--- title: "How reliable is the Nissan CVT?" url: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/" publisher: "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=no" author: "Jill Ciminillo" published: "2021-06-11T10:00:58+00:00" modified: "2026-07-19T11:38:06+00:00" image: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cvt-source-scaled.jpg" --- # How reliable is the Nissan CVT? By Jill Ciminillo Published: 2021-06-11T10:00:58+00:00 Updated: 2026-07-19T11:38:06+00:00 ![Featured image]() I recently test drove the all-new [2021 Nissan Rogue](), and I completely loved it. It’s attractive, quiet, nimble and connected. But a funny thing happened when I started posting photos and videos to social media. I got a deluge of comments that were some variation of this: Nice SUV, too bad it has the Nissan CVT. I’m not a fan of a “continuously variable transmission” in any vehicle, so frankly, I hadn’t given Nissan’s version any particular thought. But somewhere around the 100th comment (not exaggerating), I figured this might be something worth digging into. So, what’s the deal? Is the Nissan CVT really that horrible? ### **A little background** First, if you aren’t familiar with the term, a CVT is a single-speed or stepless transmission that uses a pulley system to change gear ratios. There are tons (and tons) of videos and animations that demonstration how it operates, and if you want to see it action, you can simply consult the google, but [I thought this one]() did a fairly good job of showing how a CVT operates without going too far into the weeds. The Nissan CVT, called Xtronic, is currently in its third generation, which debuted in 2011. However, this CVT itself has been around a bit longer than that. According to [Nissan’s consumer site](), it debuted globally in 1992, but it didn’t make its first U.S. appearance until the 2003 Murano. Since then, it’s been used prolifically throughout the lineup, appearing in Altima, Maxima, [Kicks](), [Rogue](), [Rogue Sport](), [Murano](), Versa and Sentra. It was also used in the previous-generation Pathfinder – so 2021 and before – as well as the discontinued Juke and Versa Note. Maybe the better question is: Which vehicles don’t have it? That would be [Armada](), Pathfinder ([2022 and later]()), [Frontier]() and [Titan](). In an FAQ at the bottom of its CVT primer, Nissan stops short of calling the CVT reliable, but it does say it has fewer moving parts, which reduce friction and heat. Thus, it “may” last longer than a traditional transmission. ### **Where there’s smoke** However, as the sheer volume of comments on my social posts suggest, the Nissan CVT has an incredibly bad reputation. So, is it justified? Well, kind of. Looking at sites like [CarComplaints.com]() and [ConsumerReports.org](), you can see that the Nissan vehicles equipped with older CVTs are plagued with owners complaining of rough shifts, chattering noises, slipping and bucking – among other complaints. In fact, some of those vehicles, such as the [2013-2014 Altima](), get a special badge on CarComplaints.com: “Avoid like the plague.” And then there are the lawsuits. It looks like the bulk of the lawsuits center around 2013-2014 models, with the primary complaints coming from Altima, Pathfinder and Rogue. But there are slew of other lawsuits covering pretty much every vehicle that has been equipped with Nissan’s CVT. CarComplaints.com gives [a fairly comprehensive list]() on its most recent article regarding a new lawsuit filed on March 26, 2021, which covers 2014-2016 Rogues and 2015-2016 Pathfinders. When we did a quick search for lawsuits pertaining to the Nissan CVT, the newest model year engaged in litigation is the 2018 model year. Part of that could be the continuous improvements Nissan is making to the CVT. Then, it could also be due to the fact that 2019 and newer models are likely still covered by the 5-year/60K-mile warranty. ### **The future starts now** In terms of the operation of the Nissan CVT in newer vehicles, I haven’t experienced any of the rough shifts and chattering noises, and frankly, I was pretty impressed with its implementation in the new Rogue. Nissan did try to allay some of the worries early on by extending the warranty to 10 years/120-miles on the CVT in 2003-2010 model years. But, obviously, it’s 2021, so that’s no longer valid. At this point, it’s kind of a wait-and-see game. Nissan has been climbing in the overall reliability of its vehicles, according to the [JD Power]() Vehicle Dependability Studies we’ve looked at, but they still typically fall below the industry average. However, our view: Continuous improvement is, well, continuous. Because these studies look at vehicles that are 3- years old, I’ll be super curious to see the results in 2024 because 2021 is a big year for Nissan with its new and refreshed vehicles. So, again, wait-and-see. We did out to Nissan to see if they had any insight on the current CVT and any concerns potential buyers might have, and we received the following statement in reply: *“Nissan makes continuous quality improvements in CVT design and production and we are confident in our CVT technology. The all-new Sentra and all-new Rogue are equipped with the latest generation Xtronic transmission that provides good fuel efficiency, a responsive acceleration feel and a strong drive experience.* *“We encourage Nissan customers who have any questions or concerns with their vehicle to visit an authorized Nissan dealer or call Nissan Consumer Affairs at 800-647-7261.”* This makes me think the wait-and-see will turn out on the positive side, and I can personally vouch for the “responsive acceleration” and “strong drive experience” portion of the statement. ### **The bottom line on the Nissan CVT** Concerns about the reliability of the CVT aren’t a reason to avoid buying a new Nissan vehicle with the next-gen Xtronic CVT, IMHO. However, I will point out that CarComplaints.com does say the cost to repair the transmission, once it’s out of warranty, is going to be around $3,370, which is a tough nut to swallow. But I’ve never been a fan of making life decisions based on fear and what ifs. If you like the car, buy it. **Related posts:** - [2021 Nissan Rogue: Another top pick in the compact SUV segment]() - [Ford F-150 vs Nissan Titan: Why did this Ford guy buy a Nissan?]() - [2022 Mitsubishi Outlander: Better than a Nissan Rogue? \[First Drive\]]() ## Structured page information ~~~json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/" }, "author": { "name": "Jill Ciminillo", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/17a307b2bd8654a0efc57d38f2e79df8" }, "headline": "How reliable is the Nissan CVT?", "datePublished": "2021-06-11T10:00:58+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-07-19T11:38:06+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/" }, "wordCount": 992, "commentCount": 15, "publisher": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#organization" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cvt-source-scaled.jpg", "keywords": [ "continuously variable transmission", "Nissan CVT", "Nissan CVT lawsuits", "nissan pathfinder", "Nissan Rogue", "Xtronic" ], "articleSection": [ "Buyer's Guide", "Engine Reliability" ], "inLanguage": "en-US", "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "CommentAction", "name": "Comment", "target": [ "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/#respond" ] } ] }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/", "name": "How reliable is the Nissan CVT?", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#website" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/#primaryimage" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/06/how-reliable-is-the-nissan-cvt/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cvt-source-scaled.jpg", "datePublished": "2021-06-11T10:00:58+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-07-19T11:38:06+00:00", "description": "Whenever we post anything on social that is equipped with a Nissan CVT, we get bombarded with reliability comments. 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Previously, Jill has been the automotive editor for the Chicago Sun-Times News Group as well as Sinclair Broadcast Group. She is also a past president for the Midwest Automotive Media Association and has the distinction of being the first female president for that organization. Jill is also currently a juror for the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) and Women's World Car of the Year (WWCOTY).", "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/jillciminillo/", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillciminillo/", "https://x.com/https://twitter.com/jillciminillo", "https://www.youtube.com/jillciminillo" ], "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/author/jillc/" } ] } ] ~~~