CVT Rattle/Noise - Discussion Thread

[indesign99]

I've had my Rogue about 3 months and have about 5500 miles on it. I started hearing noises early on but was told it couldn't be duplicated by the service department. So I waited until it got worse. It seemed to be more obvious when I had been driving a lot. I stopped by the service department at the end of a busy day and they heard it immediately. The diagnosed it as the power transfer case and replaced it a few weeks ago. When that didn't solve the problem they told me they needed to contact Nissan Engineering. . . I waited, and waited. Finally, after persistant phone calls to the service manager, they decided to replace the transmission. It's scheduled for next week. In addition to noises, the vehicle is sluggish when accellerating, especially up even a small incline. I've also started having some odd issues with the engine, in relation to the trans. It will rev up for no reason then go back to normal. Seems dangerous to me. I waited 8 years for a new car and am not overly happy with my choice thus far.

[Roli]

Ok my transmission was changed a week ago, and so far after 300 miles, NO MORE RATTLES, yep everything does seem OK, The Service department at Smithtown Nissan were great, and even arranged for a Nissan Maxima Rental for two days,(very nice car), If you are not satisfided with what the local dealer is sayin call Nissan 1 and get them involved. The expidited everything.

I do have a wiz noise from the front right side of the vehicle in the morning after I back out of my driveway and put the vehicle in drive. And yes I also noticed lack of power going up a slight hill, and even seem to bog down if I drive nicely at about 35 mph and less then 2000 rpm.. but then again it must just be the 4 cylinder vehicle...

So far so good.

ROLi

[mstrmstr]

Hey..

Had a issue with my moonroof wind deflector- on install someone overtightened one of the attachment bolts makeing a star crack around the bolt and it was getting bigger. My Nissan dealer Replaced the whole shebang under warrantee as well as a foglight lamp that exploded(not just burned out but went with a BANG).

Upon inspection at my request my CVT was looked at for anything unusual.Lo and behold the CVT boots were split and I immediately scheduled for replacement of just the boots. Miles on the car- 2,500 on this one.The splits looked to me like a separation at the mold joint.

Nissan policy of a hands on look around PM at the transmission brakes and undercarriage by a service tech after any warrantee service just made be a believer.

[tamarag531]

I've been having the exact same problem of a grinding rattle when going at slow speeds and decelerating. Purchased the car in July and didn't notice the rattle until late August/early Sept. Had the car in for 1st oil change a couple of weeks ago and while they could hear the rattle, they couldn't ID the source. First thought was something broke off in the exhaust. I dropped the car off for service today but decided to do some research of my own and found this forum. What a surprise that there are so many with similar problem! I called the service dept to tell them that I found similar problems and it might be the transfer case. They weren't as responsive as I wouldn've liked. Should I push for a new transmission at this point? I love my car but I can't live with the rattle and the constant fear that my car is going to break down in traffic.

[Goblin]

Welcome to the forum. Since my reported rattle at around 300 miles I have added another 10K on my Rogue. There have been no reported failures (anyone breaking down on the road) do to this problem and its related noise. Nissan has, in my opinion, been laying down on this problem because of that. Depending on your dealership you may or may not get a new transmission, which if I'm correct, has reportedly corrected the noise problem. I think there was one post where someone said the noise came back. Good luck with getting this corrected and keep us posted.

[peggyboston]

Hi AllThank you very much for all your posts. I was the one that was wondering if I should purchase a Rogue. It was a hard decision because I loved the vehicle..but decided NOT to purchase a Rogue. For a few reasons. The obvious which is the car is having transmission problems, no dealer I spoke with will admit that to me, people's horror stores over dealing with their dealers, Nissan's dealing with the problem, and also..that the car has only been out for a year..so who knows how widespread this problem is and what other problems the car is going to have.. So..thank you very much for helping me come to the hard decision of not purchasing the Rogue. I went with the Suburua Outback instead.Best of luck to all of you with your Rogue.



Peggy

[mstrmstr]

I dunno- SUBARU has their airbag probs and recalls too and have for several years as a track record. Theirs is not just a delay in deployment possibility but SUBARUS can and have burned to the ground.I hope you have been on NHTSA and checked for all current and past problems as a start. Remember that this is only a recal list and service data as well as customer satisfaction plus a miriad of factors need to be reviewed for a informed decision.Your purchase your choice..what makes you content?

[peggyboston]

what is NHTSA

[youngdustin]

NHTSA = National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - you can find them at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Congratulations on your new car...even if it's not a Rogue.

[indesign99]

I would push the issue if you notice any other related problems. While waiting on mine to be changed (it's scheduled for next Tuesday), I've noticed increased problems with accelleration and reving. The motor will try to rev up even when I'm not accellerating. It isn't going any faster because I'm not giving it gas but the RPM's race to over 3000. I've noticed a decrease in my gas mileage lately as well, down to 22 - 23 around town, where I was getting 26 - 28. My husband also mentioned he heard a clunk when I put it into drive the other day. The dealership says it won't break down on me so I should keep driving it while I wait but I'm not so sure. I won't be taking it too far from home! I love my Rogue but dearly wish I didn't have to deal with this. . . especially with the closest Nissan dealership 40 minutes away. . . what a pain!

[williammoses]

Some contributors to the thread have stated that they understand from their service advisors that Nissan plans to address the rattling transmission issue. Does anyone have an recent information about what Nissan might or might not be planning to do?

[daytrippr]

Some contributors to the thread have stated that they understand from their service advisors that Nissan plans to address the rattling transmission issue. Does anyone have an recent information about what Nissan might or might not be planning to do?

None here

[Goblin]

I was planning on taking my Rogue in again this week but some old dude (70+) missed a stop and managed to Nascar my *** down the road. So needless to say its getting a body job. I've been hit twice in the Rogue and prior to: NEVER a wreck. This car is a jinx! UGH!

[indesign99]

I took mine in on Monday evening to get the transmission changed. I got a call Tuesday afternoon that the transmission was done but they didn't have any transmission fluid in stock and it would take 2-3 days to get it from Nissan. Evidently they had 2 cases in stock when they ordered the transmission last week but someone came in and bought it. Seems unlikely at over $300/case but I guess I have to take their word for it. I've been saddled with a Dodge Stratus this week and HATE it. . . don't have anything good to say about it. I'm hoping to get my Rogue back this afternoon.

You should have gotten the Orange Rogue. . . I doubt anyone would have trouble seeing you and avoiding an accident in it. . . that's the best part about my Rogue. . . and one of the reasons I bought it. .. the color. . . sounds vein I know but I'm an Interior Designer. . . If I don't look good my clients don't trust me (or at least that's what I tell my husband.)

Good luck with the body work and hope you get your transmission changed soon. My service department is great. Thanks Marion Nissan (Marion, Illinois) for jumping through hoops to get my transmission changed. I dearly hope that solves my problems! Keep me posted!

[indesign99]

I finally got my Rogue back on Friday but it's going back 'under the knife' this Friday. I have a vibration that I can feel in the gas pedal and the steering wheel, there is a clunking under the hood ( different from the gurgling sound the transmission made) and it is extremely sluggish. . . more so than it used to be. I love this car but am wondering if I made the right choice. . .

[daytrippr]

Long-time rattle update

We just returned form a 2300 mile roundtrip to San Francisco. Our Rogue ran GREAT! (as usual), got 30 mpg and had lots of power going over passes on I-5.

But, when we drove around town once off the Interstate there was that horrible NASTY rattle....louder and uglier than ever.

GET WITH IT, NISSAN!!!!!!!!!!

[kcfm]

Well I took my Rogue in this past Monday to the dealer in regards to my transmission rattle. I took the head mechanic for a ride and he was able to hearthe grinding/rattle. He said this was the first he had heard of any Rogues with transmission issues. But after sitting at the dealer for 3 hours I got the usual response to the issue. "Nissan is aware of the issue, but there is no fix for it at this time." I see they also noted on my work order that all Rogues have this noise to some extent. That is a bunch of B.S., as noted by responses on this forum.

It's funny how some Rogue owners are now getting their transmission's replaced with a "new - updated" transmission that has eliminated this problem. But still others, like myself, are still getting the same old song and dance...."there is no fix at this time."

I curious....the people that have been sucessfull at getting their transmission's replaced. Just what exactly have you all gone through to get this done? Did you contact Nissan consumer affairs, make constant calls to the dealer...?? I'm just thinking...is it the people making the most noise about this the ones that are being sucessfull at getting new trannys?

[kerrton]

kcfm, I share your frustration. I am scheduled to have my FWD CVT changed as soon as the new CVT arrives (currently on back order). At first I got the same response as you, but just last week my Service Dept. informed me that Nissan had diagnosed the problem and provided a "coutnermeasure, new and improved CVT" as the fix, and they now approved my new CVT.

I have never called Nissan myself or put any excessive pressure on my Service manager to get a new CVT - in fact I didn't want a new CVT until Nissan was sure they had the problem properly diagnosed. So I can't explain why we are getting different responses, but another forum member in Alberta where I'm located has received the same results from his dealership in another city, and the same goes for a member in Manitoba, so it seems as though Canadian owners are getting some consistency in results, but it's unclear why.

[indesign99]

I had my transmission replaced a couple of weeks ago. It took a couple of trips into the dealer for them to diagnose the problem. Once they were sure they told me they had to 'jump through hoops' to get the replacement approved by Nissan. The repair job was almost $5,000. . . not a big surprise Nissan is hesitant about approving. My noise is gone. . . keep at it. . . tell them it isn't normal and I can almost guarantee it will get worse, mine did. If you aren't happy with that dealer, find another. If you are like me and the next dealer is over an hour away, I think I'd still go for it. I'm lucky that my service department went to bat for me. Hope you can work something out.

[Goblin]

Apparently I've been black listed by Nissan and will never get a new transmission. I'm 3 for 3 now. Needless to say this will be my last Nissan if I can ever get out of it. UGH! Noises, rattles, and now two rear end collisions. UGH, the frustration of it all!

Oh, to answer your ?. It looks like if you don't want a new transmission then they'll give it to you. LOL

[williammoses]

I live in Alexandria, Va. Can you tell me the city in which you purchased your Rogue?

[Goblin]

I live in Alexandria, Va. Can you tell me the city in which you purchased your Rogue?

I purchased from Chantilly, whom have complete turned their back on me; partly do to ownership change, as they would not honor the orginal service manager's agreement in getting the vehicle fixed. I also took it down to Alexandria, who where overly concerned and after speaking with Nissan, could not wait for me to get the car off their lot. I've also been to Vienna, where I got the same response. Given my last two responses I figure Chantilly has had me black listed with Nissan. Needless to say I don't feel I deserve this as I was a justifiable A$$!

[indesign99]

My vehicle was purchased from a dealer in Marion Illinois (southern Illinois) who picked it up from another dealer in St. Louis Missouri. I had to have an orange one. . .love the car, hate the mechanics of it.

I took it in for a vibration last week and they told me all Rogues vibrate some, mine as 6,000 miles on it, that could be why. 6000 is almost like new or should be. They also accused me of being over sensitive since I had the transmission replaced, maybe it wasn't really vibrating. They also said I was lucky. .. I had one built in Japan. . . I get the vision of some Japanese workers laughing their heads off thinking about the American owner who go the car they put all the left over parts on. Don't get me wrong. . . it isn't all bad but all the rattles and mysterious sounds make me wonder. My sunroom wouldn't close the other day, thought there was something in the track but there wasn't. Took about 20 tries to get it to close. Maybe it's possessed!

[kerrton]

I talked to my parts guy and he said that the part number on my new transmission which is on order, is totally different than the old ones, and the design has been changed and improved significantly in several different ways.

So if you can get your transmission replaced, definately go for it because you'll get an updated and improved design, which presumably all 2009 Rogues come with, so I think all '08s should be updated to the same standard too.

[marie08]

Hi all -

I stumbled upon this forum trying to find others who are experiencing that same problem I'm having with my rattling transmission. I just purchased an '09 Rogue 4 days ago and have already noticed this noise.

The dealership told me the same "Nissan is aware, nothing we can do" line and corporate basically washed their hands of it and told me to get a second opinion. I'm not really sure where to turn next. I'm also not confident that the "new" transmissions can be that much better, since I am driving an '09 and having the same problems.

[indesign99]

I too heard my noise almost immediately and it got progressively worse. I had my transmission changed about a month ago and so far so good. I've put about 1200 miles on it since. I don't know how to help you get them to change it but I'd definitely get another opinion. Call Nissan directly yourself. I've been told they are a 'customer first' company and will bend over backwards to help those that contact them directly if they can. I would recommend a call, not an email, from what I heard it's more effective. Can't promise anything but couldn't hurt anything either. Best of luck.

Have to ask. . . what color did you get?

[williammoses]

Indesign99: When your Nissan dealer told you that you might have gotten one of the Rogues that was made in Japan, they weren't deceiving you. All of them are made in Japan.

[marie08]

I too heard my noise almost immediately and it got progressively worse. I had my transmission changed about a month ago and so far so good. I've put about 1200 miles on it since. I don't know how to help you get them to change it but I'd definitely get another opinion. Call Nissan directly yourself. I've been told they are a 'customer first' company and will bend over backwards to help those that contact them directly if they can. I would recommend a call, not an email, from what I heard it's more effective. Can't promise anything but couldn't hurt anything either. Best of luck.

Have to ask. . . what color did you get?

I got the gotham grey. SL AWD with the premium package. It's a great car (other than the rattling) and a definitely upgrade from my POS old Ford Focus. I'm just frustrated because it's my first new car EVER and I didn't expect to have these issues. Customer service basically told me to get a second opinion and I am doing so tomorrow. Who should I take to at Nissan? Do I just call them up complaining? I mean, I'm new to this whole thing and don't know who to speak to or what to say.

[indesign99]

I got the gotham grey. SL AWD with the premium package. It's a great car (other than the rattling) and a definitely upgrade from my POS old Ford Focus. I'm just frustrated because it's my first new car EVER and I didn't expect to have these issues. Customer service basically told me to get a second opinion and I am doing so tomorrow. Who should I take to at Nissan? Do I just call them up complaining? I mean, I'm new to this whole thing and don't know who to speak to or what to say.

I was driving a 2000 Impala and thought I was making a fairly even swap, quality wise. . . I'm disappointed in quality of the Rogue. I feel like it rides rough and I hear a lot of squeaks and rattles. Not sure who to tell you to talk to. The person that told me about the idea didn't say. I would say customer service but it sounds like you already tried that. I would call the general line and say you are dissatisfied with the response you got from your dealer regarding service and want to speak to someone at the corporate office. Worth a try.

By the way. . . I got the orange alloy SL AWD. My husband wanted me to save the $1500 and get cloth seats but leather and a sunroof were my two 'must-haves', those and a cool style and color. I had to search for an orange one at the end of 2008 (August) but finally found it and love it! I saw a maxima the other day in the same color but other than that haven't seen anything else the same color.

If you want to drive to Southern Illinois, I'd recommend my dealer. . . they said they had to jump through hoops to get the $5,000 replacement approved but did it, of course I bought it there and stayed on top of them about it. They just wanted to get me off their back!

[kerrton]

Dealers that claim to have had to "jump through hoops" to get a new transmission approved are starting to get on my nerves, my dealer had absolutely no problem and the other dealers I checked with in Alberta said the same thing "we're well aware of the problem, and if you want us to order you a new transmission just let us know, IT'S NO PROBLEM". I'm buddies with my parts guy and he said there was no process, just put in the order, not even an official approval required, he just put in the order. So I can't imagine why some dealers claim that this is so difficult for them.

All I can say about the '09's with the problem is that maybe they get the same design transmission as the '08s got, and the "new and improved countermeasure" transmission that I am getting is only distributed to specifically solve this problem, as the part number on the transmission is totally different. But who knows. All I know is that my dealer guarantees this will solve the problem permanently and this is a completely redesigned transmission.
Modified by kerrton at 7:16 PM 11/17/2008