I have a 2010 Nissan Maxima SV. The CVT had to be replaced at approximately 119,800 miles. Thankfully, Nissan had extended the warranty to 120,000 miles due to issues they had been having with that particular transmission. My car now has approximately 145,000 miles. While driving out of town this past weekend, a trip of roughly 320 miles, I noticed the RPM’s started to jump as I was almost to my destination. Specifically, when the RPMs hit 2100 they would jump to 2400/2500 RPMs and then come right back down. I contacted my regular Nissan service department and made an appointment to bring my car in as soon as I returned to town. I also took my car to the certified Nissan dealership/service center near where I was staying. When less than one mile from Nissan, my car lost significant power and would only drive at a very low speed. I immediately pulled over and called for a tow truck to transport my car the rest of the way.
The Nissan service team reported that the transmission fluid level was overfull and they drained approximately 2 quarts and reset the level. That seemed to have taken care of the issue. I made it almost all the way back home before experiencing any further problems. I had stopped several times during my trip without incident. However, when I got of the interstate upon arriving in my hometown and proceeded to accelerate after coming to the first red light, my car seemed to lunge into gear. This happened at the next light as well. I decided to go directly to my regular Nissan dealership, which was just down the road.
I received a call from Nissan service informing me that my transmission needs to be replaced again and that the cost will be $5000.00.
Would having the transmission fluid overfilled for so long (approximately 27,000 miles) potentially ruin the transmission? I’ve had some mechanics tell me that it could cause pressure problems, leaks, blown gaskets.