Nissan SUV Range

Some markets have indeed experienced problems with the Nissan CVT transmission as fitted to many of the brand’s vehicles. It doesn’t seem as widespread in Australia, but some faults have been identified.

That main problems seem to be overheated CVTs which can cause juddering when driving and premature wear inside the transmission. According to some in the trade, the fault is caused by a problem with the way the transmission fluid is cooled, and when it gets too hot it can cause warping of the metal parts inside the unit.

Ultimately, the solution would be to fit an external oil cooler for the transmission fluid, but otherwise, a close eye on the level of transmission fluid and correct servicing is the key to making the CVT last.

If your can manually force the shift then there’s probably nothing wrong with the actual gearbox and its mechanicals. Instead, the problem is likely to be an electronic one, perhaps with the speed sensor that tells the computer the car’s road speed and tailors the gearshifts to reflect that. Don’t forget, however, that gearboxes like the Nissan’s with many gears, often won’t select higher gears at low speeds. So if the car refuses to select sixth or seventh gear at urban speeds, that’s possibly just the calibration Nissan has fitted to it.

If this is an actual problem (and not just a characteristic) this is a very new vehicle and would be covered for this sort of problem by the factory warranty.

In conventional automatic transmissions, a delay when selecting gears (often reverse) indicates worn internals and the need for a rebuild. Your Nissan is fitted with a CVT transmission rather than a conventional auto, but it still operates on the basis of hydraulic control. Which means that the problem could still be one of internal wear. A transmission specialist is likely to be your best point of contact for this problem.

The first thing to do, though, is check the level of fluid in the transmission. A level that is low can mean delays when selecting gears and even slipping of the transmission under load. However, if the level is low, there must be a leak somewhere as these are sealed systems and should not require regular topping up.