Citroen DS5 Complete Gearbox/Transmission

It swings hugely with what you have. A used C2 or C3 manual from a strip yard is the cheapest route by a wide margin and is often the right answer on an older car. An automatic from a C5 Aircross is at the other end entirely. We source units nationally, and we will tell you which route makes sense rather than quoting the most expensive one — send the VIN.

Grinding into gear, whining that follows road speed, one gear slipping while the rest hold, harsh engagement from the automated-manual boxes, and fluid on the driveway. Worth knowing before you panic: shudder as an ETG takes up drive is very often the clutch actuator rather than anything inside the gearbox, and that is a far smaller job. Diagnose before replacing.

For the manual C2, C3 and Xsara boxes, a good used unit from a South African stripper is usually cheaper than a rebuild, because the labour to strip, measure and reassemble a manual box exceeds what a whole one costs. For the automatics the logic reverses — a specialist rebuild or a properly remanufactured unit beats a used box of unknown history, since you cannot inspect what you are buying. Scan the car first, then price both routes.

The AL4 four-speed automatic, the DP0, is the headline case — PSA called its fluid fill-for-life and in practice that is why these boxes fail early, usually at the valve body and solenoids rather than in the gears. The ETG automated manual draws complaints about harsh low-speed shifts and clutch actuator wear, though much of that is how the system works rather than a fault. The Aisin six-speeds in the later cars are comparatively trouble-free. All of them have established repair paths through South African specialists.

Yes, and the used market here is healthier than the size of the local Citroen fleet suggests, because Citroen shares gearboxes with Peugeot across the range. That widens the pool considerably. We VIN-match on engine code, final drive ratio and gearbox code before anything ships, because a box that bolts on but has the wrong final drive will make the car feel wrong in every gear. Send the chassis number for current stock.