2016 Nissan Altima transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 16, 2026ILTransmission & Drivetrain

   To recap: •Nissan manufactured defective transmissions. •Nissan granted me a warranty extension with a fleeting expiration date (2023) to shift the cost away from them. •In 2020, Nissan performed work on my car. The work they performed masked the problem, didn’t fix it. And it deferred the problem, “kicking the can down the road.” •In 2026, Nissan denied my claim for goodwill approval. •I paid for a piecemeal fix on the car, leaving all the other transmission components…

   NHTSA complaint #11757234 · source
2. Filed Aug 3, 2026CAAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   My 2016 Nissan Altima has approximately 68,900 miles. When I am stopped and press the gas pedal, the vehicle sometimes hesitates before it begins moving. It does not accelerate normally, which is dangerous when I am pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, or making a turn. At other times while driving, the vehicle will not accelerate properly and appears to become stuck in a low gear. The engine RPM may rise to approximately 4,000, but the vehicle does not shift or…

   NHTSA complaint #11754572 · source
3. Filed Jun 16, 2026MSTransmission & Drivetrain

   My daughter was driving down the road and came to a 2-wayy stop. Went to pull out and the car stalled and started shuddering. On down the road leaving a red light it did the same thing and not wanting to really go.

   NHTSA complaint #11744511 · source
4. Filed Feb 26, 2026WIEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Delayed gear change from 1st to 2nd/delayed acceleration 1-5 seconds mid-traffic because the car overheats soon after driving which causes the car to not properly accelerate causing more RPMs than necessary during longer drives with frequent stops (within urban/suburban areas).

   NHTSA complaint #11720589 · source
5. Filed Nov 24, 202584,000 miNCEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond while the engine was running. The contact stated that the vehicle responded and returned to normal functionality after depressing the accelerator pedal several times. The contact stated that the failure was more evident while driving in cold weather. No warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the…

   NHTSA complaint #11701186 · source
6. Filed Nov 23, 2025GATransmission & Drivetrain

   While i was driving the transmission felt as if it was slipping and didn't want to switch gears. When i stopped at a red light it didn't want to kick into drive it took like 3 -4 minutes to kick in no warning lights came on it just started messing up when I took it to get it looked at the code p17f0 came up. Im still paying a 429 car note on this vehicle and can not drive it plus the Carmax Care coverage i had on the car, is unusable!! So now im stuck with a broken car that…

   NHTSA complaint #11701094 · source
7. Filed Sep 30, 2025TNTransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission started slipping at 70,000 miles on the Altima, even after getting a preventative transmission service at 30,000 miles. A mechanic revealed a judder code, which means the transmission will stop working within weeks. A repair would cost more than the car is worth. My wife could have been stranded in traffic. This is unacceptable. No warning lights appeared on the dash.

   NHTSA complaint #11690642 · source
8. Filed Sep 15, 2025ARTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal a second time, the vehicle responded as intended; however, the failure recurred at the next stop. The contact stated that the gas cap warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the gas cap, no issue…

   NHTSA complaint #11687251 · source
9. Filed Aug 21, 2025FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   -Nissan made their Altimas and other vehicles using a CVT transmission that was of poor design and quality. -Nissan has admitted to this in several class action lawsuits, [XXX] ) and has extended their powertrain warranty and time period as a result. -The extended powertrain warranty is to cover up until 84k miles, the mileage on the Nissan Altima in question is just over 82k, well under the mileage limit. -Nissan corporate has denied repairs for this particular Nissan…

   NHTSA complaint #11682063 · source
10. Filed Jul 16, 2025AZTransmission & Drivetrain

    My 96 year old mom purchased 2016 Alltima 8 years ago. It now has 59,000 0riginal miles on it and the CVT transmission is failing we were told at the nissan service center where the car was purchased. Nissan has refused to help pay for any repairs. So 96 year old woman living on fixed income has to pay. Go back to Japan NISSAN

    NHTSA complaint #11674069 · source
11. Filed Jul 8, 2025100,000 miNCTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate, and the vehicle was jerking and lurching while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.

    NHTSA complaint #11671952 · source
12. Filed May 12, 2025KYTransmission & Drivetrain

    Sometimes when you push the gas to take off after coming to a stop my 2016 Altima will not accelerate for several seconds. The RPMs will go high but the car won't move for several seconds and then it moves very slow for several more seconds. If it doesn't straighten up on its own I've discovered I can turn the car off for a few seconds and restart it. When I do this the transmission will work again. I've almost been struck by another car more than once when I attempted to…

    NHTSA complaint #11660481 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology