Started website on specific Hesitation / Surge Issue

[08AltimaMan]

I started a website so I could post about this specific issue. Check it out here: Nissan Altima CVT Problems – Hesitations – Surges – Jerks Blog Archive 2007 – 2011 Nissa Altima Slight Vehicle Hesitation or Surge Type Feel at Low Speeds

the goal is the attract lots of Altima owners who have this issue and get them posting their experiences with it. I will try to add a form as well for people to submit their info almost like a petition.

I want Nissan USA to address this and not force the Altima owners to have to be responsible for paying for this fix they have available.

$435 is what I got quoted for (and I rejected), and even though others are lower in the mid $300's, I still find it unacceptable and something that should be covered.

So if you want, please check out the post and leave a comment with your hesitation issue.

Thanks guys!

[big_rig]

they put out a TSB... did you see it? go to the dealer and tell them you know about the TSB and if you are under warranty, tell em to suck it and fix your ride!!! get loud and ask for the service manager, they will help you just to get you out of there. you bought a new car, make them treat you as such!

[08AltimaMan]

they put out a TSB... did you see it? go to the dealer and tell them you know about the TSB and if you are under warranty, tell em to suck it and fix your ride!!! get loud and ask for the service manager, they will help you just to get you out of there. you bought a new car, make them treat you as such!

Yes you can see the TSB as well right here: http://www.nissan-cvt-problems.com/wp-c ... 0-121b.pdf

I didn't buy a new car...I bought a 2008 from a private seller, but I have 55,600 miles and they claim that falls outside the 36,000 / 3 year bumper to bumper.

I have pushed the issue hard with all the dealerships and I essentially get the same answer. However I was on the phone with Nissan North America yesterday and will be talking to a guy from consumer affairs about this issue and whether it's nissan's position this specific TSB "should" be covered or whether its on the responsibility of the customer.

[Ricko]

Hmmm, This should fall under the 10yr/120k. Did you try a different dealer?

[08AltimaMan]

Hmmm, This should fall under the 10yr/120k. Did you try a different dealer?

I believe the 120k / 10year applies to when CVT's themselves start to fail. As you may have seen in teh TSB, the hesitations are COMPLETELY NORMAL for 2007-2011 2.5 Altimas lol.

and yes, I have contacted 5 indianapolis, IN dealers with pretty much the same response.

[08AltimaMan]

So they told me on the phone I should expect my car to be there about 1/2 the day.

I got my car there at 8:15am. I left by 10am.

They also took $50 off the labor cost because they felt I had been inconvenienced. I mentioned to them I had not, but the service tech felt because I had been in there multiple times already, he felt that was an inconvenience. The service tech was super nice and awesome.

So $120 was my charge to have this TSB applied, since Nissan NA paid for the part.

I have only driven the car about 20 miles (at the time of this update) with the fix applied, but I can say thus far it feels like a different vehicle. 1 or 2 times did I experience what I would consider “slight hesitations”. I want to NOTE something. What I consider “slight” and what Nissan defined as “slight” are two different things. The “slight per Nissans definition” I “was” experiencing prior to the TSB Fix was “significant” in my mind. The “slight” I feel now that the fix has been applied is a true “slight” meaning its not worth even stressing about.

I talked to the service adviser about what exactly the torque rods do. I thought it helped stabilize the transmission better or something. He said it actually changes the position of the pulley/belt and the reprogram of the TCM raises the RPM’s, or maybe how the car determines “when” it should shift. This is why you might see a decrease of up to 1MPG. Now, 1200 RPM’s still is the number I see when 0-40mph if I am slowly accelerating. When going 60mph I get around 1700-1800 RPM’s. I still get the low rumble/deep vibration when its hanging at 1200 rpm and I am giving it gas around the 20-40mph mark.

So I guess I am still not 100% sure “how” the TSB fix…fixes it, but thus far things seem better. I agree with the 70-80% deadening of the hesitations other users have reported. Good enough for me thus far.

I am at 56,600 miles at the time of this writing (11/17/2011)