Who Makes Aisin Transmissions? (And How To Check If Your Car Has One)

Your vehicle's transmission is an essential element of a vehicle's powertrain, yet many drivers aren't certain exactly who manufactures the transmission in their cars. Vehicle manufacturers often farm out the production of various components to third-party suppliers. This is where companies like Aisin come into the picture. Aisin might not be a household name, but it is one of the most respected manufacturers of vehicle transmissions on the planet. For decades, the Japanese company has produced a wide range of manual, automatic, and hybrid transmission types.  

Aisin is part of the Toyota Group (Toyota remains Aisin's biggest customer), but it also makes transmissions for a host of other automobile manufacturers. As an aside, it also worked with Toyota to revolutionize car safety by developing the skid-control vehicle stability control system. In transmission terms, companies that use Aisin products include General Motors, Volvo, Lexus, BMW, and Peugeot. With such a relatively low-key company playing such a large part in keeping our wheels turning, it's worth knowing a little more about them. It's also a useful exercise to identify if your vehicle uses an Aisin transmission, as this can help with maintenance decisions like how often you have to change transmission fluids and understanding service requirements. Let's take a closer look at Aisin transmissions, including who makes them and how to find out if your car has one. 

The short answer is that Aisin transmissions are currently manufactured by the Aisin Corporation, formerly Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd. The Japanese company began life in 1943 as a manufacturer of airplane engines, initially called Tokai Koku Kogyo Co., Ltd. The company went through various renaming before merging with Shinkawa Kogyo Co., Ltd. to form Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd, in 1965. As well as transmissions, the company has developed and manufactured a wide range of other products, including sewing machines, the world's first parking assist system, electric water pumps, and eAxles for electric and hybrid vehicles. And, just to keep us all guessing, Aisin also manufactures the Aisin Super Flex Fit Mattress.

However, in terms of car transmissions, the company has always been innovative. In collaboration with Toyota, they developed Japan's first fully automatic 2-speed transmission for the second-generation Toyota Crown in 1963. This association with the Crown model continues to this day with Aisin's electric 1-motor hybrid transmission and eAxles used in the 16th generation of the Crown, which was launched in 2022. The diversity of Aisin's operations has kept it at the forefront of the automotive components industry, and we can now find its transmissions in many of today's vehicles. Perhaps we can sum up Aisin's approach to the development and manufacturing of its products by saying that the company follows the "monozukuri" principle. The term is unique to Japanese manufacturing but can be summed up as the "art, science, and craft of making things." 

Identifying whether your vehicle has an Aisin transmission can help with understanding its service requirements and recommended lubricants. However, you may have to undertake a bit of light detective work to establish this. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is unlikely to help as it usually only identifies the transmission type (when available, this is usually denoted by the eighth digit in the VIN.) A good starting point is to refer to the owner's manual, which may contain details of the transmission type and manufacturer. Similarly, the sticker or placard usually located on the driver's doorframe or window may tell you about the transmission specifics. 

In certain vehicle ranges (for example, some RAM trucks have Aisin transmissions,) you can tell whether the transmission is Aisin by the position of the dipstick. The Aisin transmission will use a yellow dipstick located on the driver's side of the engine. For such vehicle range, there will also be an Aisin badge located above the driveshaft under the driver's side front wheel well. If you're still struggling to identify your transmission, look for a stamped code on the transmission casing; plugging this into Google can tell you everything you need to know. Finally, if all else fails, then a visit to the manufacturer's website or a quick call to a service center can give you the information you need.