THINK TWICE

The Nissan Jatco CVT is the defining defect of this family. POWER TRAIN is the #1 federal complaint component on the Sentra (29%), Pathfinder (26%), Altima (17%) and Rogue (15%), and #2 on the Murano; owners across all five describe the CVT shuddering, jerking, hesitating and whining, then suddenly losing power or failing to accelerate. It is a warranty/class-action matter, not (mostly) a recall.

Check — Test-drive hard: hold 20-45 mph and watch for shudder or hesitation, hard or delayed engagement from a stop, whine, or any limp-mode loss of power. Check the CVT fluid (clean, not burnt), and ask for transmission service and any CVT reprogram or replacement history.

On the Altima, Sentra and Rogue the Jatco CVT tends to fail in mid-life -- the median mileage of POWER TRAIN complaints is ~67k (Altima), ~77k (Sentra) and ~69k (Rogue), often already out of the original powertrain warranty by the time it lets go. Owners repeatedly cite CVT reprogramming service bulletins, a class action, and extended CVT warranty coverage (many name 84,000 miles). Replacing the CVT is a major repair, not a minor fix.

Check — Ask whether the CVT has been replaced or reprogrammed and get the paperwork; check whether any extended CVT coverage still applies to the VIN. Buying near or past ~60-80k miles with no transmission-service record, budget for a possible CVT replacement.