My 2013 Nissan Maxima SV isn’t accelerating.

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My 2013 Nissan Maxima SV isn’t accelerating.

Friends Hello!
I’ve got a 2013 Nissan Maxima SV with a CVT transmission. There’s no check engine light, no codes showing up, and the engine starts and runs like a dream. When I hit the gas with it in park, it revs up perfectly. But when I put it in gear and step on the pedal, the engine doesn’t really accelerate. If I hold the gas down, it barely creeps above idle, enough to get the car moving up to about 15 mph. Once it hits 15, though, it’s like a rocket—slams you back in the seat, shifts through all the gears smoothly, and can hit 120 mph no problem, no slipping at all. Took it to a Nissan dealership, and they said it’s a bad transmission, quoting me $6,000 to fix it. I’m not buying that the transmission’s the issue. The only lights on the dash are for traction control. Any thoughts?

Aliya asked on 20 Feb 2025 15:53:51 pm

1 Answer

29 views |

Waqas Rajput - on 20 Feb 2025 15:56:35 pm

AOA!
With a CVT, the car has to be moving to downshift back into the regular low gear, not like a typical automatic that does it fast when you slow down. If something stops that rolling action from happening, the transmission doesn’t fully into low, and the computer makes it creep along super slow until it figures out the shift is done. Every CVT does this it’s just how they’re built, and a lot of people gripe about it.

Try swapping out the fluid. It might fix it, o r it might not. If it doesn’t, then it’s probably wear and tear on the transmission causing the trouble.