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MattNZ3

Hi Experts,

I'm looking at a 2006 Vitz import - 96,000km on the clock - $6,300 from a dealer.

My one concern is the CVT which didn't concern me until learning about issues on the forum then doing further reading around the internet.

I just saw a post here from a used car dealer who claims to have no issues with CVT transmissions. I wonder if I just need to accept that the car will have a CVT transmission and if it goes bad, pay for the repairs.

I come from driving a 2002 Peugeot 307 where I paid $500 to $1,500 every time it went near a mechanics so a smaller Japanese car must be cheaper to maintain.

The reason I ask about just accepting getting a CVT is because all small hatches I can afford (approx $6k) seem to be CVT. I was into the Honda Fit, then looked at Mitsi Colt, Yaris, and now Vitz. I'm keen to stay with a Japanese car.

Is it safe to say that the Vitz is the safest choice of all evils? I've heard Hondas are the main ones to avoid.

Are the 2006 Vitz CVT issues repairable? I wont be to angry to pay $1k or whatever it costs to repair if it fails in the next few years.

Anon

Hi there.
There is always a risk buying these vehicles with cvt's, and there are always some that don't give problems.
However it is our responsibility to tell you about the faults we have information on.
The vehicles you mentioned are in an affordable price range for this very reason.
Here is a copy of the reply to the dealers post.

This is not the experience of the automatic transmission industry. We'd agree that CVT transmission technology has vastly improved and that the advances made in the new generation of CVTs from around 2010 have largely overcome the problems associated with earlier examples.
There weren't many CVTs around for much of the 1990s, but from the end of the 90s to the end of the fist decade of the 2000s where a number of manufacturers used CVTs, there were problems. For the NZ market, it was mainly Honda and Nissan, but for the domestic Japanese market, some Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi and many others had CVTs.
Our information from the industry tells us that common issues on Nissan Tiidas and Wingroads (which are basically the same car) fitted with CVTs relate to primary pulley bearing failure, stepper motor problems and belt breakage. The belt failures are due to a harsh lock-up, applying a snapping effect on the belt, stretching the links and eventual breakage.
We're told that the Honda CVT failure starts in a similar way, although Honda use a start-up clutch which can shudder on take-off and if left, can also cause similar belt failure.
In recent times, the take-off is less harsh and belt technology has improved enormously, so both issues have largely been overcome and reliability no longer seems to be an issue.
Unfortunately, many bearings and other parts are not available from the manufacturer, so if the CVT transmission needs to be replaced on an older car, the cost is greater than the value of the vehicle. However, most can be repaired at a cost of around $3k.
While you may not have had many issues while these vehicles are subject to your CGA obligations, the long-term reliability does seem to be an issue.
We agree that CVTs can offer better fuel economy if driven gently, as the engine is always in a rev range consistant with road speed. However, this depends on the driving style and if driven hard, due to the high slip rate of a CVT, fuel efficiency will be poorer than traditional automatic transmissions. But yes, they are smoother as there is no gear shifting.
We'd also agree with you that VW and Audi product, particularly the Audi models with the CVT (which they called Multi-tronic) and the Mk4 Golf tyransmission had reliability issues too.
So, while we have updated our advice on CVTs from vehicles manufactured from around 2010ish, based on information we receive from the automatic transmission repair industry, we remain cautious about recommending 5-15 year old vehicles with a CVT transmission.
I trust this clarifies the matter for you.