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…
2011 Nissan Altima powertrain problems
moderate 64 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
64
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
1crash
2injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 64 powertrain complaints filed for the 2011 Nissan Altima, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 125,000-150,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 64 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Powertrain accounts for 27% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 12 categories tracked.
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…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2011 Nissan Altima?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
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?
Across the 49 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 84,354 and 126,600 miles, with the median around 102,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 84,354; a quarter make it past 126,600. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
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.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Nissan/Altima.
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. Some links on this page are affiliate links.