CVT - What are the most miles anyone has with no trouble?

[kbz1960]

I've read bad about cvt now I want to hear how durable they are.

[kbz1960]

Hi Murano owners! You have had the cvt for the longest from what I understand therefor you should know the most and if the cvt is a reliable transmission I should be seeing at least some that have 100,000 plus with no problems or do they all fail anywhere between 6,000 miles and 80,000??

Thanks

[marlin29311]

You cannot compare the 2003 CVT with the 2007+ CVT - there have been significant redesigns on the newer versions - many people will tell you that their 2003 Murano dies around 60-70K miles, but this does not seem to be the case with the newer versions on the Altima, Maxima, etc...

[kbz1960]

Well after finding more posts and forums with Nissan and cvt problems needless to say Nissan has lost another potential customer. The way I hear they treat their customers and deny everything until it is out of warranty and then they know exactly what the problem is and it's going to cost an arm and and leg..... funny how that works!

I hope you all have some good luck with them as it seems they are not a car to drive any more than 50,000 miles if you are lucky and then try to unload it on some unsuspecting person.

Maybe Nissan should be committed to their customers and not the cvt transmission which seems to be the biggest piece of crap around.

It's too bad because I really like the Rogue that I test drove and I would have purched one............ really glad that I found this out before I did.

[marlin29311]

Well after finding more posts and forums with Nissan and cvt problems needless to say Nissan has lost another potential customer. The way I hear they treat their customers and deny everything until it is out of warranty and then they know exactly what the problem is and it's going to cost an arm and and leg..... funny how that works!

I hope you all have some good luck with them as it seems they are not a car to drive any more than 50,000 miles if you are lucky and then try to unload it on some unsuspecting person.

Maybe Nissan should be committed to their customers and not the cvt transmission which seems to be the biggest piece of crap around.

It's too bad because I really like the Rogue that I test drove and I would have purched one............ really glad that I found this out before I did.

Good luck with every other car dealer in the world then....guess what pal - they all do it.

Did you even bother to read what I wrote?

[nafddur]

Well after finding more posts and forums with Nissan and cvt problems needless to say Nissan has lost another potential customer.

If you purchase anything (cars, electronics, homes, clothing, etc) based on what you read on internet forums, you'd likely never buy anything. The vast majority of satisfied Mo owners aren't reporting their experiences here. That's just the way these places work.

True, we're only at 62K miles on our 04 SE but - so far - no CVT, transfer case, seat, window, etc. problems here.

[tjs5012]

I have 86k on my 03 and have never babied it. I have put all 260hp through that belt quite a few times, no problems with the CVT yet. but my passenger side CV joint is starting to go (normal wear and tear)

[nafddur]

[QUOTE=tjs5012]I have 86k on my 03 and have never babied it.[QUOTE]

That's a good point, and one frequently overlooked with CUV's - HOW they are driven. Not that they necessarily have to be `babied,' but one must not forget that the Mo is basically a car. It is an Altima with a boxy body and slightly reworked drivetrain.

Sure I like the idea that when I am driving and hit some ice or a patch of snow the AWD kicks in to improve traction. But if I wanted a car (or better yet, truck) to tow a trailer or drive through mud bogs or drive on the beach in the town I live in, I wouldn't have bought an Altima with a boxy body.

There certainly might be a few exceptions, but my guess is that the Mo's with CVT problems have been pretty roughly driven.

[MrSlug]

Relying in just the internet for your information is like asking a sewing circle. People like to b****.

Most people with a beef now have the a place to do it where everyone can hear.

Do this. Google search Nissan total sales of all Muranos from 2003 till present. Count up the number of people you find that report CVT problems. The find the ratio.

Also ask yourself why Ford and others are switching to CVT.

260 HP connected to AWD getting 20 - 21 (yes I get this) ain't too bad.

Not b****ing at you, just trying to give you a little perspective.

[kbz1960]

Sorry some of my statements are harsh. And I shouldn't have singled out Nissan, it's all of them.

Hi, thanks for the replies. And yes I do know that all manufacturers have their problems with every make and model. However I myself would rather take a chance on a model that will cost me $500 to repair when it happens than $6,000 or whatever the cvt cost to replace after the warranty will not pay. When the repair is more than what the vehicle is worth that hurts!

Maybe after a few years and there is more data on the cvt being a reliable transmission that with proper maintenance etc. it will last as long as a conventional transmission I will change my mind or if the manufacturers provide some real data or proof that it is a reliable transmission and won't leave me stranded or in a situation that is dangerous. As far as the manufacturers doing that I'm not holding my breath LOL.

At this point I wouldn't consider any that have a cvt transmission. I sincerely hope that I'm proven wrong.

I will be looking from time to time to see what you all are posting on it. Maybe I would've been better off not checking and reading it all but then again how does a person find out about the quirks and problems with a new vehicle they are considering buying? Certainly not from the dealer or manufacturer, they will all tell you that there aren't any known problems even if there are.

[jayhawk]

I purchased a new Murano in December after reading the claims on this and other sites about the CVT. The stories were very similar to those about the "notorious" T41 transmisson on our old car, a 1996 Dodge Caravan. But our Dodge transmissions lasted 238,000 miles and was still running fine when we sold it last month. (We did do a rebuild at 140,000 miles, that cost less than $1500)

Consumer Reports reliability statistics for the Murano transmission were "better than average", so my only real concern was the extremely high repair (replacement) cost for a failure after warranty. So I just purchased a Nissan extended service agreement when I bought the car. For a little over $900 I have a "warranty" (really more like an insurance contract) that covers repairs on the failure of most of the Murano's systems to 5 years or 100,000 miles. (audio system and most hoses are not covered, nor wear items like brakes, tires, etc) Could have saved a little by just getting an extended service agreement on just the drivetrain, but didn't seem to save that much to me. I do have to pay a small deductable after the base warranty runs out, but all in all, that seems lke a cheap solution to the risk of a $6,000 repair bill. (or whatever a replacement CVT costs)

And when we start approaching the end of that 100,000 mile warranty, well, I guess I'll answer one of those phone calls warning me that "your warranty is about to run out!!! <grin>

--jayhawk


Modified by jayhawk at 9:14 PM 3/24/2009


Modified by jayhawk at 9:16 PM 3/24/2009

[myrano05]

70k and no issue syet on 05 LE

[B00STFED]

no issues with my 09 w/4k

[MrSlug]

Food for thought...

The CVT is here to stay. Like I said, Nissan was the first to really put their money where their mouth was. And now others are following:

http://www.vibratesoftware.com...s.htm

Auto tranny's can be just as expensive as a CVT to replace. In most cases a CVT will just need a belt.

It really is a matter of if you like how a CVT feels. Some love it, some hate it.

[superskunk]

if you cant trust in great innovations, then i say you should invest in a bus pass and call it a day!

[martyts]

165,000 and only fluid change.

[kerrton]

Here's a positive story that illustrates how durable and reliable the CVT can be. Fifteen SanFrancisco City Ford Escape Hybrid cabs, which use the exact same CVT as the Rogue (manufactured by Jatco) have recently hit the 300,000 mile mark and are still going strong.
That is what I would consider harsh driving conditions, stop and go city driving, and 300,000 miles is incredible for city-only driving, and in only a matter of a few years. As a side note, they said the hybrid components including the batteries are still original and working great as well, far exceeding expectations - way to go Ford and JATCO/Nissan!! Here's the article if you're interested.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2...cisco/

[nafddur]

Here's a positive story that illustrates how durable and reliable the CVT can be. Fifteen SanFrancisco City Ford Escape Hybrid cabs, which use the exact same CVT as the Rogue (manufactured by Jatco) have recently hit the 300,000 mile mark and are still going strong.
That is what I would consider harsh driving conditions, stop and go city driving, and 300,000 miles is incredible for city-only driving, and in only a matter of a few years.[/url]/

Sure makes one wonder what the handful of Mo owners on these forums with CVT problems are doing to THEIR cars.

[ras315]

Got a 2007 with 30K miles. Zero issues on anything

[ras315]

Well after finding more posts and forums with Nissan and cvt problems needless to say Nissan has lost another potential customer. The way I hear they treat their customers and deny everything until it is out of warranty and then they know exactly what the problem is and it's going to cost an arm and and leg..... funny how that works!

I hope you all have some good luck with them as it seems they are not a car to drive any more than 50,000 miles if you are lucky and then try to unload it on some unsuspecting person.

Maybe Nissan should be committed to their customers and not the cvt transmission which seems to be the biggest piece of crap around.

It's too bad because I really like the Rogue that I test drove and I would have purched one............ really glad that I found this out before I did.

Enery manufacturer out there has nothing but THEIR interests in mind

[omgb]

My 03 CVT went 90K without problems. Unfortunately, that was not the casw with my CAT system. It failed, just out of warranty and it cost over 2K to fix. Nissan was less than helpful.

[8675309yine]

I am at 66K on my 2005 with no issues to date. For the most part, I baby her with the occasional "Burnout" But like all of my vehicles, I also make sure all of the regular maintenance is done on schedule.

[nafddur]

I am at 66K on my 2005 with no issues to date. For the most part, I baby her with the occasional "Burnout" But like all of my vehicles, I also make sure all of the regular maintenance is done on schedule.

With only 66K miles, the CVT should have required no `regular maintenance.' (Other than a possible fluid analysis if you are towing a trailer or doing lots of off roading)

[8675309yine]

What I meant by "I also make sure all of the regular maintenance is done on schedule" is Oil change, tire air pressure (rotate and balance), checking all of my fluid levels and making sure everything is clean and clear, and cleaning my Fram Airhog air filter.
Thanks
"86"

[robmartins]

How about this:

I bought a 2004 Murano with only 43k miles on it from a Lexus dealer (first problem?).

After 6 months and three thousand miles of city driving during summer (and a short trip to Michigan), the transmission breaks. Breaks as in - needs to be replaced (which is what Nissan wants to do every time it breaks) - or Aamco can rebuild it for around $3,500.

There you have it. My Murano has 47k miles and I am off $4 grand. Ahh, the powertrain warranty expired in February (5 years) but I am well below the 60k miles limit. Called Nissan, they said since I didn't buy it from them, and that I am not the only owner, and blah blah blah, they could do nothing for me.

I agree with whomever said below that all dealers/makes are the same, but a car has to last at least 100,000 miles before you spend that kind of money on a broken transmission. That's what my Hondas did every time (I've had a Civic, an Accord and a Fit - with the CVT, by the way)...

[kerrton]

I'm really sorry to hear of your troubles, those early CVT's were notorious for giving problems, if you do opt to have it replaced my Nissan the one good point is that it will be a newly designed unit that has been vastly improved and should last forever.

My question is, are you sure Aamco can rebuild a CVT?? The common consensus has always been that no one, not even a Nissan shop can rebuild a CVT because of lack of specialized tools and knowledge. Can you comment on this please.

Also, what will Nissan charge to replace it vs. the $3500 rebuild price?


Modified by kerrton at 2:39 PM 9/30/2009

[robmartins]

I saw the transmission taken apart at Aamco and it seems like any other transmission. Just that the gears (transfer case actually) lost a tooth or something else that caused the pinion to be halfway ground up. There are no teeth anymore on about 1/4 of its diameter. The mechanic said he has seen that happen on race cars that are pushed to the limit - hardly the case here...

I have no idea but people tell me a transmission at Nissan is upwards of $5k and the problem is, the guys had already taken it apart, it would cost me another $500 just to put it back together. You know how those shops work with you, in a way that you can't back out later.

At least it will have a 12-month / 12,000 mile warranty and by then I hope to have gotten rid of this lemon-lime blue beast. :-)

[nafddur]

The mechanic said he has seen that happen on race cars that are pushed to the limit - hardly the case here

If you have only driven this car for 4K of its 47K miles, how could you possibly know how it was driven for the other 43K?

I still say that many of the CVT failures are a result of abused transmissions. Of course there may be exceptions but, as with all used cars, it's always buyer beware.

[Macsleuth]

No problems, 09 Murano, 800Km. 1/2 week and going strong.
Really like the no shift points as you're accelerating.

[Timmbo]

There are no issues with the CVT, it is totally here to stay. Nissan is using it in a ton of vehicles now, and on top of it Ford has been using Nissan as a source for the CVTs as well. Increases performance and provides better gas mileage, great idea! I love it on my 3.5 Altima, it shifts so smoothly, my sister has a 3.5 Altima with the 5spd auto, and the CVT blows that tranny out of the water. On the other hand, if you plan to heavily mod your ride and increase HP, the CVT isn't the best idea.