9.2

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,070
Average Mileage:
81,700 miles
Total Complaints:
5 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (4 reports)
  2. the fix is a recall (1 reports)
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problem #5

Mar 022019

Cube S 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 98,813 miles

Don Jose Auto Sales LLP. Used car dealership, located at 30390 Pacific Hwy, Federal Way, WA buys and Sales Vehicles. On 2/15/2019 I heard from a guy who said he bought two cars from the Seller and called Don Jose Auto Sales LLP to tell him that I was coming buy and give a great deal.

I picked out the 2012 Cube S 1.8 four door SUV to test drive but the Cube didn't have a Buyers Guide on the vehicle. I learned why not when Don Jose turned the key on. The car hadn't been worked on. The Check engine light was flashing the airbag light was flashing and the interior was oil stained inside. Don Jose said don't worry about that we can get all of that fixed. It took the mechanic four hours to get the car ready for a test drive. I gave Don Jose my drivers license and we both entered the Cube and I drove off into traffic about a block out the front end was bouncing I mentioned this to Don Jose asking if the bouncing was the front end Don Jose shrugged his shoulders and just remained quite. He never mentioned anything about the car and he wouldn't allow me to drive but two blocks then back. I had to go back three days to his place to get the car ready for my road trip to Texas as I mentioned to Don Jose. On 2/19/2019 I finally pulled off the dealership location heading to Houston, TX

"""Don't buy vehicles from Don Jose Auto Sale, LLP""".

This owner dealer buy's vehicles known to have a early threshold for mechanical breakdown in need of major repairs. He's become a part of the protected class against day to day, working and working poor class consumers. The car had sluggish acceleration and bouncing in the front end during test drive and Don Jose the owner of Don Jose Auto Sales knew it was the CVT Transmission and just shrugged his shoulders and remained quite.

I have since learned that the 2012 Cube S was primarily used as Fleet Cars. (Leases, Individual Personal Corporate Car, Taxis, Rentals,) These cars get to have a good reputation for being well maintained. But my car came from IDAHO which doesn't require emission testing. If they are used as Fleet Cars, I have learned that these cars are driven very hard because the users don't have to maintain them and sense no emission is required no consumer will be aware of the safety risk they will be taking if they purchase a Fleet Car like the one Don Jose sold to me.

The low, low, low mileage on the car I have learned indicates someone can detach the ODOMETER since no emission inspection is required. The state to state title transfer may have not been necessary sense IDAHO doesn't require emission and WASHINGTON STATE DOES.

My car had (31-36 miles for the first Five years in IDAHO, 7/26/2012-4/24/2018) based on Experian AutoCheck Report Which NHTSA list as one the VIN Check providers I paid $24.99 for a seven day report.

Then from 4/24/2018 there were a second owner in WA State, they either drove (83,544 miles) or they just rolled up the Mileage too (83,544 miles) This mileage was recorded on the Which indicated ODOMETER Fraud.

I bought the 2012 Cube S on 2/15/2019 (1.8 four door SUV) it had 92,918 miles. I drove 2,700 miles from Don Jose's Auto Dealership In Federal Way, WA to Houston, Texas and back to Seattle, WA and the ODOMETER digitally recorded 98,319 upon my return to Seattle, WA on 03/02/2019. Here is where the ODOMETER digital recorder gets creepy. Someone between IDAHO and WA State Modified or Tampered the Instrument Panel. Because 98,319 - 92,918 = 5,408 round trip from Federal, Way, WA to Houston, TX and back to Seattle, WA 11 days later.

92,918 miles).And supposedly according to Don Jose Auto Sale LLP owner who said after I completed my road trip I only did 2,700 miles.

I submitted a thorough vehicle history request from WA State DOL

1. Brand: Fleet Car Lienholder/Activity

2. 2018 thru 2019 Emission Inspection Result (IDAHO and State Of Washington)

3 .Vehicle Use Report (Leases, Individual Personal Corporate Car, Taxis, Rentals, etc)

4. Brand: Auction, Brand Rebuilt, Brand Retitled, Brand Copy Of The 2018 New Federal Law, Buyers Guide form with my signature on it somewhere.

5. Brand: Copy Of The Completed ODOMETER /TITLE Extension Statement Release Of Interest Form

- howcanirepayyou, Burien, US

problem #4

Jun 282018

Cube Chrome

  • CVT transmission
  • 54,000 miles

CVT Transmission failure ~ Safety issue slow to start ~ Same as 100's of reports on internet car was at warranty end and Nissan said only fix for small leak was to replace the whole cvt~ as per current pending class actions against Nissan for 2013-2017 cvts being replaced repeatedly with the same failing transmission ended in repair cost to customer. Nissan offered to pay for parts but not labor 900$. Why would I pay to put the same bad part on the car? Why is there not a Class action for 2012 Nissan?

This car had a fuel leak that took many months to repair and find.

Then the a/c was not working and mechanic said it might be related to the open ended temp gage for outside temp that this model did not have, only fix he had was electrical tape which I told Nissan was not a good fix and have work order through nissan for this. A/c was leak was due to o ring which may relate back to transmission failure the whole thing basically was shaking apart. So the dealer filled the a/c and failed to find o-ring leak and also failed to find transmission leak when I told them I wanted everything checked per the warranty ending. 6 months later I found time to take it back..Master mechanic found it when I brought it back now they want to charge me labor on new cvt only I read cvt break repeatedly and some people had bought 3 or 4 transmissions! There needs to be a recall of all cvts.

So dealer called me to tell me "good news:about discounted rates and parts being covered" I was not amused since it should have been found 6 months prior I felt mechanic failed at a'c leak was enough to indicate he was not using Nissan standards in his multi-point check so it was enough to prove he would have missed the transmission leak as well since I am disabled and don't drive the car much since they saw it last.

I believe I maybe and others maybe in extreme danger if you drive these cars. The reports of instant car shut off or dropped gears or no start from stop signs are in the 100's USA and Canada!

I also had a gas fuel line leak when I first got the car that was hard to find and I read about other Nissans with this same issue.

- Audrey P., San Francisco, CA, US

problem #3

Sep 222018

Cube S 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 51,680 miles

As seems typical for failing CVT, this was the third instance in the last month where I suddenly lost power and no RPM change with accelerator press. No lights on the dash. No warnings, Just pull out from a stop light creeping out at idle. Very unsafe condition to be in. Had only driven about 1 mile, shouldn't have been overheated.

- Nathan S., Aurora, CO, US

problem #2

Mar 012017

Cube LX

  • CVT transmission
  • 88,000 miles

Slipping transmission for a year. Not knowing it was the transmission until it stopped running. Did not know a CVT Tranny could slip. Had it replaced and now it is happening again 6100 miles later.

- Jennifer D., Williamson, GA, US

problem #1

Mar 242017

Cube

  • CVT transmission
  • 116,000 miles

Nissan brand shopping? DON'T BUY!!! Here's my story. Note the CVT is not just in my car, but most Nissan models.

The owners of 2009 & 2010 Cubes had their warranties extended to 120,000 miles. The popularity of the box was over anticipated, so Nissan was stuck with lots of inventory with a bad reputation of a crap transmission.

Nissan continued to sell the newer year models with this issue knowing these customers will have to face the same problem. Yet Nissan DID NOT give a 120,000 miles warranty on the same IDENTICAL CVT in the SAME IDENTICAL CAR!!! The only difference in the 2012 model and the earlier models are absolutely NOTHING. It's the same identical car, same identical CVT. All Nissan mechanics and service managers know that.

The real insult to injury is all Nissan dealership GMs and owners knew this and continued to sell the Cube and other models. Also, all Nissan dealerships are dealing with CVT replacements perpetually.

My CVT was replaced or so they said. Upon test driving it before getting out of the parking lot it was obvious the 2nd CVT is crap too. Instead of admitting it was a dud, they decided to do all they could to try a fix.

After the fix of the replacement CVT the test drive proved the fix didn't fix it. After more weeks of techline testing, the torque converter finally threw the code that is was indeed the torque converter. Therefore they finally relented and supposedly replaced the 2nd CVT with a 3rd one.

Upon paying $3,065.00 and driving it off the lot all was good. The next day about two hours into driving it, the tensioner and belt are back to making the same noise when all of this ordeal started. Let me add, they put a new belt and tensioner in it.

Apparently, the new belt and tensioner were to omit the first symptom of a bad CVT. The rattling noise is from too much torque with no gear ratio to grab, in the what would normally be first gear range of a traditional transmission. Eventually, this will creep it's way into 2nd gear range. But how long before its' bad enough to throw the torque converter code again?

It obvious the new belt and tensioner were done to get me past the 12,000-mile warranty of the replacement CVT that's bad and out another three grand for another transmission.

Before the code the last time, we all knew it was the CVT. BTW, you can't get a torque converter, you must replace the whole CVT. Even worse, Nissan has no new CVTs. They are all rebuilt. So they are replacing the problem with a rebuilt problem. No wonder there is no fix.

Taking it back tomorrow. Since I finally forked out the money for the bogus fix, I predict I will not get the treatment I was getting since they now have my money.

I'll keep all of you posted.

- Noel J., Roanoke Rapids, NC, US