Selling a car with a failing CVT

None of the maker bulletins we read, and no government agency, prints a price for a replacement CVT. Treat any number you haven't been quoted in writing as a guess. For conventional automatics, our bad transmission guide has the general warning signs and AAA's repair ranges.

How a failing CVT shows up

The makers describe these complaints in service bulletins they filed with NHTSA:

• Judder. Nissan's bulletin NTB15-084d describes the customer's complaint as shake, shudder, one or more bumps, or vibration, with trouble code P17F0 or P17F1 stored. It first applied to 2013-2014 four-cylinder Altimas and 2014-2016 Rogues (NTB15-084d). A May 2023 revision lists the 2013-2018 Altima and the 2013-2020 Pathfinder (NTB17-039P).
• A whine or grind. On 2013-2017 Altimas and 2014-2017 Rogues with the four-cylinder QR25DE engine, Nissan describes a whine or grind from the CVT while accelerating or holding a highway speed, which can get louder as the car goes faster (NTB15-102b).
• Power suddenly drops off. Nissan's CVT is built to protect itself when its fluid runs too hot. It enters a fail-safe mode, engine performance is reduced, and owners report it as low power. Overfilled fluid, the wrong fluid or the wrong coolant mix can set it off before it should (Nissan bulletin).
• Shudder low, surge high. On the 2015 Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi describes a shudder between 10 and 40 mph, or engine rpm flaring at higher speeds. Keep driving it and the CVT belt can be damaged, and a warning light comes on (SC-15-003). A later bulletin says the belt can then slip over and over under acceleration, shedding abrasion powder into the hydraulic circuit (TSB-22-23-001REV).
• Odd bumps. Subaru's bulletins list a feeling like stopping a stick-shift car without the clutch (2010-2012 Legacy and Outback), fluid seeping from the oil pump chain cover gasket on its TR690 CVT (2010-2015), and a bump from behind while idling in Drive (2015 Legacy and Outback) (Subaru 16-107-17R).
• No drive at all. Subaru recall 21V-955 covers 198,255 vehicles: the 2019-2020 Ascent and the 2020 turbo Legacy and Outback. A software flaw can let the CVT chain slip and break the chain guide, and a broken chain can leave the car with no power while it's moving (recall 21V-955).

Check the VIN for extended coverage first

These programs add years and miles to the maker's warranty on the CVT alone. A dealer looks them up by VIN. You won't find them on NHTSA's recall lookup, which leaves out manufacturer customer-service campaigns and other non-safety programs, so ask a dealer directly.

Nissan

Three Nissan programs took CVT coverage from 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles, whichever comes first:

• 2012-2017 Versa sedan, 2014-2017 Versa Note, 2013-2017 Sentra, 2013-2016 Altima and 2013-2017 Juke, from May 11, 2020 (bulletin).
• 2015 Rogue Select, 2014-2018 Rogue and 2015-2018 Pathfinder, from June 1, 2022 (bulletin).
• 2017-2018 Altima, 2018-2019 Sentra and 2018-2019 Versa sedan and Versa Note, from May 23, 2023 (bulletin).

Nissan's 2020 bulletin lists what's included: the CVT assembly with everything inside it, its gaskets and seals, the control valve body, the torque converter, any cooler kit, and fresh programming for the computer that runs the transmission. A rental is included while the work is done. The 2020 owner letter says you don't need to do anything to be covered, and the work is done at an authorized Nissan dealer (owner letter).

Three details catch people out. The programs came out of class-action settlements, and an owner who opted out of the class may not be covered. Coverage goes by VIN, and Nissan tells dealers to check it on cars bought from private sellers too. And once a car is outside every warranty, Nissan's instruction is to give the owner a repair estimate and to look at its goodwill guidelines only if the owner asks for help (Nissan Q&A). So ask. Our Nissan page goes deeper into Nissan's CVT years.

Subaru

Subaru extended CVT coverage from 5 years/60,000 miles to 10 years/100,000 miles on:

• 2010-2015 Legacy and Outback, 2012-2015 Impreza, 2013-2015 Crosstrek, 2014-2015 Forester and the 2015 WRX. Subaru said the change wasn't a response to any specific condition (16-107-17R).
• The 2016-2017 Legacy, Outback, Impreza, Crosstrek (2016 Crosstrek Hybrid too), Forester and WRX (16-115-18).
• The same lineup for the 2018 model year (16-117-18).

Certain 2019-2020 Legacy, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, Crosstrek and Forester models got a different deal. Subaru's notice is dated June 30, 2025. Each owner's letter opened a one-year window, counted from the letter's date, for CVT work under 10-year/100,000-mile terms. Repairs had to be done before the window closed. Owners who had already paid for a CVT repair after the original 5-year/60,000-mile warranty ran out, and before the letter, may be able to get that money back for work the program would have covered (Subaru notice).

After the chain-slip recall, Subaru also gave the 2019-2020 Ascent and 2020 turbo Legacy and Outback 10 years/100,000 miles from the original warranty start for chain slip, covering one CVT replacement for that fault (WRK-21 extension).

The three bulletins for 2010-2018 models cover the original CVT or a genuine Subaru replacement, remanufactured units included. They don't cover salvage yard CVTs, rebuilt salvage vehicles, or units overhauled by anyone Subaru hasn't approved. If the car carries a rebuilt title, see selling a salvage title car.

Honda

On the 2016-2020 HR-V with a CVT, Honda says the drive belt can wear out early. It extended CVT coverage to 7 years from the original purchase date or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, and the repair under it is a replacement CVT. A dealer checks eligibility by VIN (Honda 21-047). In the bulletins we read, no other Honda model had a CVT extension.

Mitsubishi

We found no CVT extension from Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi's powertrain warranty of 10 years/100,000 miles (2016 booklet, non-turbo cars) includes the transaxle internals and the torque converter, but only for the original owner; later owners get 5 years/60,000 miles under basic coverage (warranty booklet).

Two other Mitsubishi documents are worth a dealer visit. Safety recall SR-16-006 covers a hesitation when pulling away on the 2015-2016 Outlander Sport, 2016 Outlander and 2016 Lancer, and the fix is new software for the CVT computer (SR-16-006). The March 2024 shudder and surge bulletin lists the 2016-2017 Lancer, the 2016-2020 Outlander 2.4 and the Outlander Sport from 2015 to 2024 (TSB-20-23-001REV4).

Which cars could still be inside a window

These terms run out by age or by miles, so as of October 2026 the oldest cars on the lists are the least likely to qualify:

• Nissan: 84 months is seven years, and the bulletins don't say what date the count starts from. The newest cars on the lists, 2019 Sentras and Versas, have the best chance if they're under 84,000 miles.
• Subaru: ten years is the longest term here, so a 2017 or 2018 model under 100,000 miles may still be inside it. The 2019-2020 window ran one year from the date on the owner's letter, so check the date on yours.
• Honda: a 2019 or 2020 HR-V bought new in late 2019 or after is still short of seven years.

How often owners report it

These counts come from NHTSA's complaint file, summed over each model's CVT years, for complaints filed under the power train component:

• Nissan Altima, 2013-2018: at least 1,033 of 5,550 complaints.
• Nissan Sentra, 2013-2019: at least 809 of 2,277.
• Nissan Pathfinder, 2013-2018: at least 575 of 2,153.
• Nissan Rogue, 2014-2018: at least 481 of 2,802.
• Subaru Outback, 2010-2015: at least 443 of 2,319.
• Nissan Versa, 2012-2019: at least 330 of 1,289.
• Honda HR-V, 2016-2020: at least 113 of 841.
• Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, 2011-2017: at least 108 of 362.

Read them with care. Power train covers the whole drivetrain, not only the CVT. NHTSA doesn't verify owner complaints. And our copy of the file keeps only the top six components for each model year, so these are floors, not totals. Year-by-year counts for the Altima are on our Altima page.

Fluid: the cheapest thing to rule out

Before you write off a CVT that just dropped into low power, check what fluid is in it and how much. Nissan names overfilled fluid and the wrong fluid as triggers for an early fail-safe. The makers' own schedules differ:

• Nissan, 2019 Altima 2.5: inspect the CVT fluid every 10,000 miles or 12 months and replace it every 60,000 miles. On the 2.0-liter turbo, inspect every 7,500 miles (Nissan schedule).
• Subaru: the 2020 schedule calls for a CVT fluid inspection every 48 months or 60,000 miles (Subaru). The 2023 booklet says to replace it every 24,855 miles (40,000 km) where the car is often driven in severe conditions (2023 booklet).
• Honda HR-V: on the 2016 model, code 3 on the Maintenance Minder means replace the transmission fluid, and Honda says to change it every 25,000 miles if you often tow or drive mountain roads at very low speeds (Maintenance Minder). The 2023 manual calls for Honda HCF-2 and has a dealer check and replace it as needed (owner's manual).

Fix it or sell it

• An extension covers it: take the covered repair. Nissan's 2020 program even adds a rental car.
• No coverage, but the car is worth a lot running: get a written quote for the CVT and compare it with what the car would sell for repaired.
• No coverage, and the quote is near or above that value: price selling it as it sits before you approve the repair.
• The car won't move at all: don't drive it anywhere to save money. Mitsubishi's bulletins say continued driving can damage the belt further, and a car with no drive needs a truck either way.

Selling it with the CVT as it is

If you decide against the repair, sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US, so a car stuck in a driveway with no drive is fine.

Give us these details for the offer:

• Year, make, model and mileage.
• What the transmission does now: judders, whines, drops into low power, or won't drive at all.
• Whether it rolls in Neutral, and where it's parked.
• Whether the CVT was ever replaced, and with what.
• Whether you have the title and keys.

Prefer to talk it through? Call (877) 421-6008. After the pickup, check whether your state wants a sale or release notice from you; after you sell explains what to send and when. If the title is missing, start with selling without a title.