My nissan sentra 2011 has been displaying this particular problem where it jerks when I make a sharp right turn. It only happens when I’ve just started the car and once I get it warmed up that problem doesn’t happen. It happens randomly too. I hear a clunking noise and I think it might be the gears but could it be something else? The jerking stops when I press the brakes and wait for 1-2 seconds before accelerating again. What would be the worst case and best case scenario.
Is it still under warranty ? Take it back.
CVT transmission?
I bought it from someone a few months ago. It was a clean title though. How bad is a CVT transmission problem?
It would be somewhat unusual to occur in a 2011, but it could be a bad CV joint doing this. Clicking (sometimes described as clunking) when simultaneously turning and accelerating from a stop is a common symptom of a bad CV joint, and there could be jerking associated with this too if it is very badly worn.
Could be other things too, like the CVT. You’d have to get someone experienced with CVT to tell you one way or the other.
I just bought a car with a CVT. In reading the owners manual, it said that CVT transmissions will sometimes make a clicking sound with a mild jerking under certain conditions and it is normel. I haven’t experienced it yet.
How bad/serious is a bad CV joint and is there an estimate for the repairs? Also, wouldn’t it be considered unsafe for mild jerking regardless?
If a CV joint is worn out enough that it is about to break in two, that could be dangerous. Especially if it happened at high speed. You could lose control of the car. Fortunately that doesn’t happen very often. CV joints are a part of the car that is designed to wear out over time, like wheel bearings, water pumps, brakes, etc, so they make them easy to repair or replace. I service mine – which involves taking them apart and putting in new lube and new boots – on my early 90’s Corolla as part of routine maintenance. But these days most mechanics usually just replace the entire drive axel. On FWD econo-box sedans it’s a common and relatively inexpensive repair.
How much would an estimate be?
Well one thing you could do is ask your local inde shop that question. That’s probably best. Most shops charge by the hour, and it should take less than an hour to do an estimate, so for the estimate I’d expect it to cost less than $100. Probably more like $50-$70. Some shops as policy may provide estimates for free.