / air-con or wipers and radio in the winter. I had a Renault Kangoo auto previously and this Citroen gearbox is far superior to that. So I'd say it was reliable but it depends on your driving style.

[Lighty]

Don’t believe all the negativity, we repair hundreds of C4 Picasso’s (mechanically identical ) & Berlingos.
The gearbox’s are generally good, sure we get the odd electronic unit failure, at about £2K, but. It’s prob 3 units in total out of hundreds.
Budget for a clutch at about £800 every 70 to 80 k miles.

[Adambichon]

Hello. I'm looking for advice / warnings / reassurance on the semi-automatic Berlingo! 

We are keen to get a used Multispace (our budget seems to point us to the 2015 to 2017 versions) which, as you likely know, has the ETG6 semi-auto gearbox. However, we are hearing warnings (from other forums, people we know) about the unreliability of the gearbox. I know it has this slightly jerkier drive compared to a full auto – but I'm sure that's something we would get used. It is more the possibility of it breaking which is the main worry. My impression is it is very expensive to fix/replace (£3000+?), so would likely mean the car would be a right off for us. :-( 

There's a particular 2015 model / 30k miles, which we've got our eye on. And would be my first car!

Would love to hear people's experiences who have it, to assuage the fears (ideally!), or likewise, maybe persuade us to go manual (which is an option, though auto is preferred).

Thanks so much.

Hi, We've had a Multispace auto 90 VTR since new in 2014, and have done about 42K mileage without any problems.   Most of the mileage has been a non-stop trip to London from the south coast in the early hours and a return journey in traffic in the evening. The auto isn't as smooth as my Volvo 2.3 auto was, but that almost drove itself it was so smooth.  The Berlingo auto is good in traffic, it creeps when you want it to, and the start-stop works unless you've got headlights on with heater fan / air-con or wipers and radio in the winter. I had a Renault Kangoo auto previously and this Citroen gearbox is far superior to that. So I'd say it was reliable but it depends on your driving style.

That's great to hear its not bene giving you trouble — thanks so much for sharing your experience with it. 

[Adambichon]

Don’t believe all the negativity, we repair hundreds of C4 Picasso’s (mechanically identical ) & Berlingos.
The gearbox’s are generally good, sure we get the odd electronic unit failure, at about £2K, but. It’s prob 3 units in total out of hundreds.
Budget for a clutch at about £800 every 70 to 80 k miles.

Ah great! that is really reassuring. It's hard not to get sucked into a wormhole of bad reviews, but I guess it's a sort of a self fulfilling prophecy if you are googling "etg6 problems", etc. —you are going to find the few complaints and not hear any of the many happy automatic Berlingo owners! And that's really useful info regarding the clutch. Thank you!

[pidgeonpost]

I too have an interest in this as I'm looking at a 2016 Multispace XTR with ETG6 gearbox. I found it a bit unnerving reversing (slightly uphill) up to a wall to check the parking sensors as it seemed a little unresponsive to the throttle initially before it decided to move a little quicker than I felt comfortable with. The instinct was to take my foot off the throttle, which halted the process. But then I had to start again. A case of getting used to it perhaps?
I put a separate post up yesterday about this car but no replies so far.