CVT TRANSMISSION SLIPPING: MY 2013 NISSAN SENTRA IS EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH ITS CVT TRANSMISSION. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH MY CVT COULD HAVE HARMED ME AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. MY CAR REFUSED TO ACCELERATE WHILE MAKING A TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHILE ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS HEADING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. LUCKILY THE DRIVER NOTICED AND SLOWED DOWN PREVENTING A COLLISION. IT TOOK 30 SECOND…
2013 nissan Sentra powertrain problems
moderate 304 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
304
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
INTELLIGENT KEY FOB INTERMITTENT START/STOP OF VEHICLE. WENT TO START MY CAR AFTER DINNER AND IT WOULD NOT START.NO ACTIVITY WHEN PRESSING THE INTELLIGENT KEY FOB. STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT ,CALLED MY SPOUSE AND THEN HE CAME WITH A SPARE FOB, SAME THING, NO START.TURNED FOB AROUND PER OWNERS MANUAL AND CAR STARTED BUT KEY WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ALL THE WAY HOME. READ MANUAL AND MADE SURE ALL CAVEAT…
TRANSMISSION DIED AFTER 25K MILES, AND NOW THE "NEW" ONE DIED AT 75K. IT ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS: DELAYED ACCELERATION, GRINDING WHEN COASTING DOWNHILL, AND SLIPPING GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING. IT THEN STARTED STALLING OUT WHEN GOING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS IN TOWN FROM A FULL STOP, AND REALLY STARTED TO DIE ON CHRISTMAS WHEN WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY (IT BECAME UNSAFE SO WE HAD TO PULL OVER AND GO HOME ON …
THE TRANSMISSION HAS A LOT OF HESITATE AND BAD VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT'S DUE TO SMALL EVAP LEAK BUT HAVE REPLACED CAP AND STILL STAYS ON ONCE AWHILE U SMELL GAS FUMES. *TR
The car was stalled and wouldn’t go without warning and no indication issues were present. When it stalled driver put at risk of being hit and caused multiple cars to swerve to miss the car. Thankfully able to get the car off the road and toed. Transmission completely failed.
I'M A OWNER OF A 2013 NISSAN SENTRA I BOUGHT 1 YEAR AGO AND IT HAS NOW HAD 5 TRANSMISSION PUT IN IT. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN AT THE TIME THE CAR BECAME SELF DRIVING RPM JUST KEPT GOING UP WITHOUT ME PUSHING THE GAS THE CAR HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS AND NISSAN REFUSES TO THINK IT'S A HAZARD MY WIFE ALMOST LOST HER JOB CAUSE OF THIS CAR IT ABOUT GOT US KILLED I'M STUCK UNDER FIANCE COMPANY LUCKY WITH EXTENDED WA…
WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A BAY AREA BRIDGE, THE CAR LOST ACCELERATION, STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, EVEN WHILE I PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT HAD TO DO WITH COOLING FAN. AFTER THAT REPAIR, THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES, ALWAYS WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT I FOUND IF I KEPT PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR IT WOULD EVENTUAL…
AN ENGINEER SAID THAT CAR HAD BEEN OVERHEATING IN THE TRANSMISSION FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. MY SERVICE TEAM DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT. THE CAR FAILED AT 89,000 MILES AND A MONTH BEFORE I OWNED IT 3 YEARS. THE ENGINEER SAID THAT EVERY 50000 MILES THE 2013 SENTRA NEEDS A $4000 PLUS NEW TRANSMISSION. I TURNED THE CAR ON AFTER PARKING AND WHILE TURNING THE CAR EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. I PUT MY FOOT ON TH…
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES RECENTLY. WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE CAR TO STOP AND THEN TO JERK FORWARD AND SHUDDER. WHEN REVERSING THIS HAS ALSO BECOME AN ISSUE. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE SPEED LIMIT ON A HIGHWAY. EVEN ENTERING NORMAL STREETS IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN SINCE THE CAR WILL STOP AND SHUDDER SUDDENLY. BECAUS…
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2013 nissan Sentra?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 304 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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