Evoque Gearbox Problems: Six-Speed vs Nine-Speed Faults

Evoque gearbox problems are not one fault, because the first-generation Range Rover Evoque was sold in South Africa with two different automatic gearboxes. Early cars have a six-speed automatic, and from the 2014 model year South African road tests describe a ZF nine-speed ¹³⁴⁸. For both, Land Rover’s own bulletins name gearbox software as a likely cause of harsh-shift complaints ⁷⁹, and owners often trace a “Gearbox Fault” message to a weak battery ¹¹¹². The expensive mistake is buying a gearbox before those cheaper causes have been ruled out.

This guide covers the first-generation Range Rover Evoque (L538) with an automatic gearbox.

Key Takeaways

• South African Evoques from late 2011 to 2013 were tested with a six-speed automatic; from the 2014 model year SA road tests describe a ZF nine-speed.
• The six-speed is the Aisin unit also called the AWF21. Land Rover’s bulletin for the nine-speed calls it the 9HP48.
• For a jerk when pulling away or harsh changes, Land Rover’s documented first fix on both gearboxes is a gearbox software update and adaptation, not new parts.
• A “Gearbox Fault” or “Traction Reduced” message that comes and goes is often traced by owners to a low battery, and on all-wheel-drive cars sometimes to the rear coupling pump.
• A rotary gear selector that will not rise is a known fault in the selector module itself, not the gearbox.
• An oil leak where the gearbox meets the front transfer unit is covered by a Land Rover bulletin, and the fix is new parts at that joint.

Which gearbox is in your Evoque?

The Evoque went on sale in South Africa in late 2011 ¹. A 2013 cars.co.za review of the 2.2-litre diesel says it “drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic box” ¹, and a 2012 review of the 2.0 Si4 petrol lists the transmission as a six-speed automatic and notes the rotary selector that replaces a gear lever ². That six-speed is the Aisin unit also known as the AWF21, and Evoque owners refer to it as the Aisin six-speed ⁶.

For the 2014 model year, cars.co.za reported that “the Evoque now gains a nine-speed automatic gearbox” ³, and CAR magazine’s road test credited the nine-speed to “German gearbox specialist ZF” ⁴. Land Rover’s own bulletin for that gearbox names it the 9HP48 ⁸. When the nine-speed was revealed in 2013, Autocar reported that it “initially will replace the existing six-speed unit across all-wheel-drive versions” ⁵, so check the VIN and the gearbox itself rather than going by the year alone.

The Discovery Sport also has a nine-speed automatic and appears in some of the same Land Rover documents ¹⁰¹⁵, but this guide sticks to the Evoque.

Problem 1: harsh changes and a jerk when pulling away (six-speed)

What owners notice

Land Rover’s North American bulletin LTB00782, which covers 2012 and 2013 model-year Evoques sold there, lists three complaints: “a rough gear change or ‘jerk’ from stationary when selecting DRIVE(D) from NEUTRAL(N)”, a jerk “when releasing the foot brake from a stationary position” in Drive, for example “in a traffic jam or pulling away from traffic lights”, and a jerk when coasting down from sixth “only when downshifting from fifth to fourth gear” ⁷.

One Evoque Owners Club member with a 2013 2.2 SD4 described the same thing in plain terms: once the gearbox was warm, a “very noticeable judder or lurch when moving away from standstill” ⁶.

What Land Rover says causes it

The bulletin’s stated cause is short: “This may be caused by Transmission Control Module (TCM) software programming.” The repair it lists is a gearbox software download followed by an adaptation procedure, done with Land Rover’s diagnostic system and a battery power supply connected ⁷. It also warns that the shift quality “may not be fully optimized until the TCM has adapted itself” after the update ⁷.

The owner above had been told by gearbox specialists to expect a valve body replacement or a rebuild. Instead, a main dealer applied the equivalent software changes and the owner reported the car “perfect ever since” ⁶. That is one owner’s result, not a guarantee, but it shows why the software step comes first.

If software does not cure it

Another member of the same forum, with a 2012 2.2 at high mileage and no record of a gearbox oil change, described the box occasionally banging into gear when pulling away from the lights ⁶. Where the update does not help, have a workshop read the stored fault codes and check the fluid before condemning the gearbox. Valve bodies and solenoids are covered in our automatic valve body and solenoid parts range.

Problem 2: poor shifts, lack of power or a warning (nine-speed)

The early software campaign

In late 2014 Land Rover North America launched service action 0425 for some 2014 and 2015 model-year Evoques in Canada and the United States. It lists the symptoms as “Poor transmission shift quality”, a “Warning message (Transmission issue)”, “Lack of power”, and being “Unable to select Drive (D) or Reverse (R) when the vehicle is in Park (P)”. The remedy was to reconfigure the transmission control module, with no parts required ⁹.

When the gearbox itself is the problem

Not every nine-speed fault is software. Land Rover bulletin SSM71847, dated November 2014, says “a small volume of 14 MY Evoque (L538)” were logging fault codes P07D4-07, P2704-07 or P07E7-07, “which are all related to 9HP48 automatic transmission”. The stated cause: “Internal transmission diagnostics have been triggered” ⁸.

The action depends on the transmission serial number. Depending on the code and the serial number, the bulletin says to update the software, repair the gearbox, or “replace the transmission” ⁸. So on an early nine-speed with one of those codes stored, a replacement gearbox is a documented outcome, not an upsell.

Whether any of these North American campaigns applies to a South African car is a question for a Land Rover dealer, who can run your VIN for open campaigns.

Problem 3: “Gearbox Fault” and “Traction Reduced” warnings

Check the battery first

With this warning, owners frequently find the gearbox is fine. On the Evoque Owners Club, one owner whose car sometimes showed “Gearbox Fault” was told by the dealer it “was due to a low battery” ¹¹. In another thread, a dealer told an owner the battery was the reason for “gearbox fault codes, reduced traction, low battery messages” and other warnings, including ABS ¹¹.

On a separate forum, EvoqueForums, an owner with a 2012 2.2 diesel saw a “gearbox fault reduced traction” warning clear after a diagnostic found “a number of different voltage issues” and the battery was replaced and then charged ¹². Owners there also report the same warning on manual Evoques ¹², which is a strong hint that the gearbox is not always the cause.

Owners on EvoqueForums also mention a small auxiliary battery by the fuse box in the passenger footwell ¹², so if your car has one, ask the workshop to test both. Main and auxiliary batteries are listed on our Land Rover battery page.

On all-wheel-drive cars, the rear coupling pump

The battery is not the only cause. On the Evoque Owners Club, one owner traced the same warning to “the haldex pump getting blocked”, which was flushed through ¹¹, and another owner had the Haldex pump replaced while chasing gearbox warnings ¹¹. All-wheel-drive Evoques share their rear differential and Haldex coupling problems with the Freelander 2 ¹⁷, so our guide to the Freelander 2 Haldex coupling and rear diff covers that side of the car.

Problem 4: the rotary gear selector will not rise

Symptoms

ECU Testing, a UK module repairer, says the Evoque’s rotary gear selector can stay “stuck down, seemingly never to rise again”, and that it “affects first-generation Evoques most frequently” ¹³. VCUS, another UK repairer, lists symptoms including “the selector dial not rising, falling, or rotating, and sometimes becoming stuck in a single drive mode”, linked to fault code P176C-11 ¹⁴.

Why it happens

Both repairers put it down to the selector module rather than the gearbox. ECU Testing calls it “an internal malfunction within the control unit” ¹³, and says Land Rover changed the selector unit at the 2016 facelift, with the later unit failing in almost the same way ¹³. An Evoque Owners Club member describes the failing part as “a plastic lift device” inside the selector ⁶.

Evoque rotary gear selector module

The pre- and post-2016 units differ, so send your model year and VIN and we will quote the selector your car was built with.

Price my gear selector

Selector modules for other models are on our rotary gear selector parts page.

Problem 5: oil leaking where the gearbox meets the transfer unit

What Land Rover found

Land Rover bulletin SSM74140, last modified in October 2018 and covering the Evoque (L538) and Discovery Sport (L550), describes oil “leaking from the interface of the PTU and the automatic transmission”. The PTU is the power transfer unit joined to the gearbox, also called the front diff ¹⁷. The bulletin’s cause: “it is possible to incorrectly assemble the quill shaft and seals”, because of “incorrect tolerances in the retaining clips for the quill shaft” ¹⁵.

The fix

The bulletin says the clip tolerances were changed, and that the latest parts should be ordered because they “have been modified to prevent the fault re-occurring” ¹⁵. Bell Engineering, a UK garage, describes the leak on the 2.2 diesel with the nine-speed as “a very common fault”, repaired by removing the PTU, replacing all seals and making “a modification to stop the fault reoccurring” ¹⁶. If the PTU itself is worn, replacement units are on our transfer case and PTU page.

Evoque PTU and gearbox-to-PTU seals

Seals and sleeve for the leak at the joint, or a complete power transfer unit. Tell us whether the workshop found the leak at the PTU joint.

Price my PTU seals

Repair or replace?

Work through the causes from cheapest to dearest. Land Rover’s documents point to software first on both gearboxes ⁷⁹, and a weak battery can mimic a gearbox fault ¹¹¹². Replacement is the right call when a workshop confirms internal damage, or when, as in SSM71847, the stored code and serial number point straight at it ⁸.

1. 1Test the battery and charging system, and read the stored fault codes.
2. 2Ask a Land Rover dealer for any outstanding gearbox software update, then allow time for adaptation.
3. 3Rule out the parts around the gearbox: the gear selector, the rear coupling pump and the PTU joint.
4. 4Only then choose between repairing the gearbox and fitting a replacement unit.

If it does come to a replacement, order by VIN and gearbox type, never by “Evoque automatic” alone: a six-speed and a nine-speed are different gearboxes. Used and reconditioned units are quoted on our Land Rover gearboxes for sale page, which covers both the Aisin six-speed and the ZF nine-speed. For a used unit, it is also worth checking the Land Rovers SparesBoyz is stripping for parts for an Evoque with the same engine and gearbox as yours.

Evoque automatic gearbox, six-speed or nine-speed

Send the VIN, the engine and any fault codes, and we will quote the gearbox your Evoque was built with.

Price my Evoque gearbox

FAQ

How much is a new gearbox for a Range Rover Evoque?

We do not publish a figure, because the price depends on whether your car needs the six-speed or the nine-speed, on whether it is a used or reconditioned unit, and on its condition. Send the VIN for a quote on the right gearbox, and confirm first that the fault is not software or the battery ⁷¹¹.

What does the “traction reduced” warning message mean on a Land Rover?

On an Evoque it usually appears as “Gearbox Fault” with “Traction Reduced”. It tells you a fault has been stored, not what caused it. Owners often trace it to a low battery ¹¹¹², and on all-wheel-drive cars sometimes to the rear coupling pump ¹¹. Have the fault codes read rather than guessing.

How to fix gearbox fault?

Start with the battery and the fault codes, then a gearbox software update and adaptation at a Land Rover dealer, which is the first fix in Land Rover’s bulletins for both Evoque automatics ⁷⁹. If codes point at the gearbox itself, the repair or replacement decision follows from what the workshop finds. If you are unsure what the codes mean, send them to the parts desk with your VIN.

Sources

1. David Taylor, Range Rover Evoque Review in South Africa, cars.co.za, 28 May 2013. cars.co.za
2. Range Rover Evoque 2,0 Si4 Prestige (2012) Driving Impression, cars.co.za. cars.co.za
3. Range Rover Evoque SD4 (2014) Review, cars.co.za. cars.co.za
4. Range Rover Evoque SD4 Dynamic road test, CAR magazine. carmag.co.za
5. Mark Tisshaw, Geneva motor show 2013: Range Rover Evoque nine-speed auto, Autocar, 27 February 2013. autocar.co.uk
6. Evoque Owners Club forum, Range Rover Evoque 6 Speed Auto Gearbox Judder - Fixed, 6 Speed auto gearbox issues and Rotary gear selector common fault (owner discussions). judder thread, six-speed issues thread, selector thread
7. Jaguar Land Rover North America, Technical Bulletin LTB00782NAS1: Transmission Shift Quality Concerns, 25 September 2015, filed with NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov
8. Land Rover, TOPIx SSM71847: 9 speed automatic transmission faults, last modified 7 November 2014, filed with NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov
9. Jaguar Land Rover North America, Owner Notified Service Action 0425: 9 Speed Automatic Transmission Calibration (SGI14-47), 30 October 2014, filed with NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov
10. Jaguar Land Rover North America, Notification of Safety Recall P091: 9-Speed Automatic Transmission Calibration (SRE16-07), 24 August 2016, filed with NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov
11. Evoque Owners Club forum, Gearbox Fault "Traction control reduce" and Gearbox Fault/ Battery Issues (owner discussions). traction thread, battery thread
12. EvoqueForums, Gearbox fault reduced traction (owner discussion). evoqueforums.net
13. ECU Testing, Range Rover Sport and Evoque gear selector problem. ecutesting.com
14. VCUS, Range Rover Evoque Gear Selector Repair. vcus.co.uk
15. Land Rover, TOPIx SSM74140: L550/L538 Oil leaking from interface of PTU and automatic transmission, last modified 29 October 2018, filed with NHTSA. static.nhtsa.gov
16. Bell Engineering, 9 Speed Gearbox oil leak - 2.2l Engine. bellengineering.co.uk
17. We Are Diffs, Freelander 2 & Range Rover Evoque Transmission Problems, 4 January 2019. wearediffs.com