9.1

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,280
Average Mileage:
114,450 miles
Total Complaints:
22 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace transmission (20 reports)
  2. misdiagnosed noise (1 reports)
  3. not sure (1 reports)
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problem #22

Feb 012023

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 130,000 miles

NISSAN.....what can I say? Need I say more?? After putting in a new transmission because of the same problem others have mentioned here about having (loss of power, stalling out, gauges malfunctioning), wouldn't you know it???? Problem with transmission still persists. Dealership told my friend she needed a new transmission (which wasn't covered under warranty)--which she had them (the dealership) put in and the car sits without plates on it in her driveway (with a new transmission) due to suffering with the same issue as before. NISSAN SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR HAVING MADE A LEMON LIKE THIS CARS!!!! I THINK A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WOULD SUFFICE!!!!!

- Robert H., Lewiston, NY, US

problem #21

Jul 202022

Altima S 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 170,000 miles

Symptoms began with transmission slipping. Fluid was fine. A couple months later it began to lose the ability to accelerate, would only go 20mph; After 5 minutes the car was only able to move a couple feet and reverse wouldn’t work at all. I checked the service code, came up with P0746; and called Nissan for a quote to fix that issue. Nissan said they would call back after looking into it; I didn’t hear back. Went in to a dealer to buy a new car and they didn’t even want this one for trade. GF bought it used from JB Byryder NH (do not recommend, previous issues were a fight even when covered by extended warranty.) 3 years ago; 10 grand. Total loss.

- Michael B., Northwood, US

problem #20

Dec 202021

Altima

  • CVT transmission
  • 106,500 miles

The transmission failed, can not speed up 25miles, with error code 'p1778 step motor function'. I asked to Nissan dealership and Nissan America headquarters, but they told me my car has no extended warranty. I saw the article about Missan CVT transmission lawsuit. It said that the warranty for Nissan CVT transmissions was extended to 10 years, 120k miles, but Nissan America denied it, only under 2010 Nissan Altima transmission warranty was extended. 2012 Altima and 2010 Altima has same generation. The transmission repair fee is about $4,000.

Can anybody help me?

- PETER P., Richardson, TX, US

problem #19

Jan 052022

Altima

  • CVT transmission
  • 172,000 miles

Had issues with shuddering a few years ago, took it for repairs, and it worked well for another year. Started having problems again a few months ago with failure to accelerate, RPMs way high, even idling, jerking and slipping. The dealership quotes me $6k for a new transmission. We try to nurse it along for a week or so more, but now it’s completely out. Won’t go into gear. I see that the lawsuit has already settled, but I didn’t even know was out the CVT problems until now! Too late for reimbursement or repairs??

- Mary V., Tullahoma, TN, US

problem #18

Dec 052021

Altima

  • CVT transmission
  • 73,860 miles

After my Altima transmission failed, I found out they have had failing CVT transmissions STEADILY for the LAST 15 OR 20 years. ON multiple occasions, and only after they were sued in Class Actions, they would offer extended warranties and pay to fix transmissions that were beyond the original warranty. Why>? because they had so many THOUSANDS of failed trannies and pushback from customers. One of the five class actions I read about ended up with Nissan shelling out $277,000,000 to buyers. Yup thats 277 million, in just one case.

My Altima had kid glove treatment and the tranny died at just 73,000+ miles. I wrote to Nissan, and had several phone calls with their consumer office. Clearly, they are paid to say no. Very polite, but "too bad, so sad."

First car I ever bought was a 1976 Datsun (predecessor of nissan) in 1978, 43 years ago. And this 2012 Altima will be the very LAST nissan I ever buy. They could have got off the hook for the $2700 I paid to buy a....you guessed it....a replacement Nissan tranny, but no doing.

Just by telling everyone i know, I am pretty sure I can cost Nissan vastly more in lost sales then they cost me. HEY NISSAN, you need to fire all of your engineers.....they have had 20 years to figure out the CVT, and still can't get the job done. While you are at it, fire the MBAs who are telling you (ala Ford Pinto) its cheaper to put up with lawsuits than to fix the problem.

- barney353, Pierre, US

problem #17

Feb 062020

Altima S 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

Need a transmission replacement! At a mere 80,000 miles!! Vehicle is worth less than this repair.

And to top it off, they say the exhaust system has to be removed in order to replace the transmission, and that with an 8 year old vehicle, they will have to replace the exhaust system! $7500-$8000 total!!!!!!

- Ron W., Weymouth, US

problem #16

Aug 092021

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 109,000 miles

I was driving home from work late at night on a busy road and my 2012 Nissan Altima suddenly jerked a few times and then completely would not move at all. My mechanic told me the transmission has failed and would need to be replaced. I looked into it and found out just how unreliable the CVT transmissions are.

Nissan has had several class action lawsuits about this issue, but unfortunately the 2012 has not been part of them. I am stuck with a $3000 repair and a very bad opinion of the Nissan brand, CVT transmissions, and Nissan Motor Corporation. I would not buy a Nissan again.

- Heather S., Clifton Park, NY, US

problem #15

Jun 192016

Altima V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 153,094 miles

Just got vehicle paid off and transmission went out got fixed a week later tore up so got rid of it but not before I paid out 3700 Hundred dollars

- Penny P., Chipley, US

problem #14

Jun 042020

Altima L 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 90,679 miles

Transmission failed. For some reason the 2012 Altimas are not covered under the class action lawsuit. We bought the car new and always changed oil and kept up car. My wife drives this car and she has always babied it. Have bought 3 Nissan since 2012. 1 2012 lease, one 2015 lease. I had been warned about the trans possibly going around 80 thousand miles but never had a problem till now. This CVT trans is the same trans that have been failing everywhere on these Nissans. Can't understand why the 2012 Altima was not included in the extended warranty automatically like the 2013 and many more.

Update from Jul 16, 2020: My car was misdiagnosed by nissan. Nothing wrong with transmission at this point. The noise came from the 2 front wheel hubs which I repaired and the car drives great

Update from Jul 16, 2020: Nothing wrong with trans. Misdiagnosed by nissan. 2 front wheel hub bearing were bad. Repaired myself

- Dave K., Broomall, PA, US

problem #13

Sep 162019

Altima 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,000 miles

I have a 2012 Nissan Altima the CVT transmission went out on it. This should not be a problem in this car so soon. I have read numerous complaints with the same problem. Why we they not address this and recall this. It really looks bad on the Nissan brand.

- deandranita, Houston, US

problem #12

Jul 082016

Altima

  • CVT transmission
  • 129,000 miles

My 2012 Nissan Altima transmission went out. I tried everything to get it fixed because my warranty had just ran out. I knew the transmission was defective....

- Geraldine M., Kingsland, GA, US

problem #11

Nov 102018

Altima Altima S 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 86,021 miles

I just had it sitting in my garage for a month as my wife was out of the country. But when I decided to drive it to keep it in shape 3 lights lit up. Took it to a repair shop and they told me I needed a new transmission and that they had numerous previous problems with Nissan CVT transmissions.

- bosco6737rd, SNELLVILLE, US

problem #10

Jun 212018

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 103,529 miles

Bought my 2012 Altima used in November of 2017, with about 155,000 kms on it.

Drove for about 6 months with no issues, was a great car to drive until one day.... the transmission started with its high-pitched whine.

About 30 kms later, the RPMs were going off on their own and the car revved up to 7,000 RPM while idling in traffic. Straight to the dealer from there. They informed me that the car had experienced a total transmission failure!!!! WTF!!! this is a 6 year old car that has been well taken care of.

Not acceptable, Nissan! I am completely and utterly disappointed with this car and this brand. After driving Hondas and Toyotas for many years, I thought I was stepping up by getting a Nissan... but no.

I'm fuming mad about this and am waiting on a call-back from some call center supervisor. They don't know whats coming for them... it's bloody extortion!!

If Nissan responds positively to my requests, I'll update this post to reflect that.

Cheers.

- Casey O., Halifax, NS, Canada

problem #9

Jun 082018

Altima S 2.5L V4

  • CVT transmission
  • 90,567 miles

Thought the world of Nissan till I bought one. 2012 Altima purchased early 2017 with 62,000 miles. Transmission has completely failed at just over 90,500 miles on 06/08/2018 also after a lifetime of full service from previous owner and myself. I'm gonna be out around 3500. I will not be buying another Nissan after this. The fact that they recalled to 2010 when 2012s are failing at the same rate lets me know my loyalty should be elsewhere. Only wish I would've learned about these issues sooner because prior to my purchase I had only ever heard good things about Nissan.

- Billy P., Carriere, MS, US

problem #8

Mar 012017

Altima 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 110,000 miles

CVT is bullshit!! Second time replacing in 2 years!!!!

- Letisha C., Mt.Gilead, NC, US

problem #7

Feb 052018

Altima 4S 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 174,000 miles

The first car I ever had that couldn't make it to 200,000 miles. Do not buy a car with the CVT transmission. After researching it, it will never be a good one. Service man said he hasn't been able to save any of them following the Toyota service maintenance.

- Cindy W., Fort Branch, US

problem #6

Mar 102018

Altima SL 4

  • CVT transmission
  • 100,008 miles

I recently took a road trip and noticed that my car started to lose power uphill. I pushed my foot all the way down to the pedal and still had no power. I was terrified. Upon return , I took my car to the Nissan dealership and they told me that I needed a new transmission. I didn't replace it yet. I'm still debating on whatever I should trade it in or trash ir.

- K C., Atlanta, US

problem #5

Jan 232018

Altima SE 2.5L $ cyl

  • CVT transmission
  • 129,000 miles

I own a 2012 Nissan Altima. Just hit 130000k miles on it and my CVT transmission went out and me left in the middle of a intersection. It didn't want to accelerate or respond at all. Thank God people stopped and helped me push the car out of the way.

I called my uncle who is a professional mechanic that builds motors for a living. When he asked me what car I drive, he already knew what it was. I even called a few other mechanic friends and neither of them have anything good to say about the CVT. My uncle said if I get it fixed to get rid of the car asap, because once it happens it will be a ongoing problem. It doesn't matter how many times you try to fix it Mind you that I'm paying on it still. If I would've known about this I would've never have purchased the vehicle. Nissan will never tell their customers that are coming in to purchase a Altima, a Rogue or Pathfinder that they have CVT transmission and that they're horrible.

I took my my car to Nissan to get it checked out and they were charging $5,000 to replace transmission. I don't understand how they can continue selling and putting people in these vehicles with this type of issue, Its not right at all they're putting peoples lives at risk. I've owned Hondas and Toyotas before I purchased this Altima. I've put 200,000 miles on my cars in the past and I NEVER EVER had a transmission issue at all.

This is my last time I will ever buy a Nissan. I will stick to Honda or Toyota for now on. So if you're thinking about purchasing a Altima you better think again and save your money and go buy a Honda or a Toyota to save yourself a headache and your life.

- Yadiel R., Tampa, US

problem #4

Dec 272017

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 115,425 miles

Nissan Covers a lot of their 2003-2010 Nissans with 120k miles and it saved me with my 2008 Sentra at 110k. Now my 2012 Altima SL is dead 115k. I have another 2007 Altima and it's at 106k. I'm starting to see a trend with these transmissions and I think I'm going to have to start looking for another company with better coverage or better transmission history!

Update from Jan 17, 2018: The extended warranty covers 2009-2010 Altimas, then why isn`t my 2012 covered since Nissan put the same faulty transmission in? 2009 Nissan Altima Sedan Part No. 31020-1XE0A Part No. 310C0-1XE1B Part No. 31020-1XF3D Part No. 31020-1XT6D Part No. 31020-1XF3E Part No. 31020-1XF4C Part No. 31020-1XT3C

2010 Nissan Altima Sedan Part No. 31020-1XE1B Part No. 31020-1XF3D Part No. 31020-1XT6D Part No. 31020-1XT3C Part No. 3102M-1XT3CRE

2012 Nissan Altima Sedan Part No. 31020-1XT3C old Part No. 3102M-1XT3CRE

- James C., Ray City, US

problem #3

Feb 042017

Altima SL 2.5L

  • CVT transmission
  • 121,000 miles

I have a 2012 Nissan 2.5L Altima with recent extended warranty that just expired. (Of course). I have been dealing with the car and its hesitation and chugging issues since October 2015. I brought car into the dealership and on three separate occasions concerned about the performance of the vehicle. First time in shop I was told that the scope showed no warning codes and recommendation was to complete the 100,000 mile maintenance of flushing transmission and spark plug replacement, which was done and car seems to ruin ok... for a few days. Then same issues.

We took a trip to Colorado from MInnesota and the problem with hesitation and chugging with automatic gear shifting. I took the car back in and again in December with technician now driving the car was told nothing was showing up. Car continued to get worse with now no acceleration, so I took it in a week ago when the car was showing alot more signs of something wrong, and technician drove with me in the car and stated to service manager that he didn't experience anything that indicated an issue. The next day, of course on a Saturday, the car would not go over 5 miles an hour and created almost a massive accident on local city street. I immediately took it in to the dealership and was finally given the news (which I knew all the time) that codes where indicating a transmission failure and unfortunately was in need of a new transmission! Cost $3,900 and some change!!!

That's when I started researching and saw this problem dated back to 2008 with Nissan products. Nissan did settle on a class action suit by providing car owners an extended warranty, yet knowingly, they continued to manufacture cars with the same transmission! I am outraged that dealers continue to sell these cars and blatantly look purchasers in the face and lie about this product's performance. I feel that Nissan should be replacing these faulty transmissions in all models that are complained about due to them continuing placing these transmissions in their models.

- Debra B., Eagle Lake, MN, US

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