How reliable are the Subaru CVTs?

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I'm thinking about buying a '14 or '15 Subaru Forester with the 2.5i but I'm unsure about the reliability of the CVTs. I don't want to get a manual. I could get a different Crossover but I like the Subaru far better than any of the other competition. Can anyone provide input on if this is a car that could last for 10 or 20 years? Are there any high mileage CVTs on this board?
 
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Had 7 or more Subies, I would say the EJ engine and 4spd drivetrain is good for 200K easy - though the FB25 is a new engine architecture with a wet timing system which could be toast at 150K or so - look to the 3.6 for more predictors of engine reliability. I would say , frankly, that suspension and exhaust RUST through would be your biggest enemy to attain 10-20 years (at 5-7K or so a year).
 
I believe a lot of CVT's are outsourced from an Asian company I can't recall the name of. Nissan uses them, as did Jeep for a while. I believe those are quite good, CVT's are their specialty. I don't know if Subie's CVT's are theirs or not though.
 
Originally Posted By: KCJeep
I believe a lot of CVT's are outsourced from an Asian company I can't recall the name of. Nissan uses them, as did Jeep for a while. I believe those are quite good, CVT's are their specialty. I don't know if Subie's CVT's are theirs or not though.


subaru makes their own CVT's they do not buy them from JATCO etc.

They are also much better than the cvt in nissan, dodge IMO.

obviously a subaru marketing piece but info on their cvt

http://www.subaru.com/engineering/transmission.html
 
The Subaru CVT programming is excellent. I've had some of their cars as rentals through Hertz, and it doesn't have that weird rubberband feeling you get in a Nissan CVT.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
The Subaru CVT programming is excellent. I've had some of their cars as rentals through Hertz, and it doesn't have that weird rubberband feeling you get in a Nissan CVT.


Is it good for offroading?
 
Originally Posted By: 7055
Originally Posted By: dparm
The Subaru CVT programming is excellent. I've had some of their cars as rentals through Hertz, and it doesn't have that weird rubberband feeling you get in a Nissan CVT.


Is it good for offroading?


Define off-roading.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
The Subaru CVT programming is excellent. I've had some of their cars as rentals through Hertz, and it doesn't have that weird rubberband feeling you get in a Nissan CVT.


Having done some research on the Subaru CVT they build (learn something new every day, I thought they were sourced from Aisin), they tend to be relatively problem free. Unlike the Nissan (JATCO) CVTs that can barely make 100K miles without significant failure.
 
7055, you will love it. I had a leased 2012 Legacy 2.5i CVT for ~3yrs/42Kmi. Currently have a purchased 2014 XV Crosstrek w/ 5spd manual (to keep costs lower). I do love the 5spd, but kind of regret not going with the CVT again.

Yep, I thought it was an Aisin sourced unit as well. It's not. It's a Fuji Heavy/Subaru unit with some German parts in it.

There's 2010+ Legacy owners with ~100Kmi or so on their CVT equipped cars. I've never read of a failure with them.

Drain/fills are relatively easy on them and they have a separate gear oil reservoir on them for their internal differentials.
 
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Forget about the CVT, worry about the oil eating FB25 engine.

Take 5 minutes and ask to look at the owners manual before you buy it:
1 quart per 1000 mile consumption is normal.

They actually come with a 'low oil light'.

As long as your good with that buy away!

It's like buying a 2 stroke car
 
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Originally Posted By: ColdCanuk
Forget about the CVT, worry about the oil eating FB25 engine.

Take 5 minutes and ask to look at the owners manual before you buy it:
1 quart per 1000 mile consumption is normal.

They actually come with a 'low oil light'.

As long as your good with that buy away!

It's like buying a 2 stroke car


Yeah, but what manufacturer is that not true of? What are the odds that you'll get one that burns a quart even every 1500 miles? (I honestly don't know, I have no experience with new Subarus)
 
Sad, Cold Canuck. If I remember correct, just about a year ago you were here all excited about your new Forester.

Here is a link to the ongoing 203 page thread regarding the oil use issue: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/...2/index203.html

It's difficult to judge the current status of the problem: how many engines, the upgrade effectiveness, and how well SOA is assisting owners.


I bash all brands equally, but I find it amusing that Consumer Reports ranks certain vehicles at the very top, and they fail to even mention these serious issues: i.e. - Forester oil consumption and Honda Variable Cylinder Management: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/23/honda-settles-class-action-lawsuit-engines/
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Sad, Cold Canuck. If I remember correct, just about a year ago you were here all excited about your new Forester.

Here is a link to the ongoing 203 page thread regarding the oil use issue: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/...2/index203.html

It's difficult to judge the current status of the problem: how many engines, the upgrade effectiveness, and how well SOA is assisting owners.


I bash all brands equally, but I find it amusing that Consumer Reports ranks certain vehicles at the very top, and they fail to even mention these serious issues: i.e. - Forester oil consumption and Honda Variable Cylinder Management: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/23/honda-settles-class-action-lawsuit-engines/


I wonder how much this has to do with the weight of oil being put in it. The first post I read stated with Mobil 1 0w-20 it used a quart in 3770 miles. I wonder what effect a good 0w-30 would have.

I also had an odd experience with Mobil 1 5w-30 in my 2004 STi. I changed the oil then went on a road trip. 500 miles later at my destination I checked the oil and it wasn't even touching the dipstick. I poured in another quart and for the rest of the oil change it didn't use a drop. The easy explanation is that I didn't put enough oil in it during the change, but my oil change ritual is fairly meticulous; I line up each quart and as I pull them off the table I line them up with the open cap sitting in front of them, so this is unlikely.

The next change I used GC, and it settled into an acceptable one quart per 3000 mile consumption.
 
Most current iterations of CVT designs are so new there's not really an accurate way to answer your question. Just because someone has one with high miles on it would more likely mean they were easy highway/commuting miles. I'd imagine Subaru's unit is pretty good or they wouldn't have brought it to market.

Someone said the units Jeep used were good? IIRC they were a train wreck (unless they got a new supplier) and is part of the reason they are transitioning to conventional ZF boxes.
 
Originally Posted By: ColdCanuk
Forget about the CVT, worry about the oil eating FB25 engine.

Take 5 minutes and ask to look at the owners manual before you buy it:
1 quart per 1000 mile consumption is normal.


They actually come with a 'low oil light'.

As long as your good with that buy away!

It's like buying a 2 stroke car


And if you read a Toyota manual(600 miles/quart=normal) you won't buy one of those either.
grin.gif

5000 miles on mine first oil change and no oil usage measurable by dipstick. It is a great vehicle. The heater is a little slow to warm up is about the only flaw I can find, and as a bonus,33 mpg lifetime average so far.
 
Nothing i want in my garage.
Subaru went down this road long before Nissan did with the Justy and that was almost 25 years ago and people are still complaining about CVT's.
IMO if people are not beating the door down for the technology as an real alternative after 25 years then something is really wrong with it.

They (not just Subaru) are not offering this as an option they are foisting it on the consumer like it or not.
IMHO they can shove it.
I think the Legacy 6cy are still available with the tried and true automatics, maybe another model that uses the 6 cyl also.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: KCJeep
I believe a lot of CVT's are outsourced from an Asian company I can't recall the name of. Nissan uses them, as did Jeep for a while. I believe those are quite good, CVT's are their specialty. I don't know if Subie's CVT's are theirs or not though.


subaru makes their own CVT's they do not buy them from JATCO etc.

They are also much better than the cvt in nissan, dodge IMO.

obviously a subaru marketing piece but info on their cvt

http://www.subaru.com/engineering/transmission.html

Subaru only manufactures their own manual transmissions.
The manufacture of Subaru's automatic transmissions has always been outsourced, and always from JATCO, from what I understand. JATCO is a spin-off subsidiary of Nissan (with Mitsubishi owning a minority interest). This relationship is understandable as Nissan once owned controlling interest in Subaru. The CVT is a Subaru engineered JATCO manufactured transmission and is a design that is unique to Subaru.
You guys had better get used to CVTs. In 10 years ALL the "automatics" will either be CVTs or automated manuals. Personally, I would rather have a CVT than an automated manual.
 
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Originally Posted By: Trav
Nothing i want in my garage.
Subaru went down this road long before Nissan did with the Justy and that was almost 25 years ago and people are still complaining about CVT's.
IMO if people are not beating the door down for the technology as an real alternative after 25 years then something is really wrong with it.

They (not just Subaru) are not offering this as an option they are foisting it on the consumer like it or not.
IMHO they can shove it.
I think the Legacy 6cy are still available with the tried and true automatics, maybe another model that uses the 6 cyl also.



I used to feel this way about CVTs as my past experience with them in older vehicles left me hating them. But in the last round of car shopping we test drove a '14 Nissan Altima and I was floored at how good it was. Extremely smooth, and very quick to choose the appropriate engine speed to match the desired acceleration. It's better to drive than the traditional hydraulic 6at box in my Camry by a fairly wide margin...... and I'm told that the ones that Nissan puts in their cars aren't as good as what Subaru and Honda are offering.
 
Note: cut/paste

"Just wondering, how do you check the transmission fluid level if there isn't a dipstick?

CVT transmission oil- Forester, Impreza, Crosstrek
Replace only under severe driving or towing conditions. #4
Use Subaru CVT oil only. There's no dipstick to check the CVT fluid.
Forester 2.0XT's high torque CVT uses special CVT fluid, orange colored."

CVT fluid is dealer only, a special mix and they use scan tool to replace fluid.


I too am interested in the vehicle and worry about the CVT , warranty is 5 yr/60,000 mile, hear not able to rebuild CVT and thousands of dollars to replace, $4000 or more?
 
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