New 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness Owner - Advice on maintenance

[Liberty610]

Hi all,

The Mrs. and I just traded in our 2018 Forester that had 132,000 miles on it for a new 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. The Forester was starting to nickel and dime us a bit, and after putting a new Valve body and exhaust system on it only to get another check engine light scenario related to electrical modules that needed diagnostics ran on it, we decided it was time to trade up.

I have always made sure to keep up on the maintenance of our vehicles. We have been running nothing but Subarus for the last 13 years or so. We leased our 2018 Forester brand new off the lost in late 2017, and with the trade we just did with it at 132,000 we got $6500.00 for it. The max trade value was $7,000 I believe. And we are currently still running a 2014 Impreza with 122,000 miles on it without any issues. So we maintain them well.

We love our new Crosstrek, and I have been looking further into maintenance routines on the newer models. We took the car out on a lease, but we plan on buying it outright after the lease is up. So I wanted to get some feedback on what all we should be doing outside the oil changes and tire rotations, specifically with the CVT topic.

I keep getting mix search results on the CVT maintenance. From youtube videos, to forum posts, it seems to be a controversial topic. Some say the fluids are 'lifetime' and not to touch it, others say it needs drained and refilled at certain milage, and then eventually a full flush. On my 2018 Forester, the valve body went bad at about 130,000 miles and needed replaced, and some people say the reason why they are known to have issues at 120,000 to 130,000 miles is because the fluid is not a true life time fluid, and if there were better drain/refill cycles done, the CVTs would last longer. The Forester we just traded in had the valve body go just before we hit 130,000 miles. We got a month out of the new one before other issues popped up that pushed us into doing a trade in. So I am wondering if doing the fluid maintenance for the CVTs could have help prevent that, because I don't believe it was ever done until the new valve body was put in.

I have a local mechanic I usually work with for my cars. He's become a good friend of mine, and he's helped us out many times when preventing us from over spending dealing with the dealerships. He leans towards more of the 'don't do the CVT drain and refills; leave it be unless it's absolutely needed". Is this still a controversial topic? Or has more data come back that leans one way over the other? I am not much of a mechanical guy. More so a computer/tech type of guy. So I am learning as I go on the cars ordeal.

What other maintenance task should we be considering over time that may not be in the recommended in the general Subaru list? I just want to take care of the new Crosstrek so it last us like the others have. When our lease is up, we should be in a solid position to put a large amount down on to keep the loan rate down.

Thanks for any feedback you all can provide!

 

[Einsteiger]

The only one claiming that CVT fluid is lifetime is Subaru America. In Japan, they recommend a service interval. Basically their "lifetime" definition is until the CVT fails. Which it will without periodic scheduled fluid maintenance. It's not cheap, but preferable to an $8,000+ trans replacement.

The YouTube guy that SEEMS the most honest and straightforward is MrSubaru1387. I don't like taking up bandwidth by reposting videos, but check out his take on the CVT and other issues. [TITLE, NOT LINK: Subaru CVT Problems EXPOSED: Everything You Need To Know As A Subaru Owner!]

My local dealer does not subscribe to the lifetime fluid claim. Luckily.

 

[Liberty610]

The only one claiming that CVT fluid is lifetime is Subaru America. In Japan, they recommend a service interval. Basically their "lifetime" definition is until the CVT fails. Which it will without periodic scheduled fluid maintenance. It's not cheap, but preferable to an $8,000+ trans replacement.

The YouTube guy that SEEMS the most honest and straightforward is MrSubaru1387. I don't like taking up bandwidth by reposting videos, but check out his take on the CVT and other issues. [TITLE, NOT LINK: Subaru CVT Problems EXPOSED: Everything You Need To Know As A Subaru Owner!]

My local dealer does not subscribe to the lifetime fluid claim. Luckily.

Mr.Subaru is one of the guys I have started following and I had already watched that video. So, his video was actually one of the ones that lead me down a research rabbit hole on this.

Any other recommendations? We usually don't do the 6,000 mile oil changes, we do 5,000.

I am wondering if we should get the CVT fluid done in the 2014 Impreza we have, as again, our mechanic is leaning towards leaving it. But it's up to 120,000+ miles now.

 

[Einsteiger]

I'm a 5K or less miles on oil changes too. Longer intervals are just marketing...and harmful. Personally, since you know the history on the 2014, I would do the fluid and filter change on the CVT. No flushing or anything, just the basics. Your mechanic likely subscribes to the general rule for most conventional automatic transmissions: If you don't truly know if a transmission has seen regular service, don't change it. My son's 2004 Toyota Highlander has 260K, but he's only owned it for five years and there were zero service records. Even the Car Care Nut on YouTube told us to leave it alone unless absolutely certain that it's had regular changes. Your Impreza does not fit this definition.

 

[Liberty610]

The impreza was bought used about 10 years ago, but it was bought with less then 50,000 miles on it. My in-law bought it, and could no longer drive, so she handed it off to us. We took it over at about 50,000 miles on it about 2 and a half years ago. My wife travels a lot for work, so it's mostly highway milage. But again, we know the history, so yeah I don't believe the CVT fluid has ever been changed.

 

[Einsteiger]

I guess it's a coin toss, but I would lean towards doing it. But that's me. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Liberty610]

I guess it's a coin toss, but I would lean towards doing it. But that's me. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks. I have had different answers from different dealerships. One in my area says they don't even do them because they are an authorized dealer and Subaru says not to do them. This is the most frustrating ordeal, especially when I question the integrity of dealerships all the time who just want my wallet haha.

I guess it's a flip of the coin!

 

[Fuzzerelli5%]

Hi all,

The Mrs. and I just traded in our 2018 Forester that had 132,000 miles on it for a new 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. The Forester was starting to nickel and dime us a bit, and after putting a new Valve body and exhaust system on it only to get another check engine light scenario related to electrical modules that needed diagnostics ran on it, we decided it was time to trade up.

I have always made sure to keep up on the maintenance of our vehicles. We have been running nothing but Subarus for the last 13 years or so. We leased our 2018 Forester brand new off the lost in late 2017, and with the trade we just did with it at 132,000 we got $6500.00 for it. The max trade value was $7,000 I believe. And we are currently still running a 2014 Impreza with 122,000 miles on it without any issues. So we maintain them well.

We love our new Crosstrek, and I have been looking further into maintenance routines on the newer models. We took the car out on a lease, but we plan on buying it outright after the lease is up. So I wanted to get some feedback on what all we should be doing outside the oil changes and tire rotations, specifically with the CVT topic.

I keep getting mix search results on the CVT maintenance. From youtube videos, to forum posts, it seems to be a controversial topic. Some say the fluids are 'lifetime' and not to touch it, others say it needs drained and refilled at certain milage, and then eventually a full flush. On my 2018 Forester, the valve body went bad at about 130,000 miles and needed replaced, and some people say the reason why they are known to have issues at 120,000 to 130,000 miles is because the fluid is not a true life time fluid, and if there were better drain/refill cycles done, the CVTs would last longer. The Forester we just traded in had the valve body go just before we hit 130,000 miles. We got a month out of the new one before other issues popped up that pushed us into doing a trade in. So I am wondering if doing the fluid maintenance for the CVTs could have help prevent that, because I don't believe it was ever done until the new valve body was put in.

I have a local mechanic I usually work with for my cars. He's become a good friend of mine, and he's helped us out many times when preventing us from over spending dealing with the dealerships. He leans towards more of the 'don't do the CVT drain and refills; leave it be unless it's absolutely needed". Is this still a controversial topic? Or has more data come back that leans one way over the other? I am not much of a mechanical guy. More so a computer/tech type of guy. So I am learning as I go on the cars ordeal.

What other maintenance task should we be considering over time that may not be in the recommended in the general Subaru list? I just want to take care of the new Crosstrek so it last us like the others have. When our lease is up, we should be in a solid position to put a large amount down on to keep the loan rate down.

Thanks for any feedback you all can provide!

Drain and fill trans every 40-50k miles. I do it on my '14 Forester.

 

[BarryB333]

Hi all,

The Mrs. and I just traded in our 2018 Forester that had 132,000 miles on it for a new 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. The Forester was starting to nickel and dime us a bit, and after putting a new Valve body and exhaust system on it only to get another check engine light scenario related to electrical modules that needed diagnostics ran on it, we decided it was time to trade up.

I have always made sure to keep up on the maintenance of our vehicles. We have been running nothing but Subarus for the last 13 years or so. We leased our 2018 Forester brand new off the lost in late 2017, and with the trade we just did with it at 132,000 we got $6500.00 for it. The max trade value was $7,000 I believe. And we are currently still running a 2014 Impreza with 122,000 miles on it without any issues. So we maintain them well.

We love our new Crosstrek, and I have been looking further into maintenance routines on the newer models. We took the car out on a lease, but we plan on buying it outright after the lease is up. So I wanted to get some feedback on what all we should be doing outside the oil changes and tire rotations, specifically with the CVT topic.

I keep getting mix search results on the CVT maintenance. From youtube videos, to forum posts, it seems to be a controversial topic. Some say the fluids are 'lifetime' and not to touch it, others say it needs drained and refilled at certain milage, and then eventually a full flush. On my 2018 Forester, the valve body went bad at about 130,000 miles and needed replaced, and some people say the reason why they are known to have issues at 120,000 to 130,000 miles is because the fluid is not a true life time fluid, and if there were better drain/refill cycles done, the CVTs would last longer. The Forester we just traded in had the valve body go just before we hit 130,000 miles. We got a month out of the new one before other issues popped up that pushed us into doing a trade in. So I am wondering if doing the fluid maintenance for the CVTs could have help prevent that, because I don't believe it was ever done until the new valve body was put in.

I have a local mechanic I usually work with for my cars. He's become a good friend of mine, and he's helped us out many times when preventing us from over spending dealing with the dealerships. He leans towards more of the 'don't do the CVT drain and refills; leave it be unless it's absolutely needed". Is this still a controversial topic? Or has more data come back that leans one way over the other? I am not much of a mechanical guy. More so a computer/tech type of guy. So I am learning as I go on the cars ordeal.

What other maintenance task should we be considering over time that may not be in the recommended in the general Subaru list? I just want to take care of the new Crosstrek so it last us like the others have. When our lease is up, we should be in a solid position to put a large amount down on to keep the loan rate down.

Thanks for any feedback you all can provide!

I did a LOT of research on the CVT issue. My conclusion? Subaru America is focused on showing the least maintenance cost possible so recommending a CVT fluid change adds to that cost. The question to ask is "what do they mean by the CVT fluid being a lifetime fluid?". It's a statement by Subaru America that really says nothing...as it doesn't specify a time frame, number of miles etc. Japan recommends a fluid change at regular mileage intervals. ALL of the better mechanics that I consulted with recommend a fluid change. It appears that changing out the fluid at 30-40K intervals is needed. Drain and fill is fine i.e. no need to flush, it appears...unless there is an articulable reason. The other issue is the "stop/start" option (which on my 2020 Forester is on my default) is another concern. I by-pass that by choice when I start the car and will be installing a by-pass. Why? It shortens the life of the battery, starter, plugs etc. and adds to engine wear...all to save a little on mileage at the greater expense of replacing parts and paying for repairs. Those are the top two considerations I have found in regards to maintenance concerns.

 

[BarryB333]

Mr.Subaru is one of the guys I have started following and I had already watched that video. So, his video was actually one of the ones that lead me down a research rabbit hole on this.

Any other recommendations? We usually don't do the 6,000 mile oil changes, we do 5,000.

I am wondering if we should get the CVT fluid done in the 2014 Impreza we have, as again, our mechanic is leaning towards leaving it. But it's up to 120,000+ miles now.

If you have 120,000 miles on your CVT and it's not been changed, I'd recommend a drain and fill...and avoid a flush as it might break loose contaminants etc.

 

[Liberty610]

I did a LOT of research on the CVT issue. My conclusion? Subaru America is focused on showing the least maintenance cost possible so recommending a CVT fluid change adds to that cost. The question to ask is "what do they mean by the CVT fluid being a lifetime fluid?". It's a statement by Subaru America that really says nothing...as it doesn't specify a time frame, number of miles etc. Japan recommends a fluid change at regular mileage intervals. ALL of the better mechanics that I consulted with recommend a fluid change. It appears that changing out the fluid at 30-40K intervals is needed. Drain and fill is fine i.e. no need to flush, it appears...unless there is an articulable reason. The other issue is the "stop/start" option (which on my 2020 Forester is on my default) is another concern. I by-pass that by choice when I start the car and will be installing a by-pass. Why? It shortens the life of the battery, starter, plugs etc. and adds to engine wear...all to save a little on mileage at the greater expense of replacing parts and paying for repairs. Those are the top two considerations I have found in regards to maintenance concerns.

If you have 120,000 miles on your CVT and it's not been changed, I'd recommend a drain and fill...and avoid a flush as it might break loose contaminants etc.

Barry,
Thank you for the detailed reply! I'll be sure to do the drain/fills on the new Crosstrek, as the more research I get into, the more it seems to be the way most are leaning towards doing.
As far as the start/stop ordeal goes, I have already forced myself as habit to turn it off as soon as I start the car. I can understand why they added it for the whole 'lower admissions' bs, but I already figured that it does more harm then good. Not to mention, it's annoying to deal with while driving. In fact, the second day I had it out on the road, I forgot to turn it off, and some glorious individual cut their right turn on red to tight and went before they should have, and the delay in the start of the Crosstrek made it a close call to avoid hitting the guy.

As far as the 2014 impreza, I am leaning towards a drain in fill now for sure. I have called multiple dealerships in the area, and 3 out of 4 of them recommend it should be done. The one refuses to do it because they are 'an authorized dealer and are told not to do it". Didn't make much sense to me, because the other 3 places where also authorized dealers.

 

[Ohiogal]

I can share what I've been informed by 2 local Subaru dealers. Change at 60K miles, then rinse and repeat at 120K miles- that is what their current service schedule is. I still think this is too long, my 2019 was starting to fail when I traded it at 93K. I did the 60K and it didn't seem to help. I know on other cars, I had them serviced 30K for trans, 3K for dino engine oil, 5K for synthetic engine oil. I do 5K for synthetic now and have tires rotated too, which extends their life a bit. That shocking thing about the CT is the strut replacement, everywhere I went I got a quote of 3K to replace all four. Parts repair costs other than tires/brakes is what convinced me to trade my 2019 and get into a 2025. I figure I'll get 80K miles on this car before having to make a similar decision - when my extended service plan ends. The cost of owning them long term is just ridiculous.

 

[piste]

I can share what I've been informed by 2 local Subaru dealers. Change at 60K miles, then rinse and repeat at 120K miles- that is what their current service schedule is. I still think this is too long, my 2019 was starting to fail when I traded it at 93K. I did the 60K and it didn't seem to help. I know on other cars, I had them serviced 30K for trans, 3K for dino engine oil, 5K for synthetic engine oil. I do 5K for synthetic now and have tires rotated too, which extends their life a bit. That shocking thing about the CT is the strut replacement, everywhere I went I got a quote of 3K to replace all four. Parts repair costs other than tires/brakes is what convinced me to trade my 2019 and get into a 2025. I figure I'll get 80K miles on this car before having to make a similar decision - when my extended service plan ends. The cost of owning them long term is just ridiculous.

Ridiculous how?

 

[Einsteiger]

3K for strut replacement is another factor that I did not know about when we bought the '22 Crosstrek. That seems really high for ANY vehicle. Too late now. Hope they hold out.

 

[bmart]

3k what? What are you measuring. Most suspension goes 60k-100k these days.

 

[Liberty610]

3k what? What are you measuring. Most suspension goes 60k-100k these days.

I believe they are referring to price.

 

[bmart]

$3k? totally got hosed...

 

[Ohiogal]

3k$ was the estimate. They were due to replace, all four of them. So yes, Subaru's are horribly expensive on suspension parts to replace. I went to 3 different shops, this wasn't even the dealer estimate, which I'm sure was higher still. The parts alone were over 1K - and they are "special" and are not just struts, but bearing mounts also need purchased. There were 3-4 parts per strut you have to buy, the whole assembly. I was quoted 7 hours of labor just to do the back two. Imagine paying 2K of labor for a strut replacement!!!

 

[bmart]

Never heard of that. I've done my own on all of my Suibarus and they've been pretty simple. Nothing special about the job. Maybe some other owners of a simlar car can help.

 

[piste]

get a awesome Rallitek setup for abt $3k and install yourself.