ZF 4-9 HP are automatic transmissions that have been produced by the well-known German company ZF Friedrichshafen AG for many years. Some of these are no longer manufactured, others are still in production. They made their debut in 1983. Nowadays, models from Ford, Peugeot, Audi, Fiat, Renault, BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Jaguar, as well as Land Rover and various other well-known brands are equipped with these gearboxes.
Every ZF 4-9 HP transmission is a classic automatic transmission equipped with a torque converter and a planetary gear. Depending on the software used, they have different modes of operation and can usually adapt to a specific driving style. They usually have manual controls that allow the driver to change gears manually depending on the road conditions. The manual shift differs depending on the car make and model and can be carried out using the shift lever, a rotary switch and buttons or rocker switches.
Known ZF 4-9 HP transmissions
| Number of gears | Gearbox code | Year of manufacture | Max. Engine torque, N m | Max. Displacement in liters | Type of drive | Models |
| 4 | 4HP14 | 1983 | 180 | 2.0 | Front wheel drive | Citroën BX; Peugeot 405; Citroën Xantia; Peugeot 205; Citroën ZX; Volvo 440; Daewoo Leganza; Peugeot 306; Peugeot 309; Rover 800; Daewoo Nubira; Peugeot 305 |
| 4 | 4HP20 | 1995 | 330 | 3, 5 | Front wheel drive | Citroën Xantia; Peugeot 406; Renault Laguna; Lancia Phedra; Renault Espace; Citroën C5; Peugeot 605; Citroën XM; Peugeot 407; Fiat Ducato; Renault Saffron; Lancia Kappa; Mercedes Benz Vito; Alfa Romeo 166 |
| 4 | 4HP24 | 2004 | 450 | 5 ,0 | Rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | BMW E31; Jaguar XJS; Audi V8; Land Rover Discovery; Jaguar XJ6; BMW E32; range rover; Audi А8 |
| 5 | 5HP19 | 1995 | 350 | 3 ,7 | Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | Audi A4; Audi Allroad; BMW E38; Audi A8; Porsche 911; BMW E46; BMW Z4 E85; Audi A6; Porsche Boxster; BMW E39; Volkswagen Passat |
| 5 | 5HP24 | 1995 | 440 | 6.0 | front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | BMW E39; Jaguar XJ; BMW X5 E53; Audi A8; Jaguar XK; BMW E38; Audi A6; BMW E31; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 6 | 6HP19 | 2000 | 400 | 3, 5 | Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | Audi A4; BMW E60; BMW E90; Audi A8; BMW E87; Audi A6; BMW E63 |
| 6 | 6HP26 | 2001 | 600 | 6.0 | Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | BMW E90; Ford Explorer; BMW X3 E83; Ford Territories; BMW E63; Audi A6; BMW E60; BMW X5 E53; Ford Expedition; Audi A8; Ford Mustang; Jaguar S Type; BMW E65; Jaguar XK; Audi A4; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 6 | 6HP32 | 2002 | 850 | 7, 6 | Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | Bentley Azure; BMW E65; Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe; Bentley Arnage; Rolls Royce Phantom; Volkswagen Phaeton |
| 8 | 8HP45 | 2010 | 500 | 3, 5 | Rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | BMW F10;Chrysler 300; BMW F20; Volkswagen Amarok; BMW F30; Alfa Romeo Giulia; BMW X3 F25; Alfa Romeo Stelvio; BMW X5 F15; Dodge Charger; Jaguar XE; BMW F22 |
| 8 | 8HP55 | 2010 | 550 | 4, 2 | Front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive | Audi Q5; Audi A8; Audi Q7; Audi A7 |
| 8 | 8HP90 | 2010 | 1000 | 8.0 | Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive | Rolls-Royce Wraith; Bentley Mulsanne; Lamborghini Urus; Audi SQ7; Bentley Continental; Rolls Royce Phantom; Aston Martin DBS; Audi RS6; Dodge Hellcat |
| 9 | 9HP28 | 2014 | 380 | 2, 4 | Front wheel drive | Fiat 500X; Chrysler 200; Jeep Renegade |
| 9HP48 | 2013 | 480 | 4.0 | Front wheel drive, all wheel drive | Acura TLX; Jeep Renegade; Acura MDX; Chrysler 200; Honda Pilot; Chrysler Pacifica; Range Rover Evoque; Fiat 500X; Fiat Doblo; Honda CR-V; Jeep Cherokee; Jaguar E-Pace; Range Rover Discovery Sport |
Common defects in ZF 4-9 HP transmissions
| Defects | Transmission |
| Torque converter clutch wear causing vibration and leaks. | 4HP20; 8HP55; 4HP24; 6HP19 |
| The electromagnets get dirty and break. | 4HP20; 5HP19; 8HP45; 6HP19; 6HP26 |
| The gear position sensor no longer works. | 4HP20 |
| The oil pump is clogged with wear residue from the torque converter clutch . | 5HP19; 4HP24; 8HP55 |
| Damaged bushings. This leads to leaks, vibrations and damage to the transmission parts, such as the oil pump. | 4HP24; 5HP19; 4HP20; 8HP45; 4HP14; 6HP32 |
| Torque converter fails due to heavy load. | 5HP24; 5HP19 |
| The wiring of the electromagnets is faulty. | 5HP24 |
| The service life of the speed sensor is short . | 5HP24; 4HP24 |
| The hub bearing is defective. | 5HP24 |
| Burning of the mechatronic unit due to overheating. | 6HP26; 6HP19; 8HP90; 8HP55; 6HP32 |
| The valve body separator plate is damaged by dirt. | 6HP19 |
| Leaks and a lower Oil pressure wears out the mechanical parts of the gearbox prematurely. | 6HP32; 6HP19; 8HP90; 8HP45 |
| The plastic pan deforms. | 6HP26 |
| The aluminum planetary gear set fails quickly. | 8HP45 |
| Oil leaks from the sleeve of the control unit. | 8HP55; 8HP45 |
| The transmission shifts into neutral for no reason. | 9HP48; 9HP28 |