Is There a Nissan Altima Transmission Recall?

Criticism of the Nissan Altima’s continuously variable transmission has been mounting for years. Some consumers, frustrated by the lack of a Nissan Altima transmission recall, have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as various online consumer forums. Others have gone the legal route, filing class action lawsuits against the automaker.

What Are the Transmission Problems in Nissan Altima?

A continuously variable transmission, or CVT, shifts through an endless range of “gear ratios” during driving, as opposed to a standard fixed number of gears that a traditional transmission moves through with “hard shifts,” Car and Driver magazine explains. The design is meant to give drivers smoother acceleration. However, many consumers have reported the opposite occurring.

The CVTs installed in the Nissan Altimas have caused a variety of problems – shaking, losing acceleration and stalling, among others – according to owners who are regularly posting complaints on websites such as Autonews.com, CarComplaints.com, and Cars.com.

This may be due to the vehicle struggling to change gear ratios. Other early signs of CVT transmission problems may include a burning smell coming from the car, weird noises such as whining, grinding, or humming while driving, gears slipping out of place, fluid leaking underneath the vehicle, or the check engine light coming on.

In some cases, the car may stop suddenly or become unresponsive when changing gears, or switching from park to drive. Bringing your car in to the dealership as soon as possible after experiencing symptoms of a possible transmission issue may prevent more damage from occurring to the vehicle.

According to court documents in a 2018 lawsuit against Nissan, the NHTSA “had received 263 complaints regarding the CVT power train on the 2013 Nissan Altima and 99 complaints regarding the CVT power train on the 2014 Nissan Altima.”

In April 2019, AutoNews.com reported that the car company set aside $590.5 million to extend warranties from five years to seven on the CVTs used in 3 million cars sold between 2012 to 2017, including the Altima.

Was Nissan Aware of the CVT Defects?

According to Automotive News, in 2013, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the automaker planned to ramp up its oversight of the company manufacturing its CVTs because of poor customer satisfaction with the transmission.

A Nissan Altima transmission recall has never been issued.

What Nissan Altima CVT Lawsuits Have Been Filed?

Two class action lawsuits were filed against Nissan Motor Company in federal court in 2018 by three Altima owners who claim their transmissions were defective and Nissan knew it. Both cases were brought to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, where Nissan’s U.S. headquarters is located.

The first lawsuit was initiated by California residents Salome Madrid and Terese Miranda, whose complaints about the Altima are similar.

Miranda claims that she had to take her Altima back to the dealership for transmission problems at least four times in the four years after buying her car. Meanwhile, Madrid in 2014 purchased a new Altima, also with the CVT transmission, and over the next two years, brought the car back to the dealership three times due to problems with the transmission.

On the third trip, the dealership replaced the transmission. A year later, the problems persisted, and the dealership replaced the transmission a second time, Madrid claims.

In September 2018, Christopher Gann said his Altima was also dogged by transmission problems. Three years after purchasing the car new, it began to shake and vibrate and eventually stalled and could not be restarted. Gann claims he was told the transmission would have to be replaced. He paid the dealership $3,754.49 to do the work.

Another Nissan owner claims that she already had two transmission replacements, but now needs a third. Her car only has 130,000 miles on it, but the transmissions keep failing. According to her, the car runs normally at first, but after driving for more than an hour it begins to experience difficulty with the transmission, including over-revving and making whining sounds.

Additionally, as the car is past the warranty period and the manufacturer has not issued a Nissan Altima transmission recall, she worried that she would be on the hook to pay for a third transmission replacement out of pocket. The cost to replace a transmission may be upwards of $3,500. Although Nissan agreed to cover the cost of the third replacement, there is no guarantee that the vehicle won’t require a fourth.

Should You Join a Nissan Altima Class Action Lawsuit?

Consumers frustrated about the lack of a Nissan Altima transmission recall may have grounds to participate in a class action lawsuit against the automaker if they have experienced problems with the CVT.

The Nissan Motor Company Class Action Lawsuits are Madrid, et al v. Nissan North America Inc., et al., Case No. 3:18-cv-00534 and Gann v. Nissan North America Inc., Case No. 3:18-cv-00966, both in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Join this Free Nissan CVT Transmission Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you own a Nissan vehicle that is newer than a 2013 model year and have been affected by CVT transmission problems, you may be eligible to join this FREE Nissan CVT transmission class action investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.