While operating my 2018 Nissan Altima on September 19, 2026, at approximately 9:20 a.m., during daytime highway traffic, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of propulsion, leaving me entirely immobilized on a highway ramp with no ability to accelerate or move out of danger. I was stranded in an extremely hazardous location with vehicles, including large commercial trucks, traveling nearby at highway speeds. I feared for my life because I had no way to move my vehicle to safety or protect myself from a potential collision. The situation was so dangerous that a State Trooper with Highway Patrol had to intervene and arrange assistance to have my disabled vehicle removed from the highway. Had Highway Patrol not arrived, I genuinely believe I could have lost my life. This was not a minor inconvenience or an ordinary vehicle breakdown. It was a potentially fatal safety incident caused by the vehicle's sudden and complete inability to move. Following the incident, an independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and determined that the transmission requires replacement. The diagnostic findings included P17F0 (CVT Judder), P0776 (Pressure Control Solenoid B performance/stuck off), and P2813 (Pressure Control Solenoid G control circuit range/performance). Before the complete failure, the vehicle had experienced hesitation, vibration, and difficulty accelerating. I am extremely concerned that this type of transmission failure can occur suddenly while a vehicle is operating in active highway traffic, potentially resulting in a serious or fatal collision. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this incident as a significant vehicle safety concern and determine whether a safety-related defect exists in the CVT transmission system of the 2018 Nissan Altima. I have supporting diagnostic documentation and towing records, and the vehicle is available for inspection.
Nissan Altima shudder problems
159 of the 15,497 owner complaints about the Nissan Altima describe shudder or vibration when accelerating, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 159
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 63,665
By model year
Often reported together
CVT failure 69Stalling 35Transmission failure 33Jerking 31Hesitation 20Check engine light 19Loss of power 9Slipping 7
Trouble codes mentioned
P17F0 5P17F1 4P0776 3P2813 2P0841 2P0965 1C17F1 1
What owners say
Shuddering and loss of acceleration/vehicle slowed on its own while driving on the highway. Managed to get to Firestone and diagnostic codes P0776 and P0841 came up. Advised to take vehicle to dealer shop as work could not be done on CVT there. Car was towed to Nissan Bonney Road Virginia Beach. Transmission replacement recommended and my car only has 53,000 miles on it but is outside the 84 month extended warranty drafted from class action lawsuits and settlement. I was not aware of these lawsuit when this vehicle was recommended to me by Hall Honda as Hall Nissan sent it to them for me to see. No additional warranty was given nor was I informed that since the car only had 21,000 miles it was covered under the settlement of 80,000 miles 84,000 month. I WOULD HAVE WALKED, NO RAN, AWAY FROM THIS CAR IF I HAD BEEN TOLD OF THE LAWSUITS. Nissan wants me to pay nearly 6,200.00 for a new transmission that they knew was faulty to begin with. The only other option they gave was that they would give me a 3,000.00 allowance for them to purchase my car and apply that to another (probably faulty) vehicle from them. The issue I have with this is that I still owe 8,700.00 on a car that cost me over 17,000.00 which would make me have to roll the remaining 5,700.00 into another loan. Ludicrous that the dealerships are able to get away with this because they don’t want to admit their cars are faulty! I need Nissan to own up to this and perform a “goodwill” repair at no cost to me for the transmission. Nissan consumer complaints was not helpful at all. The only option I have after this is to file a claim in small claims court which I will probably lose.
My daughter was driving down the road and came to a 2-wayy stop. Went to pull out and the car stalled and started shuddering. On down the road leaving a red light it did the same thing and not wanting to really go.
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.
The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after unhooking the battery and sit for an hour if not more before I can start it up and actually get down the rd. And it runs great like nothing was wrong it. But doesn't get far before doing it again
My 2022 Nissan Altima has been experiencing transmission issues for about a month. The car hesitates, lunges, and shudders when accelerating from a stop. At around 60,000 miles, I had the transmission fluid flushed, and the shop confirmed the transmission fluid was clean with no metal debris. Despite that, the symptoms continued getting increasingly dangerous in high traffic areas. Today 10/16/25(the car is still at 60k miles) while turning at an intersection, the car hesitated and lunged before finally moving. This delay in acceleration created a dangerous situation in traffic, and another driver honked because my vehicle wouldn’t go. Immediately afterward, the car went into what seemed like “limp mode” and would not accelerate at all. There were no warning lights or messages before or during this incident. (which can be verified by the transmission place i got the car serviced at) After pulling into a parking lot and shutting the car off for about 10 minutes, I restarted it and the check engine light came on with a message stating: “CVT malfunction – service now.” The vehicle had to be towed because it felt unsafe to drive on busy highways. I believe this is a serious safety concern because the car can fail to move in traffic without warning.
Car began shuddering when trying to accelerate. Car periodically will stop running or not start. No dash lights came on until recently when car would not start the battery nd engine light came on This all started end of September. Has been diagnosed by Nissan Dealership with 2nd diagnosis by an automotive shop close to my home. Informed this is a known issue with this make and model. Researched online and found this the be true. I received no notification. Both came up with transmission and CVT internal problem. Safety hazard for car to die in traffic. I have cancer and heart failure which makes general mobility an issue. I can’t quickly exit the car nd get out of the way of traffic. Informed only the dealership can address the issue. Quoted $6700 to repair/replace
The transmission started slipping at 70,000 miles on the Altima, even after getting a preventative transmission service at 30,000 miles. A mechanic revealed a judder code, which means the transmission will stop working within weeks. A repair would cost more than the car is worth. My wife could have been stranded in traffic. This is unacceptable. No warning lights appeared on the dash.
My son purchased a used 2014 Nissan Altima 4 months ago from a dealership. He noticed it shuttering, delayed acceleration and not having power as well as a noise from the transmission. It had no check engine light but the code P17F1 CVT Judder came up. We looked for recalls and there have been so many on 2014 Nissan Altima's. His VIN number didn't come up for a recall. He paid $6000 for the car and only had it for 4 months, now he is out of a car. The dealership basically said its out of our hands. We can't afford to take it to a transmission shop and have them work hours on it. It is very unsafe to drive and I am concerned what he is going to do. Is there a chance that NIssan would help in this case? It is unfair that he has the issue that so many were recalled but for some reason not his. If you have advise please help. Thanks
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while reversing at approximately 4 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear driver's side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated upon shifting to drive(D), the contact noticed that the vehicle was wobbling from left to right in the lane. The traction control warning was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered violently and nearly became uncontrollable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that both the rear driver's side and passenger's side lower control arms had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Nissan Campaign Number: P9324. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- The shift lever lock plate, which prevents the shift lever from being inadvertently moved from park to drive or neutral position, can be broken by the transmission shift position pin.
- Risk
- Inadvertent movement of the transmission shift lever without operator action can cause vehicle movement which can result in a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a bracket to prevent the shift position pin from breaking the shift lever lock plate.
Recall number 94V165000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Altima shudder
Which Nissan Altima years have shudder or vibration when accelerating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (64 complaints), 2014 (26 complaints) and 2016 (22 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix shudder or vibration when accelerating on the Nissan Altima?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 23 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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