Originally Posted By: HueJarse
But, just like the FJ Cruiser, it may very well have trans fluid in it that is for the life of the vehicle. If the fluid genuinely needs changing, then something mechanical has failed in the gearbox and you have bigger issues. It sounds so wrong on many levels but is becomming a common practice in new cars.
Self-fulfilling prophecy. If you wait until something is failing, then of course the fluid needs to be changed. But was it failing because the oil failed long before, thus killing whatever died?
I'm not sure what annual milage nor vehicle lifespan is down under, but I do know it's a bit warmer--then again most AT's seem to have coolers so perhaps that is mitigated. All I know is I would be peeved if I had to replace/rebuild a transmission inside of 200-300kmiles. A 150kmile lifespan is short; I'm not sure I'd accept using a clutch up (in a manual transmission) inside of 150k either, so I would not expect an A/T to die in that time frame either.
Vehicles are trouping past 200kmiles regularly these days. A couple of decades ago a fluid that managed to go 150kmiles may very well be considered "lifetime" but times have changed.