2012 Nissan Altima

CVT TRANSMISSION AND (UN)"SAFE MODE" THIS HAS OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE TRIPS ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS 60-80 MPH THAT ARE USUALLY IN EXCESS OF 70 MILES. THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO "SAFE MODE". THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION WILL NO LONGER REV ABOVE 2900 RPM WHICH INHIBITS THE VEHICLES ABILITY TO MAINTAIN SAFE HIGHWAY SPEEDS ESPECIALLY IF ANY SORT OF INCLINE IS INTRODUCED (IT IS HARD TO MAINTAIN A SPEED OF 45MPH AND THERE IS MINIMAL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE). THE ONLY REMEDY I HAVE DISCOVERED IS TO LET THE VEHICLE COOL DOWN. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE AT ~ 40,000 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE (CODES OR OBVIOUS DEFECTS). AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND AN ISSUE, HOWEVER NISSAN EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OUT TO 100,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION WILL STILL GO INTO SAFE MODE FROM TIME TO TIME AND HAS ADDITIONALLY BEGAN MAKING A QUITE OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD WHINING NOISE (AT ~ 60,000 MILES, SIMILAR TO WHEN A POWER STEERING PUMP IS A ABOUT TO FAIL).

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA LOST ACCELERATION AND WOULD NOT GO BACK INTO GEAR WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT WITH AN 18 WHEELER THE SECOND TIME THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. MY CAR WAS ONLY AT 67,000 MILES AND THE DEALERSHIP IS STATING THAT IT NEEDS A NEW CVT TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD HAVE CAUSED OUR BABY TO BE INVOLVED IN A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. SOMETHING DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE DONE REGARDING THIS SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED BADLY!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND LOST POWER AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PO744, CVT A AND B TEMP WERE FOUND OUT OF SPECIFICATION AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID NEEDED REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

ALRIGHT SO TODAY I NOTICED A WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, JUST AFTER LEAVING MY CAR KEPT SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. I GET ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN IM STUCK IN 5TH GEAR FOR THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. I GOT THE FLASH CODES AND DID A BIT OF RESEARCH, HERE IS WHAT I FOUND. 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN - TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT INTERMITTENT PAUSIBLE CAUSES: - FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID VALVE - TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID VALVE HARNESS IS OPEN OR SHORTED - TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID VALVE CIRCUIT POOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION - LOW TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL - DIRTY TRANSMISSION FLUID I HAVE TO PULL OVER FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEN START MY CARE FOR THE SENSOR TO RESET SO THAT I CAN DRIVE MY DESIRED SPEED LIMIT. ONCE IT GETS HOT THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO DRIVE MORE THAN 60-65MPH. THE DEALER SAYS I NEED TO NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE 95,000 MILES ON MY 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S AND IS ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS. IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TRAVEL AS MUCH BECAUSE OF THESE ISSUES. AFTER AN HOUR OF DRIVING, MY TRANSMISSION WHINES AND MY SPEED LIMIT DROPS WHEN DRIVING THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND DEADLY. I FEAR THAT BECAUSE OF THE DECREASE IN SPEED COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.

TODAY WAS THE SECOND TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF LONG. MY CAR BEGAN TO LOSE SPEED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 60 MPH. WHILE I HAD THE GAS PEDAL DOWN COMPLETELY ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AS THE CAR COULD NOT GAIN SPEED. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, I HAD TO MERGE OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT FOR SAFETY. I DROVE MY CAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER TO NISSAN SO THEY COULD VERIFY THIS ISSUE. THEY FAILED TO HELP ME IN ANY WAY RECOMMENDING I INVEST IN A CVT COOLER, DUE TO NOT BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE. A COUPLE MONTHS BACK WHEN THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY I TOOK IT TO NISSAN WITH THE SAME ISSUE, AT THAT TIME THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT DETECT AN ISSUE. BUT NOW MY WARRANTY IS UP THEY'RE SUGGESTING WHAT THE CAR NEEDS. I'M VERY UPSET WITH HOW DANGEROUS THIS CAN BE AND HOW CARELESS NISSAN IS. IT'S LIKE THEY ARE JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SERIOUSLY BE HURT IN AN ACCIDENT TO THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

ON 5/16/2013 AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF HIGHWAY DRIVING MY 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE IN ORDER NOT TO GET HIT FROM TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. AFTER AWHILE I WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER. NISSAN SERVICE SAID IT WAS A ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM). NISSAN REPLACE AND REPROGRAMMED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY. ON 7/11/2013 THE SAME ISSUE RETURNED LEAVING ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH NO POWER ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS! AGAIN I LIMPED BACK TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER AND THIS TIME THEY DIAGNOSED THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THEY GRACEFULLY COVERED IT EVEN THOUGH I NOW HAD 41K MILES. NOW LESS THAN 2 YEARS LATER 5/13/2015 MY CAR LOST POWER JUST AS IT HAD BEFORE ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, NARROWLY GETTING CREAMED BEFORE PULLING OVER! BACK TO THE NISSAN DEALER AND AT FIRST THEY REPORTED NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. I TOLD THEM IT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS HOT, THEY REPLIED THAT THEY COULDN'T DRIVE IT THAT LONG! FINALLY AFTER SEVERAL CALLS THE DEALER FOUND A TSB (NTB-13-079) IDENTIFYING THE SENSOR ON THE TRANSMISSION FORCED IT TO GO INTO LIMP MODE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION GETS HOT. NISSAN'S FIX IS TO SELL ME A $640. TRANSMISSION COOLER. THERE IS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS PUTTING DRIVERS AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY AND NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT IT!