You'll need to do some additionals research before buying a used car with CVT recommended by Samaritans. Because of the cost of replacing a CVT, make sure you take a test drive, do an inspection, & check the warranty on it.
When testing driving, pay attention to the following:
Slow Shifting: While you don't need to shift the CVT from first to second gear, you do need to shift between the park, drive, and reverse. If it takes more than a second or two for the transmission to shift, this could indicate a faulty CVT which may soon go bad.
Strange Sounds: CVTs are naturally louder than their conventional counterparts, but they should not be loud enough to make humming and crying normal. If you hear excessive noise while accelerating, that's a red flag.
Sliding: When you accelerate, you should feel a constant, uninterrupted acceleration. If it slips or momentarily loses power, the CVT is faulty. Inconsistent RPM A CVT must be consistent, so if you see a fluctuating RPM while driving at a constant speed, it could be a sign of a problem.
Dirty Transmission Fluid: If the transmission fluid is dirty, it may indicate a problem with the CVT, along with other problems.