ON JULY 9, 2017 WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGH SPEED LINE. MY CAR WENT FROM DOING 65 MILES TO 10 MILES WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN. AND MY CAR STILL WILL NOT GO OVER 10 MILES. ALMOST GOT MYSELF KILLED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. 4 MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY EVERYTHING…
2011 nissan Altima powertrain problems
moderate 64 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
64
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Going down interstate, when you press the gas, vehicle hesitates if you are going faster than 40 miles an hour, motor didn't die but you are unable to go faster for a few seconds, this is very dangerous situation on our interstates. And this is happening on every trip that I am afraid to drive this car, its not trustworthy and I can't afford a new car in today's economy.
Hi my Nissan has 120k miles son it and the transmission is completely wrong don’t go more than 30 mph I take it to the shop to inspect and they told me that it need to be replace. It has code p1778 and code p0868 they told me that the transmission has no oil presure that it was a mechanical problem inside the transmission and that it was really common on that car becouse the cvt transmission
DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT 55 MPH THE NISSAN ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE STATED WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. WE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE AND FOLLOWED ALL THE GUIDELINE FOR MAINTENANCE. I WAS QUIET SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR NISSAN CVT TRANSMISSIONS. MY CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF…
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2011 nissan Altima?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 64 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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