Open the hood or crawl under a 2014-up Jeep Cherokee, Chrysler 200, Honda CR-V, Acura MDX, or Range Rover Evoque, and you will find what looks like the exact same nine-speed transaxle. In a lot of cases it is — and in a lot of cases it is not. ZF Friedrichshafen designed this transmission and builds its own version at a plant in Germany, badged 9HP48. Chrysler builds a parallel version at its Kokomo, Indiana plant, badged 948TE. The two look nearly identical from the outside, share the same basic architecture, and are not a safe parts match for each other.
That single fact causes more wrong-part orders on this transmission family than almost anything else. This guide covers how the naming actually breaks down, where to find the identification tag, the sales codes FCA uses on the build sheet, the solenoid-count split that trips up kit orders, and the real vehicle application list — all pulled from an ATRA technical introduction, Transmission Digest, and an actual FCA factory bulletin, not guesswork.
The short version: ZF's own plant in Germany builds the 9HP48; Chrysler's Kokomo, Indiana plant builds the 948TE. Per ATRA's technical introduction to this transmission family, the two are externally visually similar but parts cannot be interchanged, so use the VIN, not the casting, to confirm which one you have. The solenoid pack is 9 pieces on park-by-wire vehicles and 10 pieces on park-by-cable vehicles — another detail that is easy to get wrong when ordering a kit.
ZF9HP48 vs. Chrysler 948TE: Same Design, Two Plants
ZF developed this nine-speed transverse transaxle and builds its own version in Germany. Chrysler builds a parallel version at its Kokomo, Indiana transmission plant. Per the ATRA technical webinar covering this family, “externally the two units are visually similar” and “parts cannot be interchanged.” ATRA's own instruction is blunt about how to resolve that: the VIN should always be used as the key for parts lookup, not a visual comparison of the case.
The badge split generally runs along brand lines. Per the ATRA introduction and a Gears Magazine architecture writeup, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Fiat vehicles carry the Chrysler-built 948TE, while Honda, Acura and Land Rover vehicles carry the ZF-built 9HP48. Gears Magazine notes that FCA alone has put over 3 million of these units into Jeep Cherokee, Renegade and Compass, Chrysler 200 and Pacifica, Ram ProMaster City, and Fiat 500X vehicles.
Cracking the Name: What 948TE and 9HP48 Actually Mean
The naming is not arbitrary, and knowing how to read it tells you something real about the unit in front of you. Per ATRA's technical introduction, the Chrysler designation breaks down like this:
| Character | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 9 | Nine forward gear speeds |
| 48 | 480 Nm torque capacity (354 lb-ft) |
| T | Transverse mounted |
| E | Electronic control |
ZF's own badge for the identical hardware swaps the T and E for HP, meaning hydraulic planetary, giving you the 9HP48 name used on the Honda, Acura and Land Rover side of the application list. Same torque rating, same nine speeds, different maker and different badge on the case.
Where to Find the Identification Tag
Per Transmission Digest's teardown writeup on the 9HP48, there is a bar-code label on top of the case that denotes model info — your starting point before you crawl any further into the vehicle. ATRA adds a useful detail for confirming which plant built the specific unit: the barcode traceability number includes the manufacturer identification in its second and third characters. That is the fastest way to settle a ZF-vs-Chrysler question without pulling the pan, because this transmission does not have one.
That is itself a quick confirmation check: per Transmission Digest, the 9HP48/948TE has no bottom pan, which means the filter is not accessible externally the way it is on most FWD transaxles. If you are looking at a transverse nine-speed with a conventional drop-pan, you are not looking at this transmission.
The transmission control module (TCM) bolts to the outside of the case through four bolt holes with a multi-prong connector, and its own markings are not a reliable brand indicator on their own. Per ATRA, the TCM “may have Chrysler & ZF markings with both Chrysler & Fiat part numbers,” and Transmission Digest confirms the TCM's markings can read Chrysler, ZF, or another maker depending on the vehicle it was built for — the case badge and barcode tag are the more reliable reference, not the control module. For what it is worth sizing up the unit on a bench, Transmission Digest also notes the assembly runs just shy of 200 lbs.
Confirming It by Sales Code (FCA/Stellantis Vehicles)
If the transmission is still in the vehicle, FCA's own factory paperwork gives you a cleaner answer than anything printed on the case. Per FCA US LLC Technical Service Bulletin 21-034-14 REV. A, the 948TE 9-speed transmission carries its own sales code on the build sheet and window sticker, cross-referenced to the vehicle's engine sales code:
| Vehicle | Engine / Engine Code | Transmission Sales Code |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (KL) Jeep Cherokee | 2.4L (ED6) | DFH or DFJ |
| 2015 (KL) Jeep Cherokee | 3.2L (EHB) | DFH or DFJ |
| 2015 (UF) Chrysler 200 | 2.4L (ED6) | DFH |
| 2015 (UF) Chrysler 200 | 3.6L (ERB) | DFH |
That bulletin was written for a specific TCM reflash, built-on-or-before specific dates, so do not treat it as a universal code list for every model year — later Cherokee, Compass and Pacifica applications were not covered by this particular document. But it confirms something useful for any shop pulling a build sheet: FCA tracks this transmission by its own sales code, separate from the engine code, and DFH/DFJ is how the factory paperwork identifies the 948TE on these specific applications, which is a more dependable reference than eyeballing the case.
Vehicle Application List
Per ATRA's technical introduction (covering the transmission's 2013-2015 launch applications) and Gears Magazine's architecture writeup (which adds later FCA models), the two badges split across brands this way:
948TE (Chrysler-built, FCA/Stellantis vehicles)
- Jeep Cherokee (KL), 2014-up, L4 2.4L / V6 3.2L
- Jeep Renegade, 2014-up, L4 2.4L
- Jeep Compass (later production)
- Chrysler 200, 2014-2015, L4 2.4L / V6 3.2L
- Chrysler Town & Country / Dodge Caravan, 2013-2015, L4 2.4L / V6 3.6L
- Chrysler Pacifica (later production)
- Fiat 500X / Doblo, 2014-2015, L4 2.4L
- Ram ProMaster City (later production)
9HP48 (ZF-built, Honda/Acura/Land Rover vehicles)
- Acura MDX, 2014-2015, AWD V6 3.5L
- Acura RLX, 2014-2015, FWD V6 3.5L/3.7L
- Honda Civic, 2014-2015, FWD L4 1.6L
- Honda CR-V, 2014-2015, FWD L4 1.6L
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, 2013-2015, FWD/4x4 L4 2.0L/2.2L
- Land Rover Discovery (LR4), 2015, FWD/AWD L4 2.0L
Treat this as a confirmed starting point, not the full current list — this family stayed in production for a decade and both ZF and FCA expanded it to more models and engine combinations well past the 2013-2015 launch window this source documents. Always confirm the current vehicle's exact build against its VIN rather than assuming last year's application list still applies.
Park-by-Wire vs. Park-by-Cable: The Solenoid Count Tell
Here is a detail that directly affects parts ordering and is easy to get backward. Per ATRA's technical introduction, the solenoid count on this transmission depends on which shift-selector design the vehicle uses:
- Park-by-wire (rotary dial or push-button shifter, no mechanical linkage to the transmission): 9 solenoids
- Park-by-cable (conventional shift lever with a cable to a manual valve): 10 solenoids
That is why the solenoid pack and remanufactured valve body in our own store are sold as 10-piece units — they are built for the park-by-cable configuration most FCA applications use. If you are working a Honda, Acura or Land Rover application, or any vehicle with a push-button or rotary shifter, confirm the park-selector design before ordering, because a 10-piece kit will not match a 9-solenoid park-by-wire unit.
Component Checklist for Confirming You Have the Right Unit
Beyond the tag and sales code, the internal architecture itself is a tell. Per ATRA and Gears Magazine, every version of this transmission — 948TE or 9HP48 — shares these fixed points:
- Six total clutch assemblies, labeled A through F: four conventional multi-disc friction clutches (B, C, D, E) and two dog clutches (A, F) that engage by meshing splined teeth rather than slipping friction discs.
- Gearset built from what ATRA describes as four planetary arrangements (Gears Magazine's author treats it functionally as three gearsets — front, middle, rear — since the rear set shares a sun/internal gear combination).
- On AWD applications, one of three documented transfer systems: an Active Drive 1 single-speed Power Transfer Unit with a single-speed Rear Driveline Module, a 4-wheel-drive 2-speed system, or a 4-wheel-drive 2-speed system with a locking rear axle.
- A conventional torque converter with pump, stator and turbine, using a single-disc lockup clutch splined to the damper assembly — not the mechatronic, converter-integrated design ZF uses on its 8HP family, which is a useful way to rule out confusing this transmission with its 8-speed sibling.
9HP48 Solenoid Packs, Valve Bodies and Filter Kits
Once you have confirmed which badge, solenoid count and sales code you are actually working with, we stock the matching refurbished 10-piece solenoid kit, a remanufactured valve body with all 10 solenoids installed, and the correct filter and pan gasket kit — shipped fast from the USA.
Shop 9HP48 parts →FAQ
How do I tell a ZF9HP48 from a Chrysler 948TE?
They are externally very similar and share the same basic design, but ZF's own plant in Germany builds and badges its version 9HP48, while Chrysler's Kokomo, Indiana transmission plant builds and badges its version 948TE, per the ATRA technical webinar on this transmission family. Parts are not necessarily interchangeable between the two, so ATRA's own guidance is to use the VIN as the key for parts lookup rather than relying on how the case looks.
What does 948TE actually stand for?
Per the same ATRA technical introduction, the name breaks down piece by piece: 9 for nine forward gear speeds, 48 for 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque capacity, T for transverse-mounted, and E for electronic control. ZF's own badge drops the T and E and adds HP for hydraulic planetary, which is why the identical hardware carries the 9HP48 name on Honda, Acura and Land Rover applications.
How many solenoids does a 9HP48 or 948TE have?
It depends on the shift-selector design. Per ATRA, a park-by-wire unit, shifted with a rotary dial or push buttons with no mechanical linkage to the transmission, uses 9 solenoids, while a park-by-cable unit with a conventional shift lever uses 10. That is why the solenoid pack and valve body are sold as a 10-piece kit for cable-shift vehicles specifically, so confirm which shifter type the vehicle has before ordering.
Can I use a 9HP48 part on a 948TE, or the other way around?
Not as a default assumption. ATRA's own technical introduction states plainly that although the ZF-built 9HP48 and the Chrysler-built 948TE are externally visually similar, parts cannot be interchanged, and the VIN, not a visual casting comparison, should always be the reference used to pull the correct part.
What sales code identifies the 948TE on a Jeep Cherokee or Chrysler 200?
On 2015 (KL) Jeep Cherokee and (UF) Chrysler 200 models, FCA's own service bulletin 21-034-14 REV. A lists the 948TE 9-speed transmission under sales code DFH or DFJ, cross-referenced to the vehicle's engine sales code: ED6 for the 2.4L, EHB for the Cherokee's 3.2L, and ERB for the 200's 3.6L. The transmission sales code is printed on the vehicle's factory build sheet and window sticker, not on the transmission case itself.
Sources
- ATRA — Mike Souza, ATRA Senior Research Technician, “ZF9HP48/948TE Introduction” Technical Webinar: the ZF-Germany vs. Chrysler-Kokomo build split, external similarity and parts non-interchangeability, VIN-based parts lookup guidance, the barcode traceability number convention (manufacturer ID in the 2nd/3rd characters), the 9/48/T/E naming breakdown, the 9-vs-10 solenoid park-by-wire/park-by-cable split, the launch-era vehicle application table, the six-clutch (A-F) architecture, and the three AWD transfer-system types. atracom.blob.core.windows.net — 948te_introduction.pdf
- Transmission Digest — Mike Riley, “ZF9HP48 FWD Nine Speed, Part 1” (August 1, 2015). Backs: the bar-code label on top of the case for model info, the no-bottom-pan design with no externally accessible filter, the TCM bolted to the outside of the case with Chrysler/ZF/other markings depending on the vehicle maker, the roughly 200 lb unit weight, and the mid-2013 ZF-built launch followed by the Kokomo plant ramping up 948TE production. transmissiondigest.com
- FCA US LLC — Technical Service Bulletin 21-034-14 REV. A, “Flash: 948TE 9 Speed Shift Enhancements And Quick Learn Enable” (November 8, 2014). Backs: the 948TE transmission sales codes DFH and DFJ on 2015 (KL) Jeep Cherokee and (UF) Chrysler 200, cross-referenced to engine sales codes ED6 (2.4L), EHB (Cherokee 3.2L) and ERB (200 3.6L). static.nhtsa.gov (NHTSA TSB archive)
- NHTSA / FCA US LLC — Part 573 Safety Recall Report 16V-529, submitted November 10, 2016. Backs: the confirmed 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade and Ram ProMaster City vehicle population equipped with the 9HP48/948TE. static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2016/RCLRPT-16V529-7638.PDF
- Gears Magazine (ATRA) — “ZF 9HP48: A Mechanical Marvel!” Backs: the six-clutch architecture (four friction clutches B/C/D/E, two dog clutches A/F), the three-to-four planetary gearset description, the over-3-million-unit FCA production figure, and the 948TE-badge-for-FCA / 9HP48-badge-for-Honda-Acura-Land-Rover naming split, including later Jeep Compass and Chrysler Pacifica applications. gearsmagazine.com/magazine/zf-9hp48-a-mechanical-marvel