Hello everyone, need suggestions:
I just started noticing issues while driving my automatic S maxima. I lost rpms while driving at one time while driving down the street. Nothing turned off, car just didn't go into gear and reeved up then it continued. Not all the time, but it started to jerk and stall when taking off also. Is this a transmission issue ready to leave me stranded? I did notice that going uphill it is starting to stall as I go faster. What can i do at this point? Will even changing the fluid, etc. do any help? Or am i doomed to have this transmission replaced? Could it be other stuff also, and maybe not my transmission?

A lot of questions about your car
When did you get it? what is your current mileage? what is the maintenance history (especially transmission fluid changes)? any major work done before on it? had it been in an accident? do you have a Check Engine Light? have you tried or took it to someone who hooked an OBD scanner and read the codes in the computer?
It might be a transmission failing, but also could be an electrical issue (alternator is one) or even fuel system problem (failing fuel pump or injectors). It is hard to say without full story and very basic testing.

How many miles?
How often changed the Tran-juice?
Bunny rabbit at the light, or driving Ms Daisey?

135,000 miles
Have not done a tran juice change :-(
No check engine lights on or anything.
No accidents just did my spark plugs like 2 months ago.

Have the battery and alternator checked.
You need to change CVT fluid and filter (3 to 4 times for full fluid swap) and hope it's not too late.

dont do a full swap (aka flush) w that many miles for a first.

drain and fill so that the shaving in the torq converter can hold internals together.

and yup, you overdue for an initial “drain”.

drop pan and clean filter, plus filter by driver side fog light w brake cleaner

drop a few hundred miles and report up!

Ok, they said it was my Valve Body that needs to be replaced. Charging $2200 that includes all labor and parts. Covering valve body, transmission fluid and filter (obviously) with labor charge. Does this sound reasonable? Is the Valve Body really difficult and filter change with oil to do?

Who "they"? Nissan dealership?
if it was my car I would start with fluid and filter change only and go from there. It might work or might not (if damage has already happened somewhere in the transmission)
You need to change the fluid more than one time if never changed before.

X2.
drain and fill, clean filter and report back.

Valve body problems happened mostly on the previous Gen- you would be a first reporting this (so far)

spend that $100 and check back…

It’s a DIY with some simple tools. But I think ECU would need reprogramming after…

I just did this, NS 2 fluid, external filter and brake clean.

There is a local shop that I have gone to before. They checked the car out and said the Valve Body is the issue. Today, the car almost left me stranded. Car did not turn off, I just could not accelerate at all, stuck on rev and no movement while on a stop light. After a couple of seconds, it finally took off and jerked when it initiated and accelerated slowly. This happened a couple of times as I was headed home from the store, but finally made it home safe. I have never had this issue before with any other cars owned, so seeking to see if anyone had the same issue and what the repair was. I will be taking it in tomorrow and hoping that solves the issue and out of $2200 bucks :-(.

My thoughts were: maybe fuel filter, maybe clogged cats, ??? not sure

I have a 2014 with 112,000 miles and my car is doing the exact same thing. Slow to take off and jerks in the low gears. Def experienced it more going uphill. Can you give me an update on your situation? I brought to a small shop and they can’t figure out what is wrong. Looks like I’m gonna have to bring it to Nissan. 😞

Draining and refilling CVT is simple and not expensive. Approx $17 per qt for Nissan NS fluid. You'll need 4.5 to 5 qts, I've never dropped my pan but I have changed the filter behind the front drivers side wheel well cover. That also is quite easy. The filter runs about $40 these days. There are forum posts here which list the part number and with some helpful photos. A decent YouTube video or two as well. I can get you the filter part number, just let me know. I honestly don't know what the valve body is but I can speculate that plenty of labor is involved. So the valve body is part of the CVT?

What was the brake clean for?

Do you know how your shop checked the fuel pump? Did they remove the line in the engine bay to see if fuel was pumping? Asking because this is how it was done decades ago and all of the symptoms you guys are having does sound like it might my fuel not making it to the engine.

Valve Body can be seen under the transmission all bolted in

not hard to replace, runs about $1K, but would require stealership programming….and Tran juice

X1
all related and could be ….

I just dropped my car off to Nissan and they told me that I needed a new transmission. They want $7000. Car is paid off. Not sure if I should pay that or not. 😩😩

sure at the Stealership, so you can change your mind from a7k repairs to drop into a new ride.
My 260K Tran replacement to an 87k salvage cost me $3k total.

go eBay / online etc and find one shipped to your local shop with low miles, but ask that shop labor cost.

gl, report back

I told them to change the transmission fluid and we’ll go from there. She said that it could cause more damage than good. Can you believe that? How is that possible?

They don't call 'em stealerships for nothing...

2013 Maxima - 100k miles - I just did the output shaft seal on the transmission, the filter, and a single drain-and-fill using Valvoline synthetic NS-2 and the car drives (drove, but that's another story) beautifully.

I have a 2009 maxima with the same issues. The thing that ended up working for me was replacing the transmission valve body. It was so much easier and cheaper than replacing transmission. I went and ordered one off e bay but I got sent a used part that didn't work. I checked my local wrecker and found a 2013 so I pulled the part myself and took it home cleaned and tested each solenoid, including stepper motor. I researched and found out how to test everything. I installed it and replaced both filters and fluid. Very important to replace filters. Critical

The valve body is not too difficult to replace.

After my valve body was fixed the issue remained the same a week later. Finally, they took it to the dealership to confirm the transmission was the issue. Rebuilt transmission was but in and 5K later so far so good. It's only been about 2 weeks, so i will continue to monitor it and hopefully no issues.

Well, that would have been the final resort.

my transplant happened last December.

your symptoms are evident to a tran replacement, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to rule out some other quick fixes.

I plan for another 200K if nothing else breaks, or 3 years later to upgrade…. whichever comes first.

change the Tran-juice every 30k miles

You don't have to reprogram ecu