Nissan transmission repair after warranty ended: Advice needed

[Lucie]

DS has a 2009 Nissan Rogue with less than 120k miles that needs to have the transmission replaced. This is apparently a known problem with the Nissans, to the point that they have extended the transmission warranty to 10 years/120k miles. He contacted Nissan to see if they would cover some of the repair, as it is 11 months past the extended warranty. They instructed him to tow it to the dealership and pay for an evaluation and they would let him know if they will cover some of the repair.

The cost of the tow is $80 and the evaluation is $100. I'd hate to see him throw another $180 toward if it is unlikely that they would cover any of it. Has anybody had any experience with getting coverage after a warranty expired?

Is it worth getting the evaluation to see if Nissan will cover it?

He's likely going to have to junk it as the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the vehicle. If so, what is the best option to get rid of it and be able to recover some of the money he put into it?

 

[ckelly78z]

Do you know a local mechanic who could source a used/rebuilt trans from a salvage yard, and install it, to be able to resell ?

According to The N.A.D.A. site, a base 2WD stripped 2009 Rogue is going for $5700 clean retail (add $$ for options). I would hate to see a vehicle "junked" just because of a bad transmission. I would think a local guy could buy a used tranny, and install it for around $1000 in order to sell it right away.

 

[ERD50]

Agree with ckelly78z.

Also "have to junk it as the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the vehicle" doesn't necessarily hold - that's not the right calculation. The right way to look at is to review the options:

A) Don't fix car, sell as is, collect $X (which is low for a car with problems). Buy a replacement with $X. Throw in money to make up the difference in value of problem car and a working (at least for now) replacement car.

B) Fix car (through an independent), car is now worth $Y (which should be more than $X above).

The question is, will investing in the repair and having the car you know and have a history with be preferable to some unknown car at that cost? Selling your car and buying another will have non-value-added transaction costs.

It may be worth it to you to fix it, even if the cost is more than trade-in value.

I wouldn't expect Nissan to extend the already extended warranty 11 months past the extended date. Where does that end? But you might want to look at some Nissan forums to get a better sense of that.

-ERD50

 

[target2019]

Pay the $180. He may get a replacement transmission for little or no cost.

 

[pj.mask]

I’d risk the repair fee of $180. Unless he doesn’t like the vehicle?

 

[timbo]

Nissan's are known to have transmission issues (most CVT transmissions are less reliable). That means there are less used transmissions on the market so you have less options. I'd probably pay the $180.

 

[ERD50]

I’d risk the repair fee of $180. Unless he doesn’t like the vehicle?

$180 doesn't get it repaired (unless Nissan decides to cover it on an extended-extended warranty basis). It is a $100 evaluation, and $80 tow.

-ERD50

 

[ncbill]

Pay the $180. He may get a replacement transmission for little or no cost.

ditto...even if they only cover half it's worth paying the above.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I've had Honda cover work outside of warranty for a genuine mechanical failure that wasn't user induced, but it required a call to Honda Corporate America (or whatever the name of their American corporate headquarters is). I'm not sure about Nissan, but I had a friend who had to have their sedan's automatic transmission replaced at a low mileage like that too. I hope it goes well for him and that it doesn't break the bank.

 

[HarveyS]

The cost to repair at the dealer is probably 2X the cost at a local shop. So, even if Nissan agrees to pay 50% of the repair you may be out the $180. I'd stay away from the dealership. IMO it is unlikely that Nissan will support any of this warranty claim.

 

[OldShooter]

I dunno. We had an Audi TT that shed a timing belt well before the recommended replacement mileage. It was such a common problem that Audi stocked completely assembled cylinder heads in their warehouse. After a bit of a hassle, Audi picked up the tab. Had they not agreed to pay, we would have pulled the car out of the dealer's shop and had it towed to an independent shop that we trust.

Re fix or ditch IMO all this talk of book value, already sunk cost, etc. misses the point. If I have a dead car that will cost me $2000 to get back on the road or it will otherwise be worthless my decision is simple: Knowing what I know about the car, do I want to buy it for $2000?

 

[Willers]

It is definitely worth the $100 to see what the dealer can do. It may also require a call to corporate to see if they can chip in. We've gotten goodwill allowances from both Nissan and BMW in the past.

 

[Midpack]

I'd certainly pay the $180 unless you don't want to keep the vehicle, but I wouldn't expect them to extend an extended warranty another 11 months. It's a 10 year old car!

There's no way the repair would exceed the value of the vehicle ($5700?), even with a new trans. If you mean you won't get your money back in resale, that's true of almost any 10 year old car. However, you can get a rebuilt trans for much less, and get more years out of the vehicle if you don't want to pony up for a new/used vehicle now. Most cars today are good for 200K miles or more with some repairs.

 

[Senator]

Tow it with a rope, or use AAA.

 

[dvalley]

I doubt they would replace it for free but for $180 I would give it a shot.

A Nissan remanufactured CVT for the Rogue is approx $2100 (parts only and you have to return the broken transmission to them). Add a little more for oil etc. Plus labor which I'm not sure what Nissan would charge but probably $1k-1.5k?

If the car is in excellent shape otherwise and you don't mind driving it another 100k then it's worth getting it replaced. A non-dealer shop might be able to do it for cheaper.

 

[CRLLS]

1)A used transmission that has known design issues is a fool's money IMO.

2)A repair that costs more than the book value of a car is not a deal breaker for me. The condition of the car, the warranty on the replaced transmission and how much longer you would have kept the car is more important. Consider if you purchased a similar vehicle with similar mileage and condition for "book" value. Who knows what the previous owner maintained that one and what might happen to the trans in it after you buy. The known trans is built into that "book" value. You would have a new or rebuilt one in yours.

3) Further "any" dealer will not be on your side as much as the dealer you bought and serviced the car at will. It is sad to say that last one, but it is true. Try to use your dealer for the 180 evaluation. Ask if that 180 would be comped if the trans is covered by Nissan. But really, what amount of "evaluation" will be done for less than 1 hr labor? They are probably just looking at the fluid and general condition of the car for lack of maintenance. Ask if it passes the "not abused" test, what will Nissan cover before towing it in.

If all the answers are in your favor, I would give the dealer the opportunity to make good on your trans. The worse that could happen is they say "it is not covered" and you could have your local mechanic tow it away from the dealer's lot.

One alternative to replacing the trans with a rebuilt at an independent mechanic is to tow the car to a reputable local transmission shop for an estimate, or at least call them for a range of estimates.

 

[Senator]

The Nissan dealer is the way to go. They might not do it for free, but may give a significant discount.

It may depend on your "Nissan Score". The amount you spend on new cars and repairs at a dealer.

At least they will do it right. I always use my dealer.

 

[Bamaman]

Salvage yards are getting $1250 to $2000 for those trannys used with a warranty. It's a shame that Nissan went so long before getting their CVT problems ironed out. They've really sold a bunch of Rogues.

I avoid dealerships like the plague unless the factory is paying. But it's worth $180 to get the status of the warranty extension. If they hit you up for a bunch of money, go the used route. It shouldn't take too long to swap the trannys.

Another option would to find a good independent mechanic shop that's familiar with this transmission. A Kevlar belt is often the culprit, but I consider CVT tranny repairs to be high profit items for dealers.

 

[Lucie]

Thank you all for your input! After numerous calls, he found out that he needs to have it replaced with a new transmission. Apparently the Nissan transmissions are so bad that none of the transmission shops he contacted will replace with used or salvage. I called Nissan directly (since the car is registered under our name). He indicated that it is more unlikely than likely that they would extend the warranty. So he would be out $180 plus the dealer's cost is $1200 more than the local transmission shop. Our mechanic was the one that initially told him that it should be junked, because it needs the new tranny and suspension work. Personally, I think he should try to sell it 'As Is" or repair and drive it into the ground.

 

[dvalley]

Just a quick note. You said 'transmission shop'. While I do all the automotive work myself I've never heard anyone EVER had a good experience with a chain transmission shop so unless you trust the shop and it has good reviews I'd be wary of their rebuilt transmission. If it were my family member I'd suggest having their trusty mechanic source the 'reman' transmission directly from Nissan and drop it in. It's not a hard job for a mechanic to replace that transmission. Both parts and labor should come with a warranty and I would want that in writing.