CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013-2017 Nissan Sentra has an expensive CVT transmission failure defect that shows up plainly in our complaint data.

In late 2019, the CVT defect was subject to a class action settlement. However the settlement only covers transmission repairs up to 7 years after purchase or 84,000 miles (whichever occurs first).

Because many owners commonly drive 20,000 miles/year or more, Sentra owners experiencing CVT transmission problems may find they are not covered by this settlement due to the mileage limitation.

8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,440
Average Mileage:
90,450 miles
Total Complaints:
36 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replace transmission (30 reports)
  2. not sure (6 reports)
2013 Nissan Sentra transmission problems

transmission problem

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2013 Nissan Sentra Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #16

Nov 062017

Sentra 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 46,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission slippage started randomly. First time almost got hit getting on the freeway, had to pull over to the side of road, car wouldn't go faster than like 35 mph. 2d time (city driving) started slipping again , would slip (rev ) , wouldn't go over about 35. took to dealer. confirmed bad cvt. replaced covered under standard warranty. Got rid of it.

- Tony T., Perris, CA, US

problem #15

Sep 092019

Sentra S 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 95,300 miles

Scary as hell that a car drives just fine and then when you turn in front of oncoming traffic it decides its not going to move with no prior warning symptoms. NEVER, EVER BUY A NISSAN WITH CVT TRANSMISSION. YOU WILL REGRET IT, AND POSSIBLY DIE!!!! This issue should be covered under manufacturer warranty. No reason for thousands of cars to have the same defect at this low mileage.

- Dylan C., Salt Lake City, UT, US

problem #14

Aug 012018

Sentra SR 1.8lsentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,000 miles

Crap transmissions. Other cars and years have been given the extended warranty but not mine. Why? It's the same crappy transmission that are in the other vehicles. Nissan needs to man up to this pathetic CVT issue in all of the cars affected.

- Don S., Aynor, US

problem #13

Aug 232019

Sentra SV 1.8L V4

  • CVT transmission
  • 96,934 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Nissan has a bad cvt transmission, it is sh*t and it costs a lot if money. Tthey will keep losing customers. I will never will buy Nissan. It failed at 156000, now I have to pay a fortune to fix.

- Abdualrahim C., Kitchener , ON, Canada

problem #12

Aug 212019

Sentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 87,223 miles

Purchased june 6, 2019 used 2013 Nissan Sentra . Returned to used car dealer June 28, 2019 mechanic said no problem found. On Wednesday August 21, 2019 the transmission CVT completely stopped in the middle of Interstate 84. Somehow this junk vehicle turned back on, why unknown? Got off Interstate 84 ended up on top of railroad tracks. Deadly, don't you think? Again this vehicle turned back on was able to drive safely off the railroad track at which time I call for towing back to used dealer. Towing cost $146.49 and had to retrieve all my belongings out of this 2013 Nissan Sentra junk and call Uber to take me home additional cost of course. This vehicle is now being financed by key bank cost of loan $8,273

- egaddis, Naugatuck, US

problem #11

Jun 012019

Sentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 84,000 miles

I purchased this vehicle from CarVana in June 2017, exactly two years later in June 2019, the CVT transmission went out completely. CarVana would not assist due to the warranty expiring after 50,000. The car only had 84,000. I was completely disappointed with CarVana as well as Nissan because they were of no assistance at all. Several mechanics didn't even want to work on the car due to them stating CVT transmissions are horrible and they don't last long.

- Chico'd T., Decatur, US

problem #10

Jun 152019

Sentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 96,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I took my 2013 Nissan Sentra in to my auto mechanic (who has been my mechanic for 25 years) because it was shifting roughly and slipping. My mechanic informed me that the CVT transmissions have had problems and recommended I take it to the Nissan service department and hopefully, Nissan would either cover the cost or cover part of it. I had the car towed to Pinnacle Nissan, who has serviced kit in the past. They updated some codes but said the transmission was still slipping (this was on a Friday). They said they would drive it and see if they could determine the problem. I got another call Monday morning, saying everything was fine. I could not get a straight answer as to why it was slipping Friday afternoon but "fine" Monday morning. I tried calling Nissan Corporate for some help with the cost to replace the transmission and was told it was my problem.

So, the car was still driving exactly the same and, at one point, would not shift! I was nearly rear ended and, fortunately, happened to be close to my auto mechanic. The transmission finally "caught" and shifted so I was able to get it to my mechanic's. He replaced the transmission but it cost me $4200!!! Thanks, Nissan, for the faulty transmission and for lying to me and for not helping me AT ALL!

- Andrea V., Phoenix, AZ, US

problem #9

Jun 042019

Sentra SR

  • CVT transmission
  • 93,700 miles

I am currently waiting for a diagnostic from a Nissan dealership to see if Nissan will provide "good will" assistance. According to Aamco, my transmission is slipping. This caused me to stall on the freeway about two weeks ago. My car doesn't accelerate properly, and I'm sure the repair (or replacement) will be costly. Had I known the history of the CVT before purchasing this car, I never would have bought a Nissan!

- ij2142, Las Vegas, US

problem #8

Sep 032018

Sentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 55,000 miles

My 2013 Nissan Sentra started acting up while driving. I took it into the auto shop and low and behold... my 5 year old car's transmission was shot! I was livid. This should not be happening on a car with 55,000 miles on it! Thank God I was within weeks of my 5 year warranty expiring, so it was covered. I don't know what would have happened if that warranty was already expired. These cars are nothing but one problem after another! How are they not being recalled for transmission and brake master cylinder problems?? Nissan should be ashamed of themselves for producing such crap cars. Never again will I purchase a Nissan!

- Cari R., Santa Maria, US

problem #7

Jan 162019

Sentra SR

  • CVT transmission
  • 90,000 miles

I had to replace the transmission ($3,500) at only 90K miles and now the new transmission, months after warranty expiration, is failing once again, failing with only 30K miles on it and Nissan refuses to do anything. In fact they charged me a diagnosis fee just to tell me they wouldn't do anything. . It has been more than a LEMON it has been TOXIC WASTE. Never buying another Nissan.

- Joesph J., Ramah, NM, US

problem #6

Apr 242019

Sentra

  • CVT transmission
  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We have only had our Nissan for 2 and a half to 3 years. We bought it used and it had one owner before us. We take very good care of it as we can not afford to lose it since me and my wife both work days. We have obviously had to make repairs here and there on it just like any vehicle. Well my wife went in a few months ago to replace a defective key fob. $300 later they tell her that she needs to have a software update done on her car. We have the update done at no cost.

Well ever since that day the car has gone down hill. At first we thought it was minor things and started having those things checked or replaced. Cut to a month ago when the engine light started coming on and the car started jerking and revving going down the interstate. We had the codes run on it and it came back as a mass airflow issue. After changing the air filter and cleaning the sensor it ran better for a couple days and then started doing the same things but worse this time.

Cut to yesterday, my wife was driving to have it looked at and it broke down. It just shut itself off and she had to have it towed to a mechanic. They said changing the transmission fluid might help so we did that. It of course did not help. Then we find out that there is a recall on our CVT transmission because they have had so many issues out of them. So of course instead of wanting to pay $5,000 to replace the transmission we look into the recall. Only to find out that it is only for 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Our Sentra is a 2013 and it is currently 2019 so we just missed the recall date. We go through an entire day of trying to figure out what to do because we don't have $5,000 to just drop we still owe a lot of money on this car. We find out that Nissan has had multiple lawsuits filled against them over this because transmissions are going bad just after the recall and they know that this is happening. My wife calls Nissan and finally gets them to give some hope (we thought). They tell us that if we take it to a Nissan dealership and they diagnose it to be the CVT transmission they will look into and possibly extend the warranty. We are also told that they have done this for several customers so it should work. Today my wife gets it to the dealership and they say the entire CVT transmission needs to be replaced and it runs about $5,000 but they can knock it down to $3,900. So she calls the guy that said he could probably extend the warranty. He said they can not do it because it is more than 5 years old and more than 60,000 miles.

How much crap is that? One day they say if it their fault and then the next they can't extend it? This car is not in bad shape and it is not that old. I should not have to put $5,000 into a car for something that they screwed up! $5,000 THAT IS ALMOST HALF OF WHAT WE ARE PAYING TO BUY THE CAR! AT THAT POINT I SHOULD HAVE JUST BOUGHT A NEW CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I also have a Nissan Xterra and between this car and the issues with my Xterra I will never buy another Nissan! EVER!!!!

- Nathan F., Knoxville, TN, US

problem #5

Mar 172019

Sentra 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,200 miles

I bought the car with 12,000 miles expecting the vehicle to last. The transmission failed at the end of a long road trip. My brother has a 2014 Nissan Sentra with more miles on it and his vehicle shuttered and bogged down. I thought I was lucky that my transmission didn't do any of those things. HIs transmission is still declining, and mine has failed with relatively no warning. I had an understanding that these transmissions were terrible when, the one in my brother's car was acting up but, I did not realize mine would be affected as well.

I contacted Nissan America about the problem, and the vehicle was out of warranty. The dealership charged me 4,109 dollars for the repair. I would have accepted a 50 % markdown on the price of the repair. Since I did not, I contacted Stern Law PLLC. https://www.nissantransmissionproblems.com/ with hopes of rectifying an unjust situation.

- Kevin S., Durham, NC, US

problem #4

Nov 122018

Sentra SV Luxury

  • CVT transmission
  • 45,430 miles

My 2013 Nissan Sentra started making a strange sound in November 2018. Once I inquired about it at my local Nissan Dealer (who had done ALL of the servicing on this car since I purchased it new) they said it was my transmission and it would have to be fully removed from my car and a new one replaced (AKA, a death sentence for my car). Apparently this is how they have installed the CVT transmissions and decided it was a good idea!!! The car only had 73,113 km and was just outside of the warranty period by a few months (so it wasn't even 6 years old).

Nissan quoted me a cost of $5000 (because I was just outside of my warranty) so I went to an outside transmission mechanic who said he may be able to rebuild the transmission but would cost me over $3000 at a minimum. I also went to Nissan Canada who also said I was outside of the warranty so it was my issue. Instead, I found a dealer from another company who purchased the car (I was upfront and honest about the issue) and never even bothered to get it fixed myself. Why allow Nissan to have any more of my money??

I've since learned about how common this issue is for this year of car and find it unbelievable that a recall was never done on these cars. As a buyer beware, I wouldn't purchase another Nissan if it was the last car on earth! I'm now very skeptical about CVT transmissions in general and wonder about what people will do if they cannot afford another vehicle and they are outside of their warranty.

- sarav, St. John's, NL, Canada

problem #3

Mar 152019

Sentra SV 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 100,293 miles

Around 3/13/2019 my husband and I noticed the RPM was not coming down from 3.5 to 4. We went to the Nissan Dealer in Middletown, CT where we purchased the Nissan Sentra SV and we have done any service since we purchased it.

They charged me $149 to give us a diagnose which were almost 100% it was the transmission. After the service person came and told us that our car needed a new transmission and because we were members of Nissan they were going to do us a favor and instead of charging us for 15 hours or labor they were going to charges only for 10 hours. Also that the guarantee for the new transmission was going to be 12,000 miles or one year. We were shocked when he told us that. I asked him if the transmission was brand new and he informed us it was. I said to him why would you give us only 12,000 miles in a brand new transmission, that make no sense since the one the car came with was brand new and we had a little over 100,000 miles in it.

He told us that was the best they can do for us. After taking to some family members they suggested to call AMCCO Transmission which we did. I called and talk to Eric, he offer to check our transmission at no charge. I explained that Nissan already gave us a diagnose. He told us that sometimes since all these new cars are computerized it could be something more simple that just the transmission.

He sent a tow company to pick up the car and did the diagnose at no charge to us. He was very professional. Also he offered us 50,000 miles or 3 years guarantee for $3,900.00 which was double the amount of miles and years Nissan dealer offered us.

After getting the transmission fixed with them and getting it back we learned the transmission they installed is a remanufactured transmission they purchased from the Nissan dealer. I couldn't believe that Nissan will send someone else a transmission with more guarantee that what they will offer their members.

I just learned today 3/24/2019 that there has been a recall for Nissan's cars related to transmissions. If that is the case I want to get reimburse the $3,900.00 we had to pay out of pocket.

Please advise.

- medinac, New Britain, US

problem #2

Mar 192019

Sentra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

I bought this car in 2013 brand new and you mean to tell me a damn transmission only lasts six damn years is a bunch of bullshit. They throw these damn cars together just to get your ass roped in. It's not fair for me or anyone to have to pay for their mistake. I had a Chevrolet for thirteen years, no major problems. I will never ever buy another Nissan and will let everyone I know not to ever buy a Nissan. It's not worth the headache, just bullshit. And then after the warranty is up, they want you to pay for another warranty because I feel they knew this sh*t was going to happen.

- Sandra F., Birmingham, AL, US

problem #1

Nov 262018

Sentra 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 110,000 miles

Was attempting a left hand turn in my 2013 Nissan Sentra, when it went in shutdown mode. Luckily there wasn't any traffic coming so I was able to coast out of the intersection and get off the road. Took it to a local Nissan dealership and they confirmed it was a complete failure. There is no fix for it so a total replacement was required. Call Nissan and opened a case and they covered 60% of the $4500 making my portion $1800. I am hoping at some point they will extend the transmission warranty to 10 years, 120,000 miles like they have for other make/model/years. I missed the 5 year warranty by 4 months.

- Kirk F., Phoenix, US

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