My girlfriend has a 2011 Subaru Outback with the CVT, and it just passed 60,000 miles. According to the manual, this is a service free unit and the fluid does not need to be drained and refilled...BS. Should I drain and refill with Subaru CVT fluid or trust the manual? The dealer also said the tranny fluid was lifetime about my dad's Saturn Outlook and when the tranny started slipping at 140,000 miles with the original fluid, I drained it and it was black! 

We have the 2010 outback with a CVT trans. We bought it with around 90,000 miles and had to repeatedly argue with the dealer to change the trans fluid as part of the deal. After all, you never know how the car was treated and even though the small receiver hitch had never been used for towing I made them change the fluid anyway.

 

They were supposed to save a sample of the old trans fluid to get an analisys and did not do that. I was an unhappy guy because I repeatedly told the service manager to save a sample. So after explaining the problem they took about 250 bucks off the deal. I was still not happy about their BS and won't be going back there. 

 

Anyway the CVT trans is performing well and internet research shows they are without problems so far.

 

When you change the fluid, temperature, along with fluid level, is very important. Apparently the type of fluid and its characteristics, the level changes a lot so there is a specific temperature and level you have to bring it up to for the correct filling.

I have a 2011 Nisssan Murano Cross Cabriolet with the CVT and Nissan says the same thing, lifetime fluid but recommend UOA to determine change intervals starting @ 120K or somewhere in that range but I will change it up anyhow around 50-60K with Amsoil just for peace of mind.

Nissan was the first to design and engineer and bring CVT trannies to the market, heck some other MFG,s that run CVT trannies have the Nissan unit in them. Ford runs them in a lot of their vehicles and have for many years.

We have the 2010 outback with a CVT trans. We bought it with around 90,000 miles and had to repeatedly argue with the dealer to change the trans fluid as part of the deal. After all, you never know how the car was treated and even though the small receiver hitch had never been used for towing I made them change the fluid anyway.

They were supposed to save a sample of the old trans fluid to get an analisys and did not do that. I was an unhappy guy because I repeatedly told the service manager to save a sample. So after explaining the problem they took about 250 bucks off the deal. I was still not happy about their BS and won't be going back there.

Anyway the CVT trans is performing well and internet research shows they are without problems so far.

When you change the fluid, temperature, along with fluid level, is very important. Apparently the type of fluid and its characteristics, the level changes a lot so there is a specific temperature and level you have to bring it up to for the correct filling.

Must have been Lithia Subaru. We've had nothing but problems with them. The free car wash when the car is serviced looks terrible. Washed about half of each panel.

Exactly Joe! They were okay when they first started out, used to get the small town treatment, but now with the crowds having moved into Oregon they don't care as there's plenty more customers going in there now a days.

Thanks guys, I think I'll have the dealer do this drain and refill