Nissan has been in the news a lot lately, and unfortunately, it’s been for all the wrong reasons. Over the course of the last year or two, Nissan’s profitshave plunged (and thenplunged some more!) as sales of the company’s vehicles have started trending in the wrong direction. Nissan has also been forced to deal with a slew of ongoing Nissan CVT transmission problems in a variety of the company’s vehicles. Those who own Nissans have been forced to pay anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000 on average to fix Nissan CVT transmission problems. This has, in turn, forced Nissan toextend the warranties on many of their cars from five years or 60,000 miles to 10 years or 120,000 miles.
- Nissan Gtr Transmission Type
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- Nissan Gtr Transmission Change
- Nissan Gtr Transmission Price
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- ShepTrans Stage 2 Transmission Rebuild – Nissan GT-R R35 $ 6,795.00. ShepTrans Stage 2.5 Transmission Rebuild – Nissan GT-R R35 $ 7,895.00.
- 2015 Nissan Gt-r Gr6 R35 Dba Oem Transmission N Rear Differential 12378 Miles 5,499.99 View Item Details 2014 Nissan R35 Gtr Gr6 Dba Transmission Rear Differential 33k Miles Oem Gt-r 5,499.95 View Item Details 2014 Nissan Gtr Gearbox Low Mileage Alt62b1a Transmission.
It remains to be seen whether or not Nissan is going to be able to get this problem under control. If they aren’t, it could very well lead to their profits plunging even further than they already have, and it could threaten to put the company into a precarious position as far as their future is concerned. But in the meantime, many Nissan owners are having to deal with the Nissan CVTtransmission problems found in a bunch of Nissan’s most popular vehicles. Learn more about some of the specific problems below.
What Is a CVT?
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Before we get into talking about some of the specific Nissan CVT transmission problems that are out there, you need to know exactly what a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, is. Sometimes called a shiftless transmission or a pulley transmission, a CVT is a type of automatic transmission that utilizes variable-width pulleys and a flexible belt as opposed to fixed gears like a regular automatic transmission. CVTs are designed to deliver seamless acceleration by helping cars avoid having to shift from one gear to another, which can sometimes cause a car to hesitate or jerk suddenly.
Over the last 20 years or so, there are a number of car companies that havestarted using CVTs in their vehicles. From Audi and Honda to Subaru and Toyota, many of the major car companies have bought into CVT technology to some degree. But none have bought into it more than Nissan. Nissan quite literally bought into CVT technology at one point by purchasing a stake in JATCO, a company that has been responsible for building many of the CVT transmissions found in cars all throughout the world. This should illustrate just how committed Nissan has been to CVT despite all the Nissan CVT transmission problems that have popped up over time.
The Introduction of the Nissan CVT
There isn’t anything particularly new about CVT technology. Believe it or not, Leonardo da Vinci came up with one of the initial concepts for the technology way back in the late 1400s, and it appeared in some of the earliest automobiles that were invented in the late 1800s. Nissan has also been using CVT technology in its cars for decades now. They first started incorporating CVTs into their vehicles in the early 1990s when they released the1992 Nissan March that contained the N-CVT, which was based on the Fuji Heavy Industries ECVT. They then went on to design their very own CVT in the years that followed and worked them into several of their Japanese models.
Nissan didn’t get serious about adding CVTs to their U.S. vehiclesuntil the early 2000s, though. The 2003 Nissan Murano, which was released in 2002, was the first Nissan to feature a CVT transmission in the U.S. It came in the form of the XTRONIC CVT from Nissan, and it marked a complete change in the way that Nissan would approach transmissions. Within just a few years, Nissan shifted to including CVTs in almost all of the vehicles they released in the U.S. CVTs were soon found in Nissan Altimas, Nissan Pathfinders, Nissan Rogues, Nissan Sentras, and Nissan Versas. It seemed like such an exciting time for Nissan, but it wouldn’t be long before the Nissan CVT transmission problems would start to appear.
Beginning of the Nissan CVT Transmission Problems
When Nissan first started introducing CVT technology into their North American cars in the early 2000s, there was a lot of fanfare that surrounded them. People thought that CVTs could potentially be the transmissions found in all cars at some point in the near future. But it didn’t take very long for some people who owned the 2003 Nissan Murano to start to see signs that the CVTs in Nissans might not be all they were cracked up to be. They noticed Nissan CVT transmission problems like:
- Difficulty accelerating
- Shaking and/or stuttering during acceleration
- Transmissions running too hot
- Transmissions shutting down without warning
Transmission failure was—and is still is—one of the most common complaints that people had about the 2003 Nissan Murano. The CVTs in these Muranos would give out unexpectedlyright around the 118,000-mile mark on average and force people to pay upwards of $4,100 for transmission repairs. In many cases, the owners of Muranos had to have their transmissions replaced altogether, which eventually led to Nissan having to extend the original warranty that came with the car. It would, unfortunately, be a sign of things to come as it was the first Nissan to experience Nissan CVT transmission problems, but as you’re about to find out, it was not the last.
4th and 5th Generation Nissan Altima Transmission Problems
The 4th generation Nissan Altima—which was introduced in 2007 and replaced by the 5th generation Nissan Altima in 2012—was the recipient of a series of complaints from those who drove them. People who owned an Altima during this time period reported experiencing everything from steering wheel lock failure to instances in which their dashboards melted. But one of the biggest issues in these Altimas was CVT failure. In 2007 Altimas, for example, many people reported CVT transmission failure ataround the 100,000-mile mark and found that it cost about $4,400 to repair. The problem persisted over the next five years with many people also reporting CVT transmission failure in 2012 Nissan Altimas ataround the 110,000-mile mark and at a cost of about $3,200.
Nissan vowed to try and fix the issues that so many people were having with the CVT transmissions in their Altimas, but they were unable to do it throughout the duration of the 4th generation Altima’s lifespan. The issues continued with the 5th generation Altima, and some might argue that they even managed to get worse. Many people who owned the 2013 Nissan Altima started to notice Nissan CVT transmission problems ataround the 53,000-mile mark and found that they cost around $3,100 to fix. It caused many Altima owners to second-guess their decision to buy Nissans and is at least partly to blame for Nissan’s current predicament.
3rd and 4th Generation Nissan Pathfinder Transmission Problems
Nissan CVT transmission problems have become pretty much synonymous with the Nissan Altima at this point, which is why we decided to discuss the Altima first. But the Nissan Pathfinder was actually one of the first Nissans outside of the Murano to have a CVT transmission installed in it way back in 2005 when the first 3rd generation Nissan Pathfinder was released. And not coincidentally, that year’s Pathfinder ended up going down as one of the worst Pathfinder model years for transmissions in the Pathfinder’s history.
Those who owned a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder had a variety of widespread transmission problems, including coolant leaking into their transmissions and causingtransmission failure. These problems started to appear ataround the 90,000-mile mark in these Pathfinders and cost right around $3,500 to fix. They also showed up in the 2006 and 2007 Nissan Pathfinders before Nissan appeared to get its act together and reduce the CVT-related issues found in Pathfinders.
But they reared their ugly head again when the 4th generation Nissan Pathfinder was released in the form of the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. That model Pathfinder would go on to beinvolved in a class-action lawsuit that claimed the Pathfinder would shake very violently when it was driven between 15 and 30 miles per hour in some instances. It was a problem that appeared in some 2014 Pathfindersas soon as the 32,000-mile mark and cost $4,000 to fix on average.
1st and 2nd Generation Nissan Rogue Transmission Problems
First released in 2007, the Nissan Rogue has, somewhat surprisingly, turned into one of the most popular Nissan models ever. When it was first released, some people didn’t know what to make of it, but thanks to the rise of crossover SUVs, it’s transformed into a staple in the Nissan lineup. But with that being said, it’s not without its Nissan CVT transmission problems, which it has experienced since pretty much the beginning. Both the 1st generation Rogue, which was manufactured by Nissan from 2008 through 2013, and the 2nd generation, which was manufactured by Nissan from 2014 through 2019, have been hit with the same transmission issues as other Nissans.
The initial 2008 Nissan Rogue, for example, would sometimes stop accelerating or stop driving completely for some people due to Nissan CVT transmission problems ataround the 86,000-mile mark. It cost almost $3,000 to fix the issues that caused this to take place. Many early Rogue owners also reported their transmissions failing completely ataround the 125,000-mile mark, thus forcing them to pay almost $3,200 on average to repair or replace their CVT transmissions.
This trend kept up once the 2nd generation Rogue was released with the 2014 Rogue starting to show signs of trouble in many cases ataround the 80,000-mile mark and forcing Rogue owners to endure average repair bills in the $3,500 range. There haven’t been as many Nissan CVT transmission problems reported with Rogues in more recent years, but all of this has scared off some people who might normally consider buying a Rogue.
6th Generation Nissan Sentra Transmission Problems
The Nissan Sentra is one of the longest-running models in the Nissan lineup. It was first released way back in the early 1980s, and it continues to be a linchpin for the Nissan name. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t without its fair share of Nissan CVT transmission problems. When the 6th generation Nissan Sentra was put out in 2013, many people who bought it reported problems like revving and jerking and total CVT transmission failure. It often struck ataround the 80,000-mile mark and cost about $3,500 to fix. The 2013 and 2014 Nissan Sentras, in particular, seemed to give drivers the most fits as far as the Nissan CVT transmission problems go.
1st and 2nd Generation Nissan Versa Transmission Problems
There was one very prominent problem with 1st generation Nissan Versas released between 2007 and 2011 that earned Nissan a lot of negative press. They came equipped with Takata airbags that were later found to be defective. Nissan wasforced to recall these vehicles in May 2016 and July 2017 to replace the airbags that were in them.
But this wasn’t the only problem that portrayed Nissan in a negative light. While the company was dealing with its airbag problem in Versas, they also had to deal with transmission problems in many 1st generation Versas. Owners of the original 2008 Versa, for instance, started reporting Nissan CVT transmission problems that appeared ataround the 120,000-mile mark and cost $3,700 on average to fix.
And those problems only seemed to get worse once the 2nd generation Nissan Versa started to hit showroom floors. Owners of the 2012 Nissan Versa were forced to put up with major transmission problems, including transmission failure. These problems presented themselves ataround the 72,000-mile mark and cost more than $3,500 on average to fix. The Nissan CVT transmission problems got to be so bad that a group of Versa owners eventually filed a class-action lawsuit against Nissan alleging that the CVT transmissions they put into 2nd generation Versas were defective. Nissansettled the case and agreed to provide extended warranties to those who qualified for them based on certain conditions.
What Should You Do With a Car With Nissan CVT Transmission Problems?
To Nissan’s credit, they have stepped up and tried to make things right with many past and current Nissan owners by offering extended warranties to them. These warranties have helped many people cover the costs associated with Nissan CVT transmission problems. But there are some people driving around in Nissans that have Nissan CVT transmission problems that aren’t covered by a warranty. There are also others who don’t feel comfortable about driving around in Nissans because of the Nissan CVT transmission problems that they’ve heard so much about.
If you want to get rid of a Nissan that has CVT transmission problems and get your hands on something new, Cash Cars Buyer will gladly take your Nissan off your hands and give you cash for it. It’ll allow you to go out and buy something that’s safer, more reliable, and less expensive than the Nissan you’re driving now. Contact us today to obtain a quote for your car.
The 3.8-liter twin turbo V6 VR38DETT engine in Nissan’s popular R35 GT-R is no joke. Ralink rt5390 bluetooth driver windows 10. However, we’re inclined to call this motor a piece of crap and move on. Let’s be honest – the GT-R has enough fanboys and we’re not here to create more. That’s not fair, though. The Nissan GT-R is an excellent car and its VR38 engine is even more impressive. However, every car ever made is prone to potential problems and failures. In this post, we discuss reliability and flaws with the VR38DETT engine and power-train.
GT-R VR38 Engines Are Hand-Built
Every single VR38 since its introduction in 2007 is hand-built. Each one is individually built by one of only five “Takumi Craftsmen”. These highly experienced, well trained mechanics assemble every VR38DETT engine from top to bottom. Once complete their names are badged onto the engine. We think it’s pretty cool.
It also shows the meticulous nature with which the Nissan VR38DETT engines are built. As such, the GT-R V38 engine really doesn’t suffer from many common problems. That’s not to say issues cannot happen. Especially on R35 VR38 engines that owners modify and drive aggressively. We’ll touch on this later, but in stock form the VR38 engine is pretty reliable. There are a few common faults with other power-train components, though.
Nissan GT-R Common Problems
A few well-known issues with the GT-R VR38 engine and power-train include:
- Bellhousing Rattle
- Transmission Problems
- Blown VR38 Engine**
**The asterisks are here for a reason. We do not want to lead anyone to believe the VR38 engine is prone to frequent or common complete engine failure. Rather, the VR38 doesn’t have any serious common problems worth discussing. Again, miscellaneous problems can and will occur at some point. There just isn’t anything that seems to be consistently problematic. We’ll discuss blown motors below more so as an interesting topic and something to consider for those modding their R35 GT-R’s.
1) GT-R VR38 Bellhousing Rattle
The R35 GT-R’s transmission is actually mounted towards the rear of the car. Chevy has taken a similar approach with their Corvette’s. However, the precise design between the two is slightly different. The Corvette uses a torque tube to connect the engine and transmission. Nissan decided to mount the bellhousing to the engine and then use a drive-shaft to connect the bellhousing to the transmission.
This means the VR38 engine and bellhousing can move separately from the transmission. It’s a tiny amount of movement but enough. The weakness seems to be the shaft bearings within the R35 bellhousing. Over time, the output shaft begins to exhibit excessive play. The rattling from the GTR bellhousing often becomes worse over time as it develops more play. Fortunately, solutions and fixes exist. It’s also a relatively inexpensive repair in the grand scheme of the cost to buy even a used GT-R.
GTR Bellhousing Rattle Fix & Replacement
First, some owners choose to live with the rattling. Especially in cases where it’s not too drastic and there isn’t much play. For those wanting a long-term solution there are options from companies like ATR. They take damaged GTR housings and bore them out to fit steel inserts and new shaft bearings. This resolves the rattling issue and acts a longer-term solution. The real problem is still the overall layout of the VR38 engine, bellhousing, and transmission setup. As such, chances are the problem will pop up again. These solutions hopefully buy some extra time, though.
ATR offers two versions of the upgraded bellhousings for the R35 GTR. These start at $899 and $1,299. Installation also takes a few hours so factor in labor expenses if you’re not planning to DIY. Costs should still come in under $2,000 even if you’re having the work done at an independent shop. It’s not exactly cheap but considering the GT-R’s cost it’s not horrible.
2) Nissan GT-R Transmission Problems
Transmission issues are never fun on any car. The engineering and components behind transmission is often confusing. It’s also not always easy to find local shops experienced enough to actually repair transmissions. Fortunately, the common issue with the R35 GTR’s transmission is fairly simple. Let’s dive in and explain the common failure.
Transmissions always have metal on metal contact occurring inside. That slowly causes small fragments of metal to be carried around in the transmission fluid. The Not an issue – normal operation so far. However, the GTR’s transmission includes two solenoids to control gear selection. Those solenoids can actually act as magnets and attract those small metal fragments. Eventually, the solenoid(s) may become blocked enough to result in problems with the R35 entering certain gears. It seems the solenoid responsible for gears 1 – 3 – 5 – R is the most common.
Nissan Gtr Transmission Type
There are of course other potential transmission problems that occur from time to time. We’re not focused on those issues, but just something to consider. Transmission failure is rare on stock R35 GT-R’s. However, start pushing things too far and the transmission may be prone to faults. We’ll leave it at that since it somewhat ties into what we discuss about VR38 engine failures.
GT-R Transmission Solenoid Replacement
Often, the GT-R’s transmission solenoids don’t even need replacement. A simple cleaning usually does the job. However, the R35 transmission does need to be dropped to access the solenoids for cleaning. This job is fairly labor intensive and may cost a couple thousand to fix. It may also be a good time to change to higher quality transmission fluids like Dodson or Willall. Upgrading the filter can’t hurt either.
Final notes – the solenoid issues seem to pop up most often when transmission fluid is changed soon enough. You may be able to mitigate or buy extra time by changing the fluid more frequently. The idea is that you allow less time for metal to build up in the fluid and potentially stick to the solenoids. Higher quality oils and filters may also help slow down build-up.
3) Nissan GT-R VR38 Engine Failure
Again, this definitely is not a common problem. There are no major, consistent design flaws that should cause the VR38 engine to fail suddenly or drastically. However – and maybe we’re alone here – when we think of the R35 GT-R we tend to think of the 800whp, 1000whp, and 1500+whp examples. Most understand it takes a lot of money to get there.
It’s never an easy task to put a safe upper limit on an engine and the VR38 is no exception. Very rarely does the VR38 give out at stock power and boost. However, there are handfuls of cases of blown VR38DETT engines with full bolt-ons. All else equal, the further and harder you push things, the greater likelihood the engine gives out. That applies to any car. Though, in general, it’s accepted the VR38 engine and transmission are good for about 650 torque.
Things can still go wrong even below that number. Larger turbos are also easier on the VR38DETT engine at X torque. We’ll have more detailed content on these topics in the future. The general idea is that larger turbos shift the power curve right, which means they can make more top-end power without relying on massive torque.
GTR VR38 Longevity When Modded
As with the above discussion on torque limits it’s hard to put a number on longevity when pushing the R35 beyond stock power. We’ll talk a few general concepts that are important to keep in mind. Standard maintenance, such as oil changes, become increasingly more important. Pay attention to the VR38’s data – look for signs of knock, lean conditions, etc.
Tuning is also a huge factor in longevity. Pick a reliable, quality tune and stick on the conservative side. Think about it like building an engine for more power. If you want 1000whp, you probably don’t built the engine to handle exactly 1000whp. You likely build the VR38 to handle 1200whp.
When done right, the VR38 should be safe at 650 torque on the stock motor and transmission. Again, the risk is still there. However, there are ways to mitigate that risk. Larger turbos, conservative tuning, proper monitoring, and timely maintenance are a few things in your control.
Ultimately, if you’re concerned about pushing the limits then you may consider building the R35 engine up-front. It’s a lot cheaper up-front than to do it after you’ve sent a rod through the block. Then you’re looking at a new engine all-together plus any damage done to other components from metal fragments. We don’t mean to scare anyone. The GT-R and VR38 are great, however as with any engine the VR38 is prone to failure when pushed towards the limit.
GT-R VR38DETT Reliability
Nissan Gtr Transmission Oil Change
Nissan’s VR38 is an impressive and reliable engine, overall. There really aren’t any common issues that plague the engine itself. Of course, with age and mileage problems are bound to occur at some point. However, there don’t appear to be any major design flaws with the VR38DETT. The quality of these hand assembled engines is nearly flawless.
The R35 GT-R’s transmission is the most troublesome part of the car. The bellhousing is technically a part of the transmission and experiences rattling problems due to the design of the rear mounted transmission. Otherwise, the transmission has some frequent issues with the solenoids clogging and creating shift issues. Those appear to be the primary flaws with the GTR.
Is the Nissan GT-R reliable? Yes. How reliable is the Nissan GT-R? That’s tough to answer without applying general concepts, but it’s fair to call the GT-R above average for high-performance engines. Some GT-R and VR38DETT reliability simply comes down to the luck of the draw. Some of it has to do with how well the R35 is maintained, how it’s driven, how it’s modified, etc.
Nissan GTR VR38 Summary
Nissan Gtr Transmission Change
It’s no secret the GTR has millions of fanboys, which is understandable. The VR38 powered R35 Nissan GT-R is truly an excellent car that punches well above its price point. It provides borderline supercar performance for a lot cheaper than most supercars cost. Plus, the VR38 engine is reliable for the performance it offers. However, no car is perfect or indestructible and that applies to the GT-R, too.
The two primary common faults with the GT-R lie within the transmission rather than the VR38 engine itself. Bellhousing rattle and transmission solenoid issues can cost a couple thousand each to repair. Not too bad. Otherwise, the VR38 engine is excellent. However, once pushed beyond stock power there are higher risks for potential engine failures. Some VR38’s let go on stock turbos with full-bolt ons. Ensure you have proper supporting mods, a good tune, and monitor engine parameters. It’s generally accepted the VR38DETT can handle about 650 torque on the stock motor. Not too bad for a V6.
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What’s your experience with the R35 GT-R and VR38 engine?
Nissan Gtr Transmission Filter
Are you considering buying one? Drop a comment and let us know.