CVT Transmission Issues. (Fail safe, Whining, Temps, & FIX!)

[NISAN-NeverAgain]

Took car to dealership on July, 2013.
The dealer put me off. He said that he had never heard about this and since there was no engine check light on, he could not do anything about it. I thought that I was just stuck with a lemon. Then when researching this issue I see that many others have had this problem. We all have lemons!

From this forum, it looks like I must go dealer shopping to find one that is willing to take a chance and take this problem on. This is NOT a sign of a quality company.

Extending the warranty and not being able to find a dealer who will fix the problem is not a good solution.

As far as alerting everyone that I can to warn them away from NISSAN, that is what I would want someone to do for me. It is just the right thing to do. There is just no excuse for not trying to help other people. These cars are not cheap and they are dangerous. People do need to know that and I will use my time and money to do that because it is my responsibility to look out for and help others.

Some CVT Problems Posted on YouTube:

CVT Nissan MAX 2010 - Drive Mode - Up Hill, Flat Ground - High RPM, Whine, NO Power..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2lvKcnWaLA

2013 Nissan Pathfinder drivers reporting problems
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9UIiosZDI

'08 Nissan Rogue CVT issue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqYTZGHjEhM

Nissan Rogue CVT Power Loss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqOxng8OFKM

Nissan Rogue 2009 CVT Power Loss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG_Zf1eo0Pw

There are lots of complaints on the NHTSA website ( http://www.nhtsa.gov/ )

Here’s a example:
Date Complaint Filed: 07/18/2013
Component(s): UNKNOWN OR OTHER Date of Incident: 07/15/2013
NHTSA ID Number: 10525599
SUMMARY:
AFTER TRAVELING 50 MILES, MY 2008 NISSAN ROGUE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AT THE FIRST STOP LIGHT. THIS OCCURRED AGAIN ON 7/17/2013. I TRAVELED 50 MILES AND AGAIN THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE AT THE FIRST STOP. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY CLAIM NOT TO HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT OCCURRING IN THE ROGUE. I RESEARCHED VARIOUS FORUMS ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT IN NISSAN'S CVT TRANSMISSION. THE NISSAN REP SAID THAT "NISSAN DOESN'T SUPPORT GOOGLE" WHEN I TOLD HER WHAT WAS BEING REPORTED ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT PUTS MY FAMILY AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY. THE CAR IS SCHEDULED FOR SERVICE NEXT WEEK. I FEAR THAT NISSAN IS NOT BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ISSUE FROM WHAT I'VE READ.


It looks like there are many dealers that will not help the customer. Nissan it not doing the right thing here.
This simply is not right.

[Rev_D21]

Hey Guy,
Have they issued a recall?

I did not think so.

Please THINK before you reply.

Ok Mr. Tin Foil Hat,

For your information I did think before I replied to your rather misinformed post with the intention of helping you. As you clearly didn't notice during your dirty diaper tirade I am a staff member and have helped 1000's of members address issues with their Nissans. I was a Nissan tech from 2001-2003 and have been with NICO for over 10 years. I might know a thing or two. And you have gone silly, you didn't die. No one died as a result of this so you need to calm down. You strike me as the kind of person who would paint BS like "BUY A NISSAN IF YOU WANT TO DIE" all over their car and sit in front of dealerships all day hoping for a handout. So now that you have stirred the bees nest with your insults I hope you have a great time here at NICO because you have made a name for yourself in less than 20 posts. I hope Nissan does fix your car so you don't have to open your mouth here ever again.

Sincerly yours with a steel toed boot up your a**,

Rev_D21

[NISAN-NeverAgain]

Thank you.
I sincerely hope you have a great day.

[DTASFAB]

Yes and no. Here's the thing, Nissan actually DID address the reported CVT problems at the R&D level. In fact, they are so confident they fixed those problems, they dropped the extended warranty on the newer CVT Rogues. I personally think they should have kept the warranty extension in place as a show of confidence, but it's their choice. I'm sure there are many car buyers like me that want to see solid proof that those CVT's can go trouble-free (as long as non-CVT trannies) before buying one, but again, it's Nissan's choice. And to be fair, the jury is still out on whether Nissan was successful fixing it.

Good luck.

Their confidence doesn't make me confident, since the 2013 Altimas are already reportedly having problems with the nextgen CVT. The 2014 Rogue is supposed to get 25/32 mpg with the new CVT compared to 22/27 mpg with the old CVT. But for all of its potential problems, the old CVT is a known quantity, and can be considered reliable with proper maintenance, despite its delicate nature.

The key to proper maintenance, however, is knowledge. Every Nissan dealer's service department should have at least 2-3 people forced to read the first page of this thread, or more preferably, a detailed TSB derived from all the detailed instructions provided therein. Anything less than that is Nissan coming up short.

Many CVTs have lasted 200,000 miles or more without issues. The problem for Nissan is that none of these CVTs were made by Nissan.

[ImStricken06]

there 3 reasons why you could have experienced such problems; all of which are repairable if found by a competent mechanic.

#1. brake pedal sensor. if its broken, it doesn't register as you letting go of the brake pedal, so the transmission still thinks you are still breaking/slowing down and reacts appropriately. this has also been a common problem.

#2. too high of fluid level in the transmission, that triggers "fail safe".

#3. aging fluid that's thinned out enough with the heat, to cause #2. it usually comes driving during really hot climates, hills, and or traffic; and the transmission simply triggers "fail safe" due to the heat. is this a bad thing? no... because id rather fail-safe than melt-down.

did you get caught in a potentially nasty situation? yes.. is it a reason to act like a whiny little brat, trying to come up with slogans and t-shirts to defame Nissan? no- and good luck with that. ever hear of the term: "Defamation"? you might wanna look that up before you go and make bumper stickers and t-shirts.

[AZhitman]

It looks like there are many dealers that will not help the customer. Nissan it not doing the right thing here.
This simply is not right.

Are you still crying?

I gave you the number for the TSB. Walk into your dealer, ask to speak to the service manager, and tell him your problem. Point out that there is a TSB issued, and that you'd like to know why your car is having an issue.

How do you know your CVT wasn't filled with Elmer's glue? Yet you want to pitch a fit and blame someone else for your apparent lack of knowledge?

You're extrapolating the reply of ONE person at a dealership and expanding it into "Nissan is not doing the right thing"? Wow.

You never answered any of the pertinent questions. You're still throwing a temper tantrum and acting like you got butt-raped by gorillas in Nissan shirts, so we are left to assume ONE of the following is true:

1) You aren't the original owner, and don't know what happened to the car before you owned it.
2) You took it to an incompetent shop, and they used the wrong fluids in it.
3) It's low on coolant or has improper coolant.
4) It's low on fluid or has improper fluid.
5) There is a legitimate issue with the design of the car, but the "one guy" turned you away so you're ready to jump off a bridge.
6) You're having buyer's remorse and are looking for an easy way out of your purchase.
7) You don't really want a solution, you just like to argue and whine.

Feel free to let us know which one it is, but we've done our part to help you. I don't think you actually read a thing, which is a bummer, because we're good at what we do.

I'm as critical of the company as anyone, but I also know that sitting around whining doesn't bring about solutions. If I were a product liability attorney, I would ask you ALL of the questions in my previous post. If you can't answer them, I'd send you packing.

So, do you want help, or are you just cranky?

[AZhitman]

The key to proper maintenance, however, is knowledge. Every Nissan dealer's service department should have at least 2-3 people forced to read the first page of this thread, or more preferably, a detailed TSB derived from all the detailed instructions provided therein. Anything less than that is Nissan coming up short.

Well, yes and no. You'd be surprised how many forums are full of threads that would simply be a waste of time for service techs to read... I mean, look at all the laughable things the VTEC guys have come up with over the years... You could make it into a book titled, "1001 Ways to Kill a Pretty Reliable Car."

Many CVTs have lasted 200,000 miles or more without issues.

Correct. And, as you said, knowledge is key. Once we know the history and maintenance of his car, we'll know a TON more. Until then, it's just noise.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah I still don't even know what year the car is, how many miles are on it, etc.

It very well still could be under warranty. Just bring the thing back and tell them don't give it back until its fixed. Meanwhile have them lend you something with a manual transmission hah.

[AZhitman]

All I can tell from his profile is that it's a 2008.

That means it's 6 years old (at least). We don't know much more, except the owner is cranky.

Hopefully he'll get us some more info so we can help out.

[MHC F150]

Took car to dealership on July, 2013.
From this forum, it looks like I must go dealer shopping to find one that is willing to take a chance and take this problem on. This is NOT a sign of a quality company.

You do know that the dealers are not owned by Nissan, right? You do know that the employee's of the dealership are dealership employee's, not Nissan employee's, right? It's like a franchised McDonald's. That McDonald's is owned and managed by a 3rd party. So just because one dealership or restaurant is bad, doesn't mean every dealership, restaurant, are bad and that Nissan/McDonalds products are all bad.

If you have a dealership complaint, file it with Nissan Corp. for them to investigate. Nissan can not follow up on your issues unless you report those complaints to them. Also, if you found this dealer to be uneducated on the product, why not search for a new dealer? To me, I'd never let an incompetent mechanic work on my vehicle, let alone take it back time after time.

Now so you know, there are good and bad dealerships. Some have good sales dept and bad service dept. While others have horrible sales and excellent service. Some have good service and sales, others are bad all around. This is true with practically any make vehicle you purchase. Been to good and bad Ford, Honda, Kia and Subaru dealers.

Also keep in mind, every product by every manufacturer has issues at one time or another and all are programmed to go into fail safe mode if certain events are experienced. This is not a unique feature to Nissan, Rogue or CVT. Every automobile is made be the imperfect human, errors and issues are going to happen. Honda has their failures, Chevy theirs, Subaru their and Nissan theirs. No automobile is immune. Sure some have more issues than others. Some have less issues, but they may be more costly.

Bottom line is all cars are going to have a problem from time to time, not all dealers are good and lastly nothing is going to fix your CVT issues until you get off your rear and do something about it. Plain and simple.

[kstevusa]

Recent purchase of 2013 Rogue SV and was glad to see this post. I made the purchase because of the CVT transmission. Watched the technology for many years and felt it was ripe. The detail and explanations give a overview of the proper maintenance need to keep it working top notch. THANKS!

[NISAN-NeverAgain]

What an amazing string of comments from this forum:

> I gave a “dirty diaper tirade”
> “[I’m] hoping for a handout. “
> False accusations: “with your insults” – look at the forum thread and show the “insults.” - I just said that there were no recalls. This meant that NISSAN was not taking this deadly issue seriously.
> “Sincerly [sic]yours with a steel toed boot up your a**,” – Now that is original.
“act like a whiny little brat”- Yea, a brat with a deadly NISSAN rogue.
> “ever hear of the term: ‘Defamation’” – I know what it is; and obviously you don’t know what the legal term means. I can prove the facts and so it is not a statement that is false and defamatory.
> “you want to pitch a fit and blame someone else for your apparent lack of knowledge?” – The dealer is supposed to know, that is why NISSAN works with them and trains them. NISSAN is responsible for their dealers’ behaviour. This is a legal fact in case you don’t know.
> “You’re still throwing a temper tantrum and acting like you got butt-raped by gorillas in Nissan shirts” – pretty crude and obnoxious statement. - Not worthy of a response.
> “ I don't think you actually read a thing” – obviously I can at least read and respond to this level of undeserved attacks and unfounded insulting accusations.
> “You do know that the dealers are not owned by Nissan, right? You do know that the employee's of the dealership are dealership [SIC] employee's, not Nissan employee's, right? It's like a franchised McDonald's. “ - Yea, I know how franchises work, in fact I’ve owned one myself. McDonalds has standards of performance in their franchise agreement just like NISSAN does. And on top of that, NISSAN can still be sued based on their franchisee’s performance just as McDonalds has been. Bottom line: NISSAN is still accountable for their dealerships behaviour.
> “get off your rear and do something about it. Plain and simple.” – How in the world would you know that I have not tried to resolve this issue? I even mentioned that I took the Rogue to at least one dealer.
I just asked a question, got seriously beat on, and I now understand the intellectual limits of this forum.
Ask yourself, would you look for help in this forum before putting on fire-proof gear?

I appreciate the thoughtful and helpful comments from the other humans in this string.

I guess that I should give you folks the benefit of the doubt and assume that you were actually trying to help me in your own rough and special way. So I sincerely thank you for your help.

Thank you,

Shocked and bewildered

[fdelros]

Hello everyone,

I am too having trouble with my 2012 Rogue’s CVT transmission. I changed the fluid with no original and it has been acting up ever since. I will have my mechanic flush it and use original (@ $20/quart scary). For what I am reading here, I hope that solves the fail safe problems.

Changing direction, I am having some problems with the key-less system no opening the doors and car only starting with key inside ignition even though it should be key-less (car is a salvage, so no warranty or dealer interaction).

Could anyone please tell me where the key-less module is located in the vehicle to see if that part is defective? Perhaps I can get it out of the junk yard and have the car reprogrammed. (Would that be the BCM?). Thanks in advance.

Felix

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yikes man. Hopefully you haven't done irreversible damage to the CVT by running non-OEM fluid.

Have you checked the batteries in the key FOB for the non-functioning keyless entry? I'd try that first before trying to replace the BCM or keyfob receiver.

[darylzero]

Hello everyone,

I am too having trouble with my 2012 Rogue’s CVT transmission. I changed the fluid with no original and it has been acting up ever since. I will have my mechanic flush it and use original (@ $20/quart scary). For what I am reading here, I hope that solves the fail safe problems.

Changing direction, I am having some problems with the key-less system no opening the doors and car only starting with key inside ignition even though it should be key-less (car is a salvage, so no warranty or dealer interaction).

Could anyone please tell me where the key-less module is located in the vehicle to see if that part is defective? Perhaps I can get it out of the junk yard and have the car reprogrammed. (Would that be the BCM?). Thanks in advance.

Felix

That's not good. I would go to a different mechanic first. Then make sure they really flush out the old fluid.

This is a quote from another forum where the person said they are a nissan tech.

I'm a technician at a Nissan dealership, the kind of flush machine that we use on CVT transmissions is different. It doesn't use any kind of pressure to "flush" the fluid it out. The reason it's so expensive at some places is because there's generally 12-15 quarts of CVT fluid involved. What the machine does, while the car is running, it sucks some of the old fluid out, then replaces it. It repeats this process several times until it is all new fluid.

You're right, the drain and fill typically doesn't get all of the fluid, unless you remove the transmission pan. It's all in how clean you really want your fluid to be. I have the privilege of working at a dealership, so it was cheap for me.

You may want to have a Nissan dealer do this. At the same time it will void your cvt warranty if they notice it's not NS-2 fluid

Revelant article for you fdelros

[texas girl]

I did take it to a Nissan dealer and he said that he never heard of this problem....
Then I did research to find out that Nissan DID know about the problem....

Insulting - What stating facts?
Don't go getting all offended... That's not the issue you are trying a distraction tactic.
That is so transparent.

I don't need a warning... You go defend Nissan. I care about the people........

I agree 100%. I thought this was an honest open forum. I too, like many, am experiencing the same issue with my 2009 Rogue. I took my Rogue to the dealer two months ago and they told me there was a recall and they recalibrated the transmission. Last week had the same problem, car losing power on the highway going 70-75 mph and now they tell me transmission needs to be replaced and it's going to cost around $4000.00 because miles exceed warranty by 2000 miles. I've called Nissan Consumer Affairs because two months ago when I first sought help from the dealer the warranty was still effective. I also don't think Nissan is accepting responsibility. If this is a known problem why are consumers having to pay for these costly repairs and replacements. If it's a known problem, then it must be a defect in these cvt's and Nissan should pay for the cost to replace them and do a recall. I'm afraid to drive the thing because I don't know when or where it's going to stall and what danger I might encounter because of it. I'm also filing a complaint with the National Highway Safety Board.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

^WOW that sucks. Usually a dealer will go ahead and replace it under good faith to the customer.

[ImStricken06]

hey texas girl, go to a private shop and they can replace your transmission for half that amount. i feel really bad for you; i wish there was some way we could help you....

[Shuboxlover]

Hey Guys...New to the forum.

Just a real quick overview of my problem.

We've had the car for almost 5 years. Bought it with 39k on it. Haven't had ANY problems with the car, it's always ran great and haven't put anything into it except oil/tires/brakes/filters etc. I must admit though (and please don't berate me too much) that I have never changed the CVT fluid. We drive mostly highway miles and now have 169,XXX miles on it. I change my engine oil religiously, but have failed to do the CVT. For that I apologize to you and my car. Anyway....

Coming home from Colorado tonight (we live in Nebraska) the CVT started whining. We were on the interstate for ~6 straight hours doing 75-80mph. Once it started whining, the RPM's would go up but the car would not accelerate much. I pulled off the nearest exit, shut the car off and opened the hood. I could smell which I am assuming was the CVT fluid. It smelled really bad. I left it off for about 20 minutes and took the remainder of the trip home (~80 miles) on 2 lane highway and didn't have any other problems. I have noticed the whining a couple times before this past summer, but it never acted like it did tonight.

Here are the things I am curious about...

This info is probably important to know also....This past winter (DEC or JAN) I hit a raccoon and had to replace the radiator/condenser etc...I am pretty sure a factory Nissan radiator was NOT used.

Now, tell me what I should do.

Have I ruined my CVT by not changing the fluid (or by using an aftermarket radiator)?

If you were me, what would you do? Take it to the dealer and have it flushed? Put a new Nissan radiator in it? BOTH????

Just looking for your opinions..

Thanks in advance...

[WDRacing]

I'm not all that up to speed on CVT's, but I'd have your fluid swapped out for sure. On regular auto's I recommend it being done every 30,000, I'd use the same train of thought on the CVT.

I don't know what sort of filters are in the CVT either, make sure they're changed as well and not just the fluid.

Just my .02.

Welcome to Nico BTW!!!

[DTASFAB]

Whether you want to take it to a dealer to perform the work is up to you. A good local mechanic who is willing to learn about this specific CVT should be able to do the job, as long as he routinely does full flushes of transmissions. Some places only want to do a drain and refill, which is fine if you're getting it done every 30k. In your case, you need a full flush since you've driven so many miles on the same fluid.

So have the fluid replaced with the recommended NS-2 OEM fluid, and remember that the fluid level is critical. Too much fluid results in whine and possible limp mode, which you seem to have experienced already. Not enough fluid will cause problems for obvious reasons, so it's a delicate balancing act.

Also have the radiator replaced with a genuine Nissan radiator with the OEM long-life blue coolant. This coolant should come pre-mixed, but if you go back to the first post on this thread, the technician who started it recommends using a refractometer to set freeze protection to -25 degrees fahrenheit. Most manufacturers are using the same blue fluid, so Toyota/Honda coolant is fine too.

Use only distilled water to mix with the coolant. Also understand that a higher percentage of water in the mixture is great at cooling the engine and CVT, but the chemicals in the anti-freeze that keep the fluid from freezing also provide protection against corrosion, so it's yet another truly delicate balancing act. Nissan recommends -34, the OP on this thread recommends -25, I say split the difference and try to get it around -30, give or take.

[Shuboxlover]

Just a quick update....

Took the car in today, dealership called and said there were a "couple codes" that the CVT had...although no lights ever came on on the dash. She said when these codes come up on cars with warranties, they put new CVT's in them. Here are the options they presented to me.

Drain and fill....$160+
Drain/Flush/Reprogram the CVT...$690
Replace CVT...$3,800

After thinking long and hard, and being depressed most of the day, I told them to just do a drain and fill and we'll see if it acts up again. My wife and I talked and while we aren't going to jump the gun and buy a different car, we are going to keep our eye out. We did test drive an absolutely loaded 2012 Camry Black w/Black two tone leather on the way home...VERY VERY nice car. The dealer said my Altima is only worth $2400 trade in.

So, I'll keep you updated if things change.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Just a heads up, NS-3 CVT fluid is backwards compatible with previous generation CVTs, but you can't use NS-2 in vehicles that require NS-3.

[DTASFAB]

Drain and fill....$160+
Drain/Flush/Reprogram the CVT...$690
Replace CVT...$3,800

That's outrageous. My local dealer, where I bought my Rogue this summer, charges $300 for a complete flush and refill of the CVT. You should drive around for a good 100 miles or so after you get it back from the drain and refill to mix it all up, then go to a different dealer and have them test the remaining life of the fluid, then make a more informed decision about what to do next.

Also, I wouldn't be concerned with codes from the transmission, nor do I believe this adviser who told you they'd replace a CVT under warranty with those codes alone. If you go back to posts made earlier in this thread, it's clear that Nissan won't cover a CVT replacement unless there are physical signs of wear and/or corrosion. Unless your transmission case has been disassembled, there's really no way to know for sure that the moving parts have worn out beyond their usable lifespan.

Just a heads up, NS-3 CVT fluid is backwards compatible with previous generation CVTs, but you can't use NS-2 in vehicles that require NS-3.

Is there any benefit to using NS-3 in a first generation Rogue? Also, can they be mixed, like if you just want to do a drain and refill, can you add NS-3 to the NS-2 that remains?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Nissan has never mentioned (to my knowledge anyway) a benefit to running NS-3 over a previous generation, so I'm not sure if there is one.

I also can't imagine it being a problem if you mixed them. That being said, don't blame me if you do it and your CVT witchcraft box explodes on you

[Rogue One]

Nissan has never mentioned (to my knowledge anyway) a benefit to running NS-3 over a previous generation, so I'm not sure if there is one.

I also can't imagine it being a problem if you mixed them. That being said, don't blame me if you do it and your CVT witchcraft box explodes on you

O. M. G.! That's so funny that I almost blew milk out my nose, and I'm not even drinking any! (Yes, simple minds are amused by simple things!)

[Shuboxlover]

I have always gotten a shady feeling from this dealer....it's sad, this is the only dealer in a town of almost 300,000 and I hate that I have to feel this way. There are however 3 or 4 dealers in Omaha/Council Bluffs (about 50 miles away) I may just start going to one of them from now on!!! I asked the gal what codes the CVT threw and she said "well, when we get these codes, it usually means the CVT is bad" she never would tell me what codes they were, kind of pi$$ed me off.

It seems to be working great right now. I may drive it a couple months and then drain and fill again....we'll see.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I asked the gal what codes the CVT threw and she said "well, when we get these codes, it usually means the CVT is bad"

Yikes. That is indeed quite shady. You can always ask to speak to the mechanic as well. They will usually remember the codes.

[NISAN-NeverAgain]

Well, the Nissan Transmission finally got resolved.

I drove about 1000 miles to a wedding and the transmission finally became a solid failure and the dealer replaced the transmission and I was stuck for almost 5 days out of town. That means car rental, hotel, meals and all of that extra stuff.

What a piece of work this car is.

Then while they had it in the shop they asked to do another recall. This was to replace the seal kit to front door handles.

Well I should have said no; but I thought that they might be able to handle this.....

Now the passenger side door will not open from the inside or outside and of course the local Nissan dealer said that it worked for a month (Actually 2 weeks because I could not get it to the dealer because of my backed up schedule due to being stuck out of town for almost a week because of the transmission.) and they want $500+ to replace door handles and other stuff.


Nissan! What piece of crap!
I don't even know how to open the door to look inside...

Go ahead and beat me up some more. Enjoy yourselves...
That will still not change the facts...

[ImStricken06]

Now the passenger side door will not open from the inside or outside and of course the local Nissan dealer said that it worked for a month (Actually 2 weeks because I could not get it to the dealer because of my backed up schedule due to being stuck out of town for almost a week because of the transmission.) and they want $500+ to replace door handles and other stuff.

you didnt bother to schedule an apt in the future, so that the problem is logged? and someone correct me if i am wrong, but all nissan dealer repairs are 1year/12,000 miles warranty