That moment when you click on a video about poorly designed transmissions, and the transmission featured in the video is from the same make, model, and year of the high mileage car you’re driving now.
I have heard that if you change the fluid every 20,000 miles and drive them gently they will actually last a really long time. Is this what you've done
We have 3 CVTs at our dealer this week, 2013 juke with 150k that I just finished replacing the CVT in today, a rogue that came in today don't know the year or milage, and I believe a Sentra coming in tomorrow again not sure on year or milage as I didn't get that info from our SA.
This is true. My versa has 130k. Fluid/filter changes every 30k. Runs fine. Just do the maintenance people. I swear half of the “unreliable” shit is just things that have poor tolerance for people who dont follow service intervals.
And we were considering buying a Nissan Murano in 2005 when we were looking for a safe and reliable car to transport my wife and I and our newborn. After reading about issues with Nissan's CVT, we settled on a 2005 Toyota Avalon which we still have and drive today.
I own a 2009 murano, and i thrash the thing daily. The cvt definetly holds up to it. I havent serviced it since ive owned it, about 20,000km. Definetly servicing it after this video though
Exactly - the point of contact on a spherical ball is tiny. WTF were they thinking - more than a hundred years of engineering experience and they still make such a howling blunder.
I really wish they'd just charge an extra $1000 to actually make a good CVT and make them have EASY sensors/reminders on the dash for fluid changes and other maintenance items. Most people FORGET to do transmission fluid changes......
@@ChaohsiangChen Well yeah. I think CVTs are really cool, but they always cheap out vs just offering a good quality product :( But offering a manual and standard automatic would be ideal.
Or just put in a current 8-speed auto, that actually works. Yes, everybody but Nissan has them. I can't believe that after 20 years, Nissan hasn't given up on CVT's. This will end the Company soon.
@@ssmith4013I’ll never understand it either. We see Kia/hyundai pump out all sorts of DCTS & cvts but Nissan can’t prototype a better geared transmission?
A reasonable person would think that Nissan would be smart enough to realize that their CVT transmissions are ruining their reputation and having a MAJOR impact on their sales. At this point I don't see any way forward with CVTs even if they say they have resolved all the issues. They better come up with an alternative to the CVTs and QUICK or they will be OUT OF BUSINESS!
My mom's 2013 Nissan Altima CVT failed at 51k miles (even with the fluid change and Nissan knew it was flawed) while my 2011 Nissan Versa with 4-speed Automatic that hasn't failed still rolling at 255k miles. I admit it that 2nd gear is starting to slip a bit
Where i reside, Nissan Sunny N16’s with the old 4-speed autos and 5-speed manuals are literally considered the only thing that is as reliable and durable as a toyota corolla. Some even prefer them over corollas due to how basic they are. It is unfortunate how rubbish their modern cars are.
This is one example of a trend that is quite common for the last 20+ years. Technologies are introduced that, at least on paper, are very promissing. Lower fuel consumption (CVT), lighter engine arcitecture(Wet belt, common in Stellantis engines), lower carbon emissions (EGR and EATS) and higher digital complexity(Computer that controls basicly everything in the car, like Tesla) for example. However, the problem with most of these solutions seems that they often prove to complex, to unrelaible for long term use. It gives me the feeling that many cars these days are solely designed to look good on in an add. What do you think?
I dont think its some conspiracy, these cars are just designed by people who are completely detatched from reality. They are designed to last 5 years as flashy status symbols for western upper middle class people. Because the designers are living in this bubble themselves. They could never imagine that thair cars will have to be maintained 25 years later by some poor guy in pakistan. Narrow minded first world mindset at work!
Usually the tech is sound ...Until the bean counters come in and whelp you end up with Nissans cvt's . But CVT's are perfect for 90% of vehicle applications but it also has to be built for durability. CVT is so good it was banned in F1 as giving an unfair advantage ( supposedly)
Thanks for the tear down. The balls that were originally used in the pulley grooves (key-way) are usually replaced with machined pins. This will prevent wear and failure in the pulley.
I drove a Nissan rental with CVT once. It was weird. Engine rpm seldom matched what the car was doing. I can't imagine what one would be like if the trans was failing
Had a 2009 Altima 2.5SL that I bought new. Sold the car in 2016 with 165K miles on it. Car was 100% original when sold. Used only full synthetic engine oil changed every 10,000mi and changed fluid in the CVT @55,000mi and 120,000mi. I even got 108,000 miles out of the factory brake pads/rotors before I changed them. Car was comfortable and consistently got 28-33mpg. I guess I got lucky that I never had transmission issues. I also never treated it like a GT mustang.
Those CVT transmissions will last if owners got off their pocketbook and had the oil changed frequently. They leave the original stuff in and get them stuck in snow and floor it and haul weight. Fried oil does not protect anymore and bye bye bearing set and orings. Nissan does sell a repair kit for this type but you have to scrounge around getting the special small ones that always are fried and no chain in the kit otherwise you can rebuild it. I 100% agree with the poster to Get A Cooler!! Maybe add an external oil tank so it's always cool and "fresh" because the temperature in there will cook a chicken and it ruins the little bit of oil it has. Once this oil is botched then everything else fails eventually. Nobody ever thinks that regularly changing transmission oil is important. Engine engine engine oh gotta get on it change the oil I want full synthetic racing oil but leave the dirty burnt dishwater in the transmission. Its up to you to make your vehicle last longer.
We’ve put 190k on our HRV and it’s been flawless. I was hesitant buying it based on Nissans reputation with CVT’s but it has a lifetime powertrain warranty through the dealer so that was enough to give peace of mind.
My 14 honda coupe had a grinding sound. CVT had worn bearings. They should never have used these junky trans. Costed 5500.00 for a used 51k mile replacement cvt from the junkyard
There is an incredible amount of design work in that transmission. All the machinery needed to make all those parts is astounding. Thousands of people had to be in on the design. It looks as good as anyone else's CVT. It looks to me a few poor quality seals and maybe some parts not hardened properly is making these turn to junk in just a few years. Giving Nissan a very bad reputation for quality. Plus it is causing many thousands of good work by very talented people to just go to waste.
Nissan doesn't make any CVTs. They (and almost everyone else) use Jatco transmissions. Honda and Toyota are about the only exceptions. Honda actually does make a CVT themselves and Toyota has a subsidiary that makes them.
It's still wild to me that Nissan is known for mass producing the most hated and disposable pulley CVTs (XTRONIC) ever made, while also being acclaimed back in the late 1990s for developing a RWD-based toroidal CVT (EXTROID). A complete 180 for Nissan imo.
I bought my '16 Maxima SV new. I now have 160,000 miles. Still pulls like a train. I did not miss any CVT services. The car has been great to me (so far). No major issues. I change all fluids in the car (not just oil; everything liquid). That X-tronic CVT has a filter attached to the side of the case and a strainer inside the transmission's oil pan. Those need changing also (it's not listed in the Nissan maintenance schedule pamphlet; but it needs it).
@@vqdriver Yes, all service was done at the dealership (so yes, they use the NS3). I was only recently (150K miles) able to "convince them" to also change the filters-most dealerships won't do it since it's not in the Nissan maintenance schedule, so they think it's unnecessary. But they finally did it and the car now gets up to 4mpg better on the highway just due to the filter change (compared to changing fluid only).
Rogues seem to get it bad. I have two coworkers, each with a Rouge, and they both had transmission issues - one failed entirely and was sold off. Admittedly, one of these two was owned by a couple who do not strike me as responsible, intelligent, or safe - on or off the road, and the # of accidents, deer impacts, and general car issues they have, yearly, could tell the tale. The poor Rogue got little to no maintenance (because maintenance costs money) and was likely RACED from red light to red light, hard braking every stop.
From what I've learned about CVT failure over the years points to the belt itself. Other than fluid loss and various other component failures the belts are most likely to fail due to the design. Belts are made up of some 200+ butterfly shaped segments held together by narrow thin steel bands. The belts are constantly flexing as they traverse the two pulleys. Steel can only be flexed so many times before it becomes fatigued and breaks. Some of the better belts have more steel bands increasing reliability, but they still will eventually give up.
Have a friend who works at Nissan. He says AVOID ANY MODEL WITH CVTs. Avoid them like the plague. There are many ongoing class action lawsuits. But from the company's perspective, the cost of fighting the lawsuits is still significantly cheaper than putting a real transmission in cars. These things are dirt cheap and not made to last.
I have three Sentras. I bought them new in 2011, 2013, and 2015. All have over 100K miles. The only problem we had was with the 2013. At 129K miles, it took 2,500 rpm’s to go 70 mph (normal is 2,000 rpm’s to go 70). The transmission could have gone another few years, but we chose to get it replaced with a new transmission at the dealer for $3,500.
It appears that the CVT was still functional albeit barely so due to the heavy wear on the pulley shaft keyways on the drive variator. Insufficient pressure most likely caused this as you pointed out in your video.
We have the Mitsubishi version, a 2011 Outlander with 140K miles. It's decent basic transportation, though underpowered. Ours is FWD, and we don't tow. We also change the fluid at the dealer every 30K miles. Maybe Mitsubishi did something right with these that Nissan didn't?
Yes, the engines were weaker, the engine computer did not abruptly release torque and the cooling of the transmission was bigger capacity than in Nissans. That is why you say your car is underpowered. Mitsubishi designed it that way to keep the CVT alive. And it works.
I think my cvt was starting to fail on those grooves. I got the fluid changed at 45k. I noticed after 30k when you let go of the gas in a parking lot, i would hear and feel a shaft wiggle back and forth a few times.
I still find it interesting that nissan, who's customers generally just want an appliance that will move them about, without thought or concern for their car's well being, decided to use such a maintenance intensive transmission in the mainstream appliance cars. They hold up ok in the smaller cars with regular fluid changes, but outside of that it's kind of all doom and gloom. I can appreciate the upsides that a cvt offers, but man did they fail to deliver on this one for the core nissan demographic (which they unfortunately share with kia)
Honda, Hyundai/KIa, and Toyota are using CVTs more frequently in their small vehicles. They're better than Nissan CVTs but they will fail prematurely too if not maintained properly.
That's actually not something you can compare. Nissan has more CVTs on the road than any other manufacturer, they were the first to use it across almost their entire line up. Only in the last 5-10 years has everyone else started using them. And now everyone is making it standard. So of course Nissan is gonna have more failures, it's simple math... Subaru and Kia are quickly catching up and in fact have had more failures in newer gens than Nissan. Nissan has actually improved their CVTs, almost as though they learned from 15 years of failures. Nissan effectively beta tested the CVT for everyone else. Now they have to live with that reputation.... Idk I have never had an issue with any of my CVTs, but I don't drive like I'm in a race, monitor my transmission regularly with consult-2 and change my CVT fluid every 15k miles.
CVT's are way cheaper to make. Gears take skilled gear grinders, that you have to pay. Most of the parts in there are cast, CNC milled, or stamped. Machine made automation.
@ssmith4013 It's always all about that almighty dollar. It's too bad they have such a high failure rate. Being able to keep an engine in its peak efficiency range regardless of demands has a lot of appeal for the vast majority of how cars are typically used. I just worry that the high failure rate will have the same effect on cvt's going forward (assuming the longevity problems get fixed, other manufacturers introduce better models, ect) as the gm diesel 350 debacle of years past had on the US diesel car market.
And thanks to informative material like this one I know one thing: stay the f away from CVTs. I almost bought one, my God. Thanks for walking us through the inner workings, partner.
It’s amazing that model of jatco CVT was released with its short comings at that time. And also let it be matched with engines take over loaded it. Jatco CVT’s are used in alot of different brands including Japanese built Toyotas. It was a US wider problem because of larger engine and vehicle sizes.
After market trans cooler is a must and its a good idea to bypass the radiator trans cooler directly to the after market cooler cause the radiators are famous to leak coolant into trans!
The reason they fail is no one changes their CVT oil I change mine every 30,000 miles and have almost 200k on it with no problems this goes for all CVT vehicles but Nissans seem to have more problems with dirty oil
@@pricetagcitrusactually you have to change the atf with pretty much the same interval for almost all automatic transmission. Better change it and safe rather than being a cheapskate then sorry
For an automatic transmission CVT’s are very efficient, but you have to look after them via regular maintenance. Also ease into the transmission from a stop until it’s up to speed, nothing really wrong with them just owners not understanding the operation of said transmission.
Nope. Early CVTs are undoubtedly a complete TRASH. Class action lawsuit doesn't appear out of nowhere you know? Now it is okay. Just change fluid every 30k KMS. And you would be okay for ~240-250k kms
Changing that cooler filter, the one most dealers won't admit to existing, is paramount (about every 40-50K miles) and driving steady footed on the accelerator. People that dart in and out of lanes on the interstate going to the floor every time don't do well with CVT's. I worked at Mitsubishi as a tech for 15 years and the older 1st gen CVT was tougher as the newer ones, like that one, have a wider range and heat up more. Getting one replaced inside of warranty is a smart move if you can figure a non noticeable way to make sure it fails but it shouldn't be too tough as the wide ratio CVT had about a 70% failure rate before warranty ran out. Or you can just avoid Jeeps, Dodges, Mitsubishis, and Nissans with the Jatco CVT altogether. That's my choice.
I mean shouldn't we avoid Mitsubishi and Chrysler products any way? never seen a good Chrysler product since the last AMC 4.0 engines were in the Wrangler in about 2005 unless you count Cummins trucks
I know there are lemon CVTs but as long as these things are maintained properly it will last. Many cars barely last 180k these days. My Altima has given me less issues than my 2016 Honda accord .. and the honda is 5 years newer.
Its still blows my mind that we rely solely on friction to turn/push thr variators without teeth or ribs. Alot of cvts arent loved but they are fascinating
The reason why they fail so much is lack of maintenance CVT get very hot. Obviously you got the metal belt all that friction to a lot of heat, heat breaks down fluid. The color of that fluid shows that it was never replaced. It’s supposed to be green it’s not supposed to look like engine oil with 10,000 miles on it that burnt decorated oil causes the belt to slip because CVT fluid is traction fluid i’m that fluid goes bad. It allows about the slip which creates more friction which causes to get hotter and it’s a cascade after that the fluid supposed to be changed and Nissan because of lack of cooling every 30,000 miles and in cvt is with proper cooling like the Mitsubishi outlander those need their fluid changed every 60,000 miles
And also naturally, CVT‘s make a lot of metal debris because of the metal band rubbing against the two variators and the belt with the two bags in it all that rubbing causes metal debris which clogs up the filters in the transmission, which causes fluid starvation which destroys bearings all because of maintenance because Nissan never put in the owners manual to change the fluid every 30,000 miles
Nissan focuses on leases and they don't teach customer that although CVT is much better for fuel mileage and drives better than a torque converter based multi speed translate it needs more aggressive service. This is based on working at a massive dealership. It has nothing to do with being popular with any particular ethnic group
they sell upgrade kits on sonnax, i think. the check balls are a known failure and the pressure regulator gets debris. if you change them keep the valve body so you dont have to do a relearn
My 2020 Maxima has 84,000 miles I did the service when the manual recommended it I think everyone should considering Nissan have a transmission issues so far so good
Great video! My 2011 murano 180k with fluid changes done every 30K, I believe, is finally dying. It still runs great but has load buzzing sound. You can hear it under the air box and out the dip stick tube. Unfortunately, the rest of the car is great. But resale value for these even without issues is so poor. Just because of the transmission
My 2017 Maxima has 140k miles. Never, ever had a problem with my transmission. I guess it all depends on how ppl drive. Local mechanics don't really like CVT transmissions because they usually don't require transmission flushes, which, for them, is a good source of work and income. So more than normal that they will say bad things about it. Im not saying that they are perfect but ive had 3 Maximas with CVT and never had any issues at all. My sons 2016 Altima has 130k miles and also no issues with the transmission.
So the failure was on the retaining mechanism and piston bearing of the driven gear? I don't think transmission fluid and filter changes would have saved it. Maybe the reason there is damage there is engaging reverse while car is moving forward and the opposite. The car's weight is now on those grooves and balls. The loud bearing of the planetary gear could also indicate this
if I knew about CVT transmissions at the time I bought my 2017 Rogue new, I probably would not have purchased it. That being said I got a great price on it, it only has 2500.00 miles, I like the way it performs, and I do not drive it aggressively. I am taking it to the dealer next week for it's first CVT oil change . I plan to do oil changes every 25-30 ,000 miles, so the car should last me a good while. It's paid off so I plan to drive it for a good long while, God willing.
That's fine, but a transmission shouldn't require oil changes that often, one can argue, since the other designs don't. On the other hand, if you make it as easy to change as engine oil and filter, then maybe we're on to something.
@@pfsantos007 IMO CVT transmissions(specially JATCO) are more sensitive to maintenance than other designs most repair shops suggested 30K in my country(hot climate region) and it definitely helps transmission and car manufacturers, they do their best to convince car owners not to change the transmission oil because they don't want the car to last beyond car's guaranty so as a car owner we need to find a way to maintain it.
Thank god Mazda has avoided going CVT in their cars thus far. CVT's are not worth the small gain in fuel economy if you plan to keep the car outside of the powertrain warranty. If you are leasing a car then a CVT is fine but I would be highly concerned about buying a used car with 100k on it that has a CVT. The exception might be Toyota as they are probably the only company who I have reasonable faith in where CVT's are concered. They have been using them in Priuses and other hybrids for 20 years and plenty of Priuses on the road with over 200k and their original trannies. Toyota seems to have mastered it.
The toyota prius/hybrid cvt/ford hybrid cvt are not belt types. They use planet gears and electric motor for the power split and ratios. No belts. They are an eCVT.
@@adamn7516 Mazda was using ford automatics and their deals between each other, they kept using them or whatever ford spec for their counterpart cars. Subaru, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are all Jatco transmission, in which Nissan owns the controlling stake in.
I have a ‘17 Rogue that I’ve had since 70k miles. Now it’s currently 140k miles on the clock. Change the CVT fluid (I use Amsoil CVT Fluid and do spill & fill every 35,000 miles) and you’ll be fine.
Nissans problem is there cooling is terrible and it cooks the fluid they use fast. Add a aftermarket cooler and change your fluid to Lubegard cvt fluid and change it every 40,000 miles and they will fair much better .2017 Nissan maxima 220,000 miles and was running when I sold the car just fine.I had a large cooler on the front of mine and I also added a magnetic filter inline also . My fluid never got above F 195 ..I don't see how that Transmission lasted I have a extreme lead foot and that v6 puts a ton of power through that belt. When you reverse out of your driveway and change to drive make sure your car is stopped. I did the same thing for years but I stopped when I had that Maxima and I still do it with my Subaru. That can be hard to do when your street is really busy ,and you have to get out and get going fast. Toyota has the best idea though with the real 1st gear to get the car going..
@@thx1138guy Thanks man, I had no idea they use a Chain. I have a Subaru Crosstrek with a chain and I am in the process of adding my cooler and filter and lubegard fluid. I really did rag out that Maxima to no end I hated the car but my dad basically gave it to me. When I first got it it had 90,000 miles and I was told the transmission was going out the belt did slip a few times but once I flushed out the old fluid and put in new with that cooler never the had another issue with it. Jatco still makes terrible Cvt transmission..
I was a huge fan of their models in the 80's and 90's, along with some of their competitors both import and a few domestics. Nissan's reputation dropped quite a bit when they partnered with that CVT company and started putting them on everything. But the manual models were still good for quite a while after.
The 2002 Altima seemed to first mark the major decline in quality. There have been some very durable Nissans and Infinitis over the years. Too bad they flushed their reputation fully and completely.
Besides the unreliability problems also lack of maintenance makes it worse , black transmission fluid , when was the last time such transmission was serviced ?🙄🤦♂️
If you have a low mileage Nissan CVT transmission, make sure that you change the fluid and put in the Amsoil synthetic CVT fluid. It will help the transmission last longer, that is one of the best CVT transmissions out there. But they have no business being in automobiles
As soon as I saw the thumbnail my first thought was 'I betcha they neglected changing the trans fluid' and it was mentioned that the fluid didn't appear to be changed a number of times in the video. CHANGE YOUR FLUID FOLKS! Not to say Nissan CVT's don't have issues but you neglect any maintenance, especially long term, it's gonna come back and bite ya. I read somewhere that CVT's don't like jack rabbit type starts from a full stop. No idea if that's true but it makes sense to my brain that if CVT's aren't as robust as a 'regular' transmission, gunning the vehicle away from a dead stop will put a high load on the CVT and cause premature wear. My new 2024 vehicle has a CVT and I always start from a full stop gently and then once the vehicle is moving accelerate up to speed. Will it make a difference? Probably but who knows, time will tell. Having said all that I dated a woman for 4 years who had a 2012 Altima and have to say, I've never witnessed a vehicle so neglected and abused in all my life. That car should have died many times over yet kept trucking on without complaint. I saw her and the Altima about a year after we broke up with more dents in it and dragging some part that was now hanging underneath the body, the car still trucking on. Wonder if it finally gave up but if it has, it wasn't for lack of engineering or build quality.
They get abused because they are economy cars. CVTs are in economy cars because they get better gas mileage. Hence the endless loop of failing vehicles
@thx1138guy I can only speak for myself though there might be a few who will believe this. I've owned quite a few cars over the years and 90% are manual transmission. I've been living in NYC for almost 40 years and that's all I drive. I do it for the main reason, a manual transmission is more reliable than any other transmission that there is. I must say I drive in heavy or light traffic without giving it any though as after driving a manual for a week or two (in the beginning of me learning) everything becomes natural. That's just how I see it but I guess, to each his/her own.
Aren't CVTs essentially throw away transmissions? Are there outfits out there that rebuild these? From what I've heard, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru makes the best CVTs.
Labor to rebuild is usually more expensive. Can't speak to Toyota and Honda, but Subarus are solid for daily use but are crippled by any amount of abuse (be it extending the 60k fluid, not beating it until it's warmed but also not letting it overheat, or towing literally anything or increasing the load with kayaks or other gear on the roof). Their old geared transmissions weren't known for reliability, so I guess it's a wash in the end
So many negative video's on Nissan CVT's. Recently picked up a low mileage NV200 for a van conversion project. Will change CVT fluid every 25K and drive it gently. Castrol makes a quality inexpensive substitute for Nissan's NS 3 fluid that makes changes cheap now. Recently took a long trip and van runs wonderful. Some folks still do get over 200K on these CVT's.
It's possible to build a good CVT using epicyclic gears and no rat wheels or rubber bands. Probably doesn't really cost much more to make and if maintained properly should have a much lower total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. Me, I've never bought a car with a conventional automatic transmission. Four and five speed manuals only so far in 60 years of car ownership and probably more than a half million miles of driving. Only had to replace two clutches myself due to engine oil contamination or wear and one under warranty due to an improperly manufactured flywheel (GM product). Looking now for a robust 6-speed manual or a well engineered hybrid, if there is one.
Considering has a regular 7-speed auto and 6-speed manual for the 370Z and a 6-speed DCT for the GT-R, why not use them? They are pretty reliable and only see use on one car.
Those transmissions are designed by Jatco. Generally speaking, I have a very bad experience trying to repair and failure analysis on transmissions from this make. I personally avoid owning any car with transmissions from this make, no matter the car Brand. After so many years working on automatic transmissions, something about their design feels off to me, and the field experience seems to agree.
That moment when you click on a video about poorly designed transmissions, and the transmission featured in the video is from the same make, model, and year of the high mileage car you’re driving now.
I have heard that if you change the fluid every 20,000 miles and drive them gently they will actually last a really long time. Is this what you've done
You're lucky. It happens
We have 3 CVTs at our dealer this week, 2013 juke with 150k that I just finished replacing the CVT in today, a rogue that came in today don't know the year or milage, and I believe a Sentra coming in tomorrow again not sure on year or milage as I didn't get that info from our SA.
This is true. My versa has 130k. Fluid/filter changes every 30k. Runs fine. Just do the maintenance people. I swear half of the “unreliable” shit is just things that have poor tolerance for people who dont follow service intervals.
@@Oksobasically2 or better yet the manufacturer doesn't recommend a service interval that they should have
And we were considering buying a Nissan Murano in 2005 when we were looking for a safe and reliable car to transport my wife and I and our newborn. After reading about issues with Nissan's CVT, we settled on a 2005 Toyota Avalon which we still have and drive today.
Murano is actually solid. Honestly, you made the right choice.
The Avalon is a very smooth and spacious family vehicle.
I own a 2009 murano, and i thrash the thing daily. The cvt definetly holds up to it. I havent serviced it since ive owned it, about 20,000km. Definetly servicing it after this video though
you made the right choice
what a wise choice
Crazy those few ball bearings are taking the entire torque load.
Later CVTs had solid pins that slid along the grooves on the pulleys
Exactly - the point of contact on a spherical ball is tiny. WTF were they thinking - more than a hundred years of engineering experience and they still make such a howling blunder.
@@thx1138guy When did they change that? I have a Jatco CVT produced in 2014. Still going strong by the way.
@@ronaldderooij1774 The D series.
@@TheOwlGuy777beamng?
After seeing this informative video, I would never attempt to try to rebuild one of these.
Those clutch packs are scary
@@randyrobey7636 right?!? 👍
After seeing this informative video, I would never ever buy anything with a CVT (even if they weren't also really annoying crap to drive).
I would be so scared to rebuild any transmission
No shop rebuilds these anymore. They just replace with a junkyard unit
I really wish they'd just charge an extra $1000 to actually make a good CVT and make them have EASY sensors/reminders on the dash for fluid changes and other maintenance items.
Most people FORGET to do transmission fluid changes......
Or just offer manual instead.
@@ChaohsiangChen
Well yeah. I think CVTs are really cool, but they always cheap out vs just offering a good quality product :(
But offering a manual and standard automatic would be ideal.
most people think transmission services are scams... but still get their oil changed every 3000 lmfao
Or just put in a current 8-speed auto, that actually works. Yes, everybody but Nissan has them. I can't believe that after 20 years, Nissan hasn't given up on CVT's. This will end the Company soon.
@@ssmith4013I’ll never understand it either. We see Kia/hyundai pump out all sorts of DCTS & cvts but Nissan can’t prototype a better geared transmission?
A reasonable person would think that Nissan would be smart enough to realize that their CVT transmissions are ruining their reputation and having a MAJOR impact on their sales. At this point I don't see any way forward with CVTs even if they say they have resolved all the issues. They better come up with an alternative to the CVTs and QUICK or they will be OUT OF BUSINESS!
Exactly. I don't think Nissan understands that everybody has internet/google now, and we all know how bad CVT's are.
My mom's 2013 Nissan Altima CVT failed at 51k miles (even with the fluid change and Nissan knew it was flawed) while my 2011 Nissan Versa with 4-speed Automatic that hasn't failed still rolling at 255k miles. I admit it that 2nd gear is starting to slip a bit
Oof, failure at 51k would be very irritating.
@@James-vt2cbeven worse is that Nissan knew it was flawed but went ahead anyway just like Ford and Getrag and ther lousy Powersh#t DCT
How often do you change the fluid? My maxima is 130k kilometres and still going strong, change the fluid every 20k kilometres
@@ramadhanisme7only like 150 bucks a year to sort of reduce the chance of trouble 😅.good tradeoff
Where i reside, Nissan Sunny N16’s with the old 4-speed autos and 5-speed manuals are literally considered the only thing that is as reliable and durable as a toyota corolla. Some even prefer them over corollas due to how basic they are.
It is unfortunate how rubbish their modern cars are.
The only Nissan I'll buy is older Grand livina same engine with Sentra 1.8L 4 speed auto.
Planned obsolescence. Capitalism
My Nissan Micra K10 keeps going still after 36 years.
Sure it doesn't have stuff modern cars have but it's amazing how cars were made back in the day.
@@GF-mf7ml It is fortunate that it didn’t get the CVT treatment.
@@vilenius187 Micra K10 is possibly one of Nissan’s most durable car ever made. What a sweet ride!
This is one example of a trend that is quite common for the last 20+ years. Technologies are introduced that, at least on paper, are very promissing. Lower fuel consumption (CVT), lighter engine arcitecture(Wet belt, common in Stellantis engines), lower carbon emissions (EGR and EATS) and higher digital complexity(Computer that controls basicly everything in the car, like Tesla) for example. However, the problem with most of these solutions seems that they often prove to complex, to unrelaible for long term use. It gives me the feeling that many cars these days are solely designed to look good on in an add. What do you think?
Built In Obsolescence 😮
I dont think its some conspiracy, these cars are just designed by people who are completely detatched from reality. They are designed to last 5 years as flashy status symbols for western upper middle class people. Because the designers are living in this bubble themselves. They could never imagine that thair cars will have to be maintained 25 years later by some poor guy in pakistan. Narrow minded first world mindset at work!
Usually the tech is sound ...Until the bean counters come in and whelp you end up with Nissans cvt's . But CVT's are perfect for 90% of vehicle applications but it also has to be built for durability. CVT is so good it was banned in F1 as giving an unfair advantage ( supposedly)
@@wilinstonthompson1352 Built In Obsolesence 😳
Bottom line-CVTs are less expensive to manufacture.
Thanks for the tear down. The balls that were originally used in the pulley grooves (key-way) are usually replaced with machined pins. This will prevent wear and failure in the pulley.
Agreed, that would make more sense, but pins would provide more resistance than rolling balls.
I was wondering what the "fix" was...
I drove a Nissan rental with CVT once. It was weird. Engine rpm seldom matched what the car was doing. I can't imagine what one would be like if the trans was failing
It makes the engine buzzy
Had a 2009 Altima 2.5SL that I bought new. Sold the car in 2016 with 165K miles on it. Car was 100% original when sold. Used only full synthetic engine oil changed every 10,000mi and changed fluid in the CVT @55,000mi and 120,000mi. I even got 108,000 miles out of the factory brake pads/rotors before I changed them. Car was comfortable and consistently got 28-33mpg. I guess I got lucky that I never had transmission issues. I also never treated it like a GT mustang.
What did the transmission oil look like when you changed it at 55 grand? Light brown, dark?
You weren't lucky you just actually maintained your car unlike most ppl
Those CVT transmissions will last if owners got off their pocketbook and had the oil changed frequently.
They leave the original stuff in and get them stuck in snow and floor it and haul weight. Fried oil does not protect anymore and bye bye bearing set and orings.
Nissan does sell a repair kit for this type but you have to scrounge around getting the special small ones that always are fried and no chain in the kit otherwise you can rebuild it.
I 100% agree with the poster to
Get A Cooler!!
Maybe add an external oil tank so it's always cool and "fresh" because the temperature in there will cook a chicken and it ruins the little bit of oil it has.
Once this oil is botched then everything else fails eventually.
Nobody ever thinks that regularly changing transmission oil is important.
Engine engine engine oh gotta get on it change the oil I want full synthetic racing oil but leave the dirty burnt dishwater in the transmission.
Its up to you to make your vehicle last longer.
The best tear down and explanation of a CVT on the internet!! Perfectly concise, yet very well explained.👍
Great video and very informative. Gotta love the sidebar humour as you go along thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it 😏😏
He busted two nuts within the span of a 19-minute video.
106,000 miles on my 16 Pathfinder still rocking it out. Did 3 drain and fills using Castrol Transmax CVT fluid and changed BOTH filters.
What's crazy is Honda uses cvt and I have not seen one Honda in our shop for a transmission replacement
You will. Just wait a few years.
There's a lot of CRV with broken CVT. They put those low torque CVT into heavy SUV.
@@GF-mf7ml It's crazy as I do a lot of transmission services and I'm wondering if that's because the transmissions aren't failing
We’ve put 190k on our HRV and it’s been flawless. I was hesitant buying it based on Nissans reputation with CVT’s but it has a lifetime powertrain warranty through the dealer so that was enough to give peace of mind.
My 14 honda coupe had a grinding sound. CVT had worn bearings. They should never have used these junky trans. Costed 5500.00 for a used 51k mile replacement cvt from the junkyard
There is an incredible amount of design work in that transmission. All the machinery needed to make all those parts is astounding. Thousands of people had to be in on the design. It looks as good as anyone else's CVT. It looks to me a few poor quality seals and maybe some parts not hardened properly is making these turn to junk in just a few years. Giving Nissan a very bad reputation for quality.
Plus it is causing many thousands of good work by very talented people to just go to waste.
I wish I had a brother that had clothes I could use rags. 😂
Yea that is for sure , also his wife tooth brush.
nissan makes the worst CVTs! and they feel the worst driving them too… even before they are really broken…
Nissan doesn't make any CVTs. They (and almost everyone else) use Jatco transmissions. Honda and Toyota are about the only exceptions. Honda actually does make a CVT themselves and Toyota has a subsidiary that makes them.
@@wingracer1614 Nissan owns Jatco
Subaru also.@@wingracer1614
It's still wild to me that Nissan is known for mass producing the most hated and disposable pulley CVTs (XTRONIC) ever made, while also being acclaimed back in the late 1990s for developing a RWD-based toroidal CVT (EXTROID).
A complete 180 for Nissan imo.
Why they don't use a worm gear system to move the cone? instead they just use those tiny ball bearings to handle the load.
Cost most likely.
I bought my '16 Maxima SV new. I now have 160,000 miles. Still pulls like a train. I did not miss any CVT services. The car has been great to me (so far). No major issues. I change all fluids in the car (not just oil; everything liquid). That X-tronic CVT has a filter attached to the side of the case and a strainer inside the transmission's oil pan. Those need changing also (it's not listed in the Nissan maintenance schedule pamphlet; but it needs it).
Good to know. How many miles to they specify for CVT replacement?
@@mitchlu Very nice. What brand CVT oil do you use? The Nissan NS3?
@@speedkar99 I'll keep you posted...LOL. But I'll feel I got my money's worth if I make it to 200K (when talking about the transmission).
@@vqdriver Yes, all service was done at the dealership (so yes, they use the NS3). I was only recently (150K miles) able to "convince them" to also change the filters-most dealerships won't do it since it's not in the Nissan maintenance schedule, so they think it's unnecessary. But they finally did it and the car now gets up to 4mpg better on the highway just due to the filter change (compared to changing fluid only).
@@mitchlu wow that surprising but I’ve also heard of stuff like that
I have 3 Altimas, all high mileage, 0 transmission problems. Not all the Nissans are problematic. It's usually the smaller cars, Sentra Versa
Their cars always felt bad to drive to me, its just an opinion though.
I never had issues with my sentras. People just don’t maintain them.
Rogues seem to get it bad. I have two coworkers, each with a Rouge, and they both had transmission issues - one failed entirely and was sold off.
Admittedly, one of these two was owned by a couple who do not strike me as responsible, intelligent, or safe - on or off the road, and the # of accidents, deer impacts, and general car issues they have, yearly, could tell the tale. The poor Rogue got little to no maintenance (because maintenance costs money) and was likely RACED from red light to red light, hard braking every stop.
@@JulianA-tr6pt I have a rogue and I’m having buyers remorse, like they said, maintaining a cvt is fairly expensive, especially at 20k miles
Worst car I’ve ever owned was a nissan Sentra with a cvt! Left me stranded on my way to Vegas!
My 16 versa cvt 203,000 miles is still going 👍🏿
@@andali555🤔🤔im sure i typed CVT..
From what I've learned about CVT failure over the years points to the belt itself. Other than fluid loss and various other component failures the belts are most likely to fail due to the design. Belts are made up of some 200+ butterfly shaped segments held together by narrow thin steel bands. The belts are constantly flexing as they traverse the two pulleys. Steel can only be flexed so many times before it becomes fatigued and breaks. Some of the better belts have more steel bands increasing reliability, but they still will eventually give up.
All you have to do is change the oil. I've got one at 275K and it's still going strong.
People abuse, neglect, drive like maniacs, and then blame the CVT 😅
It seems fluid changes and probably mild driving behavior. Maybe a little luck, too.
Linear progression on the pedal. No stomping. Also helps when going D to R complete stop between. But then that's most t.
What brand of fluid do yall use?
@@Thorscauldronexactly
I like your 50something mm socket. I have one, too.
Thanks! I love it, so handy
Have a friend who works at Nissan. He says AVOID ANY MODEL WITH CVTs. Avoid them like the plague. There are many ongoing class action lawsuits. But from the company's perspective, the cost of fighting the lawsuits is still significantly cheaper than putting a real transmission in cars. These things are dirt cheap and not made to last.
Agreed....it's cheaper to neglect customers and keep selling cars with them.
However some owners neglect their cars and don't change fluids either.
Crooked Courts and Low-resistance Class Action suits(that settle for $2 per car), are the cause. They get away with it, for a while.
I have three Sentras. I bought them new in 2011, 2013, and 2015. All have over 100K miles. The only problem we had was with the 2013. At 129K miles, it took 2,500 rpm’s to go 70 mph (normal is 2,000 rpm’s to go 70). The transmission could have gone another few years, but we chose to get it replaced with a new transmission at the dealer for $3,500.
It appears that the CVT was still functional albeit barely so due to the heavy wear on the pulley shaft keyways on the drive variator. Insufficient pressure most likely caused this as you pointed out in your video.
We have the Mitsubishi version, a 2011 Outlander with 140K miles. It's decent basic transportation, though underpowered. Ours is FWD, and we don't tow. We also change the fluid at the dealer every 30K miles. Maybe Mitsubishi did something right with these that Nissan didn't?
Mitsubishi Lancer did better somehow
Yes, the engines were weaker, the engine computer did not abruptly release torque and the cooling of the transmission was bigger capacity than in Nissans. That is why you say your car is underpowered. Mitsubishi designed it that way to keep the CVT alive. And it works.
@@ronaldderooij1774 But on the bright side, it isn't as underpowered as the Saturn Wagon it replaced! LOL
Same transmission made by JATCO division of Nissan
7:15
Thank you Mr Speedkar, I cannot unhear that 😉😋😜
I change my own CVT fluid every 20,000 miles on my 2013 Accord Sport. So far so good. 👍
I change it every 50.000 miles and still going strong with my Jatco CVT. (85000 miles now, 10y/o).
How many miles so far? I think that is the right interval for a drain and fill, and I'm using it on my '22 Sport SE.
What kind of CVT fluid do you use?
@@vqdriver Me? I use the Honda fluid recommended for the transmission. I buy it online for $8 bucks per quart. Dealership charges $11.
@@blipco5 that’s a real good deal for CVT fluid
I think my cvt was starting to fail on those grooves. I got the fluid changed at 45k. I noticed after 30k when you let go of the gas in a parking lot, i would hear and feel a shaft wiggle back and forth a few times.
I still find it interesting that nissan, who's customers generally just want an appliance that will move them about, without thought or concern for their car's well being, decided to use such a maintenance intensive transmission in the mainstream appliance cars. They hold up ok in the smaller cars with regular fluid changes, but outside of that it's kind of all doom and gloom. I can appreciate the upsides that a cvt offers, but man did they fail to deliver on this one for the core nissan demographic (which they unfortunately share with kia)
Honda, Hyundai/KIa, and Toyota are using CVTs more frequently in their small vehicles. They're better than Nissan CVTs but they will fail prematurely too if not maintained properly.
That's actually not something you can compare. Nissan has more CVTs on the road than any other manufacturer, they were the first to use it across almost their entire line up. Only in the last 5-10 years has everyone else started using them. And now everyone is making it standard. So of course Nissan is gonna have more failures, it's simple math... Subaru and Kia are quickly catching up and in fact have had more failures in newer gens than Nissan. Nissan has actually improved their CVTs, almost as though they learned from 15 years of failures. Nissan effectively beta tested the CVT for everyone else. Now they have to live with that reputation.... Idk I have never had an issue with any of my CVTs, but I don't drive like I'm in a race, monitor my transmission regularly with consult-2 and change my CVT fluid every 15k miles.
CVT's are way cheaper to make. Gears take skilled gear grinders, that you have to pay. Most of the parts in there are cast, CNC milled, or stamped. Machine made automation.
@ssmith4013 It's always all about that almighty dollar. It's too bad they have such a high failure rate. Being able to keep an engine in its peak efficiency range regardless of demands has a lot of appeal for the vast majority of how cars are typically used. I just worry that the high failure rate will have the same effect on cvt's going forward (assuming the longevity problems get fixed, other manufacturers introduce better models, ect) as the gm diesel 350 debacle of years past had on the US diesel car market.
@ssmith4013 the only skilled gear grinders that you will find working today are in tool and die shops.
And thanks to informative material like this one I know one thing: stay the f away from CVTs. I almost bought one, my God.
Thanks for walking us through the inner workings, partner.
It’s amazing that model of jatco CVT was released with its short comings at that time. And also let it be matched with engines take over loaded it. Jatco CVT’s are used in alot of different brands including Japanese built Toyotas. It was a US wider problem because of larger engine and vehicle sizes.
I’m now expert, but it looks like Jatco just used inferior metallurgy and cheaped out on the keyhole studs.
My 11 Altima just hit 141k. I’ve been changing the fluid every 50k. Unlike whoever had that 12 that died.
After market trans cooler is a must and its a good idea to bypass the radiator trans cooler directly to the after market cooler cause the radiators are famous to leak coolant into trans!
Interestingly Nissan actually have a transmission cooler part. Make of that what you will
The reason they fail is no one changes their CVT oil I change mine every 30,000 miles and have almost 200k on it with no problems this goes for all CVT vehicles but Nissans seem to have more problems with dirty oil
Every 10,000 miles.
Funny how in other cars you don’t have to change the transmission oil every 30k miles 🤔
@@pricetagcitrusYou Don’t Have To. That’s Excessive. My Brother Has 200k On His Cvt Now And Only Changes It Every 60k
@@pricetagcitrusactually you have to change the atf with pretty much the same interval for almost all automatic transmission. Better change it and safe rather than being a cheapskate then sorry
For an automatic transmission CVT’s are very efficient, but you have to look after them via regular maintenance. Also ease into the transmission from a stop until it’s up to speed, nothing really wrong with them just owners not understanding the operation of said transmission.
Nope. Early CVTs are undoubtedly a complete TRASH.
Class action lawsuit doesn't appear out of nowhere you know?
Now it is okay.
Just change fluid every 30k KMS.
And you would be okay for ~240-250k kms
@chris you're brain dead. Conventional planetary gear automatics are more durable and reliable but it must be a specific make and model
@dust it's not okay. It's never okay
They just feel bad to drive, something feels off about them.
Top explanation as always!!
Thanks
I have a 2015 Honda civic with 172k miles runs great, hopefully it continues that way.
Changing that cooler filter, the one most dealers won't admit to existing, is paramount (about every 40-50K miles) and driving steady footed on the accelerator. People that dart in and out of lanes on the interstate going to the floor every time don't do well with CVT's. I worked at Mitsubishi as a tech for 15 years and the older 1st gen CVT was tougher as the newer ones, like that one, have a wider range and heat up more. Getting one replaced inside of warranty is a smart move if you can figure a non noticeable way to make sure it fails but it shouldn't be too tough as the wide ratio CVT had about a 70% failure rate before warranty ran out.
Or you can just avoid Jeeps, Dodges, Mitsubishis, and Nissans with the Jatco CVT altogether. That's my choice.
I mean shouldn't we avoid Mitsubishi and Chrysler products any way? never seen a good Chrysler product since the last AMC 4.0 engines were in the Wrangler in about 2005 unless you count Cummins trucks
I know there are lemon CVTs but as long as these things are maintained properly it will last. Many cars barely last 180k these days. My Altima has given me less issues than my 2016 Honda accord .. and the honda is 5 years newer.
Guess no reverse, first gear burn outs. Hard on the balls. Great video as always!
Its still blows my mind that we rely solely on friction to turn/push thr variators without teeth or ribs. Alot of cvts arent loved but they are fascinating
My 2010 Nissan Murano has 226K on it, has the original transmission and still accelerate like rocket..
Nice!
The reason why they fail so much is lack of maintenance CVT get very hot. Obviously you got the metal belt all that friction to a lot of heat, heat breaks down fluid. The color of that fluid shows that it was never replaced. It’s supposed to be green it’s not supposed to look like engine oil with 10,000 miles on it that burnt decorated oil causes the belt to slip because CVT fluid is traction fluid i’m that fluid goes bad. It allows about the slip which creates more friction which causes to get hotter and it’s a cascade after that the fluid supposed to be changed and Nissan because of lack of cooling every 30,000 miles and in cvt is with proper cooling like the Mitsubishi outlander those need their fluid changed every 60,000 miles
And also naturally, CVT‘s make a lot of metal debris because of the metal band rubbing against the two variators and the belt with the two bags in it all that rubbing causes metal debris which clogs up the filters in the transmission, which causes fluid starvation which destroys bearings all because of maintenance because Nissan never put in the owners manual to change the fluid every 30,000 miles
Very thoroughly explained, I'm impressed. 👍😁
Im no CVT defender but these cars are driven by the worst demographic.
Think about how often any normal person would change their trans fluid in a conventional transmission…0 times, lol.
Wow! So cute!
@@JohnZornAscended tru dat, brake fluid 0 too, smh.
@@auntbarbara5576 Lol, it’s nothing. Crazy world..
Nissan focuses on leases and they don't teach customer that although CVT is much better for fuel mileage and drives better than a torque converter based multi speed translate it needs more aggressive service.
This is based on working at a massive dealership. It has nothing to do with being popular with any particular ethnic group
I was next to a CVT equipped car. I looked at the lady at the next light like wow her car is really stuck in 1st gear.
they sell upgrade kits on sonnax, i think. the check balls are a known failure and the pressure regulator gets debris. if you change them keep the valve body so you dont have to do a relearn
The key to these transmissions are regular oil changes. I’ve seen them go over 209k with proper servicing.
My 2020 Maxima has 84,000 miles I did the service when the manual recommended it I think everyone should considering Nissan have a transmission issues so far so good
Great video! My 2011 murano 180k with fluid changes done every 30K, I believe, is finally dying.
It still runs great but has load buzzing sound. You can hear it under the air box and out the dip stick tube.
Unfortunately, the rest of the car is great. But resale value for these even without issues is so poor. Just because of the transmission
Brooo i've been waiting for this one! Hype
My 2017 Maxima has 140k miles. Never, ever had a problem with my transmission. I guess it all depends on how ppl drive. Local mechanics don't really like CVT transmissions because they usually don't require transmission flushes, which, for them, is a good source of work and income. So more than normal that they will say bad things about it. Im not saying that they are perfect but ive had 3 Maximas with CVT and never had any issues at all. My sons 2016 Altima has 130k miles and also no issues with the transmission.
2015 Rogue 105k miles up/down the mountains no issues. Though I feel like I should trade it in ASAP lol.
So the failure was on the retaining mechanism and piston bearing of the driven gear?
I don't think transmission fluid and filter changes would have saved it. Maybe the reason there is damage there is engaging reverse while car is moving forward and the opposite.
The car's weight is now on those grooves and balls. The loud bearing of the planetary gear could also indicate this
Yes those ball bearings and the piston seal
My brand new at the time 2013 pathfinder trans sucked. Called it the Nissan jiggy. 3 transmissions before 15 miles. I drive Toyotas now.
My daughter had one of these for a little over a month before bring it to the scrap yard.
Holy hell, transmission has so mannnnnyyyy piieeecceeeessss!!! You lost me at the 4 min mark lmao
Sorry for loosing you
if I knew about CVT transmissions at the time I bought my 2017 Rogue new, I probably would not have purchased it. That being said I got a great price on it, it only has 2500.00 miles, I like the way it performs, and I do not drive it aggressively. I am taking it to the dealer next week for it's first CVT oil change . I plan to do oil changes every 25-30 ,000 miles, so the car should last me a good while. It's paid off so I plan to drive it for a good long while, God willing.
mine @200K is still strong :) as you said the key is maintenance especially an oil change every 30K
That's fine, but a transmission shouldn't require oil changes that often, one can argue, since the other designs don't. On the other hand, if you make it as easy to change as engine oil and filter, then maybe we're on to something.
@@pfsantos007 IMO CVT transmissions(specially JATCO) are more sensitive to maintenance than other designs most repair shops suggested 30K in my country(hot climate region) and it definitely helps transmission and car manufacturers, they do their best to convince car owners not to change the transmission oil because they don't want the car to last beyond car's guaranty so as a car owner we need to find a way to maintain it.
@@pfsantos007nope, it applies to any other automatic transmission as well, besides changing the fluid is dirt cheap so why would you prolong it?
Always thought traditional autos were complicated but holy crap.
There are a lot of metal shavings in that filter. It probably could of been saved if they actually serviced it.
It just bad design. Newer don't use balls anymore and can handle more torque.
Thank god Mazda has avoided going CVT in their cars thus far. CVT's are not worth the small gain in fuel economy if you plan to keep the car outside of the powertrain warranty. If you are leasing a car then a CVT is fine but I would be highly concerned about buying a used car with 100k on it that has a CVT. The exception might be Toyota as they are probably the only company who I have reasonable faith in where CVT's are concered. They have been using them in Priuses and other hybrids for 20 years and plenty of Priuses on the road with over 200k and their original trannies. Toyota seems to have mastered it.
I agree I like that Mazda is stuck it old school
The toyota prius/hybrid cvt/ford hybrid cvt are not belt types. They use planet gears and electric motor for the power split and ratios. No belts. They are an eCVT.
Mazda is smart compared to Toyotas compact cars. Plus AWD option
The 2014 Corolla with CVT is absolute trash
@@adamn7516 Mazda was using ford automatics and their deals between each other, they kept using them or whatever ford spec for their counterpart cars.
Subaru, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are all Jatco transmission, in which Nissan owns the controlling stake in.
5:35 very important for those stubborn people that don't use their park brake even on flat surfaces.
I have a ‘17 Rogue that I’ve had since 70k miles. Now it’s currently 140k miles on the clock. Change the CVT fluid (I use Amsoil CVT Fluid and do spill & fill every 35,000 miles) and you’ll be fine.
Nissans problem is there cooling is terrible and it cooks the fluid they use fast. Add a aftermarket cooler and change your fluid to Lubegard cvt fluid and change it every 40,000 miles and they will fair much better .2017 Nissan maxima 220,000 miles and was running when I sold the car just fine.I had a large cooler on the front of mine and I also added a magnetic filter inline also . My fluid never got above F 195 ..I don't see how that Transmission lasted I have a extreme lead foot and that v6 puts a ton of power through that belt. When you reverse out of your driveway and change to drive make sure your car is stopped. I did the same thing for years but I stopped when I had that Maxima and I still do it with my Subaru. That can be hard to do when your street is really busy ,and you have to get out and get going fast. Toyota has the best idea though with the real 1st gear to get the car going..
The CVT in your Maxima has a drive chain, not a multi-link belt that the 4 cylinder CVT uses.
@@thx1138guy Thanks man, I had no idea they use a Chain. I have a Subaru Crosstrek with a chain and I am in the process of adding my cooler and filter and lubegard fluid. I really did rag out that Maxima to no end I hated the car but my dad basically gave it to me. When I first got it it had 90,000 miles and I was told the transmission was going out the belt did slip a few times but once I flushed out the old fluid and put in new with that cooler never the had another issue with it. Jatco still makes terrible Cvt transmission..
I'm glad my Toyota has a normal transmission 👍
I was a huge fan of their models in the 80's and 90's, along with some of their competitors both import and a few domestics. Nissan's reputation dropped quite a bit when they partnered with that CVT company and started putting them on everything. But the manual models were still good for quite a while after.
They didn’t partner they Flat out bought it.
The 2002 Altima seemed to first mark the major decline in quality. There have been some very durable Nissans and Infinitis over the years. Too bad they flushed their reputation fully and completely.
Besides the unreliability problems also lack of maintenance makes it worse , black transmission fluid , when was the last time such transmission was serviced ?🙄🤦♂️
I prefer a standard automatic transmission at least you can feel the sifts and know what gear your in.
Your videos are interesting and educational, thanks for sharing!!
If you have a low mileage Nissan CVT transmission, make sure that you change the fluid and put in the Amsoil synthetic CVT fluid. It will help the transmission last longer, that is one of the best CVT transmissions out there. But they have no business being in automobiles
Nissan OEM CVT fluid is also full synthetic. AMSoil isn't anything special except its marketing.
As soon as I saw the thumbnail my first thought was 'I betcha they neglected changing the trans fluid' and it was mentioned that the fluid didn't appear to be changed a number of times in the video. CHANGE YOUR FLUID FOLKS! Not to say Nissan CVT's don't have issues but you neglect any maintenance, especially long term, it's gonna come back and bite ya.
I read somewhere that CVT's don't like jack rabbit type starts from a full stop. No idea if that's true but it makes sense to my brain that if CVT's aren't as robust as a 'regular' transmission, gunning the vehicle away from a dead stop will put a high load on the CVT and cause premature wear.
My new 2024 vehicle has a CVT and I always start from a full stop gently and then once the vehicle is moving accelerate up to speed. Will it make a difference? Probably but who knows, time will tell.
Having said all that I dated a woman for 4 years who had a 2012 Altima and have to say, I've never witnessed a vehicle so neglected and abused in all my life. That car should have died many times over yet kept trucking on without complaint. I saw her and the Altima about a year after we broke up with more dents in it and dragging some part that was now hanging underneath the body, the car still trucking on. Wonder if it finally gave up but if it has, it wasn't for lack of engineering or build quality.
They get abused because they are economy cars.
CVTs are in economy cars because they get better gas mileage.
Hence the endless loop of failing vehicles
Wow! It's very sad to know that the manual transmission is being replaced by these. Unbelievable!
They need to keep offering more manuals
@speedkar99 I agree with you but most manufacturers claim that the demand is not what it used to be.
@@waynejackson169 Very few know how to drive a manual. They're great until you get into a traffic jam, then they suck.
@thx1138guy I can only speak for myself though there might be a few who will believe this. I've owned quite a few cars over the years and 90% are manual transmission. I've been living in NYC for almost 40 years and that's all I drive. I do it for the main reason, a manual transmission is more reliable than any other transmission that there is. I must say I drive in heavy or light traffic without giving it any though as after driving a manual for a week or two (in the beginning of me learning) everything becomes natural. That's just how I see it but I guess, to each his/her own.
Very good demonstration of the CVT system. Tnx!
I read the Nissan CVTs made before 2015 are especially the ones to avoid.
Before 2019 actually, depending on the model.
No wonder it failed .. That person looked like they never changed that CVT oil from they got the car ..
Chrysler put them in Jeeps. Told everyone no maintenance on CVT's. Then denied all warranty claims. Never a CVT again!
Have they fixed the new ones
They have.
My neighbor has a Nissan rogue with 125,000 miles on it and it’s CVT transmission and it runs just fine so there’s that
Aren't CVTs essentially throw away transmissions? Are there outfits out there that rebuild these? From what I've heard, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru makes the best CVTs.
Labor to rebuild is usually more expensive. Can't speak to Toyota and Honda, but Subarus are solid for daily use but are crippled by any amount of abuse (be it extending the 60k fluid, not beating it until it's warmed but also not letting it overheat, or towing literally anything or increasing the load with kayaks or other gear on the roof). Their old geared transmissions weren't known for reliability, so I guess it's a wash in the end
LOL all use the same JATCO CVT as Nissan
@@austinsloop9774how is labor more. There are less parts than an old school automatic from the 1970s.
I am surprised I didn't see the shims of the belt fly all over the place 🙂
7:15 Video becomes demonetised
RIP
its too old i want to see a 2020 or newer
this Nissan cvt was designed to use slightly on the road
So many negative video's on Nissan CVT's. Recently picked up a low mileage NV200 for a van conversion project. Will change CVT fluid every 25K and drive it gently. Castrol makes a quality inexpensive substitute for Nissan's NS 3 fluid that makes changes cheap now. Recently took a long trip and van runs wonderful. Some folks still do get over 200K on these CVT's.
No, change the fluid more often, about every 15k miles
I don't think it's all about fluids though.
@@speedkar99 Of course not. You should drive a CVT gently and let it warm up. No jackrabbit starts or lead foot.
Big Altima Energy!
The 2014 corolla with CVT is also a joke 🤣
It's possible to build a good CVT using epicyclic gears and no rat wheels or rubber bands. Probably doesn't really cost much more to make and if maintained properly should have a much lower total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. Me, I've never bought a car with a conventional automatic transmission. Four and five speed manuals only so far in 60 years of car ownership and probably more than a half million miles of driving. Only had to replace two clutches myself due to engine oil contamination or wear and one under warranty due to an improperly manufactured flywheel (GM product). Looking now for a robust 6-speed manual or a well engineered hybrid, if there is one.
Toyota hasa decent hybrid system for more than 20 years.
great job explaining the trans
You should do a video about the Nissan Xtrail jatco hybrid transmission.
I wouldn't know whether to shit or go blind if I had to repair that thing 😂
Considering has a regular 7-speed auto and 6-speed manual for the 370Z and a 6-speed DCT for the GT-R, why not use them? They are pretty reliable and only see use on one car.
Those transmissions are designed by Jatco. Generally speaking, I have a very bad experience trying to repair and failure analysis on transmissions from this make. I personally avoid owning any car with transmissions from this make, no matter the car Brand. After so many years working on automatic transmissions, something about their design feels off to me, and the field experience seems to agree.