What 241 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Altima

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL, DECELERATE, AND POWER DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,782.

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OUR 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA JUST WENT OVER 80,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING. MY SON WAS DRIVING ALONG SOME BACK ROADS AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GAVE OUT, THE ENGINE WIL LREV BUT NO POWER. HAD IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP WHO DOES A LOT OF WORK ON THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS AND HE SAID IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. QUOTED ME $3500 FOR A BRAND NEW NISSAN FACTORY TRANSMISSION AND SAID HE RECOMMENDED GETTING THE NEW ONE RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIX THE OLD ONE BECAUSE HE HAS TON A LOT OF WORK ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS. I DO NO UNDERSTAND WHY NISSAN STOPPED THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE ON THE CVT TRANSMISSION AT THE 2010 MODEL YEAR.

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FAILING TO ACCELERATE, SLIPPING, JERKING, STALLING

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I HAVE A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. CAR WAS "ACTING UP" AND SO I TOOK IT TO A FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A NISSAN DEALER. SO, I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE. WHICH THEY DID FOR $153. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING FROM OHIO TO TENNESSEE, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND I HAD IT TOWED. THE COST FOR REPAIR WILL BE $4800.00

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WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE AND THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THE CVT TRANSMISSION WILL MAKE A WHINING NOISE. I NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 70 MPH. BECAUSE OF THIS STRANGE NOISE, I EXITED. WHEN I WAS GOING 30 MPH+ AND ACCELERATING THE WHINING CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A BELT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. IT NOW STUTTERS AT TIMES WHEN GOING ABOUT 10 MPH. WHEN "SHIFTING" DOWN FROM 20 MPH IT WILL JERK.

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THE TRANSMISSION JUST WENT OUT AT 100,000 MILES. I'M TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS A CVT TRANSMISSION AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH NORMAL. I'M LOOKING AT A $4000 COST JUST TO PUT ANOTHER CVT TRANSMISSION INTO IT

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MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN THE GAS PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE AND AVOID COLLISION AND GAS PEDAL BEGAN WORKING AFTER PUMPING AND A FEW MOMENTS. HAD THREE KIDS IN THE CAR AND ONLY DUMB LUCK PREVENTED ACCIDENT. BROUGHT TO DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY AND IT WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE

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THE 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS A CVT TRANSMISSION AND THIS CONTINUES TO GO OUT AND WILL EVERY 12,000 MILES. NO SERVICE PROVIDER WANTS TO FIX THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE UNRELIABLE PART AND NOT ONLY IS THIS IS A COSTLY FIX BUT IT ONLY GUARANTEE THE MOST A YEAR OR LESS (CLOSE TO $3000.00 TO FIX). I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE OTHER MODELS WITH NISSAN WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED. I BELIEVE ANY VEHICLE WITH A CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED.

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NISSAN CVT (TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WHEN IN MOTION SEEMS TO BE STUCK " IN GEAR" WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR IT FEELS RESTRAINED AND LABORED WITH A NOISY ALMOST WHINING SOUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO "UP-SHIFT" ALTHOUGH THE CVTS ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO NOT MAKE THE BUMPING TRANSITIONS, IT SEEMS TO BE RESTRAINING THE CAR FROM PICKING UP SPEED WITH LABORING WHINE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 80-85 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO SAFETY MODE AND DECELERATED TO 70 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FLAGSTAFF NISSAN (4960 E MARKETPLACE DR, FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86004, (928) 522-6386) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLING COMPONENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER. IN ADDITION A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,836.

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VEHICLES SPEED GOES DOWN TO 40MPH TO ALMOST STOPPING. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE, DRIVING LONG DISTANCES AND DRIVING AT A SPEED ABOVE 70MPH. IT ALSO MAKES A WHINING NOISE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

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THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A WHINING NOISE DURING ACCELERATION AND THEN LOSS POWER ON THE INTERSTATE AND WOULD NOT GO OVER 40MPH EVEN WITH THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY MAKING A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR MY FAMILY. I'VE DONE RESEARCH AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THE SAME ISSUE AND RECEIVING NO ASSISTANCE FROM NISSAN ON THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

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AFTER AN HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, IN WARM WEATHER, TRANSMISSION GOES INTO SAFE MODE, LOSES POWER, TRANSMISSION SHUTS DOWN. PEDDLE TO THE FLOOR AND ZIPPO, NOTHING, NO POWER, VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ON HIGHWAY. NISSAN WAS OF NO HELP. THEIR CVT TRANNY IS HE PROBLEM. SOME MODELS WERE RECALLED ALREADY AND SOME WARRANTIES WERE EXTENDED, BUR NOT MINE. THEY WANT OVER 5 GRAND TO REPLACE TRANS.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND VIBRATED MODERATELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CROSSROADS NISSAN WAKE FOREST, 1120 CAPITAL BLVD, WAKE FOREST, NC), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FROM THE DEALER AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY THREE OTHER TIMES. AFTER ONE OF THE FAILURES, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THEY RECOMMENDED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THEN IT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST SINCE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,858.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (LYNCHBURG NISSAN, 18588 FOREST RD, LYNCHBURG, VA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. MCDONOUGH NISSAN (1775 AVALON PKWY, MCDONOUGH, GA) DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

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CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A WHIRRING SOUND AND LOST POWER ON FREEWAY ONLY ALLOWING MY CHILDREN AND I TO ONLY GO 20 MPH WHILE CARS WERE MERGING ON IN A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA. THE CAR DID THIS A FEW TIMES DURING LONGER TRIPS (45 MILES OR MORE) ON THE SIDE OF A REGULAR ROAD. AFTER A COUPLE MECHANICS THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOUND THE PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR OVERHEATS BECAUSE THE COOLING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. WE HAD TO PUT A NEW COOLER IN IT.

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MY ALTIMA STARTED MAKING THIS WHINING NOISE WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL UP HILL AND COASTED DOWN HILL AND THIS WAS DURING THE DAY IN THE HEAT.

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I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH MY TRANSMISSION THAT ARE MOST LIKELY LEADING TO IT NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AND AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH IT SEEMS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND A LOT WITH THE SAME YEAR OR ONLY A FEW YEARS DIFFERENCE THAT HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. WITH THIS MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES I THINK NISSAN NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

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MY 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA HAS LESS THAN 53,000 MILES, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I KEEP GETTING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT COMES ON AND THEN GOES AWAY AFTER ABOUT A WEEK. WHEN CHECKED THE CODE IT IS GIVING IS P0826 WHICH INDICATES "A PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF THE UPSHIFT/DOWNSHIFT SWITCH TO THE TRANSMISSION RANGE CORRELATION CIRCUIT. THIS CIRCUIT INCLUDES THE SWITCH, WIRING, CONNECTORS, AND MODE ACTUATOR, AND IS USED ON VEHICLES THAT HAVE MANUALLY SHIFTABLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THIS LIGHT COMES ON AT ALL TIMES AND WILL GO OUT AFTER A WEEK OR SO.

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MY NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S, AT 123,000 MILES, BEGAN LOSING POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN BUSY TRAFFIC. MY CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED. I HAD MY CAR HAULED TO MY HOME, BY A TOW TRUCK. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED AND GIVEN THE VIN #. THIS PARTICULAR YEAR (2011), WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST , BUT PREVIOUS YEARS HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST, FOR THE SAME PROBLEM (CVT TRANSMISSION). I READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING NISSANS TROUBLE WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN ALL NISSAN CARS FOR ALL YEARS. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THERE WERE PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS, BUT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE MY CAR'S YEAR (2011) WASN'T ON THE LIST. I HAVE TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY CAR, KEEPING UP WITH THE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, SINCE I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. ANY CAR LOSING POWER IN BUSY TRAFFIC IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT BROUGHT AGAINST NISSAN. IT IS FREQUENTLY TALKED ABOUT ONLINE. A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF NISSAN CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE (CVT TRANSMISSION) IN ALL OF THEIR CARS, NO MATTER HOW MANY MILES THE CARS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN. PLEASE HAVE NISSAN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FAULTY CVT TRANSMISSION THAT THEY CHOSE TO INSTALL IN ALL OF THEIR CARS, WHICH WAS A BIG MISTAKE AND A DANGER TO THE NISSAN DRIVERS AND THE PUBLIC. CVT TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH ARE EQUIVALENT TO A PULLEY /CHAIN SYSTEM, DO NOT BELONG IN CARS. A MORE DURABLE/APPROPRIATE TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED IN THEIR CARS TO KEEP THE NISSAN DRIVERS AND THE PUBLIC SAFE FROM HARM OR DEATH. THIS ISSUE IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY WITH A MECHANIC, ATTEMPTING TO BE REPAIRED WITH A USED CVT TRANSMISSION, WHICH IS ALL I COULD AFFORD AT THIS TIME. I FEEL IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S USED OR NEW, IT'S STILL A CVT TRANSMISSION THAT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. RENTING A CAR NOW. I WILL UPLOAD THE REPAIR BILL WHEN THE REPAIR IS COMPLETED.

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WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE, IT IS NOT GETTING POWER; PER THE DEALERSHIP THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

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IN JANUARY 2018, I TOOK MY NISSAN ALTIMA TO A NEARBY AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALER EXPLAINING THAT THE CAR WAS NOT ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING. WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR ENGINE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE AND WOULD STAY IDLE UNTIL SECONDS PASSED TO WHICH POINT THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED LIMIT WHIL DRIVING ON INTERSTATES AND LOCAL ROADS. THE NISSAN DEALER (PORTER NISSAN IN NEWARK DE) INDICATED THE DESPITE MY HAVING BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE REGULARLY (MOST RECENTLY IN DEC. 2017 AND JULY 2017) THEY INDICATED PREVIOUS DIAGNOSTIC TESTS HAD NOT FOUND THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEED OF REPAIRS. THEY INDICATED THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD EXCEED $5,000 WHICH IS CLEARLY A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESS GIVEN MY CAR HAS UNDER 85,000 MILES. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED AND SO.I CONTACTED NISSAN DIRECTLY AND REPORTED THE CONCERN AND THEY HAVE OPENED A CASE NUMBER BUT HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND IT APPEARS NISSAN HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO FEDERAL LAW SUITS STEMMING FROM TRANSMISSIONS DIFFICULTIES AND IN RESPONSE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FROM 100K TO 120 MILES FOR NISSAN ALTIMAS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2003-2010. THEREFORE, I AM REPORTING THESE CONCERNS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR GUIDANCE ON NEXT STEPS.

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ON JULY 9, 2017 WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGH SPEED LINE. MY CAR WENT FROM DOING 65 MILES TO 10 MILES WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN. AND MY CAR STILL WILL NOT GO OVER 10 MILES. ALMOST GOT MYSELF KILLED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. 4 MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. IT WONT GO IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS. HOW CAN A CAR JUST SHUT DOWN DRIVING. I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR FOUR MONTHS. NOW (STATELINE NISSAN EAST PROVIDENCE) DOES NOT WANT TO FIX MY CAR. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPEN I STILL HAD THE 30 DAYS WARRANTY. NOW MY WARRANTY RAN OUT, NOW THEY SAID IT IS GOING TO COST ME MONEY TO FIX MY TRANSMISSION. I THINK THIS IS WRONG WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THEIR CUSTOMER. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

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DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 55 MPH THE NISSAN ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE STATED WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. WE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE AND FOLLOWED ALL THE GUIDELINE FOR MAINTENANCE. I WAS QUIET SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR NISSAN CVT TRANSMISSIONS. MY CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF MY 21 YEAR OLD SON WHO WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. HE WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS NOT A CAR BEHIND HIM. THE ESTIMATE TO REPAIR/REPLACE WAS 5300 BEFORE TAX. YES, I WAS SHOCKED. MY SON'S PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A 2002 ACURA THAT HE WAS STILL DRIVING UP UNTIL WE INSISTED HE DRIVE A NEW VEHICLE TO COLLEGE FOR HIS SAFETY.

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