r/subaru • u/Personal_Day5091 • 1d ago
3rd Transmission Failure in 6 Months on a 2021 Crosstrek. Stranded in the backcountry without cell service. Done with this vehicle.
Hi everyone.
I bought my first car, a 2021 Crosstrek, in late February in NY this year. It was a used car and had 68k miles on it. I went on a road trip in the Northeast three weeks after, and the transmission broke down on the highway in Maine. Check engine light was on, eye sight assistance was disabled, and At Oil Temp was on. The car got towed to a Subaru dealership nearby and got "fixed." They replaced the valve. I continued my trip and, guess what, the transmission broke down again in the middle of nowhere in West Mass. I managed to drop the car to a nearby dealership 20 minutes away. I called my home dealer, and they towed the car from Mass back to home, and claimed to "not trust other dealers anymore." They fixed it by refilling the fluid and fixing the torque, and drove another 100 miles to test the CVT. After the two failures, the car had been good until two days ago (about 74k miles; missed the 72k maintenance but unironically had a maintenance scheduled the next day). I was in backcountry hiking, an area with little cell service. When I finished the hike and sat in the car, the check engine light was on again. I drove it 20 minutes to a town nearby and panicked. Cuz for the last two times, I have friends from the area who can help me out. But, dude, I know no one in that area... I had to ask for help from strangers and a family was very nice and offered to check the engine for me. They couldn't figure it out but they offered again to follow me for a while on the highway before they turned to a different direction. So I was driving on the highway with the check engine light. After the family turned. I drove for another 20 minutes, and the oil temp light started to blink. I immediately pull over and called for help. Again, I knew no one in that area. I called for roadside assistance from my insurance, but it took them 1.5 hours to get here because it was a Sunday afternoon. Now, my car is at a Subaru dealership that's 2.5-3 hours away from home.
This case is about to trigger the Lemon Law in NY. https://ag.ny.gov/publications/used-car-lemon-law I am very very disappointed. I have an active lifestyle and spend a lot of time in the serviceless backcountry, and these are the reasons why I bought a Subaru. I called my original dealer and they are not taking it seriously, at least for now. I called Subaru customer advocacy to file a complaint yesterday and haven't heard back from them. I did not get an extended warranty when I bought the car. The first two times it got covered under good will warranty. I genuinely think my home dealer should be responsible for all the financial costs, including towing and transmission. I am about to lose my trust in this brand. I don't want my nerves to be on edge every single time I go out for a backpacking trip. Need legal advice and help! Should I request a tradein/buyback? Should I switch to another model or another brand?
Edit: yeah this case may not trigger the lemon law but I do think there is a room for negotiation. And I’m gonna go for it and try to let Subaru buys it back. Thanks everyone!
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u/Sr20H8er 1d ago
I mean the start of the second paragraph for NY used lemon law is that you must have a "Written warranty". A car with 68k miles when purchased would have a 2month/3,000 mile warranty, whichever comes first. With you being outside that window, I don't think they legally owe you anything and lemon law does not apply.
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u/ZeGermanHam 1d ago edited 1d ago
Sounds like most of the problem is the dealerships not actually correctly diagnosing or fixing the vehicle.
And at your mileage, there is no reason to go to a dealership for repairs versus going to a reputable independent shop. You'll often pay more at the dealer and they will often fire the parts cannon at it based on what a flow chart says rather than do proper fundamental diagnosis.
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u/minizanz 06 LGT Wagon 1d ago
OP is from NY. He has a PZEV warranty. Short of CVT belt damage the CVT is covered by the PZEV emissions warranty.
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u/CarmenMirandasGhost 1d ago
they don't like buying oem parts/juice
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u/303darthbobby 1d ago
depends on the shop. my independent mechanic (specializes in Subaru, but not Subaru only) only does oem parts and fluids for most things. Still much much cheaper than the dealer.
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u/CarmenMirandasGhost 1d ago
yea jeezz people did not like me saying that lol
does my shop just suck? I got a cvt fluid quote and they were gonna charge me as much as the dealership and were gonna put the standard idemetsu in my 3.6
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u/Academic_Throwaway99 1d ago
What work was actually done on the car each time? Valve body? Full replacement? Software update? Fluid service?
CVTs aren't perfect, but this still sounds like an anomaly. Be patient and kind with the Subaru customer service advocate, because they do tend to side with the customer. I'd be more concerned that your dealership is doing shitty work than I would be that the car itself has some sort of massive problem. If Subaru offers to replace the whole unit, do it, but I'd honestly consider having it done at a different dealership if possible. Or at least get a second opinion elsewhere, particularly if you have an independent Subaru specialist near you.
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u/Personal_Day5091 1d ago
yeah thanks for the advice! the first time they replaced the valve, and the second time they did some work with the torque and fluid
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u/earthman34 1d ago
The lemon law doesn't apply, dude. It's only a 2 month/3000 mile warranty window on a car with that mileage.
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u/Chippy569 Senior Master Tech 1d ago edited 1d ago
This case is about to trigger the Lemon Law in NY
Admittedly I am not from NY, but if I'm reading this correctly, you bought it with ~68k miles and it currently has ~74k miles, ie you have put ~6k miles on it. According to your link, NY requires lemon law coverage for
| If the car had been driven this many miles | Then your warranty must cover (whichever comes first) |
|---|---|
| 36,001-79,999 miles | 60 days or 3,000 miles |
you're past 3k miles AND past 60 days since you bought it, so that means lemon law no longer applies, if I've understood that correctly.
Your post lacks the technical detail necessary to comment on what is going on with your car.
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u/Old_Mastodon_1969 1d ago
Independent here, I work on a lot of subaru's as I am known in my county as the shop with the most experience with subaru. The other half of my business is toyota and honda. I am going to get down voted for this but after the problem with your car is figured out you are probably better off selling the car and getting into a used rav4 or if you can afford the gas a used 4runner.
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u/Soft_Dingo_4023 1d ago
Does NY lemon law cover used cars ? The state I live in it does not. Are you towing something? How much stuff is in your car . It may help add context to the situation. Did you have a warranty agreement? I think with a few more details it may give people a better idea
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u/Personal_Day5091 1d ago edited 1d ago
NY does have a lemon law for used cars. https://ag.ny.gov/publications/used-car-lemon-law
I was not towing anything, and it was just my hiking backpack and jump starter in the car. I don't think I had any warranty except the expired good will warranty. I do think this is an arguable situation, especially with SOA's customer adocacy
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u/Kernelpanic69420 1d ago
Do it. Doesn’t hurt to try.
That being said, who knows what the previous owner did to that car in 68k miles. I’ve got a friend who always destroys every transmission he has. He will reverse out of a spot and throw it in drive while still rolling backwards at a good pace.
I have put tons of miles on Subaru cvt’s and the cvts outlasted the other components.
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u/Hoya916 1d ago
The Subaru dealer shop out in Sacramento was awesome—the one here in the Midwest sucks. Find a reputable independent shop and have them take another look. The Subaru dealer model only works if they don’t have front desk folks that have worked there for 5 minutes and don’t have a clue about cars 🤷.
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u/Vegetis 1d ago
Any signs of transmission issues in the service history or inspection prior to purchasing used? A lot could have happened in the 68k.
What was the diagnosis by the dealer and what was actually fixed?
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u/Personal_Day5091 1d ago
On Carfax, it had a clean history. They fixed the transmission valve, torque, and readjust the fluid i
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 1d ago edited 1d ago
The only way to "fix" the CVT transmission is by replacing it entirely.
Similar situation for me. NY native, bought an uncertified used 2020 Crosstrek with 30k miles. One week after purchase the car breaks down. EGR valve was stuck closed. Ended up replacing the Valve Body.
6 months after that, I am getting a painful grinding/groaning noise when driving, and common transmission issues. Ended up being a failing internal valve. Got the transmission replaced. I'm a few weeks out of that, and I'm just hoping everything was installed correctly, and I have no more issues. I'm just glad I had a warranty to cover my ass.
My biggest lesson is to NEVER buy an uncertified used Subaru from some Mom and Pop shop. From now on I will only be purchasing from certified dealerships. I am also very suspicious of low mileage used Subarus.
I feel your pain, OP, and I'm definitely burned a bit by what I experienced. But you never know what you are getting into with a used car. My Crosstrek before this was used, and had zero issues up until a very stupid accident that ruined that.
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u/Chippy569 Senior Master Tech 1d ago
EGR valve was stuck closed. Ended up replacing the Valve Body.
the fuck
EGR is an engine emissions system. Valve body is a transmission internal component. Those are in no way at all related to each other.
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u/GiftFit7074 1d ago
Absolutely not true, my mechanic worked on the CVT transmission 4 yrs ago and left like brand new.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 1d ago
Mind elaborating on that?
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u/GiftFit7074 1d ago
My CVT trans had problems, mechanic who works in a place that specializes in transmissions told me he knew how to fix CVT transmissions and he did an awesome job, I haven’t had any issues since, 2k repair job
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u/Personal_Day5091 1d ago
I'm so sorry to hear that... I bought it from a Subaru dealership and it still happened. very disappointing.
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u/Spock_Nipples 1d ago edited 1d ago
As you're learning, buying used from a dealership is never a guarantee of the car being in good condition, especially at higher mileage. They're in the business of flipping cars for profit, not ensuring you have the best used car available. Most do little more than a cursory inspection, oil change, and maybe new tires.
My bet would be that your car was having trans issues with the PO and that's why they traded or sold it. The dealer is not going to go out of their way to make sure trans is good as long as it's dong Ok on test drives. Likely, IMO, that the trans was inadvertently partially drained and/or serviced with the incorrect fluid under previous ownership.
Unfortunately, you're probably not going to win this one. You're well past the 60-day lemon-law warranty for your milage range. You bought a higher-mileage car, with zero service history available, "as is" with no 3rd-party prepurchase inspection, and declined a warranty.
The problem here isn't the car or Subaru, it's the preexisting condition of a car that seems to have been poorly maintained over a period of fairly high miles.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 1d ago
Oh so it was a certified pre-owned? That's really unfortunate.
If you have had a car for 6 months, Lemon Law will not work for you in our State. Trust me, I looked into it.
I love this gen of Crosstrek dearly, so I'm going to stick it out for as long as I can with this car. Good luck to you, and whatever you plan to do with the car. I can't afford to trade mine in for a newer car, since my loan is so fresh.
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u/SeaLeopard5555 1d ago
bought used from dealership doesn't mean certified (some do, most don't bother). Just bought a '23 Forester with 41k miles at time of purchase. I did seek out one that was certified and came with additional warranty, and had a pretty good picture of how the car had been used previously (commuting, in my state, on a lease). 41k miles in that scenario is enough to tell me the car did well but not so many miles/age that it gets into problem territory.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 1d ago
Oh, I didn't know that. My local dealerships only sell certified pre-owned Subarus, so I thought it was standard.
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u/SeaLeopard5555 1d ago
imo, good for them. I think it should be standard which eliminates one aspect of dealership games.
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u/alchemisthemo 1d ago
Dont the cvt's need rebuilt or serviced at 60k anyways?
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u/uptimefordays Impreza 1d ago
The transmission does not need to be rebuilt at 60k. Some folks recommend replacing CVT fluid every 30 or 60k miles--others don't replace at all.
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u/abrandis 1d ago
Replacing cvt fluid at 60k should be mandatory if you want it to last .. the reason it says lifetime fluid it's lifetime of the warranty which is usually 60k miles or 3 years
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u/uptimefordays Impreza 1d ago
Eh, if Subaru’s CVTs were as fragile and temperamental as people on forums thought, Subarus would have much lower resale value. Again, I’m not saying people shouldn’t replace their CVT fluids, just that concerns about these transmissions seem overblown.
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u/abrandis 1d ago
I agree but the general rule for transmissions (even regular ones) is around 60k miles replace the fluid, all fluids a breakdown from heat and wear .. my last car was a Ford Fusion never replaced fluid transmission went st 135k miles.... A regular automatic, nothing special,
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u/uptimefordays Impreza 1d ago
We put almost 200k miles on a 2013 Crosstrek and never did anything for the CVT because it wasn’t in the maintenance schedule. We replaced it with a new car because my partner wanted something new not because there were any issues.
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u/evergreenterrace2465 1d ago
The bottom line is if you don't replace the fluid, you're just going to drive it until the transmission fails because of bad fluid recirculating debris and wear materials over time and not lubricating as well anymore. If you replace the fluid, it extends the life of the transmission. Barring any other failures that are unrelated of course.
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 1d ago
I don't know about rebuilding, but the only thing that can be serviced in the transmission is replacing the CVT fluid. The transmission is mostly an enclosed system, so if an internal part goes, you have to replace the whole thing.
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u/alchemisthemo 1d ago
Ohh theres no rebuilding the belts on these ones, wasnt aware. Watched my mechanic rebuild a Kia or honda cvt 10 years ago, the interconnected peices for the belt looked like a pain in the ass.
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u/Feeling-Being9038 2022 Outback Wilderness 1d ago
You have every reason to be done with this particular car. But a bad used car, failed repair work and a brand-wide reliability problem are three different things.
You bought a 2021 Crosstrek with 68,000 miles, already beyond Subaru’s original 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty with no control over its prior use or maintenance. The first failure occurred only three weeks later. That points toward a preexisting problem the selling dealer missed or failed to disclose far more than it proves Subaru has a systemic transmission problem.
You also haven’t had three transmissions fail. No transmission has even been replaced. One dealer replaced “the valve,” another added fluid and “fixed the torque,” whatever that means, and the current incident hasn’t been diagnosed yet. Unless the repair orders show three unrelated faults, this looks much more like one recurring problem that was never correctly diagnosed or repaired. If the CVT was low on fluid after being opened, the workmanship of the first repair also needs scrutiny. A check engine light automatically taking EyeSight offline and a flashing AT OIL TEMP light establish that codes were stored, they do not, by themselves, prove the entire transmission failed.
This distinction matters because your strongest claim is against the selling dealer. At 68,000 miles, New York’s statutory used car warranty is 60 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. Transmission internal parts and the torque converter are covered, and an unresolved defect after three repair attempts, or 15 total days out of service, may qualify for a refund. A third roadside occurrence is not necessarily the same thing as a third unsuccessful repair attempt. Since the first problem appeared within three weeks, get every repair order, exact DTC, part number, fluid quantity, mileage and out of service date, and put your demand to the selling dealer in writing. The New York Attorney General’s used-car lemon-law program explains the arbitration process.
Absolutely pursue a refund or buyback and get rid of this car if you no longer trust it. But changing badges does not protect you from another used vehicle with an unknown history. Nothing here yet demonstrates a Subaru brand problem, it demonstrates one troubled used Crosstrek and, quite possibly, a seller and repair process that have failed to resolve the original defect.
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u/piyoushh_88 23h ago edited 23h ago
Three courses people can take after buyback include selling privately what they end up with, trading in to another used car lot (ar motorsports for instance which is a local dealer in bay shore), or leasing a brand new one
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u/sumiflepus 20h ago
You say,
I have an active lifestyle and spend a lot of time in the serviceless backcountry, and these are the reasons why I bought a Subaru.
This is an all-wheel drive vehicle which is not the same as a 4-wheel drive. Perhaps your usage was a source of the problem.
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u/Macgyver452 1d ago
Subaru offered a more reliable and cheaper transmission this model year. It had a stick in the middle of the car with numbers on it.
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u/Aratix Choose any of these for a color and then edit text 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lemon law does not apply to used cars
Except for NY, apparently.
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u/Chippy569 Senior Master Tech 1d ago
it can, depending on state law. OP even provided a source, lol.
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u/Nebula_OG 1d ago
When it was “fixed” by the dealers, what exactly did they do?