My 7th gen 2011 nissan maxima is having transmission issues. It is constantly gear shifting to 1st gear and its very noticeable as the car stutters almost constantly. And when I brake and am waiting at a stop light for round 30 seconds, when I go to put pressure on the gas the amount of power I put into it is not transferring over to the car so it’s driving very slow at first then kicks back into normal speed. Anyone know any possible solutions or at least the source of the problem? (Other than the fact its the transmission)

 

How many miles on the car? Has the CVT oil ever been changed?

 

My car has just about 99k miles on it. Im unsure if the cvt oil has ever been changed, I’ll definitely have to look into that.

 

Fluid might be low, though at your mileage I would just change it and the external filter.

To check fluid level, drive your car on the highway for 20ish minutes to get the CVT to operating temperature, find a level spot, leave the car running, and check your fluid level.

 

How sure are you that it is the transmission? I had somewhat the same issue when an ignition coil went bad. And again when an alternator was going out. Don't misunderstand, both Richard66 and TDGrant have valid points and you SHOULD service your car regularly, which includes the CVT drain and fill which you are most assuredly past due, but don't forget your other systems as well. At 100k you are due for new plugs too and the state of those will give you a great overall operational look at how well your engine is holding together too.

PSA: The following is NOT chiding you, but just a reminder to all of us.

If you wish to protect your investment, establish a regular maintenance plan for your car and stick to it. Some service their CVTs every30k and others at 60K and yet others not at all but it is THEIR CAR. At the end of the day, personal responsibility comes into play. All of us on this forum have heard of people ranting against the Maxima and its CVT only to discover they really didn't have a maintenance plan. (OK so there have been some valid failures too) Me? I am getting ready to turn over the 444,444 mile mark on my 7th gen (Pandemic has really limited my mileage of late but am starting to get out more and go to the office a day or so a week)
Lt