Reconditioned Ford Kuga Gearbox

Ford Kuga: 12 engine codes for a single transmission type, but not a single gearbox

The Kuga is a compact SUV designed for mixed use — A-roads, ring roads, and the occasional off-road track — which places different demands on the gearbox than a saloon car: frequent clutch engagement in town, sustained revs on the motorway, and sometimes holding a gear under load for extended periods. When the transmission fails, finding a replacement isn't as simple as sourcing "a Kuga gearbox": over the period 2008–2019, Ford offered this model with three distinct engines — the 2.0 TDCi, the 1.5 TDCi, and the 1.6 EcoBoost — all paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox, but behind this apparent uniformity lie 12 different engine codes that determine which gearbox is required.

Why the engine code matters more than the engine capacity

The 2.0 TDCi accounts for the majority of variants: on its own it covers most of the available configurations, with codes such as TXDA, UFDA, UFWA, G6DG or XWMA/XWMB, each corresponding to a different power output or engine generation. Two 2.0 TDCi Kugas from the same model year may require gearboxes that are not interchangeable, depending on their engine code. The 1.5 TDCi (codes XWMA, XWMB) and the 1.6 EcoBoost petrol (codes JQMA, JQMB, JTMA, JTMB, T7MA, T7MB) each have their own dedicated gearbox family. The reference number stamped on the gearbox casing — for example GV6R7002ADB or FV4R-7002-CCA — remains the only reliable identifier for confirming exact compatibility.

Specific points to watch on the Kuga

On the 2.0 TDCi used as a loaded SUV, the 3rd and 4th gear synchronisers are the components most prone to premature wear. Difficult or noisy gear changes when cold on these ratios are a characteristic symptom of a gearbox nearing the end of its life on this generation. With the 1.6 EcoBoost, whose torque delivery is more progressive, gearbox failures are less common but tend to occur on vehicles that have seen heavy urban use. In both cases, the full reference stamped on the gearbox casing — not just the engine capacity — is the essential starting point for identifying the correct part.