So now, after getting the 2010 Nissan Rogue back on the road with a new CVT installed, we finally have a chance to answer the most important question:

Why did the original CVT fail in the first place??

In PART 1 (this video) we start the teardown of the original CVT. The further we dig, the more carnage we find. But this is just the tip of the iceberg...

In PART 2, we complete the teardown and analyze the sequence of events to find the ROOT CAUSE of the failure:
   • Nissan CVT: Teardown and Failure Anal...  

Part 2 also includes a description of operation of this CVT, as well as discussing the "weakest links" and possibly explaining why so few of these transmissions make it to 200k miles.
Is it a design flaw, or lack of maintenance?

You will not see this type of information and failure analysis anywhere else. This is engineering-level stuff, and my true passion for finding faults in a broken system/device.

As always, I appreciate all the support, comments, and feedback!

Enjoy!
-Ivan