Recent video on Gen 4 CVT reverse issue

[JordanMayPhoto]

I am pretty sure if you do this one wheel at a time you will have no issue. You can also get a little running start and be okay. I will have to go test this myself. I did some digging and I guess there was a Service Bulletin / Flash recall for this in 2010. Not sure if my 2012 will have the same issue.

[japmaxse]

Interesting, I gotta try this.

[mpnret]

My 2010 Legacy had this problem but my 2010 OB would go over the curb every time. My guess was that the reverse gearing is right on the edge so some make it over the curb and some don't. Definetly fixed in 2013.

[13OBprem]

I tried this with my '13 2.5 CVT OB. No problem backing over a 6 inch curb with no rolling start.

I don't know if this is model specific or car specific, but I would not be happy if my OB couldn't do this. Part of the reason you buy an OB is to have a car that can handle unusual terrain situations better than most other cars. An OB that can't back over a 4-inch obstacle without a rolling start has a limitation that even a low-end Kia doesn't have.

[djz]

I tried this out this morning by backing my 2013 up to a 4" curb and it does the same thing.

It will sit there and rev if I put the wheels up against the curb and then try to back up over it. If I have any sort of a moving start, or hit the curb at a slight angle, it will pop right over the curb.

[vr4Legacy]

Originally Posted by 13OBprem

I tried this with my '13 2.5 CVT OB. No problem backing over a 6 inch curb with no rolling start.

I don't know if this is model specific or car specific, but I would not be happy if my OB couldn't do this. Part of the reason you buy an OB is to have a car that can handle unusual terrain situations better than most other cars. An OB that can't back over a 4-inch obstacle without a rolling start has a limitation that even a low-end Kia doesn't have.

Please give me a real world situation where this would be a problem. You only need minimal rolling momentum. You actually have to try hard to replicate the situation where it will stall and not move. I'm sure there are other cars that would act the same, it's just such an odd set of circumstances that 99% of people will never encounter it in day to day driving.

[japmaxse]

Originally Posted by djz

I tried this out this morning by backing my 2013 up to a 4" curb and it does the same thing.

It will sit there and rev if I put the wheels up against the curb and then try to back up over it. If I have any sort of a moving start, or hit the curb at a slight angle, it will pop right over the curb.

My outcome was pretty much exactly as you stated but....

4.5" curb with both rear tires dead on the car rolled right up every time for a total of 6 attempts.

With a 6.5" Curb with the rear tires dead on the OB wouldn't roll up over the curb no matter how much throttle I gave it.

But if I hit the rear tires at the smallest angle with one of the tires grabbing the curb before the other it will roll right up with no problem but if both rear tires contact the curb dead on the OB can't climb over the taller 5" curb. Only when I give it a little rolling head start it'll climb over or at an angle.

But when I say angle it's very small like piratically both rear tires are touching the curb but one of them hit the curb first on initial impact.

[japmaxse]

I wonder if an AWD competitor will have the same issue or if this is CVT related cars only.

[awd-gg]

Originally Posted by japmaxse

I wonder if an AWD competitor will have the same issue or if this is CVT related cars only.

what abt the OB with MT and 5EAT(3.6R)?

[2012Outback]

In response to awd-gg:

I have a 2012 MT and after seeing this video decided to try it out on my car. I backed up to a curb roughly 5 inches in height, ensured both tires were flush against the curb, and proceeded to back up with no problem.

I did it a few more times to ensure there was no "rolling start," and it always popped right up without issue. I'm not particularly surprised, because with a manual transmission you can of course just increase rpm until you have enough power to climb the curb.

As an aside, it seemed to take a bit more than 2500 rpm to get over the curb.

Hope this helps,

Ed