# 2013 Sentra trans replacement failure



## 2013sentradisappoint (Dec 21, 2016)

Took my 2013 Sentra with 60,800 mi to dealer for a couple of maintenance work and to address the rpm needle going up and down erratically whenever stepping on the gas from a stop. was told later on that i needed transmission replacement since in addition to the erratic shifting it was also shifting down very loudly and whiny and abruptly. i was advised to call Nissan corp to ask if i can get some extension on warranty since i am only 800 over and so i agreed to only pay for labor. 2 weeks later, drove the car out of the dealer and in about 10mi exiting to a local road, it felt like it just drove thru ice (it was fall, no snow yet). drove it around a bit and realized that whenever the trans is shifting up, seems to be slipping and the rpm goes up to 1K before it then goes back down. drove it for another 5mi or so and as i was approaching a traffic light it shifted up with the slip and then immediately took my foot from the gas when the light turned red forcing it to shift down and it just went limp. the car practically glided while i steered it luckily to a parking lot across the street. the dealer sent for the tow truck and back to the dealer. 3weeks later today, they still have the car. called this morning and was told that nissan wont send them another part unless the dealer is sure and can prove the problem is the transmission replacement they installed. the dealer says that they have been test driving the car and has been a repeatable problem which they claim they have insisted to nissan and still they claim nissan wont send them another replacement. in the meantime, this dealer is not providing what other steps they are doing to resolve this with nissan and keeps talking about me having a loaner anyways. I think they are missing the point and as if the loaner is supposed to be the answer to my concerns. I have left messages to nissan as well and they have yet to return my call.

any thoughts on what my next step should be outside of going to media to socialize this or legal steps. I have been very patient and understanding but i dont feel there are any effort on the dealer side to even do anything about it. However, as their mightily arrogant service manager claims there is cost with loaners and that i should be happy i have one (though it is in the website that they provide one), and yet they dont seem to put the effort to fix this and get their car back soon enough, I supposed the lost is on them not mine and i should just keep driving it with no worries. I wonder how the manager can explain the recurring expense to his superiors...hmmm.


----------



## Car guy (Mar 31, 2016)

Sorry to hear you are experiencing this. There have been large numbers of CVT failures/replacements, across models. Some have needed replacement twice. They are well aware of the magnitude and issues. Unfortunately, most folks don't seem to become aware of the issues until after ownership. Good to research major issues prior to purchase, of course. 

Continue to work it, as they can extend goodwill, as it is called. It will take time and possibly more patience than the car originally cost. But, they should be able to install another CVT. It generally can be done in just half a day. If you check there, they probably have cases of them sitting (in the big shipping containers), those being returned (for repair) and those remans or new ones having arrived for installation. 

Not sure if it helps the dealer to be able to tell the company the customer's running up loaner costs or not. Could be a dance going on.

They also have a call center # where CVT matters are addressed. They are availing this, but thought it might help you to know that exists and is there for them.

Hang in there. Tough lesson to learn after purchase.

Let us know how things proceed.


----------



## 2013sentradisappoint (Dec 21, 2016)

Thanks for your thoughts Car guy. Nissan consumer affairs has been in touch with me. Though, they mentioned the Regional Manager, which I assume is the same mr nice guy of a service manager in the dealer, has tried to contact me on 12/21 and 12/23 (today), both which I have no call logs of happening. I sent the screen capture of my call logs to them. I asked to have their call logs to me as well since I have not given them any other contact number.
Anyways, according to my contact in Nissan consumer affairs, another replacement part has been ordered and will be shipped to the dealer. She said they needed to do some other checks (OBD or something) in the first repalcement which may have taken longer. So why cant the dealer themselves just tell me that instead of the run around and just keep going back to point out that i have a loaner anyways? And did they do the same checks in the first replacement before they released it to me only to stall less than 20mi later? 
They sure dont make cars the way they used to. I have a 2000 Maxima with >194K on it that i still drive around, though only on fair weather days and highway driving, but still with its original drivetrain intact. Its perfomance has not even waivered in its old age.

I will keep you posted. Thanks, again. I will check this CVT call center thing.


----------



## Car guy (Mar 31, 2016)

Good to know they're trying to resolve! 

The regional mgr would be someone else than the local service folks. 

The communication may not be direct/clearer because of all the folks involved: the tech(s), the service person(s), the (CVT) call center responder(s), and the parts ordering person(s) ... and timing/events between them. 

And, know exactly what you mean about their older cars' powertrains not having issues. Have some Nissans from the 80s: not one powertrain issue; still running; they were well engineered, well designed, well manufactured and quality-assured, extensively tested, and proven. Not rushed and foisted onto the public. And, they did not have red herring marketing ploys. When those happen, that's the telltale.

A guy once said about a braggart: if someone has to tell you how great they are, they aren't.

Hang onto your Maxima! 

Keep us apprised.


----------



## Mzjimabreu76 (Jan 4, 2017)

I also have a 2013 Sentra I took my car 2 times in last 6 months cuz of the rpm going up always was told that it was a reset of a system until the transmission went out on me 1 week after I took to get dx got new transmission put in thru the warranty n not even 5 mins after I drive out of dealer all the lights on dashboard turned on took car back to dealer it was reset and again after I pulled out of dealer all lights on dashboard turned back on and the speedometer stopped working. After all that car was rediagnosed and was told it needed a abs sensor and a hub bearing I asked myself how did they not notice this before I was out of state so I had ALOT ALOT of expenses due to this issue loss of wages, hotel expenses, extra babysitting hours and had to find an alternative way of getting home plane ticket on xmas eve...it sad because this would be something that I thought a Master Tech at nissan dealer would look into called Corp and asked to be reimbursed for expenses but Corp said that since I didn't buy a trip interruption service plan they wouldn't. I always was happy with nissan vehicles but now with that customer service and all the extra issues I am disappointed that nissan won't back up their own brand. Corp explanation was sometimes one dealer diagnosis something another dealer doesnt not an answer I wanted to hear. I had an altima and maxima before and besides routine maintenance I had no issues but this Sentra has been a NIGHTMARE... don't know what to do car still in dealer since the 20th...Almost lost my job because I don't have car to get to work unfortunately I'm a single mom so don't have extra money laying around to pay for a rental car as much as I want to its not in my bank account.. don't know what I can do!!! Any suggestions!!!


----------

