Opportunity on an 08 Rogue

[Rogue01]

Hi my names David, I'm new to the forum. I'm considering buying a 2008 Rogue SL with 133K miles for $500.00 but it needs a new transmission. My question is, is it worth the effort to buy it and have the transmission fixed? Are there other things I should look out for when I look at which I'm hoping to do today? It it probably going to be used as a first car for my niece who is a new driver. What can I expect for reliability?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[NMD]

Hi David, it's a bit dicey, be prepared for a lot of DIY and/or nickeling and diming. Cause it's gonna snowball on you, and it's not just going to be a new transmission. It's a first year car, so ... at least some bugs are expected.
On the other hand, since it's intended as a first car for a young driver, then chances are it's going to be seriously damaged or totalled within a relatively short amount of time, so maybe it's not a bad idea after all.
As long as that transmission doesn't cost you more than the car itself.

[Rogue One]

Generally speaking the CVT cannot be simply (or cheaply) 'fixed', especially if it's the original CVT. Your best bet would be to replace it. Replacing the CVT can cost from $4,000 to $7,000.

This is just my opinion, but I wouldn't touch an '08 or '09 (yes I know some have been trouble free, but it's an unwarranted crap shoot). The 10's are somewhat more reliable, but still have issues.

[Rogue01]

Thanks for the feedback, The seller has been slow to respond so I have not looked at it yet, always a red flag. I did call around to a few reputable transmission shops in my area and the estimate are between $3500-4000 for a rebuilt transmission any additional repair can quickly exceed the value of the car. We're are trying to stay under $4000 for a car for the niece so this is probably not going to be the one for her.

Thanks again for the advice I really appreciate it.