2015 Nissan Sentra: complete transmission failure

Filed Aug 6, 2026 · Transmission · AZ

I am writing to report a life-threatening, sudden-onset mechanical defect in my vehicle’s Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). While driving in heavy traffic, my son experienced a complete and sudden loss of motive power without any warning or dashboard lights. The vehicle abruptly stopped accelerating in a live lane, nearly causing a catastrophic rear-end collision. At just 70,000 miles, far below the expected lifespan of a major powertrain component, a certified technician at B&K Transmission confirmed a total internal CVT failure, requiring a $6,000 replacement. Nissan Customer Care refused any goodwill assistance, citing that the vehicle is beyond its warranty and the temporary extensions granted by previous class-action settlements. However, the expiration of a settlement window does not eliminate an ongoing safety crisis. A transmission failure at 70,000 miles is a systemic defect, not standard wear and tear. Thousands of these defective vehicles remain on public roads, putting unsuspecting drivers at risk of sudden, lethal highway failures. I urge the federal safety agency to immediately open an investigation into Nissan CVT failures and issue a mandatory safety recall. Automakers must not escape accountability for severe roadway hazards simply because a warranty has lapsed.

Filed Jun 17, 2026 · Transmission · MD

Transmission failed on major highway out of no where would not accelerate above 5 MPH

Filed Feb 9, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · OH

Complete transmission failure and need replacement the car is less than 10 years old Nissan has had major issues with the CVT system and transmission…transmission lose power on the highway

Filed Jan 23, 2026 · Transmission · VA

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed to operate properly. The component is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle jerks when shifting gears and upshifts on its own, causing unpredictable changes in speed and loss of smooth acceleration. This creates a risk of sudden acceleration or hesitation, especially in traffic, increasing the potential for a collision. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, the problem has not yet been formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? No, the vehicle and transmission have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Prior to the failure, the vehicle began jerking during gear shifts. The transmission does not properly shift gears in relation to engine upshifting and will upshift by itself. These symptoms appeared before the failure and have continued since.

Filed Apr 2, 2025 · Transmission · MI

I took this vehicle to the dealership, and the dealership said that the transmission needs to be replaced. I sold this car to Surburban Chevrolet of Ann Arbor, but they appear to be selling the car without fixing the transmission. It is not safe to drive this car because the vehicle is jerky and may not change the gear properly in the highway.

Filed Feb 5, 2025 · Transmission · 83,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Filed Feb 2, 2025 · Transmission · MA

The transmission failed. The car just stopped moving forward while My son was driving in traffic. It was 12:00 in the afternoon on a Friday so local traffic was a bit heavy. Traffic had to go onto the other side of the road creating a hazard. Luckily the car behind was following at a safe distance and was able to stop. There was no previous warnings that this was going to happen. The car had to be towed to a repair shop. The repair shop called NIssan but they said they could not offer any assistance with repairing the transmission even though this is a known problem to them.

Filed Dec 20, 2024 · Transmission · PA

When I started the car it sounded like the engine was clicking. I turned it off thinking it may have been from the cold. After restarting the car, the sound did not start again. About 10 minutes into my drive, it started to feel like the the car was shaking each time I braked. About 5 minutes later, it felt like the car was fighting me to accelerate. After I stopped at a red light, it would not accelerate past 20 mph and started dropping as I pulled to the side of the road. It would not accelerate but I could hear the engine revving. No service engine light came on, or any other light. I turned off the car and called AAA to have my car towed to the dealership I purchased the car (Piazza Nissan). They did a diagnosis on the car which gave the diagnostic of P2859 and P0746. Upon searching these codes, a recall for Nissan Sentra with manufacture dates of 2013-2017 came up stating CVT judder and transmission issues. I called the dealer to ask about this recall, since they told me I need a new transmission with the cost of $6640.87. I was told the recall (Classification #AT19-011, NTB #NTB19-075 [XXX] ) for this expired in 2022. When asked why I never received a notice about this recall, I was informed they are sent by VIN. When I checked my VIN, no active recalls came up. Clearly, my car is experiencing the same issues as this recall and my vehicle (2015 Nissan Sentra) was manufactured in that time frame. I was lucky I was able to move my vehicle to the side of the road safely without causing as accident. I am deeply annoyed that I was not made aware of this issue that clearly effected my vehicle and could have caused a serious accident had I not been able to pull to the side of the road and thankfully the car behind was not close to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 15, 2024 · Transmission · 240,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.

Filed Aug 3, 2024 · Acceleration, Transmission · TN

Bought 2015 Nissan Sentra SR from Nissan West in Dickson, TN. The car didn't even a lot of miles on it. Not even a month after having the car, the transmission went out. Car started acting up on the interstate. Would not shift gears, wouldn't go over a certain amount of speed, almost caused us to be hit multiple times. Finally got it to Nissan West dealership where they did confirm transmission was no good. Nissan West, reworked the transmission instead of giving us a new transmission. Now, over a year and 3 months later, the transmission went out again. Has been confirmed by Nissan West in Dickson, TN. The transmission had only a little over 10,000 miles on it. This time I was pulling out onto a busy street when the car out of the blue would not go forwards or backwards. Luckily we did not get hit and we had to push the car out of the middle of the road.

Filed Feb 20, 2024 · NY

My car's transmission gave out in November 2023. It was returned the day before Thanksgiving. For the second time on January 11, 2024, the transmission blew. It was towed to the dealership where they notified me that the car would need another transmission. The car received another transmission and the car was returned to me on February 13, 2024. On February 14, 2024, after only driving 65 miles the car stalled after exiting the highway during rush hour. The car would not accelerate properly and was jerking. The car wouldn't accelerate past 15 mph. I was able to get the car to a safe location where I parked and called to get the car towed back to the dealership. On February 15, 2024, the dealership notified me that the transmission blew again. There were no warning signs or lights when the car stalled. It was driving fine until I exited the highway and was sitting at a red light. When I tried to accelerate at the change of the light the car jerked and would not pick up speed past 15 mph. Having my system fail unexpectedly in the middle of traffic put me and my passengers in danger.

Filed Jan 30, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 100,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated to approximately 30 - 40 MPH. The vehicle was repaired however, while driving at speeds of 50 MPH or more, the vehicle would start to shake and hesitate while accelerating. The contact stated that over time the vehicle started failing to accelerate to speeds exceeding 50 MPH. On another occasion while driving up to a red light at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking while idling at the traffic light. The vehicle then failed to accelerate above 20 MPH and was shaking and losing motive power while driving. The contact pulled to the side of the road to have the vehicle towed. While parked and waiting to be towed, the "Check Engine" warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The transmission was replaced after the first failure however, the transmission was not repaired or replaced with the failure persisting. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.