2018 Nissan Altima Powertrain (other) Problems

Transmission stopped working on me in the highway cvt code that comes up is P17f0 was in the highway going 45 mph then dropped 5 mph very dangerous. Almost crashed

NHTSA ID

11740728

Incident

May 27, 2026

The problem is I have that transmission in my car that nissan was sued for . Yes I received a extended warranty 85 months or 85,000 miles . My transmission started going out as soon I rolled over 85,000. Dealer told me the warranty was no good. Now it's sitting in the yard. All I can do is make the payment. Not only am I making payments but I have to keep insurance and tags for a car I can't drive!!!! I sent nissan an email but I get no response! I desperately need help! My fiancee dream car turned into a nightmare. Thanks! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11731171

Incident

Jun 11, 2025

It seems to be the transmission intermittently. I'd stop, push down on the accelerator and would go like a few MPH. Then it would lunge forward and I'd have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. The other thing was it didn't seem to shift from first gear - I ended up redlining it at 7000rpm when only going 45mph. I've read that there is a problem with Nissan cars and the CVT. In answer to your questions: You can inspect it. At a stop/light, I'm always afraid the accelerator will start out slow and then lunge forward and eventually I'll hit another vehicle. The dealer couldn't reproduce the issue after having the vehicle 6 days. After 3, they "re-programmed" as the service manager said it was out-of-date and that doing so may fix the problem. They then tested for a further 3 days and couldn't reproduce it. Vehicle has only been inspected by the local Nissan dealer. There were no warning lights or messages before or after these incidents.

NHTSA ID

11660953

Incident

May 6, 2025

For the transmission I was driving at normal speed in the freeway when out of no where the car started to jerk and lost power I almost got hit by the car behind me it was a traumatizing experience for me and my son I haven’t gotten my car to get repaired because as a single mother it is very hard on me and with the suspension it had been making loud squeezing noise from my rear suspension and it has gotten worst now it’s embarrassing to be driving my daughters father in law also had an Altima and it had the same suspension issues

NHTSA ID

11632878

Incident

Dec 23, 2024

I want formally lodge a complaint regarding a serious issue with a 2018 Nissan Altima that I purchased from a Nissan dealership on [XXX]. The vehicle, which had 107,000 miles at the time of purchase, has exhibited a critical failure. On [XXX], while I was accelerating to change lanes in rush hour traffic, the car began jerking and suddenly slowed down. This malfunction nearly resulted in a dangerous collision with an 18-wheeler and caused me to be run off the road. This incident could have been catastrophic, and it deeply concerns me, especially since this vehicle was intended for my daughter's commute to and from school. Following this, I had the car towed to the Nissan dealership and was informed that it requires a new transmission. I am shocked to learn that the cost to replace the transmission is $6,200. This is particularly distressing given that I purchased the car less than four months ago and was unaware of the known issues with the CVT transmission. It is unacceptable that vehicles with faulty transmissions are still being sold without adequate warning or extended warranties. Nissan should be required to provide clear disclaimers about potential transmission issues before a sale. The lack of transparency and the high cost of repairs are deeply troubling. Given the severity of this situation and the potential risks involved, I believe that Nissan should take immediate action to address these concerns. The warranty should be extended, and there should be clear warnings provided to potential buyers about the risks associated with the transmission. The current lack of empathy and action from Nissan is disappointing and unacceptable. I urge you to review this situation promptly and provide a satisfactory resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11612448

Incident

Aug 16, 2024

Car started acting strangely on the way to work one morning, rpms would jump all over, it started to jerk, judder, slow to accelerate. That evening it did the same a few minutes after driving it. Got it to a local trusted mechanic who test drive and ran an OBD2 diagnostic check, which returned a P17F0 code. He told me it's serious CVT issues and referred me to the local Nissan dealership. The next day they called with the same diagnosis, CVT failure. Car was around 99,500 miles. The horrible extended warranty company I chose wouldn't honor it, said the car was fine. Nissan dealer argued that it WAS CVT failure and could cause a hazard. Nevertheless, I picked it up on 05/02. The next evening on the way home from work, in heavy traffic at 50 mph, it started lurching, crazy rpms, shuddering, going into neutral then back to D. As I was turning into a packing lot to stop, the CVT completely failed. The car wouldn't accelerate and left me at an almost stand-still in the middle of the left turn, as incoming traffic nearly crashed into me. A motorist helped push it into the parking lot, where it was towed back to Nissan... where it still sits today with a shot CVT. Nissan refused to help or offer any goodwill assistance even though it nearly caused multiple collisions. The car has been maintained perfectly, with CVT service performed at 65k miles and another at 95k miles. NHTSA should mark this issue as a safety hazard as a car that suddenly loses power puts families in danger. A modern car that can't even reach 100k miles before a major failure is pathetic. And Nissan having known about this issue for 10+ years (as made evident by the multiple lawsuits) should be held accountable. One day this massive CVT issue is going to seriously injure someone, or worse.

NHTSA ID

11588998

Incident

May 3, 2024

The transmission would shift into neutral while driving down the road, loosing power to the drive train. This happened multiple times on the interstate at higher speeds in the left lane. Cars following came close to hitting me because of the sudden loss of power and speed. Talking with multiple transmission shops and a dealership they stated it was a common problem in the Nissan Altimas. Brought it into a independent transmission repair. First try was a flush and fluid replacement, after a day the issue returned. Next they replaced the transmission with only about 75,000 miles. No warning lights or messages about the failure.

NHTSA ID

11544537

Incident

Sep 26, 2022

I bought my car in February 2021 and me not knowing anything about vehicles I first heard the popping noise when I backed my car out of the driveway.I thought it was something to do with the steering wheel. I recently had someone to look at the car and they said it was my front axles going bad, this could be a safety issue. I have to work with mentally challenged people and I have to transport them back-and-forth to doctors appointments. Is there anyway that there could be a recall on those axles because I know someone else who has an Altima just like mine and hers does the same thing . It’s very embarrassing to hear that popping noise and I’m afraid that my car will break down because of it and my front crash light stays on constantly. Please help me resolve this issue. I’ve been dealing with it since I bought the car..

NHTSA ID

11536492

Incident

Mar 14, 2021

The CVT transmission failed at the light in mid drive. The car started to roll backwards down a highway exit in traffic. I had to blow the horn and scream out the window to keep from hitting other cars. As the car ascended down the hill, it completely stopped midway and I was unable to remove it from the street. I had to place my hazardous lights on, and push the car off the ramp. I had a Nissan dealership review the vehicle and in return they stated that the actual belt in the CVT was worn down or completely gone and that the entire CVT transmission would have to be fixed. There was no warnings that happened to notify me that there was an actual issue with the vehicle. In addition, I do have a 2015 Nissan Altima who is now showing possible issues with the CVT transmission and it has less than 90,000 miles

NHTSA ID

11500889

Incident

Jul 25, 2022

With a little under 68,000 miles on my 2018 Nissan Altima the transmission started shuttering and slipping. No lights came on the dash but the car was difficult to control. After going to get some dry gas and see if it was motor related the car made a loud squealing noise, the check engine light came on and then the car shuttered the rest of the way home . The car goes in to the Nissan dealership in two days. They told me that I hadn't brought it in to have the transmission for it's 60,000 mile flush but I never recieved a notification. in addition, the car went in for a hood latch replacement at that time but nothing was said then. The car could easily be dangerous if this happened while driving in traffic or trying to pull into traffic.

NHTSA ID

11497951

Incident

Dec 14, 2022

My 2018 Nissan Altima just now reached 100,000 miles on it. I was heading home from work on the interstate when my RPMs started revving up and down and it felt I lost power when I was hitting the gas. My transmission started sputtering, vibrating, slipping. When I place it in drive or reverse now it takes time to go in gear. I took my car to get regular maintenance such as oil change and fluids to see if it was the transmission fluid. The dealership maintenance department did the maintenance and fluids and my car is still doing the same. I asked of the transmission fluid was low I was told it wasn't and I stated about the transmission acting up and was told by the worker yeah I could tell when I took it back and brought it up. The worker stated it was probably the CVT in my car and it costs $5500 to fix and stated this was an issue on models before mine that got extended warranties and the issues was taking place in the model of my vehicle but no extended warranty. This CVT is something that continues to mess up in Nissan and in the 2018 and current models. Either there needs to be a recall or extended warranties or both.

NHTSA ID

11474282

Incident

Jul 15, 2022

2018 Nissan Altima and Sentra cars have faulty continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) that cause juddering, shuddering, clunking, jerking and acceleration problems. This happen while driving on the highway at a speed of 75 mph. This caused me swerve and almost rear ended by another car.

NHTSA ID

11458752

Incident

Mar 23, 2022

On several occasions my vehicle fails to accelerate putting passengers and myself in grave danger. Nissan mechanics say they cannot replicate my incidents however they are aware that the problem exists with CVT engines made by Nissan. Nissan of America refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem although thousands of people have posted exact issue on owners forums for years.

NHTSA ID

11449664

Incident

Jan 30, 2022

The car doesn't move and the car shakes above 55 miles and I can smell smoke under the hood.

NHTSA ID

11444207

Incident

Dec 17, 2021

CVT transmission failure while in transport. It put my family at risk being stranded on busy highway. No warning lights or indication of issue except vehicle stopped performing effectively. The dealer acknowledged issues in this and other models and had transmission repaired at my cost. Vehicle was diagnosed by dealer which using OBD they found transmission failure codes..

NHTSA ID

11430920

Incident

Aug 15, 2021

According to Nissan dealership My 2018 Nissan Altima CVT failed. They were able to determined the failed cvt with a diagnosis code P17F0. I have 73,694 miles on my car and my warranty ended at 60,000 miles. In previous years model of the Nissan Altima there were recalls on CVT transmissions for the Nissan Altimas. Nissan stated being that my car is out of warranty the only thing they can do is give me 50% good will because my VIN number is different from the other Nissan Altima that had a failed CVT. I don’t feel that it was good will being that my car did not reach 100,000 miles and I’m already having an issue that has been a problem In the past. I keep up with the maintenance of my vehicle very well and this problem occurred out of the blue. I also spoke with Nissan about the current recall on my car being that I have to drive a car around and my hood could possibly fly off at any giving time. Me being a Nissan customer with such a dangerous vehicle that Nissan continues to have issues with is more good will than they’ve offered. I honestly would not recommend such an unsafe vehicle to anyone who is interested in purchasing a Nissan Altima. My car is fairly new and I’m having CVT issues. My car literally stopped in the middle of the road and would not accelerate because of a mechanically failing CVT. I highly recommend that Nissan Recall any vehicles that have CVT issues especially since it’s been a repeating cycle. I hope this doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11424712

Incident

Jun 11, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL AND THE IGNITION FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER FIESTA NISSAN (5001 S 169C, EDINBURG, TX 78539, (956) 348-1408) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING AN UNKNOWN BRAKE SWITCH TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000.

NHTSA ID

11390529

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

5,000 mi

AIR COOLING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. IT WILL NOT BLOW ANY COLD AIR. ATTEMPTED TO PUT FREON ONLY FOR IT TO BURST OUT A PIPE. I WAS TOLD THERE IS A LEAKAGE. WHEN DRIVING AND TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS TO DRIVE THERE IS A VERY UGLY GRINDING NOISE AND GEAR SWITCHING IS HARD. BACK UP CAMERA GOES IN AND OUT. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A BLACK SCREEN. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN REVERSING. *TR

NHTSA ID

11321061

Incident

Mar 28, 2020

Mileage

5 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND SHIFTED TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND THEN LUNGED FORWARD WHILE THE RPM'S REVVED UP. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO STAR NISSAN LOCATED AT 5757 WEST TOUHY AVENUE, NILES, IL 60714, (704) 867-8341 WHERE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,209.

NHTSA ID

11298119

Incident

Jan 8, 2020

Mileage

14,209 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, DURING THE MORNING, MY CAR ACTIVATED THE BRAKES ON ITS OWN, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENS THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND ASKED FOR THE SENSORS TO BE REMOVED, AND KEPT IT FOR A WHOLE DAY AND APPARENTLY NOTHING WAS DONE, SECONDLY THE (FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION) IS BECOMING ANNOYING. ANOTHER OF THE ISSUES I ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS MY ALTIMA IS THE SHIFTING, FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR IT FEELS AS IF THE GEARS WERE STUCK, ALSO TOOK IT IN THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THIS COULD NOT BE TRUE BECAUSE MY ALTIMA DOESN'T HAVE A REGULAR TRANSMISSION IT HAS A BAND, SO I RESPONDED, YOU KNOW MORE THAN ME, JUST PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF MY ISSUE AND I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK WITH A LEMON, I AM SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS ENCOUNTERED THESE ISSUES

NHTSA ID

11280707

Incident

Nov 10, 2019

Mileage

10,000 mi

DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE SLOWED DOWN FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE, VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO EVEN IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS ON THE FLOOR COULD NOT GET ABOVE 40MPH AND RPM WERE BETWEEN 4&5 WAS ALMOST REARENDED BY OTHER TRAFFIC. HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY. ALSO WHEN DRIVING THROUGH SLOW TRAFFIC FEELS AS IF TRANSMISSION IS JERKING AND POWER IS LOST.

NHTSA ID

11206476

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

20,000 mi