The Subaru Outback and Forester are among the most consistent transmission diagnostic work you'll see if your shop is in a market with high Subaru density — which describes most of the northern US, Pacific Northwest, and Northeast. The transmissions behind them split across two types depending on generation, and the failure modes differ significantly between them. Lineartronic CVT (TR580 and TR690) — Outback and Forester 2010–present: Subaru's Lineartronic is a chain-drive CVT rather than a push-belt CVT like the Nissan unit. The chain design gives it different failure characteristics. The primary failure mode on the Lineartronic is the secondary pulley bearing — it wears and produces a whining or humming noise that varies with vehicle speed, not engine speed. This is the most common CVT complaint on these vehicles. Secondary failure: the primary pulley position sensor fails and causes the CVT to default to high ratio (maximum mechanical advantage) with limited speed capability — a limp mode condition with P0868 or CVT-specific codes. Third: chain stretch on very high mileage units (above 150,000 miles) causes ratio accuracy to degrade and the CVT to hunt for the correct ratio at steady speed.
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ATSG Subaru Lineartronic CVT Rebuild Manual
Teardown procedure, clearance specs, and chain measurement data for the TR580 and TR690 — the reference document for any shop doing in-house Lineartronic work.
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