CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013-2017 Nissan Sentra has an expensive CVT transmission failure defect that shows up plainly in our complaint data.

In late 2019, the CVT defect was subject to a class action settlement. However the settlement only covers transmission repairs up to 7 years after purchase or 84,000 miles (whichever occurs first).

Because many owners commonly drive 20,000 miles/year or more, Sentra owners experiencing CVT transmission problems may find they are not covered by this settlement due to the mileage limitation.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,765 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.

2013 Nissan Sentra drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2013 Nissan Sentra Owner Comments (Page 9 of 15)

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problem #140

Oct 122018

Sentra

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Bought certified used with carfax in Feb. 2018. Car shuddering/jerking/grinding when accelerating, starting at around 70,000 miles. I asked Nissan about this and they basically told me I will need a new transmission - at 79,000! happy I purchased an extended power-train warranty, so hopefully it is covered. Should've bought another Honda or Toyota.

- Allendale, MI, USA

problem #139

Sep 192018

Sentra

  • 68,000 miles
Continuous transmission revs up and down and jerks the car forward and backward. This is a newly replaced transmission in April 2018. The last transmission also had an issue when complained the authorized service center said there was no issue. And then the transmission failed right after it was out of warranty and Nissan refused to replace. I paid $3700 from pocket to replace the transmission, and it is failing again.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #138

May 092018

Sentra 4-cyl

  • miles
My name is [xxx] I purchased this vehicle for my wife [xxx] the vehicle is 73,000 miles with frequent oil changes and check ups. The transmission went on this vehicle and I took it to my mechanic. After my mechanic did a diagnostic report and extensive research he found that this particular make and model has had nothing but problems with the transmission. I took the car to a Nissan dealership who advised me that Nissan said they are at fault and will pay for half the price of a new transmission. I am a disabled, retired veteran and cannot afford $3000 to put in a vehicle that Nissan knows they are at fault for. Vehicle only has 73,000 miles on it and my mechanic said that it should definitely not have any of these problems. I would like to know if there is anything I can do about this issue. Attach are all the reports from Nissan, my mechanic, etc. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Manchester, NJ, USA

problem #137

Oct 082018

Sentra

  • 71,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Cvt transmission problems. Shuttering, delays when shifting, RPM constantly bouncing up and down when driving, engine revving suddenly without gas being applied. Vehicle just got to 71,000 miles

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #136

Oct 082018

Sentra

  • 95,000 miles
While driving, my vehicle frequently vibrates and catches whenever I accelerate. I took it to a mechanic and the transmission of my 2013 Nissan Sentra needs to be replaced, though it is under 100,000 miles and I have only had it for 5 years. I was advised not to drive the car because it is no longer safe to be on the road.

- Camden, NJ, USA

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problem #135

Oct 062018

Sentra

  • 90,000 miles
I was driving on the highway and the engine rev up high. I pulled over to the shoulder and stopped the car and tried to accelerate and the car would not accelerate but just rev up high while in drive. I cut the car off and tried to cut the car back on and the car would not start back up. It just made a spinning sound but would not start back up.

- Belleville, NJ, USA

problem #134

Oct 072015

Sentra 4-cyl

  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been having problems with the gear shift assembly. I have that online that this has been a known issue with Nissan vehicles for the last 15 years. The only way to override the issue is to remove the button on the gear shift and insert a jeweler's screwdriver to compress the lock allowing the vehicle then to shift into reverse. This happen to me several times before I learned about the use of the screwdriver, when it first started the gear shift would occasionally freeze up. I would wait a few seconds restart the vehicle and the gear shift would release. The coast to repair this known manufacture problem ranges from $600 to $900 when you call the dealer about this issue. It just seems like a defect scam that Nissan does not want to resolve as they make money fixing their own design flaw. This issue occurs any time your vehicle is in the parked position on the gear shift. It occurs when you start the vehicle, it also happens when you are stuck in traffic and the car is put in to park so you do not have to keep your foot on the break. I have not picture to upload. I am providing the youtube video by Nissan that acknowledges the problem exists. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=B7eriqy9E8A

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #133

Sep 282018

Sentra

  • miles
Transmission blew at 39,000 miles. Dealer said we needed an ABS sensor, cost to us $600 so they replaced. Dealer drove car and car didn't even make it out of their lot. Transmission failure. 5 year 60,000 mile warranty expired March 2018. Nissan not willing to extend or cover repair. Cost to repair $5000 we bought car 2 years ago only had 25000 miles.

- Ansonia, CT, USA

problem #132

Sep 282018

Sentra

  • 111,893 miles
Car's transmission began failing without any warning lights. Car would slow and not accelerate when needed. Car needed transmission replaced.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #131

Sep 222018

Sentra

  • 47,300 miles
The cvt transmission on my vehicle abruptly stopped on a 65mph tolled highway with only 48,000 miles on the vehicle. There was no warning, no sounds, no lights on the dashboard, etc. All at once, the transmission just stopped going into gear. The car would not move forward or backwards. We were stuck in the middle of the lane in rush hour traffic and came inches from a pile-up. The situation was incredibly scary and dangerous. Not to mention, my daughter had just come out of surgery. Come to find out, there is extensive information on how faulty cvt transmission is. We are far from the only family to experience this issue. It's extremely common. Yet, no recall has been issued and there is no open investigation into Nissan. Is it going to take someone being killed? most likely. The transmission is faulty, dangerous and going to take someones life. Nissan knows about the issues with the transmission and has done nothing. They have numerous tsb's on it. Yet, they have denied customer's claims, have not extended the warranty on the part and do not take this issue serious. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue.

- Utica, NY, USA

problem #130

Sep 242018

Sentra

  • 120,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Sentra. While accelerating from a red light, the accelerator pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to accelerate. The ignition was turned off and restarted, but the vehicle still failed to move forward. The vehicle was towed to mastria Nissan (1305 new state highway, raynham, MA 02767) where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.

- Berkeley, MA, USA

problem #129

Sep 192018

Sentra

  • 58,700 miles
2013 Nissan Sentra w/ 58,700 miles. The car experienced a loud whining noise, which progressively got worse until it started to shudder and rev intermittently until power was lost. The complete loss of power occured while driving approx. 30 mph on a 2-lane road in traffic, causing an unsafe condition. The driver was forced to stop the car in the travel lane with emergency flashers on while other vehicles passed on the wrong side of the road. Upon restarting the engine, the driver was able to get the car to a safe location but the problem remained, intermittent revving under load, shuddering, and eventually complete loss of power again. The car was towed to a dealership, and it is being examined by that dealer now. All symptoms point to failure of the cvt, a common problem with a range of Nissan vehicles that has been ongoing for years. Note, 3 weeks prior to this incident, the same dealer changed the transmission fluid and performed other regular maintenance service. From the consumer perspective, Nissan and this dealer are knowingly allowing unsafe vehicles to leave their lot and not informing owners of these issues.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #128

Sep 102018

Sentra

  • 115,900 miles
While driving my Nissan Sentra, for over 2 years it started to jerk while shifting in between gears and going from stopping to starting. Recently while driving, I was getting onto an interstate from the ramp and my car would not accelerate. It took me a good.5 miles to get up to 40mph and a mile or more to get up to the speed of 60 mph! every time I would stop and have to start again it would take about the same amount of time to accelerate to the posted speed limit.

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #127

Sep 112018

Sentra

  • 58,000 miles
Vehicle has just under 60,000 miles on it and has began to stutter or shake when taking off from a light. Also the other day when going to accelerate, the car wouldn't move even though I had the petal to the floor.

- West Allis, WI, USA

problem #126

Sep 022018

Sentra

  • 84,000 miles
My daughter's 2013 Nissan Sentra started having issues with it sputtering and jerking. We had some maintenance on it even changing spark plugs and wires. Issue wasnt as bad afterwards but then as the days passed it got worse. As she and a friend were trying to make it back home the car stopped moving in the middle of the street holding up traffic. A tow truck had to be called and it was taken to a repair shop where we were told that it would cost over $3000 to have it replaced. Not happy about this at all!!!

- Waynesboro, GA, USA

problem #125

Sep 072018

Sentra

  • 78,811 miles
My 2013 Nissan Sentra suddenly lost all of its power in a busy highway. It is very easy to cause a crash and kill me. I got it towed to the local Nissan dealership. I am told that the average cost for the replacement of the transmission can range from 3500 to 5000. It's almost a new car and the transmission failed out of nowhere on 78K miles!! just got out of the manufacturer's warranty from my understanding this cvt caused Nissan to warranty the older models because of the same issue, but they did not offer the same on my 2013. However, from my research, it appears to be a current and ongoing issue with all Nissan with a cvt. I am disappointed that Nissan is aware of the common problem and is doing nothing to correct it.

- Blacksburg, VA, USA

problem #124

Aug 282018

Sentra

  • 65,000 miles
Random and sudden loss of acceleration as various speeds on multiple occasions

- Cleveland, TN, USA

problem #123

Sep 072018

Sentra

  • 100,000 miles
The transmission has an internal failure and it flutters. The car is 5 years old. I've already paid $1K because the air cond compressor went out and now they want $6K to replace the trans on a car that might be worth $7K. Nissan na says they will not help cover any costs. Even though they know this transmission has issues Accord the board and they have extended warranties to the 2007-2010 models.

- Charleston, SC, USA

problem #122

Aug 012018

Sentra

  • 84,000 miles
So many issues not even sure what it is. Car will fail to shift into gear and constant redline, very dangerous when getting on the highway. Car will randomly get no gas to accelerate until I turn the car off and then on again. Transmission slips at 80K miles. Or perceived to be slipping, car will drop RPM and then rise quickly jerking the car around. Going down hill the car will quickly rise RPM over and over and the car will uncontrollably jerk very noticeably.

- Plainfield, CT, USA

problem #121

Jul 022018

Sentra

  • 87,000 miles
My Nissan Sentra 2013 has been recently giving me issues while I am driving. At 87K, this car de-accelerate suddenly while I am driving and causes the RPM to go up while the speed decreases. This is very dangerous as when the vehicle suddenly loses speed on the highway it could cause an accident. I contacted Nissan North America and they stated that I would need to go to the dealership and get it diagnosed. The dealership stated that I needed to replace the cvt transmission and quoted me 4K for this. I contacted Nissan North America and the case was escalated to someone named amanda in Consumer Affairs in tenessee. She quickly informed me that Nissan would not assist in any way with repairing this vehicle because it was out of warranty. She also stated that her decision was final and that this matter could not be escalated any further.

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

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