Joined the Comfortmatic failure club

[Bessy765]

We bought ours new in 2019, as stated before took it to our local Fiat dealer for it’s first 2 years service when I asked them if the actuator fluid was ok just had blank looks. As we have to go to Portsmouth for the annual damp check at Adams Morey it made sense to have it serviceD there. Following good reports. Can’t fault their customer service. Whilst in Portugal had the dreaded air bar fault light come on, as we were returning via Santander/Portsmouth ferry had Simon book us in, stayed at Port Solent overnight 21:00 ferry arrival in just before nine am on our way home 10:30 all sorted. Fitter said they find it can be related to low battery level when starting or when jump starting someone else, though in our case no jump starts and battery always fully charged (700 watts of solar) on when home topped up by ehu. But the battery is the original so five plus years since bought new and however long between chassis build and sold?

 

[Minxy]

How come we've seen so many reports on here of complete replacements of comfortmatic boxes at huge prices then?

Really? It's the same gearbox as the manual just with a robotised gear change. Our slave cylinder went which cost us around £1900 but included the Fiat diagnosis and recovery back to our home whilst we waited 3 months for the parts. The cost would have been the same if it had been a manual.

There's still plenty of manuals about, can't remember the last time I saw a report of a manual gearbox replacement.

People only mention when stuff needs fixing and it's not the gearbox that needs replacing in most cases but the trouble is those people who have heard about it and spout the misinformation without actually checking the facts, ie state it's a gearbox issue when usually it isn't.

 

[Landy Andy]

The problem with the comfortmatic box is that it suddenly tells you it doesn’t want to work anymore and then you are stuck. With a manual you get some feedback and warning of a failing clutch, and it can be driven without a clutch. Often the comfortmatic just needs to be proxy aligned, but nobody knows how to do this in garages, so they then fit all new moving parts. It’s not just the slave cylinder that fails.

 

[jongood]

Really? It's the same gearbox as the manual just with a robotised gear change. Our slave cylinder went which cost us around £1900 but included the Fiat diagnosis and recovery back to our home whilst we waited 3 months for the parts. The cost would have been the same if it had been a manual.

You wouldnt have to wait 3 months and paid £1900 for a slave cylinder on a manual.

For starters you would almost certainly known that there was something wrong well before it let you down. Mine was giving notice for a couple of months but it was still easily drivable. It was changed in one day along with the clutch and pressure plates as a precaution and cost just over £1000. Thats on a 7 litre MAN.

 

[WESTY66]

You wouldnt have to wait 3 months and paid £1900 for a slave cylinder on a manual.

For starters you would almost certainly known that there was something wrong well before it let you down. Mine was giving notice for a couple of months but it was still easily drivable. It was changed in one day along with the clutch and pressure plates as a precaution and cost just over £1000. Thats on a 7 litre MAN.

No matter on the size Jon, north to south is always easier and quicker to strip and rebuild than east to west

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[Minxy]

You wouldnt have to wait 3 months and paid £1900 for a slave cylinder on a manual.

This was when parts were in short supply due to COVID restrictions so manufacturing was hit and getting the parts was a nightmare, normally it wouldn't have taken anything like that long to get them, so manual or auto we'd still have had to wait 3 months for them and then be booked in for the repair.

For starters you would almost certainly known that there was something wrong well before it let you down. Mine was giving notice for a couple of months but it was still easily drivable. It was changed in one day along with the clutch and pressure plates as a precaution and cost just over £1000. Thats on a 7 litre MAN.

How long in advance did you have to request the work though? I bet you didn't just drive to the garage and ask the same day you got it done!

We have an A-class Carthago which has very restrictive access, more so than most A-classes, thus took longer to work on = more labour cost at main dealer prices.

 

[Lazyboy]

All I can says is that when I had to go to my local Fiat dealer for a small warranty job they had gearboxes “all over the place”. When I asked the answer given was that the comfortmatics were going down like flies.

 

[JockandRita]

For starters you would almost certainly known that there was something wrong well before it let you down. Mine was giving notice for a couple of months but it was still easily drivable. It was changed in one day along with the clutch and pressure plates as a precaution and cost just over £1000. Thats on a 7 litre MAN.

Hear hear Jon.
I was lucky and got off lightly at around £650 for OE Spec parts and labour. I was the oily rag and tea maker.

No matter on the size Jon, north to south is always easier and quicker to strip and rebuild than east to west

Yet another practical advantage of sticking with RWD Adie.

so manual or auto we'd still have had to wait 3 months for them and then be booked in for the repair.

Not if the parts are available as OE Spec, from a reputable Motor Factor/supplier such as LUK, SACHS, or VALEO, etc.
FIAT like most motor manufacturers, do not manufacture their own spares.

How long in advance did you have to request the work though? I bet you didn't just drive to the garage and ask the same day you got it done!

Ours was deposited on the driveway by a 32 x Tonne Wrecker on the Monday. My mechanic pal ordered the parts the same day, and he took delivery on the Tuesday On the Wednesday we carried out a complete gearbox removal and replacement of the DM flywheel, pressure plate, friction plate, and thrust bearing assembly, and a refit within 3.5 x hours. So, within 2.5 x days of being deposited on the drive as unserviceable, we were back on the road.

It was a similar story when the 5th gear failed on the manual Ducato Hymer, ie, OE Spec parts sourced ASAP, arrived for repair at 12.00hrs on a Saturday lunchtime, parts replaced and I was out test driving her by 13.15hrs. Job done.

Having had a spot of bad luck with manual gearboxes/clutch assemblies, which were relatively straight forward to repair, I have no desire to avail myself of a more complicated hydraulic robotic setup, which by all accounts is horrendously expensive to repair...........by persons unfamiliar with the system, and therefore untrained to do so.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Smudger55]

You could try a negligence claim against Fiat, I tried that with the NHS ,when I had a Endoscopy do at a Doctor's surgery where the NHS hired a place in the practice ( nothing to do with the actual doctors at the surgery) a so called Specialist done the procedure,sent out to waiting room with a so called nurse I was doubled up on pain she said it was air they pumped in for procedure,more or less kicked me out with wife that evening I was admitted into hospital as a emergency, spent 4 nights on 2 drips, when I complained and filled in the complaint form the investigation came back full of lies, NHS covering their ars--s.
Next wife was given someone else's X-ray on a Saga cruise ship didn't look at it until we got home as ships doctor said see your doctor when you get home, don't worry you have a enlarged heart and signs of a heart attack, as wife is clostrofobiic s wouldn't use lifts thought she might have a heart attack on deck stairs spoilt holiday, tried claim they didn't want to know, got home had tests, nothing wrong , so somebody is walking about with problems , we have her name and date of birth , a real SAGA, Ships doctor was from Venezuela but said he was not qualified to work in UK !!
Personally I wouldn't claim against Fiat

Thanks, I have achieved some success, the gearbox has not been my only problem, replacing EGR AND DPF was my first FIAT problem. Costs for both nearly £13k. Previous research, info from Fiat Forum has helped me achieve a personal cost of £2.3k of the £13k.

Problem with all of this is it shatters your trust in my FIAT DUCATO taking us places abroad we want to go to.

I have a nervous disposition in waiting for the EGR/DPF having to be replaced again, it happens as I have read through FIAT FORUM.

I live in hope

 

[CazPaul]

Thanks, I have achieved some success, the gearbox has not been my only problem, replacing EGR AND DPF was my first FIAT problem. Costs for both nearly £13k. Previous research, info from Fiat Forum has helped me achieve a personal cost of £2.3k of the £13k.

Problem with all of this is it shatters your trust in my FIAT DUCATO taking us places abroad we want to go to.

I have a nervous disposition in waiting for the EGR/DPF having to be replaced again, it happens as I have read through FIAT FORUM.

I live in hope

Thank heavens ours doesn’t have egr and dpf, 13k that’s ridiculous

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[Smudger55]

Thank heavens ours doesn’t have egr and dpf, 13k that’s ridiculous

The £13k was for EGR/DPF and comformatic gearbox repairs including labour for which I paid for labour.

 

[Tony50]

Why Fiat? The problem is some garages not doing all the items specified by Fiat as part of the service.

Most garages would deny any wrong doing ,when we had a garage it was mostly leasing company cars or trucks we were well versed in not missing any recommendation

 

[Pausim]

The £13k was for EGR/DPF and comformatic gearbox repairs including labour for which I paid for labour.

People complain about AdBlue problems forgetting that the earlier EGR alternative could cause expensive problems. Personally I am happy they have moved on from that type of EGR and gearbox but I would still buy one if I wasn’t lucky enough to be able to buy newer.

 

[MisterB]

Perhaps the reason why non motorhome comformatic gearboxes seem prone, is that they are driven inconsiderately? Foot down and go!!

I would assume most motorhome owners, me included, drive their comformatic with a lot more consideration... and are conscious to have the fluid changed and recalibration on a regular basis.

 

[simsy56]

If someone is riding the clutch, or holding a vehicle on an incline, I would love to see them change the said clutch when it's worn out. I would bet diamonds they would never ride a clutch ever again.

Craig

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[Landy Andy]

Perhaps the reason why non motorhome comformatic gearboxes seem prone, is that they are driven inconsiderately?

I think the majority of comformatics are in motorhomes.

Delivery vans, ambulances, and those sorts of vehicles are basic spec, and simple manual gearboxes.

 

[growly_bear]

A simple Comfortmatic software update to reduce the clutch actuation speed would allay any longevity fears for the CSC, but this would slow down gear changes for everybody so would be a hard sell for anybody not having any issues.

There's a huge thread in a German forum (am I allowed to post the link?). within it they talk about changing the ATF to another spec which is less viscous, which speeds up the actuation speed. Molly something. I can't remember the type. I'd be interested to know why a slower actuation might make them more reliable.

 

[Clive Beeza]

Have you had any spinning of wheels recently?

I believe that the clutch engagement gets a little bit confused if you’ve been getting on or off a wet, slippy, muddy pitch and causes mismatch between wheel speed sensors, diff output sensor and gearbox ECU, confusing the management and causing this kind of issue.

All too complex and with no obvious benefits

 

[dggriff]

One of the main issues is the slave cylinder which is common to both the manual and auto, it's just that the auto gets more mention.

Yes, I had a slave cylinder problem on my 2007 Manual Ducato.

 

[Smithster]

Hi, what no one has mentioned is driving two footed. Instead of using just your right foot.
This confuses the computer and will put it into limp mode. You can drive an old auto car two footed without a problem but add a computer and after a short while it will start going into limp mode.
As in, sitting on a hill in traffic and switching to two feet.

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[Bramidan]

Asfaik Ducatos for our market are still made in Italy.


Im pretty sure there have been more on here, but plenty of other instances with commercial operators and Ambulances.

That might be true but my point was they manufacture Fiats, Transits plus most of your white goods ( Beko) in Turkey.
People think it’s a third world country, in many respects, you will find their service industry is better than ours.
Owned a property in Turkey for 18 years.

 

[vintageb3]

Sorry to hear that, when I was looking to buy a motorhome I completely discounted fiat based ones as I wanted an automatic but was put off by the number of people reporting issues with comformatic gearboxes. I hope the fault is cheap and easy to fix for you.

How many people reported a problem? How many vans have been sold with the comfortmatac box?Keep in mind it’s mostly people with a negative issue that post their problems. I have a 2017 comformatic Fiat Ducato that has never had an issue. I get the gearbox oil changed every other year. I expect a calibration will be required at some point and probably at the most inconvenient time but I prefer the robot changing a manual box than a full automatic. I want to tow, I won’t be restricted to automatic box loads. No van is perfect. The Ford’s have their injector issues. True, many have had issues, but not every owner. I hate Ford’s with a passion but the injector issue alone wouldn’t stop me buying a Ford if I liked the van. I would have to get over the other issues I have with the brand. The comformatic box is in NO way perfect. I’ve sworn at it a few times, but I’d still take it over a fully automatic. Keep in mind if they go wrong, they can be expensive to repair/replace as well. I hope the OP gets joy soon.

 

[vintageb3]

I just worry a little bit more when I hear of another one having problems….

I have to ask..how many have you heard of that have had issues? 5?, 10?, 20?, 100? How many are on the road without issue? I’ve heard of issues about 3-5 times. Most are a re calibrate or disconnect the battery to reset the battery. I only post this to save you from worrying. No other reason. The thermostat could give you more issues that the gearbox. Do you worry about that? No. We just deal with that.

 

[ChrisL]

How many people reported a problem? How many vans have been sold with the comfortmatac box?Keep in mind it’s mostly people with a negative issue that post their problems. I have a 2017 comformatic Fiat Ducato that has never had an issue. I get the gearbox oil changed every other year. I expect a calibration will be required at some point and probably at the most inconvenient time but I prefer the robot changing a manual box than a full automatic. I want to tow, I won’t be restricted to automatic box loads. No van is perfect. The Ford’s have their injector issues. True, many have had issues, but not every owner. I hate Ford’s with a passion but the injector issue alone wouldn’t stop me buying a Ford if I liked the van. I would have to get over the other issues I have with the brand. The comformatic box is in NO way perfect. I’ve sworn at it a few times, but I’d still take it over a fully automatic. Keep in mind if they go wrong, they can be expensive to repair/replace as well. I hope the OP gets joy soon.

If you're happy with your Comformatic gearbox that's all that matters, I prefer torque converter gearboxes and both my previous Mitsubishi and my current Mercedes auto's have had zero issues, the Mitsubishi had done over 200,000 miles when I sold it in 2021 and is still on the road, the only maintenance the box received was an oil change at 100,000 miles. Each to their own.

 

[MichaelT]

If you're happy with your Comformatic gearbox that's all that matters, I prefer torque converter gearboxes and both my previous Mitsubishi and my current Mercedes auto's have had zero issues, the Mitsubishi had done over 200,000 miles when I sold it in 2021 and is still on the road, the only maintenance the box received was an oil change at 100,000 miles. Each to their own.

I didn't think Mitsubishi were used by any converters on motorhomes?

Comformatic is not an auto box, it's a manual box with a robotised changing mechanism!

I still think main problem is lack of use and when they are used they are not driven properly. We've had 2 and both fine the latter one we did 35k.

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[ChrisL]

I didn't think Mitsubishi were used by any converters on motorhomes?

It was a Delica, a 4x4 camper van grey import. The best and most reliable motor vehicle i've ever owned it took me all over Europe on and off road.