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CVT lifespan (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by WeebLife@lemmy.world to c/mechanicadvice@lemmy.world

Hi everyone,

I have a 2012 Nissan versa which uses a CVT. I am close to hitting 100k miles and just had my transmission serviced. I'm not having any problems with the transmission, but just wanted to do routine maintenance on my car. When I was at the shop, the guy kept telling me how unreliable CVTs are and I'm lucky I got 100k miles out of it. He also made it sound like it could totally fail at any point in the near future. So I'm just curious how long do CVTs last? He said they typically fail around 70k miles. If they truly don't last much longer than 100k miles then maybe I should look into getting a new car while mine is still working. I tried looking it up online but I don't trust the AI content.

Thanks!

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[-] venusaur@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

The CVT’s of this time suck. I think you might be past average life. Look for another car.

[-] WeebLife@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Any input on Mazda? I've been looking at them and they seem to not use CVT.

[-] actionjbone@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

"Continuously Variable Transmission Transmission"

[-] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There's a ton of factors to consider, but basically a CVT uses a belt and belts will always wear. The rate will depend on how you drive, how heavy the car is, etc. Usually they start slipping first rather than immediate failure. Truthfully 100k sounds about the time to me, especially in a Nissan, but if it's still accelerating properly ride it till it dies. And with the market the way it is it might be worth repairing anyway if the car is otherwise in good shape. They're labor intensive but shouldn't be any more than a traditional automatic to repair.

[-] WeebLife@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

The guy at the shop said they cost around 6k to replace. As far as getting a new one, I'd rather get one when I have the time to look and get something I want and good deal, instead of drive my car til it dies then be in a rush to get a new one.

[-] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Is your shop a dealership? I was thinking more in ballpark of 3.5k but then I don't have context of your area or anything ofc. At 6k I think looking for something else is worth it, if you're in a good position to do it.

[-] WeebLife@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

No, they aren't a dealership. I was pretty surprised by that price too.

[-] chonkyninja@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

If you service it in a timely fashion you’re fine. There’s millions of vehicles on the road all using a CVT.

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

I never heard of CVT failed at 100k km. Yes CVT is somehow unreliable but i never work on a nissan that failed at that range, assuming oil and filter change is done regularly. The one that i replaced usually have a few things going on: one is they used the wrong fluid, sometime for extended amount of time, second is running low on fluid, third is service irregularly(or none at all, so the fluid is close to black when it comes out), or the one car with horrible quality CVT that known to fail. I honestly never replace one with good record that early, or at all, most tend to caused by maintenance issue.

160k km is not really at the point of failure either from my experience, i usually work on car with OG CVT that goes longer than that, sometime even to 300k. people usually replace their car anyway before reaching 300k. If it still accelerate well then keep driving.

Also pro tip: change the fluid half the recommended mileage, and disregard those that say "life time" and maintenance free. They say 80k you do 40k. And also be gentle with the acceleration. That's how you extend the life of a CVT.

this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2025
12 points (100.0% liked)

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