Does a 2013 Chevy Sonic LTZ 1.4 not need a transmission fluid change?
The manual says for the automatic (I have manual) check at 97,500 miles. I spoke with someone on chat from Chevy and they said that it didn't need a transmission fluid change for the manual, provided there are no leaks.
I am curious what special setup does this vehicle have, that makes it so it doesn't require a transmission fluid change?
Most cars with manual transmissions do not require you to change the oil/fluid which it uses to lubricate itself. This is because a manual transmission is not usually hit by the heat which automatic transmissions have, so therefore the oil does not break down like it happens in an automatic.
This, however, doesn't mean you can't change the fluid in the transmission. As Mike pointed out in his provided link, some owners find changing the oil/fluid in situations like this may help with shifting and/or operation of the transmission. As long as you are using the factory recommended fluid, it will be of no detriment to the transmission if you were to change out the fluid every so often. That period would be up to you, but if you were to change it out every 60k-100k miles, your transmission would most likely thank you.
