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A car salesman at a Nissan dealership is going viral for being brutally honest about the brand's most controversial component: the continuously variable transmission (CVT). But instead of dodging the elephant in the room, he leans in – and his explanation might just shift how you look at Nissan's gearboxes.
In a TikTok post uploaded on April 7, 2025, Jonathan (@drivingwithjonathan) acknowledges that Nissan’s CVTs from a decade ago had legitimate problems. “If you’ve ever mentioned Nissan online, somebody’s probably jumped in the comments with ‘CVTs are junk’,” he says. “But seriously. Nissan had some legitimate CVT problems in the past. Here’s what gets missed.”
Jonathan points out that most of the complaints still circulating refer to CVTs from 10 to 15 years ago. “Nissan has been developing the Xtronic CVT for more than 20 years,” he explains. “And by 2019, Nissan had already produced nearly 30 million vehicles equipped with Xtronic CVTs.” He adds that Nissan says its latest-generation CVTs have gone through 4 million miles of public road durability testing.
The salesman doesn’t stop there. He says Nissan continues to refine the belt and pulley system, lubrication, oil pump efficiency, friction reduction, and torque converter operations. “So yes, the CVT is still a CVT, but the technology has continued to evolve.”
Jonathan’s key takeaway: maintenance is everything. “Keep up with the maintenance, keep it under warranty, and if anything pops up, let the dealer handle it.” His advice resonated with some viewers. One commenter wrote, “My 2014 Nissan Pathfinder has 332K with CVT. I change the transmission fluid every 35K miles.” Another added, “The people who complain about the transmission are the same ones who don’t change the fluid.”
But skepticism remains. “Junk,” one person shot back.
What really changed with the Xtronic CVT?
Nissan’s own technical documents show that the current Xtronic CVT uses reinforced steel belts instead of the old rubber belts, which were prone to premature wear. Engineers also overhauled the cooling system to prevent overheating – a common failure point in earlier models. The new design simulates gear shifts to feel more like a traditional automatic, reducing the “rubber band” sensation drivers disliked.
According to a 2024 Nissan USA engineering brief, the latest CVT has 40% fewer moving parts than a comparable 6-speed automatic, which reduces internal friction and extends service life. The transmission fluid change interval was also revised from 60,000 miles to 30,000–35,000 miles for severe driving conditions – a change Jonathan explicitly recommends.
Market reality: reputation vs. sales
Despite the CVT baggage, Nissan is on a sales roll. In March 2025, Nissan Group reported its sixth consecutive month of retail growth, making it the fastest-growing mainstream brand in the country. Best-sellers include the Frontier, Pathfinder, Armada, Kicks, and Rogue – many of which now use the latest Xtronic CVT or (in the case of the Frontier and Armada) traditional automatics.
Industry analyst Mark Barron from AutoInsight notes, “Nissan’s CVT reputation is a hangover from the 2010–2015 era. The current hardware is fundamentally different. But getting consumers to unlearn that stigma takes years of consistent reliability data – and Nissan is still collecting it.”
A Reddit thread on r/whatcarshouldibuy reflects mixed opinions. One user wrote, “It takes a while to break a reputation. I’d look at them, but 2020+ is a bit rich for my blood.” Another countered, “By ‘people not buying’ I guess you mean this sub doesn’t recommend them. I see Altimas, Rogues, and Muranos everywhere on my commute. Average driver doesn’t care or isn’t aware of the CVT fiasco.”
The bottom line
If you’re shopping for a used Nissan from the early 2010s, the CVT risk is real – those units had known flaws. But if you’re considering a 2020 or newer model with the Xtronic CVT and you commit to regular fluid changes (every 30,000–35,000 miles), the odds of a transmission failure are significantly lower. Jonathan’s honest approach – admitting past issues while spotlighting continuous improvement – may be exactly what Nissan needs to rebuild trust.
Motor1 reached out to Jonathan for additional comment but has not yet received a response.
