CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2011 Altima has a defect trend of CVT transmission failure showing up around the 100,000 mile mark.
It's an expensive repair at nearly $4,000 average repair cost. For more information see Nissan Altima CVT defect info on NissanProblems.com.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
80,252 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Car began to make a whirring sound and lost power on freeway only allowing my children and I to only go 20 mph while cars were merging on in a high traffic area. The car did this a few times during longer trips (45 miles or more) on the side of a regular road. After a couple mechanics the Nissan dealership found the problem happens when the car overheats because the cooling system stopped working. We had to put a new cooler in it.
I'm having issues with my transmission that are most likely leading to it needing to be replaced and after doing further research it seems there are hundreds of people with the exact same make and model and a lot with the same year or only a few years difference that have had the exact same issue. With this many people having the same issues I think Nissan needs to take responsibility.
My 2011 Nissan Altima has less than 53,000 miles, for the past several months I keep getting a check engine light that comes on and then goes away after about a week. When checked the code it is giving is P0826 which indicates "a problem in the electrical circuit of the upshift/downshift switch to the transmission range correlation circuit. This circuit includes the switch, wiring, connectors, and mode actuator, and is used on vehicles that have manually shiftable automatic transmissions. This light comes on at all times and will go out after a week or so.
My Nissan Altima 2.5 S, at 123,000 miles, began losing power while I was driving in busy traffic. My car eventually stopped. I had my car hauled to my home, by a tow truck. The Nissan dealership was notified and given the VIN #. this particular year (2011), was not on the recall list, but previous years had been added to the list, for the same problem (cvt transmission). I read multiple complaints online regarding Nissan trouble with the cvt transmission in all Nissan cars for all years. The dealership admitted there were problems and complaints about the cvt transmissions, but they couldn't do anything about it since my car's year (2011) wasn't on the list. I have taken great care of my car, keeping up with the preventive maintenance, since I purchased it brand new. Any car losing power in busy traffic is a safety issue. This issue should have a class action law suit brought against Nissan. It is frequently talked about online. A tremendous amount of Nissan customers are complaining about the same issue (cvt transmission) in all of their cars, no matter how many miles the cars have been driven. Please have Nissan take responsibility for this faulty cvt transmission that they chose to install in all of their cars, which was a big mistake and a danger to the Nissan drivers and the public. Cvt transmissions, which are equivalent to a pulley /chain system, do not belong in cars. A more durable/appropriate transmission is needed in their cars to keep the Nissan drivers and the public safe from harm or death. This issue is a disaster waiting to happen. My car is currently with a mechanic, attempting to be repaired with a used cvt transmission, which is all I could afford at this time. I feel it doesn't matter whether it's used or new, it's still a cvt transmission that will eventually fail. Renting a car now. I will upload the repair bill when the repair is completed.
- Atlanta, GA, USA
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In January 2018, I took my Nissan Altima to a nearby authorized Nissan dealer explaining that the car was not accelerating after stopping. When depressing the gas pedal, the car engine would not immediately engage and would stay idle until seconds passed to which point the car would accelerate to the speed limit whil driving on interstates and local roads. The Nissan dealer (porter Nissan in newark de) indicated the despite my having brought the car in for service regularly (most recently in Dec. 2017 and July 2017) they indicated previous diagnostic tests had not found that my transmission was in need of repairs. They indicated that the repair cost would exceed $5,000 which is clearly a result of a defective manufacturing process given my car has under 85,000 miles. My extended warranty expired and so.I contacted Nissan directly and reported the concern and they have opened a case number but haven't heard back from them. I've done research online and it appears Nissan has been subjected to federal law suits stemming from transmissions difficulties and in response extended the warranty from 100K to 120 miles for Nissan Altima manufactured between 2003-2010. Therefore, I am reporting these concerns to your organization and would respectfully request your guidance on next steps.
Driving on the road at 55 mph the Nissan all of a sudden would not go over 20 mph. After taking the car to the dealership, the stated we needed a new transmission. The vehicle is only 6 years old. We maintained the vehicle and followed all the guideline for maintenance. I was quiet shocked to learn that this is a common occurrence for Nissan cvt transmissions. My concern is for the safety of my 21 year old son who was driving this vehicle when this happened. He was very fortunate that there was not a car behind him. The estimate to repair/replace was 5300 before tax. Yes, I was shocked. My son's previous vehicle was a 2002 Acura that he was still driving up until we insisted he drive a new vehicle to college for his safety.
I purchased my vehicle pre-owned in 2014. The vehicle has less than 120,000 miles and is only 6 years old. I put a brand new battery in the vehicle a couple weeks ago, I started to notice when I put the vehicle in reverse it would jolt, then it started doing the same thing when I put in drive. I had to pull over with my baby in the car and got the verhicle towed because I was scared, and now all of a sudden my transmission is bad! the vehicle drove fine and now since the battery change the transmission. Its not fair that they only cover certain vehicles which include cvt transmissions (all should be covered) this is their fault in making these vehicles this way and I wish I had known I would have never purchased this vehicle
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Altima. While driving 60 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the speed reduced automatically and the rpms increased without warning. The contact exited off the highway and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, shifted the gear into drive; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate and could not be driven. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer (herb gordon Nissan, 3131 automobile blvd, silver spring, md 20904) where it was diagnosed that the entire transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted at 800-647-7261 and opened a claim and case number: 28500795. The approximate failure mileage was 79,528.
Few weeks ago I noticed a whining noise from my car, and then the check engine light came on. I had my brother look at my car because he works on cars and is a mechanic and he said it is my transmission. The car is 6 years old and this shouldn't be happening.
Nissan 2011 cvt transmission failure. Car would not accelerate in the middle of a busy highway, narrowly escaping a crash with another car. Cost to replace $+4000. 2003-2010 Altima cvt owners complained about cvt transmissions and granted complete reimbursement coverage...5 years/60,000 miles changed to 10 years/120,000 miles. Nissan customer service denied $ support for my 2011 Altima nor would they tell me whether I had the same cvt that the 2010 model had...if it was the same cvt should I not be granted the same coverage/" the cvt I had endangered my life without any warning! a review of other drivers and law suits suggests that cvt is a danger to more than myself. Nissan has not released information to me or other drivers (one internet article stated that a Nissan CEO said there were no changes made?")
1) when accelerating from S stop, my car will jerk (like the transmission is slipping). It will often jerk while my car is in motion as well. This happens on city streets & freeways/highways. 2) there is also an issue with the "hood latch" not locking completely. It sometimes looks like the hood is going to pop open when driving.
At 93,000 miles the transmission failed and had to be replaced at a cost of $3,700. The only replacement transmission cost more than $2,500 is sold by Nissan and only comes with a 12 month warranty. This is outrageous. Why does the 120,000 mile warranty stop with the 2010 model when the problem still exists in the models after 2010?
Approximately 4-6 weeks ago the car started to jerk occasionally. Then it became more predominant. We just found out today that the transmission is no good and that there is a history of cvt transmission failure. The cost to repair is $3900. The trade-in value is $2000.
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Altima. While attempting to drive the vehicle, it hesitated and failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the cvt indicator illuminated and the floorboard was constantly damp. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air module needed to be repaired/reset. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 170,000.
2011 Nissan Altima sr sedan 3.5 cvt. When driving, cvt goes into safe mode with reduced acceleration, indicating a transmission issue and would also trigger vehicle dynamic control system fault.. original engine code was P0175. Had mechanic replace 31935-1xf00 speed sensor assy. Problem was not corrected. Took to local dealer and was told needs new transmission control module unit $850 and new transmission $3,500. Only 39,400 miles on vehicle (60,000 mile powertrain) but past he 60 month warranty by 5 months. Nissan will not cover. Nissan na Consumer Affairs contacted, researched and also denied. Will not cover and will not provide any partial assistance. Car is in excellent condition, driven lightly and no way transmission should need to be replaced at 39,000 miles. Manufacture date of vehicle is Dec 2010. Nissan extended cvt warranties to 10 years / 120K miles for several years because of the same and other cvt issues. Stopped extended warranty for 2011 models. Don't know if car is safe to drive or if transmission is going to fully fail. Took vehicle back from dealer, can't afford to fix. Now trying to replace transmission control unit with used same year/model. When vehicle is completely disconnected, trouble codes cleared and all electrical drained, then reconnected, all issues disappear for 10 to 20 miles of perfectly normal driving, then issues recur with cvt fail safe mode and vdc fault. Nissan should be recalling this issue and correcting it!! again don't know if vehicle is safe to drive or if transmission is going to fail in the middle of getting onto highway in heavy traffic? dealer diagnostic showed a number of codes: P0175 input speed sensor a (even though it has been replaced and new), P1700 cvt C/U funct, P1715 in puly speed, U1000 can comm circuit and also told the tcm is not sending a signal.
My trouble began as I sat and fueled my car with the same type of gas that I have been using for years. I filled my tank, started my car and it started huffing and puffing as if it was about to shut off. After a few minutes it stopped. A few days later while I was driving down the road one day I heard this loud rattling noise as if a chain or something was dragging the ground or being rattled. I approached a red light and lowered my radio to listen and as I sat idle in drive I could hear this rattling noise coming from the front end of my car. As I drove down the road further it continued then stopped. I then parked my car and as I was in reverse the sound came back. I went on about my day and returned to my car to start it up and as I started it I heard the rattling loud noise again. I backed out of my parking spot and it continued. As I driving around at a speed of about 30-40 I could hear the noise come and go. I took my car to Nissan and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong. They told me everything under the hood of my car was fine. A few days later I brought my car back to Nissan informing them the noise is continuing and my car shakes and jerks. I left my car and they called and said my alternator needed to be replaced. Just a couple days prior they said everything was fine so now I'm confused. I took my car to 3 separate auto shops and had them test my alternator and all 3 said my alternator, battery and starter were working perfectly. I began to research online to see if anyone had the same issues I have and there it was. A recall for the transverse link bolt. I'm pissed that Nissan would try to rip of a customer like that.
At 45mph my vehicle lost power and when gas was pressed it did not respond. I continued to travel home. Everytime I stopped at stop sign or slow speed and try to accelerate the car would shake violently (all captured on video) and would not accelerate. This was very scary. No service light ever came on!!!! I continue the approximately 3-4 mile drive home and it would do the same every time I slowed or stopped. I had to drive up a very steep hill and I did not think my car was going to make it. The research I have done and the information shared to me by several mechanics state that the 2007-2010 Altima warranty for the cvt were extended from 60,000 to 120,000. This should have included the 2011 also, because the cvt problems continue. My car has only 104,000 miles on it and should not need a 4,000 transmission. I have owned a maxima and Sentra in past and they were really great cars. All of the research that I have done reveals to me that jatco which Nissan has 75% ownership of should be responsible and liable for these issues. The government should protect the public from this monopoly and help the little guy. It does not take much research to know that there is a major issue. The class action suit that individuals had to file due to the cvt in pathfinders being junk shows the government did not protect them. I will never own another Nissan! do the right thing Nissan and extend the warranty to all vehicles that are obviously having cvt problems due to poor product performance and if Nissan will not the government has enough evidence to make them do what they should have done on the own. Even the CEO of Nissan has had an article written about them holding jatco accountable for their inept product.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- West Valley City, UT, USA