First let me say that I love my Maxima. She has been stone reliable, doing work commute and a regular 4 hour drive to my oldest daughter's college soccer games. I have no regrets owning this car and she has far exceeded my expectations from when I bought her.
But it looks as though the CVT in my 209K miles 2011 Maxima may be getting ready to give up the ghost. She is going to a very reputable transmission shop tomorrow.
The whining is becoming very loud which is unaffected by multiple drain and refills.
Presently she is driving fine, with no SEL or CVT dash lights but we are going to get a head start on how to move forward, worst case scenario.
We knew we were going to be in the market for a new car soon with intentions of handing her down to my daughter to live out the rest of her days as a college student's cool car.
Assuming the CVT will need to be addressed, has anyone had any luck with rebuilt or used in a Maxima? The cost for new from Nissan will probably be prohibitive and not street smart in a 200K + mile car.
I'd like to keep her in the family but any and all suggestions including using her for a trade in will be taken into consideration.
Figured you guys with intimate knowledge of these cars would offer the best advice.
Thanks

 

The best value I see in your post is give the car to your daughter after the CVT is fixed (if that's what it is). If you trade it in she will still need a car and the value of a older maxima for trade in is not that good. You said it yourself the car was reliable, that is what you want for your daughter. The best value is handing the car down. Just my take as I never trade in a vehicle, always sell it.

 

Thanks.
I spoke to a local Nissan service center today. A replacement CVT was no where near as expensive as I was expecting. They quoted me $3900 installed with warranty and the option to purchase an extended warranty.
I know $4K isn't chump change but I'd imagine we wouldn't be getting her nearly as nice a car for that type of money.

 

Like you said $3.9K is not THAT bad and you'll virtually get another 100k out of this car. In which state this dealer is located at?

 

It's generally better to deal with what you know (your Max) than try and find another good used car in the 5k to 10k range for your daughter. You never know what issues, if any, you inherit when you buy a used car from somebody. It's often a total crapshoot.

If well maintained, the engine should easily last another 100k to 150k. Keep in mind that all the suspension related stuff/motor mounts are probably getting tired and will need to be replaced sooner than later.

 

Thanks fellas
The dealer who quoted me $3900+ tax is Causeway Nissan in NJ. A very reputable local transmission shop gave me a quote of $4400 OTD price which included a 3 year parts and labor warranty.
As stated, she has never given me a lick of trouble. As a matter of fact, the transmission is still performing well but the whine is getting louder.
I've owned 4 Nissans which have all been primarily work commuters and I've never traded any in with less than 200K miles. All reliable as a rock. So I figure one $4k transmission in close to a million miles is a pretty decent return on investment.

 

Has it been determined by a service center that the CVT is the cause of the whine?

 

Unfortunately it has.

 

OK, then good luck with the repair Chris. Keep us posted.

 

There is a guy in Cincinnati Ohio (Cincinnati Transmission Specialist 513-5308726), very reputable, he changes a lot of JATCO CVT's out of Nissan products. He charges around $3100.and gives a three year warranty. I have 130K on mine and when it goes, I will have him do the replacement, keep it for another year and sell. hope that helps you out