If you’re experiencing ongoing transmission problems in your Nissan vehicle, you might have a defective CVT transmission. Below are answers to some of the most common questions about Nissan CVT transmission issues, potential recalls and your options under California lemon law.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CVT TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE?

If you’re a Nissan owner, your vehicle may be a lemon if Nissan or its dealerships couldn’t fix the faulty parts within a “reasonable” number of attempts. Common Nissan transmission problems include:

• Delayed Acceleration
• Lurching and Jerking
• Transmission Slipping
• Shaking and Shuddering
• Vehicle Hesitation or Stalling
• Burning Smells
• Coolant/Transmission Fluid Leaks
• Transmission Overheating
• Engine Revving
• Strange Shifting Noises
• Premature Transmission Failure

A burning smell or overheating issues are often linked to problems with the torque converter or other critical components. When power or acceleration problems occur in places like stops, freeway ramps, intersections and highways, drivers face a greater risk of getting rear-ended or causing a crash.

These problems may demand a Nissan transmission recall and they ought to be taken seriously. If you’re a Nissan owner and notice the following CVT issues — and a Nissan dealership hasn’t resolved the problem — your vehicle may be considered defective under lemon law.

WHAT NISSAN CARS HAVE CVT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS?

Despite settling multiple class action lawsuits, Nissan still equips these vehicles with CVT transmissions. Problems have been reported in multiple model years with Nissan CVT transmissions. Affected years include some of the vehicles below:

• 2022–2025 Nissan Sentra
• 2019–2025 Nissan Altima
• 2017–2025 Nissan Maxima
• 2017–2024 Nissan Murano
• 2019–2021 Nissan Pathfinder
• 2017 Nissan Quest
• 2019–2025 Nissan Rogue
• 2019–2025 Nissan Versa

If you have one of the above Nissan vehicles and experience transmission issues that seemingly cannot be fixed, your vehicle may be considered defective.

Nissan transmission problems to this extent may also entitle you to legal compensation or a new vehicle. We can assist owners of 2020 or newer Nissan vehicles with recurring transmission issues.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF NISSAN CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE?

If left unaddressed, Nissan CVT transmission problems can escalate to more severe failures, including:

• Complete loss of power while driving
• Transmission slipping out of gear
• Inability to accelerate despite increased engine revving
• Unresponsive transmission despite shifting attempts

WHY DO NISSAN CVT TRANSMISSIONS FAIL?

Transmission problems in Nissan vehicles, particularly those equipped with CVT systems, are often caused by specific mechanical and design flaws:

• Overheating – Excessive heat buildup can reduce performance and cause transmission failure.
• Fluid Issues – Low or degraded transmission fluid can cause slipping, shuddering and acceleration problems. Regular fluid changes are necessary to maintain performance.
• Software Malfunctions – Faulty transmission control module (TCM) programming can lead to rough shifting and hesitation.
• Wear and Tear – CVTs use belts and pulleys instead of gears. Over time, these components can wear out prematurely.
• Manufacturing Defects – Some Nissan model years have been linked to design flaws that lead to ongoing transmission problems.

Keeping up with regular maintenance and addressing CVT transmission issues early may help prevent long-term damage.

HAS NISSAN ISSUED A CVT TRANSMISSION RECALL?

Nissan has not issued a broad recall for CVT transmission issues, but some models have received extended warranties or technical service bulletins (TSBs) to address common failures. However, Nissan continues to deny widespread defects in its CVT transmissions.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS FROM NISSAN DRIVERS ABOUT CVT TRANSMISSIONS?

Drivers have reported recurring CVT transmission issues in several Nissan models. The following complaints are sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and CarComplaints.com. They have been edited for clarity and length.

2015 Nissan Quest – “When the vehicle is warmed up, the transmission shudders while accelerating… The dealership says it needs to be replaced at a value of $4,300…”

2016 Nissan Quest – “The transmission jerks while accelerating above 40 mph, especially on hills and during cruise control… This is happening more frequently and makes driving unsafe.”

2018 Nissan Sentra – “My Sentra, at around 75 mph, starts shifting back and forth abnormally between gears… You feel a jerk when it’s jumping gears, but the RPM arrow also jerks between, started around 30,000 miles and is getting worse.”

2019 Nissan Versa – “The car does not want to accelerate and/or change gears when pressing down on the gas pedal… The car struggles to take off at lights and makes a loud noise coming from the transmission.”

2020 Nissan Sentra – “The engine light came on, and the car stalled in traffic and would not move… The dealer said the cause of the problem was the transmission—they had to replace the automatic CVT transaxle assembly.”

2021 Nissan Versa – “After driving for a couple of months, I noticed the car would hesitate when trying to accelerate at an intersection… A local mechanic said it had a code P17F4.”

2023 Nissan Versa – “My car stalled while backing up… I restarted the car and got back on the road, but it wouldn’t accelerate above 25–30 mph. This was extremely dangerous due to the lack of pull-off areas on the road.”

HOW HAS NISSAN RESPONDED TO THESE CVT PROBLEMS?

The company has settled multiple Nissan CVT transmission cases. The following vehicles are included in Nissan CVT class action lawsuits that have already reached settlement:

• 2014–2018 Nissan Rogue
• 2015–2018 Nissan Pathfinder
• 2015–2018 Infiniti QX60
• 2013–2019 Nissan Sentra
• 2014–2019 Nissan Versa
• 2014–2019 Nissan Versa Note
• 2013–2018 Nissan Altima
• 2013–2017 Nissan Juke

Lemon Law Help cannot take CVT transmission lemon cases for the vehicles listed above because the deadline for filing a lemon law claim has since passed. 

If you have a 2020 or newer Nissan Altima, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa, Nissan Rogue or Nissan Pathfinder, you may still be eligible to file a lemon law claim. However, you will need to opt out of any Nissan transmission class action lawsuits by their opt-out deadlines to retain your right to sue.

If you did not opt out of a Nissan CVT transmission lawsuit before the opt-out deadline, you remain automatically included.

However, that does not mean you automatically qualify for settlement rewards. Settlements often place limits on who qualifies for payouts or repairs offered. That is why opting out of class action lawsuits is key to retaining your lemon law rights.

HAS NISSAN FOUND A FIX FOR THE CVT TRANSMISSION?

No. The company allegedly knew about the Nissan CVT transmission problems since 2009. These problems include being prone to overheating, having shorter lifespans than conventional transmissions, and being much harder to repair.

Nissan tried to address the CVT transmission juddering problem by:

• Reprogramming the Transmission Control Unit (TCM) to stop the CVT belt from slipping
• Replacing the assemblies for the Continuously Variable Transmission
• Replacing the transmission’s valve body

According to these lawsuits, none of these solutions worked. Nissan vehicles with CVT transmissions still experience shaking, shuddering, overheating and acceleration problems.

Nissan has since offered extended warranties for many of these vehicles, but has allegedly failed to come clean regarding the vehicle defects.

Additionally, Nissan allegedly denies the existence of CVT transmission problems until after the warranties expire.

Many transmission issues affected active warranties on consumers’ vehicles, forcing them to pay for repair services out of pocket anyway.

I THINK MY NISSAN TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE. WHAT CAN I DO?

If you suspect that your Nissan CVT transmission is defective, make sure to follow these steps:

• Take your vehicle to the dealership for transmission service and repairs. Report your concerns to the technician.
• Make sure the concerns you reported (no matter how minor) are written down in the repair order.
• Keep copies of your repair orders. If you lost them, contact the dealership for copies of the repair orders and receipts, which will serve as proof of repair attempts for your claim.
• Gather other documents, such as warranty information for the vehicle.
• Contact a lemon law attorney for a free consultation.

Even if your Nissan doesn’t have a CVT or has issues unrelated to your transmission, you should still follow these steps. If you suspect that your vehicle is defective, you want to establish a paper trail for your lemon law claim.

Sometimes, new class action lawsuits will include your vehicle and its defects. Make sure to opt out of a Nissan CVT transmission lawsuit before the opt-out deadlines. If you’re not sure whether you’re included, you may contact a lemon law firm to consult you on the specifics. Once you opt out, you can proceed with a lemon law claim.

Not everyone with a defective vehicle is included in a class action lawsuit. If you’re not part of a class lawsuit, you may go straight into the lemon law process.