JUNK CVT Subaru Outback TR580 Full Transmission Teardown Dead At 108k! 

Hey, a bunch of questions I'm qualified to answer as a subaru tech. First off, this 2014 OB's TR580 was the 2nd year of the existence of the 580. The powerflow and components inside of it are quite different from the TR690, which became the "big boy" transmission but was also the first model, which debuted in the 2010-12 legacy/outback. The primary issue the early TR690s would face is chain slip, which generally is caused by a dip of fluid pressure. Through years of iteration and improvements, these problems have largely been corrected as long as the vehicle load is kept on the lower end. (Ascent problems notwithstanding.) The common fail point in the TR580 by contrast is usually a valve body solenoid failure, either the torque converter lockup solenoid (which is basically always applied) or the transfer clutch solenoid (aka "awd" or "center diff"). In either case, the valve body is a serviceable component, with a new one in the ~$700 range MSRP. the 580 has also gone through a number of revisions and updates through the years and has landed at a fairly stable place nowadays. @2:08 how many 4EAT/5EAT transmissions had problems? Less than these early CVTs, but definitely not zero either. It took a solid 5-6 years-worth of recalls and bulletins before the 4EAT landed in a stable place. The 5EAT was only used behind the higher-output engines (EZ30/36 in a tribeca, for example) and was pretty solid but occasionally would have 3-4 or 3-2 slip issues. @2:20 the tailshaft cup is missing, looks super weird without it> The transmission is designed to be serviced when it's stood up on its snout, would have had an easier time that way lol. @4:14 yes, it was. That's the transfer clutch drum, aka the center diff. As the piston you're holding squishes, it sends power out to the rear driveshaft, which splines onto the end you pushed through. @5:18 you don't need to take that nut off, as I assume you're about to discover. That is the pinion shaft, and will lead to the front differential. @5:51 this is where you'd find the aforementioned valve body. It is accessible in the car relatively easily without having to move anything; there's just enough space in the transmission tunnel to sneak in there and remove this cover plate. I assume the valve body was removed so that it could be rebuilt. @6:11 this cover is primarily just a chain that runs from the torque converter to the oil pump. This cover is a very common source of leaks on newer TR690s, and occasionally a leak point on TR580s. An indexing prybar is the ideal tool to remove this. @7:42 thank you for bringing this up -- because a differential will always have some metal-on-metal wear and therefore metal in the fluid, I think one reason subaru CVTs are more robust than their jatco/nissan counterparts is because of this fluid separation. (In the nissan transmissions, the diff is lubricated by the trans fluid.) Also, I'll put this blurb here, but Subaru does not have a *required* interval for diff fluid service, only an "inspect and replace as necessary" every 30k, but in my experience it'll already look pretty gross at 30k (from break-in) and then be fine until 90/150/210/etc. from there on out. Subaru calls the CVT fluid a "lifetime" fluid, and I'm sure you have an opinion on that, but their criteria for it being failed is if it is no longer translucent. While the stuff coming out of this trans is quite dark, it does not appear to be murky, and so in Subaru's eyes would be considered "ok." (Most technicians would agree doing them on a 60k interval is fine for normal use. Subaru does say replacement at ~30k miles if you "tow regularly" -- and does not elaborate what that means.) @8:49 this is a serviceable part but it's called a "strainer" not a filter, and it's more akin to the pickup screen in your engine's oil intake. The amount of metal on that magnet is average to less-than-average. That fluid view at 9:00 though, is not normal. @10:35 early-00's and older subarus also used a double-roll-pin axle with stub shafts in the front. Company23 makes an *excellent* punch tool for servicing those. @11:21 I have literally never seen or even heard of a leaking shift shaft seal on any subaru auto transmission. (They all use a very similar design.) @12:16 and this is about as far as we're supposed to do teardowns at the dealer level. While the chains/sheaves/etc. parts *are* available in the parts catalog, subaru does not provide the special tools necessary to decompress the sheave and remove the chain set. However, all master techs do a full disassembly and reassembly of a CVT as part of the training program, so I suppose someday we might be doing rebuilds. @13:06 subaru calls this the "manual valve" and it's connected to the shift selector you elegantly removed -- this hydraulically controls shifting through the valve body. Should note here everything from the selector lever in the car all the way to the valve body is all physically linked; no electronic shifter gizmos in any subaru (so far). @13:30 this is the step where the sheave would be separated -- you'd need essentially a huge 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller on the big side to release the chain from the sheave. There's a really good youtube video from a Kennedy Transmissions shop in St Paul, MN doing a teardown of an early TR690 -- he shows the puller in use. @13:48 that chain guide probably popped out during disassembly -- if it popped out during operation it would be all chewed up or broken -- but inspecting that chain guide was part of the WRK recall process for the 19-21 Ascent. @16:30 this is the forward/reverse clutch drum and planetary set. In the TR580, when you pick R, everything after this set spins "backwards" -- chain and sheaves included -- and then when you select "D" all of that stuff needs to change direction. This means, if you own a TR580, ***do not shift from R to D while the car is still rolling.*** One of the major differences between this and the TR690 is that the D/R planetary set comes after the chain/sheaves. @17:18 the smell comes from the air trapped in the bolt holes, it's like a stale, fishy, crabapple blossom-y kind of smell. You'll get it when pulling the engines apart too. @18:00 very good, yes those rotating cups set the pre-load. They're also basically impossible to remove once corrosion sets in on the case, even with the correct special tools. @20:53 those diff bearings don't look tooooo bad. We've had more than a few cases where a "quick oil change* place will try to do a front diff fluid service, drain it, and then use the wrong port to try to "fill" it. They dump 1.4 qt of gear oil into the trans and leave the f diff empty, which means they get to buy a new trans for the customer. @22:45 looks like we're taking apart the transfer clutch. There is a current TSB for the Ascent for this clutch having some pretty bad wear in the drum and causing a binding, which leads to wheel chatter around turns. Haven't seen that failure in any other CVT though. It *was* a somewhat-common problem in early 4EAT transmissions. You can see just a little bit of wear at 23:01 on the sides of the drum. @25:40 never thought to take apart a chain that way, lol, interesting technique. Hoping you'll show us the faces of the sheaves here, as if this was experiencing "chain slip" you'd see some scoring on the faces of the sheaves. @22:67 yeah i'm not seeing anything obvious in there. Not really sure what failed in this one that necessitated replacement tbh. Could have been from bearing noise or could be misdiagnosis. Anyway, I'm a very regular contributor at r/subaru, if you or anyone else has any questions feel free to post up :)

From Subaru's perspective, this is a great transmission. It lasted just past the warranty, which means the engineers got it just right. 😛

"I thought they smelled bad on the outside" - Han Solo

I’m an auto broker and I sold a client a 2014 Crosstrek with only 58,000 miles. One owner excellent condition checked out fine. Two weeks later the CVT went out on it f$4 Grand for a used one 6300 for a new one at the dealer fortunately it was under the extended recall, and my client didn’t pay a penny, but I wouldn’t touch one of these

Bought my teenage daughter a one owner 03 Outback as a first car back in 2017. It was an H6 model Limited with just over 200k on the odometer. Car was mint outside of the mileage. After about a year and a half the auto transmission quit. Bought a used transmission for $500 from a Japanese salvage yard and we swapped it ourselves. About a year later the 2nd transmission started acting up. This time it was intermittent. Sometimes you'd start the car and put it in gear and nothing would happen, other times it would work fine. I figured it was something electrical. Called the local Subaru dealer for service but all they would do is verify the transmission had issues and if it did, they would just replace the entire transmission. Didn't matter if it was a single inexpensive part. Sold the car for parts after that.

At 17:22 "it smells like month old tuna that just came out of the microwave when it was on fire" 🤣🤣🤣

The sulfur based EP additives start out smelling bad, then get worse when they form complex sulfur compounds as they are 'activated' by the heat of metal-to-metal contact. The complex compounds are what keeps the contacting metal parts from sticking to each other then tearing apart. Complex sulfur compounds have various smells, all unpleasant. Bottom line: yes, resisting extreme pressure causes more stink.

Much better than the CVT on my wifes Impreza, chain snapped at 30,000 kms

My grannys crosstrek went thru 2 of these in 150k miles. The second one failed. She has a 21 corolla now. Huge improvement

I work at a Transmission shop and most Subaru cvts only need a solenoid replaced on the valve body

I wear my safety glasses 🥽 every time I view your videos.

Our CVT in our 2021 Ascent went out at 18K miles. Took two months to get a new one. Traded it.

If you dont already, you need to sell a T shirt that says "It's Fine."

We own a 2015 Forester. A solenoid on the valve body went bad 200 miles shy of the extended 100,000 miles coverage and was covered by that campaign. To me, there’s a place for CVT. The biggest criticism I have is that transmissions are now advertised as “sealed” units. We have drain-and-filled the transmission fluid every 30k miles; a completely DIY job.

I have a Honda Civic I just bought, with a CVT, and I like it more than I thought I would. The Honda CVT is smooth and responsive, plus it doesn't do those fake shifts. It also gets very good gas mileage around town (like 31). I am hoping it doesn't blow up soon like this Subaru one did. I think the key to these transmissions is to change the fluid every 30 to 50k. I just changed mine, and hopefully it will keep going to at least 250k.

I bought my Mazda 6 because it had a normal automatic transmission. Was originally looking at a Nissan but they all had cvt's. The real transmission sold me. Great car.

I love the way some stupid engineer looked at the moped transmission and fought yeah let’s put that in a car 😂😂😂😂

Sorry to disappoint you. All CVT are unreliable. Actually those used by Subaru (Made by Fuji) are considered among the more reliable. CVT are so bad that no European manufacturer uses them and they are exclusively used by far east manufacturers. The main reason for using the CVT is lower manufacturing costs, usually lower weight which contributes to lower fuel consumption and the fact they are usually unrepairable i.e. when they break down and they do break down you have to replace them.

I've got a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon with the original 4EAT automatic transmission currently a 320,000 miles. No issues, shifts perfectly and i take the car off-roading all the time.

My son bought a new Chevy Spark years ago which had a CVT. He hated it, had it at the dealer numerous times because the transmission didn't seem right. After 18 months and 15,000 or so miles he traded it in for another new Chevy spark with a 5 speed on the floor. Loves it and has had it for 4 years now with no issues.

Knowing the ins and outs of a car engine is one thing, but I am in awe of anyone who can work on automatic transmissions. There are SO many little parts, and each one is different in its own way. And don't forget the engineers who come up with these ideas and successfully build them.

here in Australia the average life of these CVT is sixty thousand KM, thats from a Subaru mechanic, main failure is A sensor that fails, its located inside the unit that controls the operation of the expanding pulleys to engine RPM.

2018 legacy. Absolutely loved, loved that car. My buddy had one (2015) prompting me to get one. His cvt crapped out at 87k out of basic warranty. Mine started making whining noise (Subaru shop said tranny going out) at 104k even though serviced transmission per schedule. He junked his as it was $8,200 to get a factory rebuild and he didn't have the time to search and coordinate shipping a used one and who knows the condition of the used one from a junkyard. I dumped mine on Carvana. I am now a die-hard Toyota fan for life.... a real transmission that can handle it and serviceable. I'm happy for those of you that were fortunate enough to have yours last. I should have known when the Subaru salesman and Finance Manager told me to buy an extended warranty because of known transmission issues but I just thought they were upselling me on an unnecessary warranty. Disappointing. Edit.... Mine was a v6 supposedly heavier duty CVT

This one gives your "I'm just a guy who zips bolts out till the parts fall off" a whole new meaning. All kinds of parts and pieces falling off of it.

The most interesting part is the fluid that gives the chain the “traction” on the smooth variators (pulleys as you called them) that makes it able to drive and be driven.

Having watched "Precision Transmission" for a long time, and seeing him tear down a transmission in under 5 minutes -yes- this was truly entertaining. Not that I could have done any better.

When the Car Care Nut says “that’s okay” and you say “it’s fine,” in both cases the real meaning is that it’s probably bad 😢.

One thing about the CVT, the fluid is designed to provide friction, not remove it. It also must cool the unit. It is imperative that to make them last, the fluid must be exchanged with the same type about every 30k miles.

My father used to say that old, burnt transmission fluid with burnt friction discs smells like "burnt monkeys" 🤣🤣

How convenient it died immediately after the extended warranty ran out. We bought my wife's '14 Outback from a Subaru tech who had thankfully just replaced the transmission under warranty before putting it up for sale. I've been doing fluid changes on it every 15k miles since we got it and fingers crossed it's still solid 40k miles later.

What really sucks we just bought a ascent with a cvt and I didn't know about anything about it. Now I've heard nothing but bad things. My wallet is really scared and so am i.

When I bought my car the salesman immediately started pushing a cvt vehicle on me so I humored him and asked him to describe a cvt transmission. When he was done I said " that sounds like a f ing disaster"

The engineering, design, and know how that goes into these things boggles my mind.

I had a friend in the 1990's that had a Subi Justy with a CVT, and he hated it. To quote Dangerfield, “I tell ya, with my car it’s always easy for me to find it. It’s always on a lift. I got the only car that has more miles on it vertically than horizontally.”

In fairness, Subaru ATs used to be cheap because so many engines were failing with transmission intact.

Very entertaining, though I imagine a Subie tech would look on this like an art restorer watching someone go at the Mona Lisa with a toothbrush and Comet. But we're here for laughs.

I couldn't believe how big that CVT was.

The only non-CVT transmission Subaru has had any issues with over the last 30 years is the 5MT that eventually ended up on the WRX. It was originally designed to mate up to a 70hp engine, and didn't start having issues until the WRX started approaching 250hp. The 6-speed manual they designed for the STI was mated to a 300hp engine, but easily handles up to 600hp. They obviously lowered their standards considerably for the CVT.

Love the transmission teardowns. I like seeing how they work.

I think of belt-and-pulley style CVT's like this: Lets say I had a shaft that I wanted to rotate. Instead of putting some splines on that shaft and using a gear to turn it, I'm going to stick a ball bearing on the shaft. Then I am going to squeeze that bearing so hard that the bearing locks up and I can turn the shaft by spinning the outer bearing race. It isn't a perfect example, but it gives you an idea of what this system is trying to do. It is squeezing these metal pins in the belt really hard in one direction, and then pushing on those same pins in another direction to actually transfer power from the engine to the wheels. That is a whole lot of stress on those pins from multiple directions at the same time. We have the advanced materials to make belt-and-pulley systems work, but they are always going to be putting a lot of stress on their core components to make the squeeze-so-hard-it-doesn't-slip thing work compared to a normal automatic or a manual.

Why is it every time I get ready to watch some other video there's a I DO Car's video that pop's up and I have no choice but to click on it. I mean I know I have a choice but I prefer to watch you tear down carnage try to salvage part's. Plus the bad joke's Always make me smile since might be getting older but I'm still as mature as a 14 yr old XD. Take care! hope you have a fantastic rest of your week.

Former Saturn technician here, I worked on a few Saturn CVTs. Yes, the fluid smells nasty, and is also a skin irritant. It is totally different than the conventional red ATF fluids we are used to. Yes, the pulleys are commonly known as variators, as in they change the drive ratio by moving closer or farther away from each other. It's quite similar to the drive system in a snowmobile or UTV, but the belt is steel, and the ratios are precisely controlled by the somewhat complex valve body applying variable hydraulic pressure to the variators. I found it interesting Subaru uses a wide silent chain in their CVT, as opposed to Honda and Nissan, who use a "push" belt composed of elements that stack up, held together by a pair of stainless steel bands. Go check out his prior video of the teardown of a Honda CR-V trans, the concept is quite different.

I used to love the CVTs in the 2002-2005 Saturn Vue. I made SO much money off of those. In AWD models the belt would explode every 20-40k miles, FWD would last about 60k. CVTs are a great idea in theory, but they just can’t handle the torque. Trying to drive a vehicle solely on metal friction just doesn’t work. The amount of fluid pressure they need is crazy and the drums are so heavy.

I'm sure the issue was either the valve body or the TCM. Audi CVTs had a notorious TCM failure on their CVTs and you basically had to dismantle them to replace it. Ultimately there was a class action lawsuit with them and they had to replace all the CVTs under warranty up to a certain mileage and year.

I own a 2024 Toyota Corolla with 2-liter and CVT and I am impressed with the performance and fantastic MPG. This CVT employs a first gear to launch and it works! I'm 64 this year and this car will outlast me.

“Month old tuna” That was poetically descriptive

I have a four-speed automatic 09 Subaru Forester got 176,000 miles on it. Transmission still doing pretty good. I don’t like any vehicles with the CVT I’ll take a manual or automatic any day.

As the previous unfortunate owner of two Foresters, 2015, 2017 I can say from my numerous visits to the dealer and transmission rebuild specialist (who didn't warranty their work on these CVT) that they are certain to fail prematurely whatever people say, all CVT cars in the service department at all times had transmission issues 😂

Except for the chain belt, it reminds me of a torque converter on a snow mobile. Kind of reminds me of the transmission in a DAF.

The clutch pack inside the rear housing is for the rear output. There is a solenoid valve that supplies fluid, and should give about 10% engagement at all times, keeping some fluid running through there. When a speed mismatch is detected, the computer opens that valve, engaging the rear output solidly. On the old 4EAT cars, it had power supplies constantly, and was grounded by the computer iirc. You could add a wire and switch to ground to manually engage the rear output. Pulling the AWD fuse under the hood would remove the power, so it wouldn't try engaging when you had a tire mismatch or something. This one looks like someone screwed with the carrier adjusters, maybe they were chasing a noise, but probably shouldn't have been in there.

As a Subaru tech I can say 95% of CVT’s won’t have an issue as long as you have them serviced. However the biggest killer of CVT transmissions is incorrect service. Shops who don’t know Subarus end up draining the front differential or cvt instead of the engine oil. Just this week I’ve had 2 cars, a 15 forester and 19 outback with 4 neutrals because a shop incorrectly serviced the vehicle

'OK, what did that get us? Oh!' 😅 I have a 2017 XT, my 1st Subaru. Love the performance of the turbo. I drive it in S mode or 'sharp'. It's just right for downshifting with pedal control (even though it doesn't have gears, it pretty much feels like it does.) Very satisfying torque. At about 30K, the tranny pan developed a gasket leak; the dealer replaced under warranty. This, of course, meant draining and then new fluid so I basically got a free CVT fluid change. What I did notice was, even at 30K, the fluid was dark. Subaru really doesn't want you to change the 'lifetime fluid' because really, after 100K, the drive train is out of warranty. I am a big believer in CLEAN fluids, trans, crankcase, transfer case, etc. Preventative maintenance. It will serve you well. I'm retired and don't do a lot of driving now. I do oil 6 months/3k. Subaru has a major service each 30K that includes brake fluid, transfer case, and of course, oil. I'm gonna do the CVT fluid every 3K from now on. Almost everything I've seen on CVT failures relates to dirty, abrasive fluid. Happy Driving!

I've overhauled AT's from 1980 down, including 5 to 16 speed 18 wheeler trans, but I'm glad I never had to do one of these, looks more like a puzzle. Good luck Eric !! 😮

Those things work great in snowmobiles.

The quick answer is no, they should not all fail. The Subaru CVT offerings are generally very reliable except for the early years years and two specific transmission. Generally 2012-2017 is the trouble range, but not all cars. Most of them actually have issues with the solenoid pack rather than the transmission itself, though dealers usually just do a full replacement, which is far more expensive and not actually necessary. MrSubaru has covered these issue very well. I have a friend with a 2014 Crosstrek that the dealer said needed a new CVT. I asked him the codes and symptoms and told him to deny the service and have them replace the solenoid pack and replace the fluid instead. They did so and the car has been fine for many years now. Saved them over $4,000 IIRC. For the mechanically inclined, it's actually a relatively easy job. The early Ascent CVT also had its own issues which Subaru has admitted to, so people should be wary of that. There is an extended warranty and some kind of settlement. I believe the current iteration is improved. The other issue is the fluid service interval recommended, which Subaru, like many companies, definitely screwed up on. I believe they introduced it as a lifetime fluid, which was actually meant to be 100-120K miles, but owners should actually change the fluid every 40-60K miles ideally. I believe newer cars recommend a more regular interval rather than calling it lifetime, but I haven't actually checked the current recommendations. For the early CVT, a solenoid pack change and regular fluid service should keep them going for a very long time. For anything from the last 8 years or so, just a regular fluid service and it should be good to go. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big CVT fan either and the old Subaru automatic was far more bulletproof and worry free. It's just also true that Subaru has had one of the better overall CVT records in the industry, sad as that may be.

My 2011 is done after 208k. Lasted long but not as long as I would have liked. Agree we are indeed about to scrap it unfortunately the part is just too expensive.

Worked at a Jeep dealer about a decade ago, can confirm, CVTs can go to the fieriest pit of hell. Had a man buy lifetime powertrain warranty, he drives A LOT. How much? He had a 2012 Jeep Compass with the good ol' 2.4 mated to the CVT. 500,000 miles in 5 years. We replaced 6 transmissions, the damn oil pan wasn't even seeping. I'd say he got his money's worth.

Believe me, as a Subaru Master Tech, those chains do sometimes come apart. No drive or reverse coupled with an Intermediate Shaft Speed Sensor No Signal is a strong sign. Lately I’ve been seeing valve bodies fail and cause a similar situation, but no DTCs, the changeover solenoid or fluid circuit bleeds off pressure. The rate of failure on these transmissions is relatively low, we just see more because Subaru is pumping cars out faster and faster every year

Im sitting at 120 in my legacy... My fingers are crossed! We did needed to replace the transmission valve body for 3 grand... F.... the government forcing this crap.

I actually enjoy different teardowns. This was very informative and the commentary kept it fun!

I change my CVT fluid every 30,000 miles. So far so good. Had one go to 275,000 before the car got destroyed.

Its too bad both Nissan and Subaru have a whole generation of cars you can't buy used because of a CVT. Buy it new or lease it, sell it before the warranty is gone. I see posts on reddit from people who said they owe $14k on their Outback, the CVT failed and it's $12k to replace but the car is only worth $15k so they will never get their money back on the repairs. The old 4EAT would last 300k miles easy plus it was rebuildable.

For a Subaru and it’s made for a AWD vehicle. This design actually looks simpler than the Nissan unit that I seen awhile back on Pine Hollow Auto.

These videos are the best, love seeing strange things like CVTs!

The coolest thing about CVT is that the reverse gear can go just as fast as forward. At least, I'm kinda sure they engineered some dohikey so you can't, but that's extra effort. DAF made a car with CVT, in the 60s in Holland, and crazy people raced them in reverse!

I am one of those that lost a bunch of money on a failed Subaru CVT. I have owned four Subarus over my lifetime and would often recommend them over the last 40 years. I purchased a 2013 Outback with 12,000 miles. Within 3500 miles I got a low oil light. This continued and reduced to 2500 intervals. I had the oil consumption test done at 60,000 miles and the transmission serviced at a dealer and was told it did not consume enough for them to do anything. Strike one, but I kept the faith. Come 150,000 miles I got a whine from the transmission after spending $1,500 in parts to get another few years. I took it to a dealer with the diagnoses, failed transmission. The quote, $8,500 for a new transmission. No repair option. (This should be illegal) Checked with two other dealers and said that was about right for new transmission and that Subaru did not support any repairs. All the local transmission shops told me that Subaru does not offer parts for them and one place quoted me $3,700 for a used one with 110,000 miles, plus installation. The first dealer and I both reached out to Subaru, they would do nothing for me. They commented about gaps in my service records, as I do my own work. Nothing about that fact I had the transmission serviced at a dealer. They lost what was a lifetime customer and did not care!!! I dumped the an otherwise perfect condition car worth $9,000 for $1,800! My daughter leased a new car last summer and it was not a Subaru. Zoom Zoom!!!!

Just undoing every bolt you can see until parts fall off .... i'm sure i'm not the only person wh can relate to this level of expertise .. lol

My wife had a 2017 Nissan Rogue. The CVT transmission went out at 50,000 miles while she was heading to her audiologist appointment 120 miles from home. When I got to where the car died, 60 miles away, the transmission wouldn’t even go into gear. It was replaced under warranty. The technician that replaced it said the inside of the transmission was in pieces. Later, due to a class action law suit, the second transmission get an extended warranty. My wife told me with about 80k on the new transmission that it was starting to shift funny. Rather than us risking it going bad after the warranty expired, for 7200 bucks, not counting labor, I traded it in for her 2018 Ford Explorer. I only wish I could have seen the old transmission when they removed it.

It is so funny listening to you take something apart that you are not familiar with. Just like I would.😂

I could hear the Subaru techs screaming from here when you took to the belt with Blue!

I’ve watched about 10 of your videos and am amazed by the amount of engineering, parts designs, and WHO THE HELL makes all these parts! 😂

Completely overwhelmed by all the specialty tools and technical knowledge

I had a version of this transmission in my 2012 Impreza... that had issues with it's CVT. Oh, and it had the exact same mileage as this car... which is 8k miles beyond warranty. lol You can (kinda) fix the most common issue by swapping out the bad solenoids in the valve body, which can be done in the car (PITA), just make sure you find a good OEM solenoid. However, I did not keep that car long enough to see how long that fix lasted. With an aftermarket solenoid, it lasted about 100 miles. The new one lasted at least 1,000 miles. I'd suggest buying a used-good or used-parts valve body to either salvage the old-good solenoid(s), finding new ones is impossible since Subaru does not officially sell them.

Maintenance is key. Don’t listen to the owners manual about never changing the oil in one. Change the CVT oil every 30k and they will last a long time.

That is one monstrous transmission compared to what I'm used to. I do know I will never own a vehicle with a cvt.

It's a "belt," not a "chain." A chain would drive a toothed sprocket. If I was 12 years old and designed a CVT transmission, I would think I was a genius. Then an adult would look at my transmission idea and loudly proclaim "That's a neat idea. Too bad it'll only last a week, maybe a month. You can't make a belt strong enough to work practically." Whoever decided that CVT transmissions are a good substitute for existing geared technology has the engineering maturity of a child. THANK YOU for the video. Watching you take that transmission apart was enjoyable. If I had one of them, I would take it apart too. Your description "Month old tuna that came out of the microwave when it was on fire." is a new classic phrase, and should be widely used by all who require a description of a bad smell. I hope you have a lot more of those vivid descriptions in your vocabulary. Cheers.

Have 4 Subaru. One has 132K miles, other 92K, 60K and 24K. Those transmissions need service periodically even if the manual says different. You notice a big difference after they are serviced

A friend of mine had one of these and when she said she had to get a new car because the trans. went out at 120000 mi I thought she was crazy! But that was a few years ago. I have since heard nothing but bad things about Subaru CVTS. Such a shame because Subaru used to have a pretty good reputation, which accounts for my reaction to my friend's predicament.

Thanks for this, I own a 24 outback so have a similar transmission in mine, cool to see what it’s made of.

Good Video. I like the change-up from the Ubiquitous engines, don't get me wrong, love the engine shrapnel. It's neat seeing how tech works.

I'm always super happy when one of my friends gives me a scrap transmission...... soooo much aluminum!

Don’t tell Subaru owners that Subaru quality is no good anymore with cvt transmission and direct injection.

I like a few transmissions thrown into the mix...good show, and like your overview on the engines and transmissions.

Thanks, I enjoyed that - on the mpg "advantage" of CVTs over MTs, that's debatable (except for Subarus due to the differing AWD setup) - everyone points to the EPA numbers like they're truth, but the test rules don't allow for MTs to be shifted at optimal shift points for a given car like the WLTP test does - take a look at WLTP ratings in EU and you'll be surprised to see MTs edging CVTs in identical car-car comparos - there's large real world datasets that also support this (e.g. Mirage forum) - with no torque converter, MTs and DCTs still have less drivetrain loss - and they're fun to drive!

In the powersports world we call those things "sheaves" where the belt rides up and down. It looks to me like that thing was built to be the cheapest thing possible with zero regard to serviceability. Pretty sure they were designed to be throw-away from the start. Cheaper to make and sell, way more expensive to own in the long run.

CVTs would last longer on Mars. Gravity is lower, so the strain on them is lessened, and they wouldn't fail as easily.

"I really don't know how this pump comes apart" WHERE ARE MY HAMMERS?

Dude always delivers has met every video request i have had, thanks man!

Ivan at Pine Hollow Diagnostics did a tear down of a CVT for his wife's Murano several yrs ago. That 1 had some carnage.

What a monstrosity of a transmission ! Is that for a Suba truck . 😂

It might be short to make a belt out of, but that would be a really wild watchband, probably several watchbands. Very interesting video, thanks

I have a 2015 Honda CRV with the CVT. So far it’s been just fine. There are aspects of the driving experience I like, and some I’m less thrilled by. Recognizing that the CVT is much cheaper to manufacture than a traditional automatic, I expect to see more of these in the coming years as car manufacturers seek to reduce component costs.

A CVT can trigger a failure code for something as simple as a bad computer or sensor within the case. And since CVTs are generally not something that are taken apart, fixed, and put back together, the fix is a whole new transmission. That would probably explain why it failed despite having no belt issue.

We've had five Subarus with a CVT three of them well over 100,000 mi with no issues, but we do not listen to Subaru and follow the lifetime fluid BS. We changed that stuff every $30,000. Even towed extensively with our Ascent no issues. 120,000 mi

Saw at least 3 or 4 of these get replaced a week at the dealership but ive never seen inside one. Pretty awesome to see

I changed my fluid on my Subaru every 45k and use Amsoil and no problems so far. Purr like a kitten.

I thought CVTs were supposed to be light and compact. That transmission on your table seems huge.

I just wish we all could get a definite final agreement on these transmissions... I believe after reading lots of feedback that: Newer ones dont have the same issues.. Everyone should change the transmission fluid every 50,000 or even more often if people feel inclined.. Subaru tell Japanese customers to change the fluid.. In Europe they say it's not necessary and in the USA they also state it's not necessary.. ( I believe it is certainly necessary) Then they are generally reliable... But the doubt always hangs around the problem...

Someone's been driving this around with mismatched tire sizes or a low tire. The clutch pack on the rear section of the transmission is for transferring torque to the rear wheels.

I didn't know they put slinkys in CVT transmissions