Originally Posted by MPDano

Yup, I agree with you on this. I just hate those that always blame the gearing when the factory stock is always fine. If this is a cvt auto, then I would open the cover and inspect. Very possible the rollers are bound and it's not operating as it should. See the video below on how it works and you can verify if your is not working this way. The left side has the rollers and they push out and the belt up. The right side is the clutch and once it grabs and the rpms go up, you'll see the belt go down. Check both the roller side and then the clutch side, usually a good cleaning will do the trick.

How the CVT Transmission Works - YouTube