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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

Two things that kill these. One is not changing the fluid every 30k which oddly is recomended in canada. The 2nd is not waiting for the car to stop before changing direction

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.

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.

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

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.

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.”

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

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.

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 😢.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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

“Month old tuna” That was poetically descriptive

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.

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.

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'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 !! 😮

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

99% of the time it’s the valve body solenoid/s that fail. So not a mechanical failure. I got 200,000klm out of a Forester XT (the 690 version like the 6 cylinder you referenced) before it threw its valve body. Australia didn’t get the extended warranty but Subaru Aus helped with the repair. The metal chain does mean that the Subaru CVT’s don’t have as bad a rubber band feeling, would I prefer a manual, 100%, but they don’t make them.

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.

Thank you Eric!👍

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.

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

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

Never saw a cvt transmission yet, excellent vídeo as always, nice did!

Completely overwhelmed by all the specialty tools and technical knowledge

I've had 4 of these since they came out and as long as you follow the 50k service and flush the fluid and obviously make sure that you keep up on any leaks so they don't run low on fluid these cats should have no problem hitting over 200k miles all 5 of mine all bought used with between 20k-100k miles on them were in perfect condition when I sold them with the lowest mileage of 225k. I never showed them any mercy and overheated them all several times over the time I had them

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.

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

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

Valve body solenoid is usually the only failure on these.

I have trouble not enjoying these tear downs. Thanks again for the mid week.

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

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

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.

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

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

That was a mystery inside a mess of weird parts; some cool looking contraptions🤔🤷overall a ton of fun for Wednesday!!👍💛🍸to you Eric❤

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

Hey, Van Doorne made these CVT things. He was a drive train genius. Invented the 'push-chain'. Good show. You had fun, and I enjoyed you having the fun.

Great video! It was nice to meet you and your brother over the weekend. Sorry for my awkward introduction. Was nice to chat with you. The planetary gears in this I do believe are for the center differential. I personally hope you get more "opportunities" like this. It's entertaining and informative.

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!

What I find hilarious is that when these CVT's first came out for "Fuel Efficiency" people started complaining that they couldn't feel them shift. Well (as anyone with a brain knows) that's because they don't shift. So, what did they do? They started messing with the transmissions software to give the illusion/feel of shifting gears. If you ask me, that probably contributed to those early CVT's horrible reliability issues. I think I'll just stick with good old regular automatic gearboxes.

It's fun watching Eric try disassembling things he's not familiar with. You can see his mechanic's intuition...and he has a lot! Please, please try a piston aircraft engine some day! Little 4 cyl Continental would be perfect! The only transmission work I have done was to replace a shift solenoid in the valve body. I ended up breaking a brittle gasket so I disassembled all the layers of the valve body and replaced all the gaskets....LOTS of little pieces can fall out and I was almost surprised it worked when I put it all back together. 645,000 miles on that transmission now.

Here goes a another "sealed: transmission. Most likely fluid and filter were never replaced

I couldn't believe how big that CVT was.

I like the semi-different content. Appreciated

Thank you for great videos!

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

Sold my forester with 77k because of overheating transmission light illuminating going up hlls, followed maintenance schedule from dealer faithfully, AC also had intermittent problems so saw the handwriting on the wall and traded it in

I love these oddball teardowns!

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

As a Honda guy My 09 1.8 civic was a great driving automatic (4 or 5 speed ?) my now Honda HR-v has the same 1.8 engine and as I have come to expect, is a good car. Mostly over the years I buy used Hondas and each time the first thing is to dump and replace all the fluids and filters, and this HR-v was the most expensive (44000 miles) one as the CVT fluid is expensive and takes special stuff, All is well, I like the car but kind of miss the old automatic, remember keep the the moving parts clean and fresh; change your oil. Wife had an 87 CVR that went 300,000 mile with no problems, Oh I do all the maintenance myself and always use Pennzoil products. (I'm 80 now so I do less)

i bought a subaru crosstrek with a 6 speed manual. it's a 2022 and is no longer available as a manual. if i ever bought another new subaru, i would use it as an excuse to buy a WRX, the last AWD subaru with a manual. i really like the car, if i can get 20 years out of it, i will. i spray it heavily with fluid film to keep the rust from killing it. i am not a fan of the idea of a CVT, but i am absolutely fine with steel gears and a clutch

I have a 2016 highlander hybrid, with CVT and I love it, and yeah you got it 340K miles, I tow my boat all over with it and its been fantastic, now Im worried of getting another CVT vehicle, I feel lucky to have gotten this many miles

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.

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.

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.

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!! I'm gonna turn on TV and watch. My opinion later when I finish..

Nice change up from engines. Was cool to see the guts of a Subie CVT.

I didn't know they put slinkys in CVT transmissions

When they built cvt's at the batavia ford plant they called the pulleys variators.

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.

I have a Toyota Corolla with a CVT, and while it took some getting used to, it’s very efficient to drive. I believe it comes down to how you take care of them. They can last if taken care of, but you must use the right fluid and drain it frequently.

So, basically they've devolved into an oversized go-kart transmission. I'm keeping my old Tahoe until one of us dies.

And now for something completely different.

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

appears well built!

CVT Trans are trash. Nissan owners know this well. Don't try to own one beyond 60k. Trade it before then.

That thing is CHUNKY, even for an AWD car. Huge, CVT, breaks easily, expensive....I'm having a hard time finding upsides to it.

Awesome video! You can how that there put together! You also see why it fails in design too!

Cool to see the inside of this. We own a Forester 2023 automatic.

I fucking hate CVT's! These will last if you change the fluid every 30k-50k. Why not just offer a traditional or dual clutch automatic? Even better, a MANUAL transmission. Great video!

a cvt is a very simple concept especially compared to a modern automatic. it would seem that adequate lubrication is critical. other drivetrain parts i would like to see you teardown is a modern automatic like the ram 8 speed or ford 10 speed. great video!

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.

These transmissions were the first version on Subaru CVTs. Their issues were torque converter unintended lockup and valve body's. Internals on Subaru CVTs rarely break without abuse. And for the haters if they were junk they'd be more in demand.

Subaru fixed the valve body on my Outback with 150,000 on the clock. I don’t know of any manufacturer who would have done the same. Still driving it today with 225,000