Nissan has been using continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) in most of its vehicles since the early 2000s. In theory, CVTs are great because they provide a continuous, smooth transition of power for increased fuel economy.
But Nissan’s CVTs are also known for failing early on, which is why they’re the subject of many lawsuits. The transmissions are notorious for shuddering, making strange noises, overheating—and forcing the vehicle into a “limp” mode.
Some would argue that Nissan’s CVTs are the worst transmissions ever built.
What Makes the Nissan CVT transmission Different From a Traditional Automatic?
All internal combustion-powered cars need a transmission to manipulate rotational force from the engine and transfer that force to the drive wheels. Unlike a traditional automatic transmission, which relies on planetary gearsets to get the job done, Nissan’s CVT uses a steel belt and a set of adjustable pulleys.
Each of the pulleys changes its groove width to vary the transmission’s “gear” ratio. The secondary pulley turns a collection of final drive gears that connect to the axle shafts, which, in turn, connect to the drive wheels.
The video below demonstrates how the belt and pulley system works in a typical CVT:
Besides the belt and pulleys, Nissan’s CVT is similar to a traditional automatic transmission in many ways. For example, like a regular automatic, the unit has a torque converter that acts as a fluid coupling device between the engine and transmission. There’s also a planetary gearset that allows the driver to switch between forward and reverse.
Common Nissan CVT Transmission Problems
Nissan’s CVT transmissions can suffer from a variety of problems. The most common issues, however, are overheating, abnormal noises, and the infamous “judder”.
The “Judder”
As the belt and pulleys inside a CVT begin to wear—a problem that happens early on with Nissan transmissions—the belt may begin to slip, causing a “judder” sensation. In a technical service bulletin (TSB), Nissan describes the phenomenon as being a “shake, shudder, single or multiple bumps or vibration”.
To address the concern, Nissan issued a software update for the transmission control module (TCM). The update allows the module to recognize the judder and set a corresponding diagnostic trouble code (DTC) in its memory.
There are two judder codes that can be set: P17F0 and P17F1. Nissan has issued a TSB that tells dealership technicians how to approach each of the two codes when there’s a judder. According to the document:
- P17F0: Technicians should replace the CVT assembly.
- P17F1: Technicians should inspect the CVT belt for wear to determine whether the valve body or the entire transmission requires replacement.
Abnormal Noises
Many drivers also complain of abnormal noises coming from their Nissan’s CVT. The most common is a whining or grinding sound that coincides with vehicle speed. In most cases, either worn bearings or issues with the transmission’s belt system are to blame.
Overheating Resulting in “Limp” Mode
Nissan CVTs are known to overheat, especially after traveling at highway speeds for a long time or driving up a steep grade. When the transmission overheats, the vehicle often goes into a fail-safe or “limp” mode, resulting in a loss of power. Obviously, this is a potentially dangerous scenario that can put occupants at risk.
The belt and pulley system inside the transmission creates more heat than Nissan engineers anticipated—and the cooling system cannot keep up.
To address the overheating concern, Nissan released a TSB recommending the installation of an external transmission cooler. Dealership technicians often diagnose the overheat condition by using a scan tool to look at the CVT fluid temperature “counts” registered by the TCM.
But adding an external cooler doesn’t always fix the overheating problem. In many cases, the entire CVT assembly must be replaced to address the concern.
Did Nissan Extend the Warranty on Its CVT Transmission?
In 2010—after several class action lawsuits and countless customer complaints—Nissan agreed to extend the warranty on its CVTs found in select models built between 2003 and 2010. The extended warranty covered the units for up to 10-years/120,000-miles. Of course, all of those transmissions are now out of warranty.
A few years later, Nissan extended the warranty on select vehicles built between 2012 and 2017. The extension bumped the warranty up from 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles.
Also, there are plenty of class-action lawsuits in the works regarding Nissan CVT transmissions that are no longer under warranty. Owners hope to get some form of compensation through these proceedings.
Nissan Isn’t the Only Automaker to Use These Troublesome CVTs
It’s worth noting that Nissan’s CVTs are made by the brand’s spinoff company, Jatco. Over the years, Jatco has supplied transmissions to a wide variety of different automakers. As a result, the troublesome CVTs found in Nissan vehicles also appear in some other applications, such as the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass.
Keep Reading: Related Posts
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
I have a 2011 Nissan Murano S and the same tings that happen with the 2012 issues with the CVT transmission. I paid a lot of money for this car to last less than 7 years. I will tell everyone I meet how Nissan Murano S awd 6 cylinder have serious CVT transmission problems. Feeling ripped off. I’m a single Grandmother raising my 13 year grandson and I need my car. It’s not like I have $6,000 for Nissan to fix it, so it can happen again. Shame on them ripping off the consumer.
Also I only have 140.009 miles on my Nissan Murano S awd 6 cylinder w the same exact problems as 2012 and up.
Buy a extended warranty and you will be covered like when my trans got replaced on a 2016 nissan altima at 47k miles.I only paid the 300 for the deductable on a 7500 dollar repair.
Hi, I own a 2016 Nissan Versa, with 46,000 miles and my transmission recently broke on me. My warranty expired in June 2023 and the dealer won’t assist me. I found this article and researching if anyone else here found any resolutions. A new transmission could cost me approximately 6,000 or more. I’m retired and can’t afford the cost. The garage I towed my car to thinks Nissan should help me out since the mileage is low. I towed my vehicle back to my place and I’m in limbo not knowing what I could do. I would appreciate any thoughts. Thank you.
Buy another vehicle
Your warranty might be up at the dealership but the manufacturer (Nissan) warranty should still cover that. They actually recently extended it to more miles but with the low mileage you have you should be covered.
I’ve owned a 2010 Nissan Rogue (since 2015). When I first purchased it [with only 17,000 miles on it] I immediately noticed a peculiar acceleration “feel” to it (not knowing that it was due to the CVT tranny), which I quickly “adapted” to. When the vehicle seemed to prematurely shift gears (suddenly going to a low RPM), I release my pressure on the accelerator for a moment, resume pressure on the accelerator, and it returns to a higher RPM operation, with much better torque.
I now have ~120,000 miles on the vehicle, and although I’m not experiencing some of the common described symptoms (jerking, etc.), just recently I’ve noticed the transmission becoming much more noisy than before. Kind of a loud Humming. I’m NOW aware that a CVT should have it’s fluid changed every ~35K miles (unlike what I’ve always been told regarding traditional transmissions),,,,,but if you “let it go” much beyond that, changing the fluid at higher mileages is [from what I’m told] a big Taboo.
Big Question!
Is there ANYthing that can be done from a “preventive maintenance” standpoint in this situation? The car has been very reliable for me so far.
YES! Change the upper cartridge filter ASAP. (Nissan won’t tell you this, its not in any manual) Also, drop the pan, clean the magnet and replace the screen. When the upper filter gets plugged, it causes cooling problems and also causes the fluid to not flow correctly through the valve body, causing it to shift funny and overheat. Also, I’d recommend changing the fluid with a drain and fill (which only changes about half the fluid) its far safer and new fluid will recondition the older fluid somewhat. Don’t do a flush. Call a shop, tell then you have a JATCO and you want BOTH filters changed. Then, make sure they show you the upper cartridge filter (it won’t be pretty but at least you’ll know they changed it) If they argue or have no idea what you’re talking about, try a different shop.
My 2010 murano has 180k miles do you recommend a drain and fill with this high mileage. I’m afraid it may conk out and not work no more. I need it for work .
I have a 2016 Pulsar and I am awaiting the installation of my 3rd transmission in the car (Once installed I will be selling the car)
The first transmission experienced the juddering and problems with acceleration. Nissan tried 4 software updates for it and none of them worked. Got that replaced by Nissan under goodwill because the car was 10 months out of warranty and had less than 50,000km on it. This was an ongoing issue from the moment I bought the car second hand in 2018 and finally had it replaced early 2020.
My second transmission experienced catastrophic failure in early 2024. It had 15,000km on it and we suspect it was the timing chain that completely snapped. Currently awaiting approval for a second goodwill replacement. If not approved I will be seeking legal advice and possibly sending the car straight to the wreckers.These transmissions are poorly engineered and I recommend staying as far away from them as possible.