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2015 Nissan Altima: complete transmission failure

32 of the 956 complaints about the 2015 Nissan Altima describe complete transmission failure.

owner complaints
32
of this car's complaints
3%
typical repair cost reported
$4,000
typical mileage
73,500
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 76 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Complete transmission failure by model year

What owners say

Filed Jun 14, 2026 · Transmission · NY

Subject: Dangerous Transmission Failure in 2015 Nissan Altima While my 2015 Nissan Altima has always exhibited questionable performance—including abnormal acceleration, hesitation during throttle response, and mismatched RPMs relative to acceleration—the transmission has now begun to severely slip. I have also experienced sudden loss of power, pronounced shuddering, and complete power failure while driving. On multiple occasions, these issues have placed me in dangerous driving situations. It is important to note that I have regularly maintained the vehicle and kept it in mechanically decent shape throughout my ownership. I believe it is critical for other drivers to be aware of these ongoing problems, especially since Nissan appears to be avoiding responsibility for manufacturing such faulty powertrains. New car buyers and those purchasing used vehicles are becoming victims of this defective transmission, which poses a serious risk to passengers, drivers, and others on the road.

Filed Feb 20, 2026 · Fuel system, Transmission · CA

The transmission failed in my 2015 Nissan Altima. The check engine light is currently on due to a defective transmission. While I understand that Nissan extended the transmission warranty by two years or 24,000 miles following a class action lawsuit, I find this coverage completely unreasonable, insufficient and irresponsible, and most importantly unsafe. My vehicle has only 83,800 miles and has been well-maintained, yet the transmission still failed. While driving in the freeway in San Diego, the vehicle suddenly lost complete transmission engagement and power. My vehicle was almost rear ended by multiple cars. The check engine light appeared after the transmission failure. A Nissan dealer later confirmed the vehicle needs a new transmission. Nissan and the federal safety agency should have done a complete recall after the class action lawsuit against Nissan for putting faulty transmission on Altimas 2015.

Filed Aug 13, 2024 · Transmission · 88,000 miles · TX

The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate and respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Filed Feb 2, 2023 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and discovered that the transmission had completely failed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Filed Aug 27, 2022 · Transmission · NV

Original transmissional failed at 67,000 miles. Replaced under a Fidelity warranty. 54,000 miles later, the transmission failed again. My safety and the safety of others was at risk due to the car not accelerating properly. Car was revving to 4rpm and only going 20mph. No warning lights appeared, I drove straight to the dealer to have it diagnosed. 2 "red codes" came back indicating needs to be replaced again, at my own expense.

Filed Aug 9, 2022 · Electrical, Lights · CA

The gear stick gets stuck when trying to shift gears it wont move from Parking, headlights seem to not give enough lighting when on, I have replaced the transmission after 3years of having the vehicle, I still owe on the loan and the vehicle still shakes when driving over 80mph on the freeway. I dont currently have any warning lights on the vehicle. I have taken the vehicle many times for repairs for the same complaint that the vehicle shakes when driving it and the problem still has not been resolved. I already spent a lot of money on trying to fix the problems.

Filed May 19, 2022 · Acceleration, Engine · NV

For the last few days my car has been hesitant to accelerate. At low speed acceleration it jerks a few times then the rpms go way high and is slow to shift & accelerate. It is automatic. This problem has been gradually increasing over past 2 years. I did take it to a dealership when the hood latch was replaced due to recall this year and they just suggested I drain/replace the transmission fluid in hopes that it fixes the acceleration issues. They already knew when I went into the dealership that it wasn't in warranty anymore and because I couldn't afford to fully fix the problem they just brushed me off. This isn't a safe car anymore to drive. I have 2 children and this is our primary vehicle. I just know whatever this issue with the transmission and power train stuff is not safe and it's only a matter of time until something major brakes down, I just hope it does not clunk out on us to where we wreck. These power train/transmission issues have started affecting the cruise control, air flow of the car, and possibly affecting the sensors which then could be another ordeal with electrical issues. NISSAN WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE TRANNY/POWER TRAIN > EXTEND THE WARRANTY OR FIND AND FIX THIS ISSUE I bought the car in 2018 with less than 20,000 miles and have done regular maintenance, new tires every year, oils changes, replacing air filters and wipers, replacing brake pads, ive had to replace the brake booster already and flushed the whole brake system because of this acceleration issue I figured the brakes causing the lag but this car is just falling apart these past 2 years, rust on the trunk near the silver trim has caused the trunk to open on its own and the back-up camera feels like its slowly going out, the headlights are too dim to drive at night(even the brights now are dim), the rear passenger window just dropped down one day off the roller and I can't get the window back up and stay on the roller. Problem after Problem. Safety concern after safety concern.

Filed May 18, 2022 · Transmission · CO

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle was jerking. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Mar 15, 2022 · Transmission · IN

I was driving on the Chicago skyway toll bridge when my transmission went out in my 2015 nissan altima with 103k miles on it. I had it towed to the dealership where thru quoted me 5500 for a new transmission because of cvt failure. I take extra care of my vehicle and even pay for the premium oil change EVERY single time. Cvt transmission should be banned from US roads.

Filed Dec 30, 2021 · Transmission · OH

Transmission went out with no warning. Ran fine the night before, the next morning I couldn't go anywhere. Shop has confirmed by code that is being thrown the transmission has went out, $2900 fix.

Filed Nov 12, 2021 · Transmission · NC

This car only had 136,000 miles. The transmission failed. Research shows this version of Nissan has issues with its CVT transmission. The transmission has to be fully replaced by a new transmission costing upwards of $5,000. Based on my research multiple Nissan cars with CVT transmissions are having issues and costing owners money.

Filed Nov 9, 2021 · Transmission · NC

Transmission is out and the car only has 139,000 miles on it. I'm told the cost to replace the transmission is $4,000 on average. I'm told that mechanics are seeing major issues with the CVT transmission. What can be done to help consumers with this issue during these troubling economic times?

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission failure

Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2015 Nissan Altima?

32 of 956 owner complaints about the 2015 Nissan Altima (3%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2013.

How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the 2015 Nissan Altima?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Nissan Altima?

There are 0 recalls and 76 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2015 Nissan Altima

Headlights 267Airbag light 92Ball joint 54CVT failure 43Check engine light 35Jerking 31Stalling 27Hesitation 23No deployment 17Shudder 17Loss of power 16Won't start 10Fire or smoke 8Whining noise 8Grinding brakes 7Key fob 7Windshield crack 7Adaptive cruise 6Water leak 6Door locks 5Slipping 5Pulling 5Won't shift 5

All model years of the Nissan Altima

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