Subaru CVT warranty extension

What actually failed

Owners reported chain stretch, torque converter shudder, and valve body faults typically showing up between 80,000 and 140,000 miles — in some cases complete transmission failure. Subaru's response was the warranty extension above, not a recall, so it won't show up in NHTSA's recall catalog — you have to know to ask for it by name.

Where this shows up on a CurbSpec sheet

Both Subaru families in the reviewed library cite this settlement as a known issue, tiered as a manufacturer bulletin (not a live guess), alongside the separate piston-ring oil-consumption settlement where it applies:

• Forester / Outback (2.5L NA)
• Impreza / Crosstrek (2.0L NA)

Frequently asked

What is the Subaru CVT warranty extension?

Subaru's Lineartronic CVT (transmission codes TR580 and TR690) had widespread documented reports of premature failure between roughly 80,000 and 140,000 miles — chain stretch, torque converter shudder, valve body faults, up to complete transmission failure. As part of a class-action settlement, Subaru extended the CVT warranty on most 2010–2018 models from the standard 5 years/60,000 miles to 10 years/100,000 miles.

Does the extended warranty transfer to a used buyer?

Yes. The extension is tied to the vehicle, not the original owner, so it's supposed to carry over to a subsequent buyer. That makes it worth checking before you buy, not just if you're the original owner.

Which models and years does it cover?

Most Subaru models built with the Lineartronic CVT from around 2010 through 2018 — Forester, Outback, Impreza, Crosstrek, and others on the same transmission. CurbSpec's reviewed library currently covers Forester/Outback and Impreza/Crosstrek specifically; the applicability check gates on model year to confirm your VIN falls in the window.

How do I know if my specific VIN is still covered?

Warranty coverage is about age and mileage from the in-service date, not just model year, so the only way to know for sure is to ask a Subaru dealer to look up the VIN. Paste the VIN into CurbSpec first and it'll tell you whether this generation and mileage puts you inside the documented window, plus flag the CVT issue with its source so you know exactly what to ask about.

Is this the same as the piston-ring oil-consumption settlement?

No — that's a separate, earlier settlement (2011–2014 FB25 engines, oil control piston rings) with its own 8-year/100,000-mile extended warranty. Some Foresters and Outbacks fall under both settlements at once for different reasons. CurbSpec lists them separately, each labeled with its own source.