View Poll Results: Have you had any trans issues?
2004 Auto tran problems
138
24.56%
2005 Auto tran problems
74
13.17%
2006 Auto tran problems
32
5.69%
2004 Auto tran replaced
15
2.67%
2005 Auto tran replaced
9
1.60%
2006 Auto tran replaced
12
2.14%
No transmission problems yet.
282
50.18%
Voters: 562. You may not vote on this poll
6th Gens and Transmission problems
09-09-2010, 06:30 AM
#321
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In the south
Posts: 121
Depends on your preference the CVT when driving feels like it really doesnt shift the non cvt acts like a real transmission there are some people out here that do not preffer the CVT due to the lack of performance if you are looking to buy for just everyday regualr use with out racing or modifications get the CVT. Also seems like they have rarely any problems with the CVT. I have a non CVT 05,My transmission starting going bad around 53000 miles the down shifts were rough sometimes so Nissan replace the transmission under warranty and I have had no problems since which I just turned 63000 miles. The mecheanic I deal with at nissan changed it out before the warranty ran out and claims that they have done some changes on the new replacements that are going into the cars,we will see so far its been smooth. In the end some people are having issues with the max's between 04 and 06 with the transmissions and some are not.
09-09-2010, 09:13 AM
#322
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 1,994
The best Nissan transmission is the 6-speed manual. But they are no longer being offered in new Maximas -- only the CVT. I have 101,000 miles on my 04 with a 6-speed and all I have done with this trannie is to change the fluid twice. Went to synthetic fluid at 30K miles and then changed that fluid again at 98K miles.
The auto trannies in the 6th Gen seem to be trouble prone -- but I say that only because of the problems listed on this thread.
The auto trannies in the 6th Gen seem to be trouble prone -- but I say that only because of the problems listed on this thread.
09-09-2010, 12:56 PM
#323
CVT is fine for daily driving plus the 07-08 Max looks better and the CVT warranty is good for 10yr/120k miles (standard non-CVT warranty is 5yr/60k miles)
Nissan's 1st gen CVT was put in the 03-06 Murano and they used that as the test phase -- lots of Murano owners had problems and complaints and lots of them had their CVT replaced a few times. Nissan took all that data and updated the CVT to make it much more reliable and since they were confident this time they included it into other models (2nd gen CVT was put in the 07-08 Maxima/Altima/Sentra/Rogue/Versa). Nissan further improved the CVT for the 09+ models and this 3rd gen CVT runs completely smooth compared to the 2nd gen CVT
My 07 Max runs great overall except around 20-25mph in traffic where the CVT feels jerky, other than that it seems fine to me
Last year when I was looking at cars I wanted to buy an 07 Max since I loved the looks of it over the 04-06 Max, but the low mileage ones were out of my price range and I didnt want to risk buying a high mileage one since it was out of warranty so I started to look at 05-06 Max's. Then last year Nissan decided to extend the CVT warranty to 10yr/120k miles which had me set on finding a high mileage 07 Max -- ended up trading in my 95 for the 07 (fully loaded, 1 owner, had slightly under 71k miles)
Nissan's 1st gen CVT was put in the 03-06 Murano and they used that as the test phase -- lots of Murano owners had problems and complaints and lots of them had their CVT replaced a few times. Nissan took all that data and updated the CVT to make it much more reliable and since they were confident this time they included it into other models (2nd gen CVT was put in the 07-08 Maxima/Altima/Sentra/Rogue/Versa). Nissan further improved the CVT for the 09+ models and this 3rd gen CVT runs completely smooth compared to the 2nd gen CVT
My 07 Max runs great overall except around 20-25mph in traffic where the CVT feels jerky, other than that it seems fine to me
Last year when I was looking at cars I wanted to buy an 07 Max since I loved the looks of it over the 04-06 Max, but the low mileage ones were out of my price range and I didnt want to risk buying a high mileage one since it was out of warranty so I started to look at 05-06 Max's. Then last year Nissan decided to extend the CVT warranty to 10yr/120k miles which had me set on finding a high mileage 07 Max -- ended up trading in my 95 for the 07 (fully loaded, 1 owner, had slightly under 71k miles)
at least it isn't all of them.
09-16-2010, 07:01 AM
#326
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Posts: 862
I'm in Lagos, Nigeria. I just got this 2006 Maxima down from New Jersey in May. So far , so good. Nissan recommends Matic K ATF for the transmission, but that seems difficult to get at my end. A dealer has suggested Matic D as a replacement. But how safe? Would it be that most tranny problems are because the owners ignore to use the recommended Matic K? So how safe is the Matic D for my 2006 Maxima?
09-27-2010, 08:31 AM
#329
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2
Brand new to this forum. I had a 1990 Nissan Maxima I bought off the showroom floor and drove for 12 years. I had transmission go on that car at 71K miles but was fortunate that I had 500 miles and 1 week left on my warranty. In that day you could purchase extended plan at time of purchase that covered 6yr/72K miles. I was LUCKY. I then continued to drive for almost 100K miles longer. Recently I have bounced a bit from a Sentra SER to an Altima 3.5, to BMW 330i to a Prius (that didn't last long 3/mo) and now finally feel back at home ...a 2008 Maxima. I am worried reading posts as I bought used with 41K miles. I did purchase 5yr/100K mile comprehensive warranty though due to these concerns. Those concerns and the fact that this car is loaded with all the goodies that can break. Is the trans issue across the board or more related to trad trans and not the CVT?
09-27-2010, 02:28 PM
#330
Brand new to this forum. I had a 1990 Nissan Maxima I bought off the showroom floor and drove for 12 years. I had transmission go on that car at 71K miles but was fortunate that I had 500 miles and 1 week left on my warranty. In that day you could purchase extended plan at time of purchase that covered 6yr/72K miles. I was LUCKY. I then continued to drive for almost 100K miles longer. Recently I have bounced a bit from a Sentra SER to an Altima 3.5, to BMW 330i to a Prius (that didn't last long 3/mo) and now finally feel back at home ...a 2008 Maxima. I am worried reading posts as I bought used with 41K miles. I did purchase 5yr/100K mile comprehensive warranty though due to these concerns. Those concerns and the fact that this car is loaded with all the goodies that can break. Is the trans issue across the board or more related to trad trans and not the CVT?
Your CVT is covered by Nissan for 10yr/120k miles www.nissanassist.com
10-12-2010, 10:35 PM
#332
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 4
went to the dealership after the maxima (06 5sp auto) threw a transmission code (p0780 I think). prepared myself for the battle to change the transmission. Received a call that the error is internal so they will change it for free. At 51k and the transmission failed, changed the four mounts 6 months ago and had the tran mount changed again 2wks ago, the catalytic converter had to be changed at 38k. these cars are reallhy not as good as max used to be. I guess no more maximas.
10-12-2010, 10:43 PM
#333
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 62
this is my first and last nissan. Never again. I bought a $34,000 Nissan thinking it would be a reliable car for many years to come....man was I wrong. I miss my 2001 Integra gsr which I drove till 100k with ZERO problems. '06 Maxima with 63,000 miles and the problems just keep piling up with this hunk of crap...
10-16-2010, 03:46 PM
#336
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 1,994
Best Way to Change Auto-Trannie Fluid
In my newspaper today, Click and Clack (The "Car Talk" Guys from National Public Radio) had a discussion about the best way to do this -- see below:
Q: I asked an independent shop to change my transmission fluid when my car hit 60 K miles. They called me later to say that even though they had flushed it with 12 quarts of fluid, it was still coming out brown. They recommended flushing it with another 12 quarts, costing just over $100. Does it seem reasonable that it would need this second flush?
A: It shouldn't -- sounds to me like they did an old fashioned "drain and fill."
Basically automatic transmissions have 2 separate reservoirs: one houses the torque converter and the other houses the guts of the transmission -- the valves, gears, clutches, etc. When the engine is running, the fluid from these reservoirs mixes together. But when the engine stops, some fluid comes to rest in each place. So if you drain only one of the reservoirs -- which is all you do when you open the drain plug or drop the pan from under the car -- you end up changing only a little more than half of the fluid. The other half of the fluid, which was unreachable in the torque converter, remains unchanged. Then when you run the engine again, the new fluid you just added will mix with the old fluid that was in the torque converter -- and the mix will look dirty again. That's when your mechanic called you and asked you to authorize another fluid change.
We avoid that problem by using a system that changes 100% of the fluid under pressure -- using a machine that taps into the transmission's own circulation system to force out every bit of the old fluid, including what's in the torque converter -- replacing it all with new fluid.
Without seeing the state of your fluid right now, we can't tell if the fluid is really dark brown, indicating that something is wrong with your tranny. So drive it for a few weeks and then take it back and ask them to look at the fluid. If they come away gagging and holding their noses, there may be something wrong. But if they say it looks fine, just normally dirty, then just keep driving. And next time after 60 K miles, find a shop that can do a powered flush for you.
Q: I asked an independent shop to change my transmission fluid when my car hit 60 K miles. They called me later to say that even though they had flushed it with 12 quarts of fluid, it was still coming out brown. They recommended flushing it with another 12 quarts, costing just over $100. Does it seem reasonable that it would need this second flush?
A: It shouldn't -- sounds to me like they did an old fashioned "drain and fill."
Basically automatic transmissions have 2 separate reservoirs: one houses the torque converter and the other houses the guts of the transmission -- the valves, gears, clutches, etc. When the engine is running, the fluid from these reservoirs mixes together. But when the engine stops, some fluid comes to rest in each place. So if you drain only one of the reservoirs -- which is all you do when you open the drain plug or drop the pan from under the car -- you end up changing only a little more than half of the fluid. The other half of the fluid, which was unreachable in the torque converter, remains unchanged. Then when you run the engine again, the new fluid you just added will mix with the old fluid that was in the torque converter -- and the mix will look dirty again. That's when your mechanic called you and asked you to authorize another fluid change.
We avoid that problem by using a system that changes 100% of the fluid under pressure -- using a machine that taps into the transmission's own circulation system to force out every bit of the old fluid, including what's in the torque converter -- replacing it all with new fluid.
Without seeing the state of your fluid right now, we can't tell if the fluid is really dark brown, indicating that something is wrong with your tranny. So drive it for a few weeks and then take it back and ask them to look at the fluid. If they come away gagging and holding their noses, there may be something wrong. But if they say it looks fine, just normally dirty, then just keep driving. And next time after 60 K miles, find a shop that can do a powered flush for you.
10-30-2010, 02:10 PM
#337
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 4
2006 Maxima SE same transmission problems
2006 Nissan Maxima SE 79,000 miles, original owner, all maintenance performed.
A few weeks ago when taking it for an oil change I noticed the automatic transmission slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. Went online and started reading all the posts by others with similar problems. Was about to take it to the dealer for $96 diagnostics, but based on what I read, I changed my mind and took it to a good transmission repair shop. Took a look at the fluid, was all brown and slightly burnt smelling. Garage floor is clean, nothing was leaking from the tranny or engine.
After diagnosis I see the guy and he says, "You got problems." The cost to open the case and find out exactly what was happening is $685. The quote to rebuild it comes back at $3,737.49, which includes a new valve body, torque converter, and bunch of other parts, and a 12 mos/12k warranty. The alternative lower cost solution is to replace the transmission with a used one and take my chances on when that one fails.
When I bought the car I turned down the extended warranty from the dealer and bought mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) through the credit union. That warranty is 5 years/100k and expires on Feb 24, 2011, and includes a $150 deductible and limit of $2,500 per repair. If I went with a used one I would be on my own after February 2011, but with this rebuilt I will be covered until Nov 2011. The guy at the shop did some negotiating with the insurance company, and gave me a small referral discount, which ended up with me paying $655.12 out of my pocket. This seems like a "good deal" since I am not faced with paying the entire cost, but I still don't like that I had this problem in the first place.
In addition to this, around 20k the high pressure AC line failed and was repaired under dealer warranty. Then around 50k the low pressure AC line failed and I paid myself to have that fixed. The hoses they used fail where the metal crimps to the rubber parts, and the new hoses are more supple than the old ones. I've heard that many people are having the same AC problem, and it's easy to see. I just put the 3rd battery in the car, which was covered under a Sears warranty. It seems to go through tires a bit quicker than most other cars.
In addition to the forums here, I found these other sites with information about the 6th gen automatic transmission problems:
Aisin AF33 transmission (AW55-50SN and AW55-51SN) Shows other vehicles this tranny was used in. A guy with a 2004 Volvo XC90 was also at the same tranny shop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisin_AF33_transmission
Automotive Recalls for Consumers (ARFC.org) 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA PROBLEMS - Page #1
http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2006/nissan/maxima/
Consumer complaints about Nissan Maxima
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...an_maxima.html
Looks like some law firm site for the 2004 transmission problems
http://www.lemonlawclaims.com/Nissan...n%20defect.htm
Nissan Maxima Reviews - Carsurvey.org (see 2004, 2005, 2006 - it goes up as the cars get older)
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/nissan/maxima/
ODI - Office of Defects Investigation (have to search here, can't get direct link to results)
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/
Small sum of transmission problems (so far) from 2 of the sites:
Consumer Affairs
2004 - 527 complaints
2005 - 145 complaints
2006 - 48 complaints
NHTSA
2004 - 469 complaints
2005 - 134 complaints
2006 - 45 complaints
That's 1,368 complaints just from those two sites. Some might overlap by the same complaint being on both sites, but it still seems like a lot of complaints for the 6th gen transmissions. If Nissan ever admits to a problem with this car I will be wanting my repair money back, and I bet the insurance company will want their money back too.
Oh, the guy at the shop said he has seen quite a few of these transmissions lately, and he said the only two mainstream cars he has never had in his shop are Mitsubishi and Subaru. Crossing your fingers will not help, if you have transmission problems, get it looked at right away. Longer driving is causing more damage. And DO NOT flush this tranny, only drain and fill. I can ask him more stuff when I get the car back later this week.
A few weeks ago when taking it for an oil change I noticed the automatic transmission slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. Went online and started reading all the posts by others with similar problems. Was about to take it to the dealer for $96 diagnostics, but based on what I read, I changed my mind and took it to a good transmission repair shop. Took a look at the fluid, was all brown and slightly burnt smelling. Garage floor is clean, nothing was leaking from the tranny or engine.
After diagnosis I see the guy and he says, "You got problems." The cost to open the case and find out exactly what was happening is $685. The quote to rebuild it comes back at $3,737.49, which includes a new valve body, torque converter, and bunch of other parts, and a 12 mos/12k warranty. The alternative lower cost solution is to replace the transmission with a used one and take my chances on when that one fails.
When I bought the car I turned down the extended warranty from the dealer and bought mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) through the credit union. That warranty is 5 years/100k and expires on Feb 24, 2011, and includes a $150 deductible and limit of $2,500 per repair. If I went with a used one I would be on my own after February 2011, but with this rebuilt I will be covered until Nov 2011. The guy at the shop did some negotiating with the insurance company, and gave me a small referral discount, which ended up with me paying $655.12 out of my pocket. This seems like a "good deal" since I am not faced with paying the entire cost, but I still don't like that I had this problem in the first place.
In addition to this, around 20k the high pressure AC line failed and was repaired under dealer warranty. Then around 50k the low pressure AC line failed and I paid myself to have that fixed. The hoses they used fail where the metal crimps to the rubber parts, and the new hoses are more supple than the old ones. I've heard that many people are having the same AC problem, and it's easy to see. I just put the 3rd battery in the car, which was covered under a Sears warranty. It seems to go through tires a bit quicker than most other cars.
In addition to the forums here, I found these other sites with information about the 6th gen automatic transmission problems:
Aisin AF33 transmission (AW55-50SN and AW55-51SN) Shows other vehicles this tranny was used in. A guy with a 2004 Volvo XC90 was also at the same tranny shop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisin_AF33_transmission
Automotive Recalls for Consumers (ARFC.org) 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA PROBLEMS - Page #1
http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2006/nissan/maxima/
Consumer complaints about Nissan Maxima
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...an_maxima.html
Looks like some law firm site for the 2004 transmission problems
http://www.lemonlawclaims.com/Nissan...n%20defect.htm
Nissan Maxima Reviews - Carsurvey.org (see 2004, 2005, 2006 - it goes up as the cars get older)
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/nissan/maxima/
ODI - Office of Defects Investigation (have to search here, can't get direct link to results)
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/
Small sum of transmission problems (so far) from 2 of the sites:
Consumer Affairs
2004 - 527 complaints
2005 - 145 complaints
2006 - 48 complaints
NHTSA
2004 - 469 complaints
2005 - 134 complaints
2006 - 45 complaints
That's 1,368 complaints just from those two sites. Some might overlap by the same complaint being on both sites, but it still seems like a lot of complaints for the 6th gen transmissions. If Nissan ever admits to a problem with this car I will be wanting my repair money back, and I bet the insurance company will want their money back too.
Oh, the guy at the shop said he has seen quite a few of these transmissions lately, and he said the only two mainstream cars he has never had in his shop are Mitsubishi and Subaru. Crossing your fingers will not help, if you have transmission problems, get it looked at right away. Longer driving is causing more damage. And DO NOT flush this tranny, only drain and fill. I can ask him more stuff when I get the car back later this week.
10-31-2010, 11:52 AM
#338
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 58
Ok,
I am not sure yet if I am also a victim of bad tranny. May be someone can help me understand what’s going on and what will happen and perhaps when.
04 SE fully loaded with 110k miles right now. About 50 miles a day average everyday driving. No major repair so far. Some regular maintenance work was done at dealer and some at local shops. Tranny fluid drain and fill was done only once and that was long time ago. Just checked motor mounts, front and left side mounts are looking fine however I did not check the third one.
Problems :--
1. Hard shift: when tranny shifts from 2 to 3 and/or 3 to 2. It's been like this from 40k miles. If I drive slowly, it always happens. If I accelerate or drive bit faster then barely noticeable.
2. Delay in gears engagement: from few months when I had 108k miles, I noticed scary jerk shifting from R to D that was never happened before. It shift like someone hit your car from back. I can avoid this if,
-- a) I shift the gear from R to D,
-- b) I then wait 2 second and let tranny to engage in D,
-- c) I then release the brake paddle and then start driving.
Doing above stops scary shift from R to D.
So, if my tranny is going bad then how much approx time I have left?
Also, any advise to stop tranny going bad?
And, if tranny goes belly-up then any good place to get it fixed between Boston to Concord, NH region?
EDIT: Noticed my tranny fluid is dirty and black, of course I will be doing dail & refill. Perhaps it will cure the problem?
I am not sure yet if I am also a victim of bad tranny. May be someone can help me understand what’s going on and what will happen and perhaps when.
04 SE fully loaded with 110k miles right now. About 50 miles a day average everyday driving. No major repair so far. Some regular maintenance work was done at dealer and some at local shops. Tranny fluid drain and fill was done only once and that was long time ago. Just checked motor mounts, front and left side mounts are looking fine however I did not check the third one.
Problems :--
1. Hard shift: when tranny shifts from 2 to 3 and/or 3 to 2. It's been like this from 40k miles. If I drive slowly, it always happens. If I accelerate or drive bit faster then barely noticeable.
2. Delay in gears engagement: from few months when I had 108k miles, I noticed scary jerk shifting from R to D that was never happened before. It shift like someone hit your car from back. I can avoid this if,
-- a) I shift the gear from R to D,
-- b) I then wait 2 second and let tranny to engage in D,
-- c) I then release the brake paddle and then start driving.
Doing above stops scary shift from R to D.
So, if my tranny is going bad then how much approx time I have left?
Also, any advise to stop tranny going bad?
And, if tranny goes belly-up then any good place to get it fixed between Boston to Concord, NH region?
EDIT: Noticed my tranny fluid is dirty and black, of course I will be doing dail & refill. Perhaps it will cure the problem?
Last edited by saraara; 10-31-2010 at 03:35 PM.
11-10-2010, 09:09 PM
#339
Ok,
I am not sure yet if I am also a victim of bad tranny. May be someone can help me understand what’s going on and what will happen and perhaps when.
04 SE fully loaded with 110k miles right now. About 50 miles a day average everyday driving. No major repair so far. Some regular maintenance work was done at dealer and some at local shops. Tranny fluid drain and fill was done only once and that was long time ago. Just checked motor mounts, front and left side mounts are looking fine however I did not check the third one.
Problems :--
1. Hard shift: when tranny shifts from 2 to 3 and/or 3 to 2. It's been like this from 40k miles. If I drive slowly, it always happens. If I accelerate or drive bit faster then barely noticeable.
2. Delay in gears engagement: from few months when I had 108k miles, I noticed scary jerk shifting from R to D that was never happened before. It shift like someone hit your car from back. I can avoid this if,
-- a) I shift the gear from R to D,
-- b) I then wait 2 second and let tranny to engage in D,
-- c) I then release the brake paddle and then start driving.
Doing above stops scary shift from R to D.
So, if my tranny is going bad then how much approx time I have left?
Also, any advise to stop tranny going bad?
And, if tranny goes belly-up then any good place to get it fixed between Boston to Concord, NH region?
EDIT: Noticed my tranny fluid is dirty and black, of course I will be doing dail & refill. Perhaps it will cure the problem?
I am not sure yet if I am also a victim of bad tranny. May be someone can help me understand what’s going on and what will happen and perhaps when.
04 SE fully loaded with 110k miles right now. About 50 miles a day average everyday driving. No major repair so far. Some regular maintenance work was done at dealer and some at local shops. Tranny fluid drain and fill was done only once and that was long time ago. Just checked motor mounts, front and left side mounts are looking fine however I did not check the third one.
Problems :--
1. Hard shift: when tranny shifts from 2 to 3 and/or 3 to 2. It's been like this from 40k miles. If I drive slowly, it always happens. If I accelerate or drive bit faster then barely noticeable.
2. Delay in gears engagement: from few months when I had 108k miles, I noticed scary jerk shifting from R to D that was never happened before. It shift like someone hit your car from back. I can avoid this if,
-- a) I shift the gear from R to D,
-- b) I then wait 2 second and let tranny to engage in D,
-- c) I then release the brake paddle and then start driving.
Doing above stops scary shift from R to D.
So, if my tranny is going bad then how much approx time I have left?
Also, any advise to stop tranny going bad?
And, if tranny goes belly-up then any good place to get it fixed between Boston to Concord, NH region?
EDIT: Noticed my tranny fluid is dirty and black, of course I will be doing dail & refill. Perhaps it will cure the problem?
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