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Hi

I would like to know if nissan tiida 2006 cvt has transmission problems? I had a deal with smeone to buy tiida which has done 52k however now i worried after reading about cvt transmission issues. Also how can i avoid or reduce the risk ? If the cvt transmission oil is changed at specific intervals ie nissan specific cvt fluid then the problems might not occur? Also i m thinking to sell the car after a year if its transmission is not reliable n buy a non cvt. I would appreciate your advice.

Thank you

Hi there.
Yes these are problematic transmissions, and we usually advise people to stay away from
buying vehicle using cvts from 2000 to 2008 in some cases 2010.
You will need to speak to a transmission specialist who can advise if there is anything
to be done to make them last longer.

Hi I appreciate how we all have different experiences with used vehicles, and acknowledge AA as experts in the field. However as a used vehicle importer with 28 years in the game, I am surprised at your advice on CVTs. We all had issues with them back in the 90s but from my own experience I cannot agree with your advice on Nissan Tiidas, Wingroads etc, or in fact any other CVT (apart from Honda).The last time we had to repair a CVT was a 2001 Primera P12, which cost us $600 to replace 2 solenoids. This has to date been the only CVT we have had to repair after importing several hundred of them. Yet we are often hearing customers say "no I won't touch a CVT" after getting expert advice. The last 3 vehicles we had with trans issues were 2008 VWs with low kms, and a 2000 BMW (none with CVTs) and yet people queue up to buy these cars.

In addition, the CVT vehicles are far smoother and peppier than other 1.3 or 1.5 autos as well as have better fuel economy.

I still recall horror stories in the 80s about microwave ovens when they were new, and the same thing seems to be happening here. Do you think it might be time to update the advice?

This is not the experience of the automatic transmission industry. We'd agree that CVT transmission technology has vastly improved and that the advances made in the new generation of CVTs from around 2010 have largely overcome the problems associated with earlier examples.
There weren't many CVTs around for much of the 1990s, but from the end of the 90s to the end of the fist decade of the 2000s where a number of manufacturers used CVTs, there were problems. For the NZ market, it was mainly Honda and Nissan, but for the domestic Japanese market, some Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi and many others had CVTs.
Our information from the industry tells us that common issues on Nissan Tiidas and Wingroads (which are basically the same car) fitted with CVTs relate to primary pulley bearing failure, stepper motor problems and belt breakage. The belt failures are due to a harsh lock-up, applying a snapping effect on the belt, stretching the links and eventual breakage.
We're told that the Honda CVT failure starts in a similar way, although Honda use a start-up clutch which can shudder on take-off and if left, can also cause similar belt failure.
In recent times, the take-off is less harsh and belt technology has improved enormously, so both issues have largely been overcome and reliability no longer seems to be an issue.
Unfortunately, many bearings and other parts are not available from the manufacturer, so if the CVT transmission needs to be replaced on an older car, the cost is greater than the value of the vehicle. However, most can be repaired at a cost of around $3k.
While you may not have had many issues while these vehicles are subject to your CGA obligations, the long-term reliability does seem to be an issue.
We agree that CVTs can offer better fuel economy if driven gently, as the engine is always in a rev range consistant with road speed. However, this depends on the driving style and if driven hard, due to the high slip rate of a CVT, fuel efficiency will be poorer than traditional automatic transmissions. But yes, they are smoother as there is no gear shifting.
We'd also agree with you that VW and Audi product, particularly the Audi models with the CVT (which they called Multi-tronic) and the Mk4 Golf tyransmission had reliability issues too.
So, while we have updated our advice on CVTs from vehicles manufactured from around 2010ish, based on information we receive from the automatic transmission repair industry, we remain cautious about recommending 5-15 year old vehicles with a CVT transmission.
I trust this clarifies the matter for you.

Man this CVT thing is driving my brain nuts. I've been seriously looking at and pretty close to buying an 2007-2010 Honda Stream. I had a 2001 for a long time (about 8 years) which was great until it blew a head gasket, and then another one after I got that fixed. The 1.8 Streams are standard Auto but the 2.0's are CVT. Seems Honda CVT's are the worst? Would getting a 2010 give me a bit more reassurance? Or is it the same unit? Am I just better to get the 1.8? There are no guarantees with anything obviously. How likely is an older CVT (07-10) likely to give you issues? 1 in 100? 1 - 10? All of them? I almost bought an 07 2.0L with CVT last weekend.