In the middle of all this gloom and doom, there is at least some good news. Honda is quite the contrary of certain other brands, like Nissan or Jeep, who are frequently cited as having unstable CVTs. Honda produces some of the most dependable automobiles on the market today, and its CVT transmissions benefit from this outstanding reputation. Therefore, you may rest assured knowing that a Honda equipped with a CVT can easily survive 10 years or beyond.
Both types’ transmissions will typically begin to malfunction after about 100,000 miles. For any Honda, the total cost of repairs for the CVT transmission ranges between $2,000 and $3,000. It’s important to remember, though, that CVTs might be challenging to repair most of the time. As a result, many owners in this area have discovered that the majority of their issues could only be fixed once the CVT transmission as a whole was replaced.
As we’ve already learned in our guide on the dependability of Honda CVTs, CVTs can be more expensive to maintain or replace. Your alternatives are going to be fairly constrained due to the relative scarcity of components and qualified experts. Additionally, the labor expenditures will be exorbitant. This is due to the fact that in some Hondas, the entire engine must be removed in order to access the CVT. As a result, repairing CVTs can be more expensive and time-consuming than fixing a normal transmission.
In This Article...
Transmission Jerking or Jumping When Changing Gears
Owners of CVT transmissions have frequently complained about having a jerking or leaping motion during the beginning acceleration, despite the fact that they are designed to give a smooth transition between speeds.
Transmission Fluid Leaks
Sometimes the CVT transmissions leak. When a problem exists, people report noticing the pinkish transmission fluid on the ground after moving their car.
There are several different external seals on a CVT transmission, and any one of them could leak at any time. Some of these seals are simple to repair, while others are not.
Overheating or Burning Smell
With a CVT transmission, there may occasionally be a burning smell. This is a symptom of an overheated transmission.
The transmission fluid leak that entered the exhaust system may be the source of the burning odor. It is urgent to remedy a transmission issue that is overheating.
Vibration or Shuddering
When driving quickly, if you experience a vibration, shuddering, or shaking sensation, the transmission may be having trouble. Another problem could also be the source of that vibration. In either case, you should have a mechanic have a look at it immediately.
Transmission Gear Shift Hesitation
A CVT transmission’s reluctance when shifting the car into either a “D” or “R” gear is another exceedingly frequent issue. A lack of transmission fluid, a loose belt, or a clutch pack that isn’t working properly—both of which are components of the internal transmission seal—are the primary causes of this transmission problem in a car.
Loud Acceleration Noise
Numerous Honda owners have noted a loud droning noise that occurs at beginning acceleration. The CVT transmission forces the engine to run continually at a high RPM until it reaches the appropriate speed, which causes this noise. And although this sound is common, some people find it to be very bothersome.
Sudden Loss of Acceleration
Sensors in a CVT transmission prevent it from overheating. To prevent further harm to the car, the transmission will enter “limp home mode” if it detects a malfunction.
There are a few things that could trigger this, like the ambient temperature, the load, and the vehicle’s speed, among other things. Ask a mechanic to check for low fluid levels or to see if any codes are active if these kinds of problems aren’t present.
What CVT is the most trustworthy?
There are several Toyota models on this selection, as you’ll see. The Japanese automaker is one of the leading producers of CVT gearboxes and is known for building incredibly dependable vehicles, a reputation that is well-deserved.
The brand’s family SUV, the Toyota RAV4, competes with vehicles like the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, and Volkswagen Tiguan. The most recent model, which was introduced in 2019, is better than ever because of its upscale interior and exceptional build quality.
There is only one available engine, a fantastic 2.5-liter gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and a classy CVT automatic transmission. Both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are options; we recommend the former (unless you plan to venture that far off the beaten track).
How far can a CVT travel?
New vehicles with CVTs should operate dependably for up to 100,000 miles on the market today. Overall dependability for the majority of cars will be lower than what is anticipated with a typical automatic or manual transmission.
However, exemplary owner maintenance can extend this prediction. In fact, some owners can obtain up to 200,000 trouble-free miles with a CVT provided they adhere to the factory-specified service intervals, apply the advised lubricant(s), and drive sensibly.
How dependable is the CVT in the Honda CR V?
The CVT gearboxes made by Honda are among the best on the market and are essentially indestructible. With the exception of a minor recall that was announced in 2015, when production began, there weren’t many complaints of these transmitters suddenly breaking. Before some of the above-discussed symptoms start to manifest and disrupt your day, a Honda CVT transmission will last approximately 150,000 miles.
On the other hand, the automatics are also good, and there aren’t many issues with the Honda CRV’s transmission. These transmissions typically experience inadequate maintenance, such as infrequent fluid changes. The lack of fluid changes is what causes the most wear and strain. You can be sure that the automatic transmissions will experience issues sooner or later if you use them without doing routine fluid changes.
Additionally, you will experience additional Honda CRV gearbox difficulties, which will cost you potentially thousands of dollars to fix. Since a new transmission would set you back at least $3,000 and a rebuild will cost you between $1,500 and $2,500.
Which Hondas are prone to transmission issues?
The Honda Accord’s reliability has occasionally been a problem in the past, despite its high reliability ratings.
Premature gearbox breakdowns are the one issue that has dogged the Honda Accord over the years. Rebuilding or even replacing the transmission is the most frequent option. The issue often arises at 97,000 miles and the average cost of repair is little about $3,000.
How Reliable Is The Honda Accord?
Even though the Honda Accord has historically been a fairly dependable car, it only makes appropriate to share some of the more upsetting information we discovered. We’ll discuss specific mechanical problems that Honda Accord users have reported later in this blog.
Honda Accord Hybrid Reliability
Since the Honda Accord hybrid was introduced in 2005, it has had some time to “get it right.”
The 2021 Honda Accord hybrid is a nice, mid-sized car with a ton of safety features and substantially higher fuel efficiency than the non-hybrid version. The mpg estimates, however, are significantly lower than those of other top-rated hybrid cars.
Returning to the US News and World Reports reliability scale, JD Powers awarded the Honda Accord hybrid an overall reliability rating of 82 out of 100. This ranks the Honda Accord hybrid first among the 14 hybrid and electric vehicles that have been evaluated for reliability. The Honda Accord hybrid also maintains its value well. According to estimates, its resale value will be 42.7% of the original price after 36 months and 31.7% after 5 years.
Most Reliable Honda Accord Year
The 2018–2021 Honda Accord models are some of the greatest and most dependable automobiles ever made. Honda is one of the longest-lasting car brands, according to Consumer Reports. An Accord can last for more than 15 years on average! When properly maintained, a Honda Accord may travel between 200,000 and 300,000 miles.
Why are most CVT vehicles so bad?
Costly to maintain: Despite CVTs’ unparalleled fuel efficiency, you might not get to experience a smooth ride for very long. Because CVT parts are often hard to find and expensive to replace, repairing one can be fairly pricey. Finding a CVT specialist to perform the repairs for you could also be difficult.
They are noisy: Unless a motorist is traveling on a powerful engine, extra noise is never welcomed. Because CVTs have a propensity to hang at high rpm, the engine revs erratically when accelerating. The noisy operation of the CVT just won’t go away, even if you choose CVT automobiles that are programmed to simulate stepped higher gears.
Poor feel: Since the CVT vehicle doesn’t actually have any gears, you won’t notice when it shifts. It could make you feel like there’s something wrong, and you might mistake its regular operation for an indication of unreliability. By emulating a stepped up gear system, CVT producers have tried to solve this issue.
Can a CVT handle a lengthy drive?
Over long distances, CVT gearboxes offer a more comfortable ride. A continuously variable gearbox eliminates the jerking and hesitation that older technologies occasionally brought with them when you are driving.
How can I extend the life of my CVT?
By now, it should be clear that maintaining the fluids in your CVT transmission is the most crucial maintenance. Your car will determine how long you may drive between fluid changes. Nissan, for instance, will advise changing the fluid every 25,000 miles.