2016 Nissan Altima: CVT failure

Filed Aug 3, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · CA

My 2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 68,900 miles. When I am stopped and press the gas pedal, the vehicle sometimes hesitates before it begins moving. It does not accelerate normally, which is dangerous when I am pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, or making a turn. At other times while driving, the vehicle will not accelerate properly and appears to become stuck in a low gear. The engine RPM may rise to approximately 4,000, but the vehicle does not shift or increase speed normally. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it may temporarily make the problem go away, but it can happen again without warning. There is currently NO CHECK ENGINE light or other warning light that has ever come on. So I had the auto parts store attach an OBD-II scanner and the ONLY error code was P0776. This prompted me to research further and that is when I learned of the CVT issues with Nissan. Because the loss of acceleration and failure to shift are intermittent, I cannot predict when the vehicle will hesitate or fail to respond. I am concerned that I could be struck by another vehicle if this happens while entering traffic, crossing an intersection, or attempting to maintain speed.

Filed Aug 21, 2025 · Transmission · FL

-Nissan made their Altimas and other vehicles using a CVT transmission that was of poor design and quality. -Nissan has admitted to this in several class action lawsuits, [XXX] ) and has extended their powertrain warranty and time period as a result. -The extended powertrain warranty is to cover up until 84k miles, the mileage on the Nissan Altima in question is just over 82k, well under the mileage limit. -Nissan corporate has denied repairs for this particular Nissan Altima under both their financial assistance and goodwill programs, despite having done so for many other Altima, Murano, Maxima, etc... owners. -Nissan is denying assistance based on two points: First, they claim that the time has expired. My claim is that transmissions fail due to poor engineering and quality, as well as wear and tear - NOT due to an arbitrary point of time when the clock hand strikes 12 midnight. In other words, transmissions due not wear out based upon an arbitrary time schedule. Secondly, Nissan is denying assistance and suggested that the warranty is void due to a lack of dealer maintenance, in violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects consumers' rights to choose where they have their car serviced without voiding the warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 3, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · IL

I am writing to formally request a recall for my 2016 Nissan Altima due to a known issue with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Recently, my vehicle has exhibited concerning symptoms, including an inability to exceed 20 mph while hitting 3 RPM, and significant hesitation when accelerating, followed by abrupt lunging. Notably, these issues occurred without any prior warning lamps or indicators until recently with the RPM issue. Despite taking my vehicle to Nissan for diagnostic scans, which cost approximately $600, no specific issues were identified. These problems have not been reproduced during dealer inspections or by law enforcement, yet they pose a significant safety risk to myself and others on the road. I would like to qualify for the free recall service to have this issue inspected and resolved by an authorized Nissan dealer. Please provide me with the necessary information to proceed with this request. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · AL

I have a 2016 Nissan Altima 3.5 Sr I brought into the Nissan dealership multiple times since 2022 now in 2025 at 100,000 miles to transmission is not working it's dying at intersections and oil is pouring out of the engine I was told that there was a recall that expired in April of 2023 however I was never notified about the recall despite taking my car to the Nissan dealership prior to that date no one ever said that there was a problem with the CVT I've stored my car multiple years because I'm a veteran and I had to deploy so it wasn't driven as much and now that's crossed 100,000 miles it's on its last leg this isn't fair the 2019 models are getting recalled they should fix mine I've taken care of this car and now they're trying to deny me my mobility I'm a retiree I don't have that much money the last time I took it to the dealership they said I needed a new engine never once mentioning that there were previous recalls on this vehicle. I need help.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Transmission · AZ

My 96 year old mom purchased 2016 Alltima 8 years ago. It now has 59,000 0riginal miles on it and the CVT transmission is failing we were told at the nissan service center where the car was purchased. Nissan has refused to help pay for any repairs. So 96 year old woman living on fixed income has to pay. Go back to Japan NISSAN

Filed Jun 8, 2025 · PA

On April 15, 2025, I purchased a pre-owned 2016 Nissan Altima with just under 51,000 miles. Less than two months later, the vehicle’s transmission failed. A diagnostic revealed the issue is with the CVT transmission, a well-documented defect in many Nissan models. When I contacted Nissan to file a claim under what I thought would be warranty protection, I was denied because the extended warranty period had technically expired. However, I was not the vehicle owner during that warranty period, and the defect had not presented itself until now. I am now left to pay thousands of dollars to replace a part that Nissan has previously acknowledged as faulty. This is not simply a warranty issue—it’s a case of a known manufacturer defect causing harm to a consumer who acted in good faith. As a working-class family of six, we cannot absorb this kind of financial blow—especially when it is due to a failure Nissan has seen repeatedly in their CVT-equipped vehicles. I am requesting that the Attorney General’s office investigate this matter and advocate for Nissan to take responsibility by covering 100% of the repair costs. I honestly do not understand why this faulty transmission issue has not warranted a recall. The sudden and unexpected inability to continue acceleration is an extremely dangerous occurrence that can lead to a collision resulting in fatality or paralyzation.

Filed Mar 19, 2025 · Transmission · CA

I am the new owner of a 2016 Nissan Altima with approximately 179,000 miles, and I am experiencing a complete transmission failure despite Nissan’s claims that their CVT transmissions are reliable. After researching, I discovered that Nissan has faced multiple class-action lawsuits regarding faulty CVT transmissions, which led to warranty extensions in the past. However, I was told by Nissan Customer Affairs that those extensions have ended, and they refused to offer any assistance, even though this is a well-documented, known defect. As a new owner, I do not have access to the vehicle’s full service history, but there are no reported service issues or previous transmission failures according to the BAR website. Regardless, this failure is consistent with thousands of other complaints from Nissan Altima owners, and it is unacceptable that Nissan refuses to take responsibility. Additionally, there are two active recalls on my vehicle (hood latch and door handle issues), but I cannot even bring the car in for recall repairs due to the transmission failure. I am requesting that Nissan takes this matter seriously. If Nissan continues to ignore its responsibility, I will escalate this complaint further.

Filed Feb 19, 2025 · Transmission · NV · crash

I purchased this vehicle from Drivetime in Las Vegas off Decatur Blvd in December of 2021. I was not advised these particular make and models could have CVT Transmission failure. It has the SR Sports Model transmission, so I always thought when I had it in sport mode that the RMP's stayed high and the car would jerk if I let off the gas not knowing the transmission was actually faulty. In March of 2024 the vehicle stalled multiple time while at the gas station after filling up my gas tank. There was a Meineke in the same parking lot, I got the car going and quickly parked. They ran the codes since the check engine light had came on and told me P0776 was a faulty transmission. That these cars have known problem with transmission failure. They cleared the code and said if it comes back on it's going to go out quickly. I was told to baby the car, I barely drive anywhere but for work purposes and to the grocery store until last week the car had some major issues and check engine light came on. Ran codes and it was P0776 again. This last year I have experienced loss of power while driving and making a left turn. I did get hit once but the person left the scene, and I did not know what to do. So, I kept driving as the vehicle was not to the point of not being driven and I don't exactly have a large bank account to fix things like this as they come up. I have been ill paying for medical out of pocket and my deductible is $1500. Plus my father passed and I had to help pay for funeral and other expenses. I was told to reach out to the federal safety agency about this issue to see what could be done to help me out.

Filed Jan 17, 2025 · Transmission · FL

REPAIR SHOPS ESTIMATE STATES; AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (3102M3VX0CRE) NEEDS TO BE REMOVED & REPLACED, (Combination) CRANKSHAFT MAIN OIL SEAL REMOVE & REPLACE, (Combination) TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER & LINES - Flush - FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT, CVT PROGRAMMING which is totaling $5,714.48. This cost will cost me a hardship as I am a person with disabilities. I don't feel it is fair that the extended warranty has a time limit as this was not a good solution for those that don't drive much. I am being told it expired in 2023. Had I driven more this recalled CVT would have damaged sooner and been covered. I am extremely afraid to drive this car like this.

Filed Jan 17, 2025 · Transmission · SC

2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 89,300 miles and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) had to be replaced. Nissan is well aware of the CVT issues. A few years ago, due to class-action lawsuits regarding the CVT, Nissan offered extended warranty for all impacted vehicles for 7 years and 84,000 miles, whichever comes first. Our vehicle was less than 6,000 miles outside of that warranty. And went out about 1 year after that warranty. Due to a separate warranty we purchased at the time the Certified Pre-owned Altima was bought (with about 9,200 miles on it), we were covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles additional warranty, whichever came first. For the warranty we paid for, we were over by 1 year and 3 months but under in mileage; Nissan agreed to pay half of the CVT replacement cost. We have copies of the warranties and receipts. Car began to skip/stall in late 2024. Check engine light came on. Code was run at Nissan Dealership in January 2025 that said CVT was bad. We had the CVT replaced at a Nissan Dealership and had to pay for 1/2 the CVT replacement. Impacted Nissan CVTs should be mandatory recalled and Nissan should be required to pay full cost of CVT replacements for those Nissans due to the widespread and known issues.

Filed Nov 11, 2024 · Transmission · VA

I opened Complaint Number 11539204 on 08/17/2023 concerning issues with the car stalling, delayed shifting and gear slippage. I had the transmission replaced with a new one on 08/18/2023 at Tri-State Nissan Winchester, VA, and now I'm experincing the same issue with this new transmission. I was told that the warrenty for the enw transmission was only 12 months/12K miles. I paid over $5K for this new transmission and in a little more than 14 months, the same issues are being experienced. I was told Nissan changed their warranty on 07/2024 for their new transmissions to 36 months/36K miles. I called 1-800-Nissan-1 and got a case created, but they are not able to help in covering the cost to replace this 2nd transmission. There needs to be a recall on these Nissan's CVT.

Filed Jul 26, 2024 · Transmission · 75,000 miles · CO

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly accelerated independently, before returning to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the continuously variable transmission (CVT). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 75,000.