What transmission does my Chevrolet have? By model

TSS parts for Chevrolet transmissions: 6T40 solenoid set, remanufactured TCM and Dorado gasket kit

In short

No Aveo sold in Mexico had a 6-speed: it's a 4-speed automatic through 2023 and a CVT from 2024.
The Beat, the Tornado and the first Spark were manual only; the Spark NG got a CVT in May 2017.
The Groove, the 2022-and-later Captiva and the 2024-and-later Aveo use a SAIC CVT, not a GM transmission.
The most reliable way to confirm yours is the RPO code on the service parts label, in the glovebox or trunk.
Not all of them take DEXRON-VI: the Aveo, the Spark CVT, the SAIC CVTs and the 8- and 10-speed trucks call for other fluids.

If you have an automatic Chevrolet and need transmission parts, you first have to know which transmission it has: Chevrolet has used GM units, but also Aisin, ZF, Jatco and, in its newest China-built models, SAIC. In this article we'll cover which transmission each automatic Chevrolet sold in Mexico has by model and year, how to confirm yours and which fluid it takes. Many US models share the same units, but not all, and we flag the differences we know of.

What transmissions does Chevrolet use?

GM builds most of its automatics under the Hydra-Matic name, and its codes are easy to read: the first number is the number of speeds, T means front-wheel drive (transverse) and L rear-wheel drive (longitudinal), and the next number indicates how strong it is. A 6T40, for example, is a 6-speed front-drive unit, and a 4L60E a 4-speed rear-drive one. But several Chevrolets used other makers' units: Aisin in the Aveo, the Chevy and the first Equinox; ZF in the Optra; Jatco in the Spark; and SAIC in the Groove, the Captiva and the new Aveo.

The years are model years for the Mexican versions, based on Chevrolet Mexico's spec sheets and owner's manuals, GM's technical bulletins and the transmission identifier on the Transmisiones Veinte 07 home page (in Spanish).

What transmission does the Chevrolet Aveo have?

It depends on the year, and there's a common mix-up here:

2008 to 2018 Aveo (1.6 engine): Aisin 4-speed automatic, the AW81-40LE according to parts catalogs (as in the 2004 to 2011 US Aveo). Watch the fluid: it doesn't take DEXRON-VI; Chevrolet Mexico's manuals call for ESSO JWS 3309 or Total Fluid III G, and the US twin's manual calls for T-IV.
2018 to 2023 Aveo (1.5 engine, built in China): 4-speed automatic with manual mode. Chevrolet doesn't publish the model; it takes AW-1 fluid (GM part 19256039), an Aisin-type fluid.
2024 and later Aveo (1.5 engine): SAIC CTF25D CVT in the CVT trims, like the hatchback's LT Plus; the rest are 6-speed manuals. It takes Shell SL2100 CVT fluid.

Why do you read so often that the Aveo has a 6-speed? Because in other markets, including the US, the next-generation Aveo did, from the 6T30/6T40 family; in Mexico that car was sold as the Sonic. So an automatic 2014 or 2017 Mexican Aveo, for example, has the 4-speed.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Cruze have?

First-generation Cruze, through 2016 (1.8 and 1.4 turbo): Hydra-Matic 6T40 6-speed automatic, RPO MH8. Mexican spec sheets list a 3.87 final drive, the 6T40's.
2016 to 2019 Cruze (second generation, 1.4 turbo): Hydra-Matic 6T35 6-speed automatic, RPO MNU.

Mexico had no 9-speed or CVT Cruze: GM's 9-speed went in the US 2017 diesel, and the VT40 CVT in the US 2019 Cruze.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Trax have?

2013 to 2020 Trax with the 1.8: GM 6-speed automatic. We haven't confirmed whether it's the 6T40 or the 6T30: check the RPO code (MH8 is the 6T40 and MH9 the 6T30).
Trax LTZ Turbo, with the 1.4 turbo: 6T40, RPO MH8 (or MHB with all-wheel drive).
2024 and later Trax (1.2 turbo): Hydra-Matic 6T40, RPO MNH, which GM calls the GF6.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Captiva have?

2008 to 2010 Captiva Sport: with the 2.4, a 4T45-E 4-speed automatic (RPO MN5); with the 3.6 V6, a 6T70 6-speed (RPO MH2 or MH4).
2011 to 2014 Captiva Sport: with the 2.4, a 6T45 6-speed (RPO MH7 or MHC); with the 3.0 V6, a 6-speed GM calls the 6T50.
2022 and later Captiva (1.5 turbo): SAIC CTF25A CVT, with Shell SL2100 fluid.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Equinox have?

2005 to 2008 Equinox (3.4 V6): Aisin 5-speed automatic, the AF33-5, from the AW55-50SN family.
From 2009 to 2015 the Equinox wasn't sold in Mexico.
2016 and 2017 Equinox (2.4): 6T45 6-speed automatic, RPO MH7 or MHC.
2018 to 2021 Equinox (1.5 turbo, the only engine in Mexico): 6T40, RPO MNH (MNK with all-wheel drive). US versions also had a 2.0 turbo with a 9-speed.
Since 2022 Mexico only gets the electric Equinox EV, which has no transmission in the usual sense.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Malibu have?

2004 to 2008 Malibu (2.2 and 3.5 V6): 4T45-E 4-speed automatic.
2008 to 2012 Malibu: with the 3.6 V6, a 6T70 6-speed; with the 2.4, the 4-speed 4T45-E or the 6-speed 6T40, depending on the package.
2013 to 2015 Malibu: with the 2.5, 6T40; with the 2.0 turbo, 6T70.
2016 Malibu: with the 1.5 turbo, 6T40 (RPO MNH); with the 2.0 turbo, an Aisin AF50-8 8-speed that takes ATF-WS fluid.
2017 and 2018 Malibu: with the 1.5 turbo, 6T40; with the 2.0 turbo, a 9T50 9-speed.

The Malibu left the Mexican lineup after 2018, so the VT40 CVT of later US Malibus doesn't apply there.

What transmission do the Onix and the Tracker have?

2021 and later Onix: GM 6-speed automatic from the GF6 family, with the same ratios as the 6T30 and 6T35. The 1.0 turbo was also offered with a 5-speed manual; the 1.2 turbo was automatic only. The 2026 Onix with the non-turbo 1.3 is manual only.
2021 and later Tracker (1.2 turbo): the same 6-speed automatic.

GM doesn't publish the exact unit or RPO code for the Onix and the Tracker, so confirm it before you order parts.

What transmission does the Chevrolet Sonic have?

The Mexican Sonic (2012 to 2017, 1.6 engine) has a GM 6-speed automatic from the 6T30 / 6T40 family. Neither Chevrolet Mexico nor GM says which one, so check the RPO code on the label: MH9 is the 6T30 and MH8 the 6T40. In the US, the 1.8 Sonic has the 6T30 (MH9) and the 1.4 turbo the 6T40. The Mexican Sonic RS 1.4 turbo was manual only.

Spark, Beat, Cavalier, Groove, Chevy and Optra

Spark: the first generation (through 2017) was manual only in Mexico. The Spark NG got a CVT in May 2017: a Jatco CVT that GM calls the "CVT7" (RPO MR8). Don't add DEXRON-VI: its Mexican manual calls for CVTF-GREEN-2, and GM's US bulletins for ACDelco CVT fluid 19260800.
Beat (2018 to 2021): manual only.
2018 to 2021 Cavalier (1.5) and 2022 to 2024 Cavalier Turbo (1.3 turbo): 6-speed automatic. Chevrolet doesn't publish the unit; the Cavalier Turbo's takes DEXRON-VI.
2022 to 2025 Groove (1.5): SAIC CTF25D CVT, the same as the 2024-and-later Aveo, with Shell SL2100 fluid. The 2026 Groove (1.5 turbo) is a CVT too; Chevrolet doesn't publish its code.
Chevy and Chevy C2 (2003 to 2012, Mexico's version of the 1990s Opel Corsa): 4-speed automatic with sport and winter buttons. It's a small Aisin unit, most likely the AW60-40LE (also called AF13), although we found no GM document that confirms it.
Optra (2007 to 2009, 2.0 engine): ZF 4HP16 4-speed automatic, according to the transmission trade and the TSS catalog.

Silverado, Cheyenne, Tahoe and Suburban

On the big trucks, the transmission depends on the year and engine:

4L60E 4-speed automatic (RPO M30): Silverado and Cheyenne up to about 2008 (and the 4.3 work-truck Silverado through 2013), 2007 and 2008 Tahoe, and 2003 to 2005 Suburban.
6L80 6-speed automatic (RPO MYC): Cheyenne 5.3 from 2009 in crew cab and on every version from 2012 (the LT through 2021); Silverado 4.3 from 2014 to 2021; Tahoe through 2020; and the half-ton Suburban from 2013 to 2017. The 3/4-ton Suburban with the 6.0 used the 6L90 (RPO MYD).
8L90 8-speed automatic (RPO M5U or M5X): Cheyenne High Country 6.2 from 2015 to 2018 and Cheyenne 5.3 RST and LTZ from 2020 to 2022. The Silverado 2.7 turbo (2023 to 2025) is also an 8-speed (RPO MQE).
10L80 10-speed automatic: Cheyenne Trail Boss and High Country from 2020, every Cheyenne from 2025, and Tahoe and Suburban from 2021. In the US, the 10-speed arrived earlier on some trucks.

Watch the fluid: the 8-speeds take DEXRON-HP and the 10-speeds DEXRON-ULV, not DEXRON-VI.

Colorado, Trailblazer, Traverse, Blazer and others

Colorado: 2004 to 2012, 4L60E; 2016 to 2020, a 6L50 6-speed with the 2.5 (RPO MYB), and an 8L45 8-speed with the 3.6 V6 from 2017 to 2020 (RPO M5T).
2003 to 2008 Trailblazer: 4L60E.
Traverse: 2009 to 2017, 6T75 6-speed; 2018 to 2023, 9T65 9-speed; and from 2024, with the 2.5 turbo, an 8T65 8-speed.
2019 to 2025 Blazer (3.6 V6): 9T65 9-speed.
Venture and Uplander: 4T65-E 4-speed automatic; per GM, the 1997 and 1998 Venture has its predecessor, the 4T60-E. Its problems are in our 4T65E guide.
S10 and Tornado: manual only in Mexico. The S10 Max had an automatic only in 2025, an 8-speed with the 2.0 turbo, and it isn't a GM unit.
Montana (2024 and later): 6-speed automatic; Chevrolet doesn't publish the unit.

How do you tell which transmission your Chevrolet has?

If you're not sure which one yours has, these are the most reliable ways to confirm it:

The transmission identifier on the Transmisiones Veinte 07 home page (in Spanish): look up your make, model and year. If it shows several transmissions, the model used more than one depending on the market, year or engine; confirm yours with the other ways on this list.
The RPO code on the service parts label, the most reliable way. Chevrolet puts it in the glovebox, in the trunk or next to the spare tire, depending on the model; on newer models the data may be in a barcode on the center door pillar. Look for the transmission among the codes that start with M, like MH8 (6T40), MH9 (6T30), MNH (6T40), MNU (6T35), MN5 (4T45-E), M30 (4L60E), MYC (6L80) or M5U (8L90). Not every M code is a transmission.
The trim name: Chevrolet Mexico puts the transmission in the trim's name, like "LT Automático", "LS TA" or "LT CVT".
The fluid in the owner's manual: if it calls for a CVT fluid, like CVTF or Shell SL2100, it's a CVT; if it says DEXRON or ATF, it's a geared automatic.

Note that the VIN doesn't identify the transmission, only the engine, in the 8th character.

What fluid does your Chevrolet's transmission take?

Not all of them take the same one. According to Chevrolet Mexico's and GM's manuals:

Transmission	Fluid
GM 6-speeds (6T30, 6T35, 6T40, 6T45, 6T70, 6T75, 6L80 and 6L90), 4T45-E, 8T65 and 9-speeds (9T50, 9T65)	DEXRON-VI
GM 8-speeds (8L45, 8L90)	DEXRON-HP
10-speed (10L80)	DEXRON-ULV
4L60E and older GM 4-speeds	DEXRON-VI, which replaces the original DEXRON-III
2008 to 2018 Aveo (Aisin 4-speed)	ESSO JWS 3309 or Total Fluid III G (T-IV in the US twin)
2018 to 2023 Aveo	AW-1 (GM part 19256039)
SAIC CVTs (Groove, 2022+ Captiva and 2024+ Aveo)	Shell SL2100 CVT fluid
Spark CVT	CVTF-GREEN-2 in the Mexican manual; ACDelco CVT fluid 19260800 per GM's US bulletins
2016 Malibu 2.0 turbo (Aisin 8-speed)	ATF-WS

Always confirm with your vehicle's manual. And never put DEXRON or conventional ATF in a CVT.

See TSS parts for Chevrolet

TSS parts for Chevrolet transmissions

The TSS catalog has parts for most of these units. Open the one for yours:

6T40 and 6T45 (Cruze, Trax, Malibu, Equinox and Captiva Sport): filters, solenoids, remanufactured TCMs, gasket kits and oil deflectors. We cover its problems in our 6T40 guide.
6T30 and 6T35 (2016 to 2019 Cruze, and the Sonic if its RPO code is MH9): Dorado gasket kit, filters and oil deflectors.
6T70 and 6T75 (Captiva Sport V6, Malibu V6 and 2.0 turbo, and 2009 to 2017 Traverse): Dorado and Rojo gasket kits, pistons and filters.
4T40-E and 4T45-E (Malibu and Captiva Sport 2.4): gasket kits, solenoids and filter.
4T65-E and 4T60-E (Venture and Uplander): overhaul kits, solenoids, bushings, washers and filters.
Aisin AW81-40LE (2008 to 2018 Aveo): gasket kits, filters and pistons.
Aisin AW60-40LE (the Chevy's likely unit): Dorado and Rojo gasket kits, solenoids, filter and washers.
Aisin AW55-50SN (2005 to 2008 Equinox): gasket kit, filter, bushings and speed sensor.
ZF 4HP16 (Optra): gasket kits, pistons, filter, sensors and range switch.
4L60E (4-speed Silverado, Cheyenne, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado and Trailblazer): everything from gasket kits to remanufactured valve bodies.
6L80 and 6L90 (6-speed Cheyenne, Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban): gasket kit, pistons, bushings, filters and pump kit.
8L90 and 8L45, 10L80 and 9T50 and 9T65: filters, gasket kits and oil deflectors.

Before you order, confirm your transmission's code with the RPO label. To buy online in the US, see the Chevrolet collection at Sun Transmissions; and on this blog there's a 4L60E problems guide.

TSS is an aftermarket brand with OEM-comparable quality and quality control on every product. You can buy it from our authorized distributors: in the United States from Sun Transmissions, and in Mexico the full TSS catalog at Transmisiones Veinte 07.

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