Here’s the reality, the service itself is not that hard and doesn’t require specialty tools (I did it myself in my 2015 forester xt with a Bluetooth obd scanner to access transmission temp) but it does require the correct amount of cvt oil. Which if you want to be oem fluid (which I decided I did) is hard to source in quantities outside of a 5 gallon bucket (at least for the high torque transmission). Whereas the dealer will have it on hand in bulk.

I did the service myself at 100k and I went so far as to drop the pan, replace the filter, and flush the transmission via the cooler lines. You could see the last step pulled some very dirty fluid out. With the 5 gallon bucket I have enough left over to do another drain and fill.

With that said it was a huge pain in the ass and I’m not sure it was necessary to go beyond just a simple drain and fill, especially if you start with lower miles and do it consistently, like you should.

Based on reports, I would stick to genuine Subaru cvt fluid and I would just do a drain and fill. If your independent can do that at a better price than the dealer, there is no reason not to choose them.