Is belt driven cvt reliable? I've read a quite a few stories where people were having problems with the 1st gen and even some second gen civic hybrids. I personally don't feel at ease with the idea of belt drive cvt that relies on friction to transmit torque. This probably explains some of the failures of earlier model cvt trans. Any thoughts?
Sorry if I spoiled any new insight owners fun but my intention is to know how far Honda has come in terms of belt drive cvt reliablility.
Only 54,000 miles, but... Ours has been as reliable as an anvil... Or, I should say, as a Honda... With never ever an issue, it's totally transparent to us...
__________________
Driving on down the road in my 2001 CVT, going "Boogety Boogety" ...and until avatars are provided, my car looks just like the original silver Insight on the header, above... =)
Thats great boogety. I am glad it's working out for you.
I am deciding on either insight 2 or new prius. If I gather enough evidence about the reliability of Insight 2 down the road I am pretty sure I'll go with the Insight 2.
Thanks for your input.
Thats great boogety. I am glad it's working out for you.
I am deciding on either insight 2 or new prius. If I gather enough evidence about the reliability of Insight 2 down the road I am pretty sure I'll go with the Insight 2.
Thanks for your input.
Apart from the $3xxx difference in price, Insight's and Prius's feedback on steering wheel is like Day and Night difference. My bro has Gen2 Prius and as it's the same as most other Toyota's, the steering wheel feedback is almost negligible. Personally, I think Insight has better controlling on the road, despite the Prius has better acceleration/braking. Insight has beautiful gauge cluster too.
Belt-driven CVT's are simple, reliable, and inexpensive to repair (I mean, a broken belt is just that, a broken belt).
Anyway, they've improved over time, I haven't seen a single current-gen Civic Hybrid in for CVT work thus-far... You should see no real issues with this system (lets face it, the insight isnt exactly a torque monster, lol). You might hear stories about them, but I contend that you have just as many problems in the long-run with regular old-fashioned transmissions. Those sorts of Transmission problems aren't very interesting or fun to talk about though.
On the other end of things is the prius, just full of fun tidbits to break and require massive repair costs. I know Toyota has done a hell of a job making these things reliable, but once they get old enough you still have multiple electric motors, a big expensive battery pack, and one hell of an elegant (and expensive) power transfer system. Any one of those things blow out and the car is dead in the water. An insight will still get you around even without the IMA system and battery, and I'd bet 10-15 years down the road there will be plenty of them tooling around doing exactly that.
The CVT should be fine. It has been pulling around Civics which are heavier. I know someone that has over 100,000 miles on theirs. The service manager at 'our' dealer told me recently that the only CVT problems that he sees are on Hondas that haven't been serviced. So get your Insight serviced and it sounds like the CVT will last a long time.
__________________
Dan
2010 Silver Insight EX
upgrade from a 2007 Fit Sport
It seems to me that we would have lots of links to problem reports all over the place if this was a widespread problem on 1st Gen Insights or Civic Hybrids. These cars have been on the road for a long time and Honda has probably worked out any mechanical CVT gremlins.
There is an interesting article on Wikipedia about CVT's. It turns out that this is not a new technology, with versions dating back to the 19h century and a sketchy reference to Leonardo DaVinci having drawn up a CVT.
I started a thread in the technical forum inquiring about maintenance and eventual repair costs. Maybe the lack of replies is good news!
Also, i just bought an '01 with 110K. The CVT makes a horrible noise and will barely move. Maybe it as all operator error, but with so many reports I tend to think that the Honda CVT is somewhat fragile, esp. so in the "early years".
The first post details the tsb where honda extended the warranty out to 7 yrs/100K... a good move on Honda's part based on frequency of problems (doesn't help me though, too old and too many miles... oh, talking about the car, not me ).
__________________ 02 Insight 5spd; 57.1 mpg ave in 212K miles 08 Prius 184K Warm Air Snorkle 95 Metro 5spd 320K miles
....Also, i just bought an '01 with 110K. The CVT makes a horrible noise and will barely move...
Why on earth would you by any car that makes horrible noise and will barely move and then complain about it?
The judder (reported by some) portion of the service bulletin is more or less an anoyance factor and does not make the car immovable.
Belt slippage seems to be rare and perhaps more of a problem but does not mean that the car will not move or barely move.
Right now, there is a used warrantied 129K mile CVT transmission for sale on eBay for $675 plus shipping. Replacement may be your best bet.
JoeCVT = Just your average CVT owner
__________________
2004 CVT Red Insight (purchased May 2011)
Relocated outside temp sensor near mid engine
No other mods performed yet
2003 CVT Blue Insight
Modified version of MIMA_L (with foot pedal)
Automatic warm air intake (all season)
Low Speed Auto Stop (LSAS)
ABS - IMA regen enabler (allows regen during ABS)
Relocated outside temp sensor near mid engine
Cooling fans powered by 12V Solar Panel
2001 MT Blue Insight (purchased Nov 2011)
Not registered yet
We have a 2003 Civic Hybrid with 150K miles. I've only changed the trans fluid once and never a problem. Supposed to change it every 30K. I'm a little behind schedule.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
CVT reliability
).
