The bottom line: A shuddering or slipping 2013 to 2018 Altima doesn’t always need a new CVT. Nissan’s own bulletins tell its dealers to try a software update and then a new valve body first, and both are smaller jobs than replacing the transmission.
If the CVT itself has failed, the price decides it. At a dealer’s $6,000-plus, a new CVT costs more than a 2013 four-cylinder sells for running.
Owners report paying $3,000 to $5,210, and at the low end, fixing can still come out ahead of an offer for the car broken. Nissan pays only on a car still inside 7 years and 84,000 miles from its first sale.
Once you’ve ruled out the cheaper fixes, Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
What would buyers pay for your Altima with a failed CVT?Fill in one form, answering whether your Altima still drives, and weigh real offers against a CVT quote.
Key Takeaways
- Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 7 years or 84,000 miles on every 2013 to 2018 Altima, and on the 2013 to 2016 cars that time has now run out.
- No safety recall covers the CVT on any 2013 to 2018 Altima.
- Owners on CarComplaints report typical bills of $3,000 to $5,210 for CVT trouble on 2013 to 2017 Altimas, and on the 2013 the fix they report most is a new transmission.
- A remanufactured CVT for a 2013 Altima with the four-cylinder engine is listed at $2,775 to $4,402 before labor.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Is Your Altima Still Under Nissan’s CVT Warranty?
Nissan stretched the CVT warranty on these cars from 5 years or 60,000 miles to 7 years or 84,000 miles, whichever comes first:
- The 2020 extension covers 2013 to 2016 Altimas.
- The 2023 extension covers 2017 and 2018 models.
Both stay with the car when it changes hands, and both pay for:
- The CVT and its internal parts
- The valve body
- The torque converter
- Reprogramming the control module
The clock runs from the car’s original warranty start, so every 2013 to 2016 Altima is now past seven years.
A 2017 or 2018 can still be inside it if it was first sold less than seven years ago and has under 84,000 miles. They were built from late 2015 to 2018, so only one first sold in late 2019 or after is still inside the seven years.
A Nissan dealer checks this by VIN. If you’re just outside it, ask the dealer to put a goodwill request to Nissan.
The two class settlements behind these extensions also paid back owners for CVT repairs. Those claim windows have closed, so a repair you paid for in the past can’t be reclaimed now.
NHTSA lists no CVT recall for any of these model years.
What Does Nissan Tell Dealers to Try Before a New CVT?
Nissan’s service bulletins set out an order of repairs, and a new transmission comes last:
- A software update for the transmission control module, which on many cars cures a judder at low speed (NTB15-083A for the four-cylinder, NTB15-014C for the V6).
- A new valve body, depending on the fault code. It’s the part that steers fluid inside the CVT.
- A new CVT, only when neither has worked.
One bulletin, NTB15-087a, goes further for 2013 to 2016 four-cylinder cars. For 14 listed fault codes where the shop manual would call for a new CVT, it says “Do not replace the CVT” and fit a valve body instead.
The codes include P0740, P0743, P0847, P084C and P2815. If a shop quotes you a whole transmission on a 2013 to 2016 four-cylinder, ask for the code and whether this bulletin applies.
For a 2017, NTB16-110i covers four-cylinder cars that hesitate or lose power (codes P0776 and P0841), as well as judder, in the same order: reprogram first, then a valve body. We found no such bulletin for the 2018.
Nissan publishes no price for the valve body job, and we found no reliable figure for it, so ask for it by name and bulletin number. It’s a single part inside the transmission, plus programming, where a new CVT is the whole unit.
The four-cylinder 2.5 uses Nissan’s RE0F10D belt-type CVT; the 3.5 V6 uses a chain-type unit shared with the Pathfinder, according to GEARS magazine, so parts and prices differ between them.
What Do Altima Owners Report?
| What owners described to NHTSA | Share of power train complaints |
|---|---|
| Mentions the CVT | 28% |
| Jerks, lurches or clunks into gear | 18% |
| Shudders or vibrates | 13% |
| Hesitates or delays | 13% |
| Won’t shift or stuck in a gear | 8% |
| Lost power while driving | 7% |
| Revs or slips without moving | 7% |
Those come from 1,267 power train complaints filed with NHTSA for 2013 to 2018 Altimas, 505 of them for the 2013 alone.
What Does a New Altima CVT Cost?
A new CVT from a Nissan dealer costs about the same wherever you live. These are Kelley Blue Book’s estimates for a 2013 in three cities.
| City | Dealer estimate | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL 33130 | $6,115 to $6,579 | $1,828 to $1,980 |
| Chicago, IL 60601 | $6,076 to $6,536 | $1,816 to $1,968 |
| Denver, CO 80202 | $6,212 to $6,682 | $1,857 to $2,011 |
Buying a remanufactured unit yourself lowers the part’s price. Reman Transmission lists one for a 2013 four-cylinder sedan at $2,775 to $4,402 with a three-year warranty.
Fitted at those dealer labor rates, that comes to about $4,600 to $6,400.
Owners who reported paying on CarComplaints give these typical bills, often from independent shops and well below the dealer estimate:
- A shuddering 2013: $3,120, and a new transmission is the fix reported most
- A failed 2014: $3,860
- A hesitating 2015: $3,000
- A failed 2016: $4,230
- A failed 2017: $5,210
Kelley Blue Book prices the job for your own ZIP: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Is a 2013 Altima Worth a New CVT?
A 2013 Altima 2.5 S in good condition sells for about $4,775 privately and $2,050 on trade, going by Kelley Blue Book; the V6 versions, $5,500 to $6,250 privately.
Values for your year, trim and mileage: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
| Route, 2013 2.5 S | Repair cost | After a $4,775 sale |
|---|---|---|
| New CVT at a Nissan dealer | $6,076 to $6,682 | $1,301 to $1,907 short |
| Remanufactured CVT at dealer labor rates | About $4,600 to $6,400 | About $175 left, to $1,640 short |
| Owners’ typical bill for a shuddering 2013, whatever the fix | $3,120 | $1,655 left |
| Software update or valve body | Ask your dealer | Depends on the quote |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
At dealer prices a whole new CVT loses money on a four-cylinder 2013. The owners’ typical bill leaves more than the offers for the car broken, but it mixes whatever fix they had, so it isn’t a price for a new CVT. Three owners told NHTSA they paid or were quoted $3,300 to $4,200 for a used, rebuilt or remanufactured CVT, fitted.
So a quote from an independent transmission shop can change the answer, and the smaller repairs Nissan lists first change it further. A V6 or a later year is worth more running, which tilts the sum toward fixing.
Check Your Own CVT Quote
The example is a 2013 2.5 S with a remanufactured CVT. Enter your quote, whether it’s for a valve body or a whole CVT, and your best offer.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
What Did Buyers Offer for Altimas With a Failed CVT?
Two Altimas from these years were quoted through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form, with the transmission marked as not working or missing parts, and neither could start.
| Altima | Miles | Condition | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Nissan Altima | 177,000 | Transmission not working, won’t start | $470 | $280 |
| 2013 Nissan Altima | 198,000 | Engine and transmission missing parts, won’t start | $357 | $300 |
Both sit in the low hundreds, which is the trade you make by selling instead of fixing.
Our offer data puts the typical offer for 2013 to 2018 Altimas at $768 and for all cars from those years at $1,140, counting cars 10 or more years old when quoted, so 2016 or older, in any condition.
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima, by model year 177 Nissan Altima offers · 11,380 for all cars of the same years · Model yearsShow the numbers
Model years Nissan Altima Offers All cars of the same years Offers 1998 to 2001 $415 11 $390 1,364 2002 to 2006 $380 52 $470 3,671 2007 to 2012 $448 98 $760 5,167 2013 to 2018 $768 16 $1,140 1,178 
What Should You Know Before Selling an Altima With a Bad CVT?
Get the dealer’s VIN check and fault code first, even if you plan to sell. If the warranty or a valve body can fix it, the car is worth far more running; if not, you’ll be able to describe the fault exactly, which keeps the offer from dropping at pickup.
Describe what the car does now:
- Whether it still drives
- Whether it judders or revs without moving
- Whether it has gone into a reduced-power mode
Across every make in our offer data, buyers offer 46% less for a car that won’t start than for one that drives.
The instant-offer buyers we quoted pay at pickup, so have the title in your name ready when they come.
Find out what your Altima fetches as it is. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool puts your car in front of several buyers at once, and nothing is sold unless you accept.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
Nissan: CVT warranty extension, 2013 to 2016 Altima (2020)
CVT coverage from 60 months or 60,000 miles to 84 months or 84,000 miles; transferable; covers the valve body, torque converter and control module reprogramming. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Nissan: CVT warranty extension, 2017 and 2018 Altima (2023)
The same 84 months or 84,000 miles for 2017 and 2018 models. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Nissan bulletin NTB15-083A: CVT judder, 2013 to 2015 Altima four-cylinder
Judder codes and the control module reprogramming. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Nissan bulletin NTB15-087a: valve body instead of CVT
For 14 listed fault codes on 2013 to 2016 four-cylinder Altimas: "Do not replace the CVT", replace the valve body. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Codes P0776 and P0841: reprogram first, then a valve body, or the belt and pulleys with a valve body. Accessed October 13, 2026.
GEARS magazine: introducing the JF017E Jatco CVT
The chain-type CVT in the 2013 to 2018 Altima and Pathfinder with the 3.5-liter V6. Accessed October 12, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints and recalls, 2013 to 2018 Nissan Altima
Complaints filed under power train by model year and the problems they describe, and the recall list, read from NHTSA's APIs. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2013 Nissan Altima transmission repair and replacement prices
Dealer estimates for a 2013 in ZIP 33130, 60601 and 80202: $6,076 to $6,682, of which labor $1,816 to $2,011. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Reman Transmission: 2013 Nissan Altima transmissions
Remanufactured CVT listings for the 2013 Altima, with warranty. Accessed October 12, 2026.
CarComplaints: Nissan Altima transmission problems, 2013 to 2018
Owner reports: typical repair costs and mileage per problem for each model year. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2013 Nissan Altima values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage. Accessed October 12, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Middle offer on an old Nissan Altima, by model year, Sell Car Advisor
"177 Nissan Altima offers · 11,380 for all cars of the same years" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers, and 1 figure from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
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