Overview Every automatic 2017–2023 Impreza I’ve had in the bay? Same story. Same transmission. Subaru didn’t mix it up here. They stuck one unit across the board — the TR580 Lineartronic CVT — and just kept refining it as problems popped up. And this isn’t just a tranny sitting behind the engine doing its thing…
Overview The 2012–2016 Subaru Impreza was the point where Subaru really went all-in on CVTs. No more traditional automatics for most buyers. You got the Lineartronic. The TR580. That’s it. And in my experience… this is where things got interesting. The TR580 isn’t junk. Let’s get that straight. I’ve seen plenty go past 150,000 miles…
Overview This generation of Impreza? It’s old-school Subaru. Mechanical AWD, no CVT nonsense, no dual-clutch experiments. Just gears, shafts, and a bunch of parts that either last forever… or start making noise and never shut up again. I’ve worked on a lot of these. Daily drivers, winter beaters, WRX cars that got driven like they…
Overview The 2002–2007 Subaru Impreza is one of those cars where the tranny and the rest of the driveline are tied together so tightly that owners will swear the problem is “just a diff” or “just the transmission,” then you get it in the air and realize the whole setup has been living a hard…
Overview One transmission. One setup. That’s it. The 2019–present Subaru Forester runs the TR580 CVT across the board. No traditional automatic, no manual fallback, no “better” option hiding in a trim package. What you get is a chain-driven CVT with an integrated AWD transfer clutch baked right into the unit. On paper, it’s simple. In…
Overview Subaru went all-in on CVTs with this generation. No fallback. No traditional automatic hiding in lower trims. Just Lineartronic across the board, tied into a full-time AWD setup with a transfer clutch living inside the transmission itself. On paper, it’s clean. Compact. Efficient. Everything integrated into one unit. In the shop? Different story. I’ve…
Overview This one needs to be said right up front. Most 2009–2013 Foresters you’ll see in the U.S. don’t even have a CVT. They’re running older automatics. But… in certain markets, late-cycle builds got Subaru’s Lineartronic setup — TR580 or TR690 — and that’s what we’re talking about here. I’ve worked on these. Not a…
Overview This Forester. Simple on paper. Not always simple in the shop. The 2003–2008 Subaru Forester (SG chassis) runs a full-time AWD setup no matter what you buy—manual, automatic, turbo, non-turbo. There’s no “part-time” mode to bail you out. Everything is always engaged, always working, always wearing. In my experience, the actual gearboxes—gears, synchros, clutch…
Overview This first-gen Forester drivetrain? Simple. Old-school Subaru. Engine sits longitudinal, AWD baked right into the tranny, no separate transfer case like a truck. Everything happens inside the gearbox—either a clutch pack in the automatic or a viscous center diff in the manual. I’ve worked on a lot of these. They don’t usually just grenade…
Overview Every Outback from 2020 onward? Same story. CVT only. No traditional automatic, no dual-clutch, no manual safety net if things go sideways. You’ve got two units here: TR580 behind the 2.5L, and TR690 behind the turbo 2.4L. Both are chain-driven CVTs with an integrated front diff and a multi-plate transfer clutch handling AWD. On…
Overview The 2015–2019 Subaru Outback CVT setup is one of those drivetrains that looks simple on paper. One transmission family. Full-time AWD. Done. Reality is messier. I’ve seen a lot of these come through shops. Not blown up in a dramatic way—no gears scattered, no cases split—but slowly failing. Pressure issues. Leaks. Weird drivability complaints…
Overview The 2010–2014 Subaru Outback with the TR690 CVT… yeah, this is where Subaru really leaned into CVTs for the US market. No backup plan. No traditional automatic sitting in the wings. Just one transmission doing everything. And it’s not a simple setup. This thing combines the tranny, front differential, and AWD transfer clutch into…
Overview This generation of Outback is old-school Subaru. Longitudinal engine, AWD baked into the transmission, everything tied together whether you like it or not. No CVTs yet. Just conventional gearboxes—with their own quirks. I’ve worked on a lot of these. Still see them roll in. Some are smooth at 200,000 miles (320,000 km). Others? Absolute…
Overview The 2020–2025 Subaru Legacy. All-wheel drive. CVT only. No alternatives. And yeah… this isn’t one of those platforms where you can just say “it’s fine” and move on. Everything here revolves around Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT setup. Two versions. TR580 behind the 2.5L, TR690 behind the 2.4 turbo. Same basic idea—chain-driven CVT, integrated AWD clutch—but…
Overview This generation of Subaru Legacy? It’s a CVT car. No alternatives, no traditional automatic fallback, no manual safety net. Just Subaru’s Lineartronic setup doing everything. I’ve worked on a lot of these. Some go a long time. Some don’t. What separates them usually isn’t luck—it’s maintenance, how they’re driven, and whether early warning signs…