It’d be great if there was such thing as a perfect car, but that’s simply not the case, especially if you’re looking at one equipped with a continuously variable transmission. If you own a Nissan with a CVT, there are several issues you’ll want to look out for.
Have there been any Nissan CVT problems?
There are at least fifteen Nissan nameplates built with a Continuously Variable Transmission, and we’ve noted three major problems across the whole lineup:
- RPM fluctuates rapidly at high speeds
- Transmission failure at ~50,000 miles
- Car may not accelerate
Let’s dive into these problems, as well as Nissan’s history with the CVT, and how we can address them should they arise.
A Look at the Nissan CVT
Conventional transmissions use fixed gears, switching from one to the next as you accelerate. CVT, or “shiftless transmissions,” aim to provide seamless transmission by adjusting the drive pulley’s diameter rather than jumping from gear to gear.
The CVT was first introduced to Nissan models with the 1992 Nissan March. They would experiment with CVT in Japanese releases before making CVT their go-to transmission for U.S. models in the early 2000s, starting with the 2003 Murano.
And the transmission problems wouldn’t be far behind. All the way back to, at least, the 2003 Murano, you can find some pretty severe concerns regarding Nissan CVT nameplates.
3 Big Problems with Nissan Models Equipped With a CVT
RPM Fluctuates Rapidly
You’re going to find complaints along these lines with just about every CVT Nissan. You’re driving along and the rpms start jumping all over the place and your transmission is jerking up and down. This is typically reported at somewhere approaching 100,000 odometer miles.
Some Nissans have a recall for this issue, others don’t, but the fix involves replacing the entire transmission. Nissan has responded by extending the standard warranty to ten years. Replacing the transmission fluid every 40,000 miles might help to prevent this.
Car May Not Accelerate
The car may suddenly stop accelerating. When the gas is pressed the rpms will go up, but the car will continue to slow down, even coming to a complete stop, as was the case for a New Orleans driver of a 2016 Nissan Maxima in front of a truck on the freeway.
Once again, the fix involved replacing the entire transmission. In the New Orleans instance, the car had just 80,000 miles on the odometer.
Transmission Failure At ~50,000 Miles
The transmission has been known to slip and jerk at high speeds when the odometer is approaching 100k. It has also been known to fail at just 30mph with 50,000 miles on the odometer.
And again, the fix is to replace the entire transmission. And again, some VINs may have an open recall for these issues, while others do not.
Photos: Nissan
