Sell a car with gearbox damage – manual, automatic or dual-clutch

Only a garage can say for sure. One clue with a manual: if the revs rise when you accelerate without the car going faster, the clutch is usually slipping. If individual gears crunch when engaged or jump out, the gearbox itself is the more likely suspect. With automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes, the clutches, the control unit or the oil can be affected. So ask explicitly which component is meant when someone talks about gearbox damage.

Better not. According to the TCS, if the gearbox warning light stays on, the car should be checked at a garage to avoid consequential damage. Every additional kilometer can make the defect worse and thus also lower the value. Then there is the law: vehicles may only be driven on the road in a safe operating condition (Art. 29 SVG). Whether a car that suddenly loses drive or no longer stays in gear meets this requirement is more than questionable.

First clarify whether a partial repair is enough, for example to the clutch or the control unit. If the entire gearbox is affected, you can choose between an overhaul, an exchange gearbox or a tested used part. Get written quotes for the options with price and warranty. The older the car and the higher the mileage, the less likely you are to recoup the expense. An offer for the car with the defect gives you the figure to compare.

Everything you know, and nothing you only suspect. Describe the symptoms as they occur and attach reports or invoices if a garage has worked on the car. Don’t give any assurance you can’t back up, because the seller is liable for assured characteristics (Art. 197 CO). Conversely, you are not liable for a defect the buyer already knew about at the time of purchase (Art. 200 CO). An exact description therefore protects you above all.

That depends on three things: the value of the car without the defect, the type of damage and how well it is documented. A worn clutch weighs less heavily than a destroyed automatic. General guide values would be guesswork, because gearboxes and labor vary greatly from model to model. You get a concrete figure when you submit the car with a description and photos; the offer costs nothing and doesn’t bind you.

No. For the offer, your details in the form, informative photos and a picture of the vehicle registration document are enough. A report is still worthwhile if the garage has already looked at the car anyway: it shows which component is affected and removes the buyer’s uncertainty. Without a report, an exact description helps, together with a photo of the warning message on the dashboard and whether the car can still be moved.