2015 Nissan Altima Transmission Problems – Watch Out For Low Fluid Levels & A Burning Smell! 

The Nissan Altima is a midsize car produced since the 1992 model year and is currently in production today. Despite the popularity of this car over the years, the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems deter some car owners from purchasing this vehicle. 

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Let’s go over the basics of the Nissan Altima, the purpose of the transmission in cars, the signs and symptoms of faulty transmissions, and the most common 2015 Nissan Altima transmissions problems drivers experience while driving on the road! 

Nissan Altima Introduction

The Nissan Altima has been produced since the 1992 model year with various names from the general public, such as the Nissan Stanza Altima, Nissan Bluebird, and Nissan Teana. Although this car was historically larger, used as a compact car from 1992-1997t, this car is currently a mid-size car. 

Fifth Generation

The fifth generation of the Nissan Altima included the 2015 model year. The redesigned Altima debuted at the 2012 New York Auto Show, offering a different exterior and a base 4-cylinder engine with a 3.5-liter V6 engine choice. 

The 2015 model also offered four engine types, such as the 1.6-liter l4, the 2.0-liter l4, the 2.5-liter l4, and the 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with the Jatco CVT8 XTronic CVT transmission choice. 

Nissan offered the Altima in different trim levels for this generation, such as the 2.5, 2.5S, 2.5 SV, 2.5 SL, and 3.5 SL, with the 3.5 SV discontinued for the 2015 model year. 

Transmission Function

The transmission is an important part of your car that ensures the right amount of power is given to your wheels, to drive at a specific speed.  If you hear strange noises coming from the inner workings of your vehicle, your transmission is damaged. 

It is very important to understand that the transmission system is crucial for the proper running and functioning of your vehicle. Without the transmission running correctly, the vehicle will not be able to work safely or smoothly, and you will experience the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems.

Signs of 2015 Nissan Altima Transmission Problems

• Transmission Fluid Leaking

• • Transmission leaks are among the most common signs of a faulty transmission in vehicles on the road today. Unfortunately for car owners, transmission leaks can lead to further longevity issues, such as pan gasket repairs, axle and driveshaft seal leaks, or transmission cooling line leaks. 
  • If you find a leak in your transmission, then you need to see the origin of the leak to plug the seal and prevent any further liquid from pooling.

• Repairing the pan gasket is between $100 and $350, with the average price between $40 and $150 for most vehicles. 

• • Repairing your transmission axle typically ranges from $170 to $900 or more, depending on the severity of the other 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems. 

• Check Engine Light

• Although the check engine light will come on for various reasons, this warning light is an obvious signal that something is off in the transmission mechanism – and does not necessarily mean that your engine is at fault.
• The light can come on due to problems in different car systems, like the transmission, lights, electrical, engine, or air conditioning mechanisms. Hence, you must use a diagnostic tool to retrieve the trouble codes.
  • To fix the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems, you need to find the check engine light source and the trouble codes. 

• Gears Slipping

• If you don’t know what gear slipping feels like, you will most likely notice this problem by high engine revving and a lack of acceleration and horsepower. Other warning signs of a faulty transmission and gear slipping include trouble shifting gears, sliding sounds, high RPM, burnt fluid, low fluid levels, and a check engine light. 
  • The cost to have your transmission fluid changed by a dealer is usually between $80 and $250 to remedy the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems like trouble shifting, low fluid levels, and burnt fluid. 

• Burning Smell

• Most of the time, a burning smell in your vehicle results from excessively-hot or leaking transmission fluid that has escaped from a seal. By checking your fluid levels and looking for leak signs, you can prevent the burning smell from occurring every time you turn the ignition in your car.

• Transmission Solenoid Problems

• • The main signs of a faulty transmission and solenoid issues include strange shifting patterns, the car not going into gear, inability to shit up or down, delays in changing gears, and flaring shifts. If your car’s computer is not working well, then it will not be able to control how fast, when, or how hard to shift gears. 

• Repairing your car’s computer is usually between $100 to $1,000 to fix the 2015 Nissan Altima transmissions problems. 

Most Common 2015 Nissan Altima Transmission Problems

• Slipping While Driving

• One or more of the following things may be happening in your Nissan Altima – your check engine light is on, RPM is greater than 3,500, acceleration is delayed, burning smells, inability to reverse, issues with shifting gears, strange noises when shifting, and the reverse is not engaging. 
  • Fix: Replace Your Fluid – Some of the causes of this transmission issue are leaking transmission fluid, low fluid, the shifter, internal transmission issues like the brakes dragging, or low transmission fluid.
    • Replacing your fluid at a dealer, service center, or nearby mechanic/garage will typically range from $80 to $250 to remedy the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems.

• Low Fluid Levels

• •  If your transmission slips, this means that the car engine revs, but no power is transferred to the wheels to move the car. If the sleeping is caused by low transmission fluid, it will only worsen as the transmission overheats and friction builds during use.

• Fix: Transmission Fluid Change

• • • The average price of a fluid change will cost around $100, with the cost of a dealer costing upwards of $250 and an independent mechanic going as low as $80. The procedure’s average cost is $100 to fix the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems.

• Transmission Won’t Stay in Gear

• One symptom of a bad transmission is that your transmission might not be able to stay in gear. If you try to put your car into a specific gear and it doesn’t work, this could be a clear sign that there could be a low transmission fluid amount. 
  • Fix: Replace Gear Shifter Cable – This low transmission fluid could be due to a leak, the gear shifter, the gear shifter cable, or the problem with the automatic transmission system’s valve body in your car. 
    • Replacing the gear shifter cable costs between $255 and $292 for your Altima, with the labor costs between $140 and $176 and the cost of the parts around $116. 

• Burnt Fluid

• • Sometimes the transmission slipping can be due to the transmission fluid burning instead of just being at a low level in your car.

• Fix: Fluid Flush

• • • The average cost of a transmission fluid flush will typically cost around $150, with transmission flushes on smaller cars going as low as $100 and bigger trucks costing around $200.

• Clutch Concerns

• • Both automatic and manual transmission use clutches. Although the clutch issue is more common in manual cars, automatic cars can still succumb to these automatic transmission problems and solutions. These clutch issues can cause slipping while accelerating and other 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems. 

• Fix: Replace the Clutch

• • • The cost to repair or replace a clutch depends on the damage and severity of the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems, with prices ranging from as little as $500 to as much as $2,500. The overall price depends on the type of car you drive, with luxury and sports cars costing around $2,500, and used cars that are middle-of-the-road costing between $500 and $1,000. 

• Delayed Shifting

• If your transmission takes a while to go into the proper gear, this could be a sign of transmission fluid that is too low due to a fluid leak, fluid contamination, or water intrusion during certain road conditions. Make sure you stay up to date with your transmission fluid level’s routine maintenance to prevent the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems.
  • Fix: Transmission Fluid Flush – The delayed shifting is due to low fluid or incorrect fluid used in your car. 
    • A typical transmission fluid flush costs around $150. A transmission flush on a smaller car can go as low as $100, while it can cost upwards of $200 performing the flush on larger SUVs and trucks. 

• Shuddering While Accelerating

• Other 20§5 Nissan Altima transmission problems include a shuddering feeling while accelerating, a whining noise with increased speed, transmission failure, and shifting hesitating while driving – which is a sign that you might have a transmission fluid leak. 
  • Fix: Replace Transmission– Numerous users have reported that going over or under a certain speed causes the car to shake. The most common solution for this model is to get a new transmission, replace the transmission, or perform a complete CVT replacement to remedy the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems. 
    • The typical repair cost for the transmission problems is $3,100. In general, a new transmission cost will run between $1,000-$6,000. 

• Jerking

• Owners stated that the transmission jerks during use, the transmission prematurely failed, the car shifts roughly, the car jerks and cuts off while stopped, the transmission mounts break, and the transmission leaks and slips.
  • Fix: Replace Transmission Control Module
    • For owners to fix the jerking and the 2015 Nissan Altima problems, the typical repair cost comes to nearly $2,500 – an extremely high Nissan transmission repair cost when compared to other easy fixes. The most common solution is to replace the transmission control module at around 120,000 miles. 

• Whining Noises

• Some of the most severe 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems include premature failure, whining noises while driving, shuddering and vibrating at low speeds, and the engine starting but the car not moving. 
  • Fix: Replace Entire Transmission 
    • Paying to repair the transmission failure is a very high Nissan transmission repair cost – owners will have to fork over nearly $4,000 to replace the entire transmission at around 130,000 miles.

• Burning Smell

• If you notice a burning smell, this is a clear sign that you have one of the more severe 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems. A burning smell is usually caused by a fluid leak in the transmission or a burning clutch. 

• • Fix: Replace the Valve Seal – In addition, a buzzing sound can also be an indicator of a bad internal sealing surface, a bad valve seal, or low transmission fluid. 
    • Replacing the valve seal or piston rings in your Altima costs between $900 and $1,800 depending on the severity of the other 2015 Nissan Altima transmissions problems. The process of replacing the seals involves taking part of the entire engine so you can access the valve spring. 

2013-2015 Nissan Altima Transmission Problems

The affected Nissan vehicles are subjected to a loud whining or grinding noise from the transmission while driving at fast speeds. While car owners operate the car, the noises can increase in volume while the car speeds up. This condition can be due to issues with the continuously variable transmission or a faulty CVT. 

The models affected by this campaign are:

• 2013 Nissan Altima
• 2014 Nissan Altima
• 2015 Nissan Altima

The corrective action for this problem is for dealers to inspect the continuously variable transmission for any internal damage and replace faulty parts causing the 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems. 

The Bottom Line

Drivers need to know the most common 2015 Nissan Altima transmission problems before they can safely buy this vehicle. Looking out for warning signs, like a burning smell, low fluid levels, transmission slipping, and other severe symptoms, car owners can make a smart decision when purchasing a new car.