2000 Nissan Maxima Se Sedan 4-door 3.0l **no Reserve** on 2040-cars

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Nissan leaning on JATCO to remedy CVT problems

Nissan's decision to fit continuously variable transmissions across even more of its new models may be coming back to bite the Japanese automaker, as it's been hampered by customer satisfaction issues relating to its XTronic CVTs, which are provided by a supplier called JATCO.
From what we're understanding, the issue largely relates to customers' unfamiliarity with the non-traditional shift nature of a CVT. Dealers have reported complaints and service visits from owners over the belt-driven automatics (did these people not test drive the cars before they bought them and notice that they don't shift conventionally?).
The company, which Nissan owns 75 percent of, has come under fire from none other than Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who's spoken about JATCO and its troubles rather openly. "Every time you launch a new CVT you always have some risks," Ghosn said in an interview with Automotive News. "So we now have a process by which, before we launch any new CVT, [JATCO] come before the Nissan executive committee to explain all the measures they have taken to make sure there are no surprises."

2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS amps up the funky crossover

Nissan unveiled an even hotter version of the hotter Juke Nismo at the Los Angeles Auto Show - the Juke Nismo RS, a 215-horsepower crossover that may be the most hardcore model in the compact CUV segment (until we can convince Mazda to build a Mazdaspeed CX-5, that is).
The 215 hp and 210 pound-feet of torque represent bumps of 18 hp and 26 lb-ft over the standard Juke Nismo thanks to a revised ECU, a new exhaust with a larger diameter tube, and stronger connecting rods. This amped-up engine can be mated to the owner's choice of a six-speed manual, which takes advantage of a stronger clutch cover and dual-mass flywheel, or an Xtronic continuously variable transmission (although the CVT model loses four horsepower and all of the extra torque that the Nismo RS enjoys).
"We expect drivers to feel a noticeable increase in acceleration - especially the manual transmission model - in the RS versus the regular Juke Nismo. It also holds peak torque longer. Combined with the Helical Limited-Slip Differential, which helps reduce torque steer, the sense of driving excitement is unmatched in the Juke lineup," said Pierre Loing, Nissan's vice president of product and advanced planning and strategy.

Five automakers now being investigated by NHTSA for airbag woes

It appears that Toyota's renotification to owners of recalled vehicles from last year is just the tip of the iceberg for what could potentially be a much larger industry-wide recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation investigation into roughly 1.1 million vehicles from Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and parts supplier Takata regarding faulty airbag inflators in several models.
NHTSA has received six reports - three directly, two from Takata and one from Toyota - of vehicles with ruptured airbag inflators from 2002-2006, which resulted in three injuries. So far, all six incidents have occurred in high humidity areas like Florida and Puerto Rico. According to Toyota's latest recall announcement, the inflators may have an improper propellant that could cause it to rupture in a crash and the bag to deploy abnormally.
This new investigation follows a previous recall from April 2013 of about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide for the airbag inflators from Takata. As Autoblog reported, Toyota jumpstarted the new situation when it found that the original list of serial numbers for the faulty part was incomplete and discovered more cars in need of replacement. Honda and Nissan told us that they were investigating whether further models would need called in again as well. Mazda told Autoblog: "Regarding the current Takata situation, we're working closely with NHTSA and investigating the situation, but nothing else to report at this time." Chrysler Group responded to us with the statement: "Chrysler Group engineers are conducting the appropriate analysis. The Company will cooperate fully with the National Highway Traffic Administration."