How Reliable Are Ford CVT Transmissions? (Let’s See)
Manual, Automatic, and now, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The CVT is the latest widespread innovation for gear transmission.
Numerous car brands have been switching from automatic gear transmission to CVT in recent years, and not just because it’s the “new thing”—the benefits of the CVT are evident for all to see.
One of these brands is Ford. Understandably, many drivers still aren’t sure about the CVT’s reliability.
This article will cover all you need to know about Ford’s CVT and its reliability.
Despite the many benefits of Ford’s continuously variable transmission, it comes with a couple of issues that make some users find it unreliable. On the other hand, Ford’s CVT gives you superior fuel economy and smoother acceleration, amongst other benefits. Still, if you’re someone who has never dealt with a CVT transmission system, Ford’s might be challenging to you. In this article, we’ll talk in detail about these challenges.
Does Ford Use CVT Transmissions?
In 2014 Ford officially began considering using CVT for their vehicles’ gear transmission.
However, they weren’t the first to do so as car brands like Nissan and Honda had already considered and implemented CVT in a couple of car models.
However, they stayed back and made numerous tests and also watched out for the reception models that Honda, Nissan, and Toyota had implemented CVT on would get.
After these tests, what was their final decision? Do recent Ford models come with CVT?
Many recent Ford Vehicles do come with Continuously Variable Transmissions. Still, it’s just an option, and you can get vehicles without Ford CVT Transmissions for yourself.
After multiple tests that showed CVT helps with fuel economy, Ford couldn’t hold back because, like many other car brands, they consider CVT the present and future of gear transmission.
It wouldn’t have done well for their brand if CVT eventually became accepted worldwide and they were one of the last big brands to hop on it.
Who Makes Ford CVT Transmissions?
Continuously Variable Transmissions are usually one of those car parts that car manufacturers do not produce themselves but rather acquire from other people.
As a result, there are many CVT makers, and some have a better reputation than others.
Moreover, if you have any knowledge about CVT makers and negative past experiences people have had, you may be curious about who Ford sources their CVTs from when making their recent vehicles.
So, who makes Ford’s CVT transmissions?
The Japanese Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO LTD), one of the biggest CVT transmission companies, produces the CVTs Ford uses for their recent vehicles.
As the name states, they’re a company that specializes in creating transmission systems.
They don’t only make CVTs for Ford but a good number of major car brands like Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, and a couple of others major brands.
There have been issues reported about JATCO’s transmissions, but they seem to be the company, the big automakers that don’t make their own CVTs transmissions.
Is The Ford CVT Transmission Reliable?
Knowing that Ford gets their CVTs from JATCO—a company many top automakers trusts should give you confidence that they’re reliable.
JATCO has been one of the leading innovators for transmission since the early 2000s; they’ve produced all three transmission systems for numerous automakers.
Without a doubt, they surely have a lot of experience in the transmission-system-making business, but are they 100% free from flaws?
Can you be fully confident you’ll be safe with a Ford CVT transmission system in a vehicle?
Despite how experienced and good Ford’s CVT system is, there have been many reports concerning flaws of Ford’s CVT system.
Still, over the years, JATCO and Ford have worked even more challenging to improve the reliability of their CVT system.
As of 2021, Ford had established itself as one of the top automakers in producing vehicles with CVT.
The fact that Ford is still using them for some cars should give you confidence that they’re good enough, and the many benefits that they started coming with the CVT are true.
How Long Do Ford CVT Transmission Last?
Some people fear that CVT systems are simply one of the automakers’ most recent ploys to have car owners coming back to buy new parts along the line.
The truth is that that will be bad for business; there are thousands of review platforms on every social medium out there and tons of review websites.
If they set out to replace the long-lasting Automatic transmission system with a CVT system that doesn’t last too long, it won’t take long for word to get out there.
But, of course, once people know they’ll have to change the transmission system in their vehicles inevitably, they’ll most likely decide to go for other vehicles, and Ford is aware of this.
Ford CVT Transmissions are designed to last as long as automatic transmission systems.
That means that you should be expecting the CVT system that comes with your Ford to last the full life of your vehicle.
Unless you open up your vehicle’s engine and get on to turning and pulling things you shouldn’t, you should expect your Ford’s CVT to last you a long time.
However, if you recently bought a Ford vehicle and noticed that it has stopped working or stopped working properly and it’s no fault of yours, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Ford dealership you bought your car from.
Ford CVT Transmission Problems?
I’ve mentioned a couple of times that some people have reported issues they’ve faced with their Ford CVT Transmissions.
Before we get onto these problems, you should note that this doesn’t necessarily make the CVTs that come with Ford bad.
Regardless of how well-made certain things are, they could still come with some faults, especially if there’s mass production.
So what are these problems people have pointed out in Ford’s Transmissions system?
#1. CVT Failures When Dealing With A Lot Of Power
Honestly, this is more of your fault than Ford’s, but an Automatic Transmission System would handle this better, so I guess it’s right to list it amongst the problems that come with The CVT.
If you try increasing your engine’s power by installing a supercharger or turbocharger, you risk causing a failure to your CVT while on the road.
However, that doesn’t make Ford’s CVT a weak one. Because if you keep the extra power under 40 FT.LB, you should be fine.
#2. Problems Related To Electrical Sensors
Ford’s CVT system, like any other CVT system, relies on software installed on computers to function.
So, if there’s even the slightest issue with any sensor connected to your CVT system, you most likely will experience a failure.
The most common sensor to fail is the “Pedal-mounted” position sensor.
Are CVT Transmissions Reliable? The Truth About CVTs (Good And Bad)
Conclusion
CVT systems are the future; they may also be the present with their ever-growing use.
Ford’s CVT system makers keep making improvements every year to give you a transmission system that serves you better.
If you’re still not comfortable with it, you should know that some Ford models still come with the traditional automatic system.
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