Two problems related to transmission shudder have been reported for the 2013 Nissan Sentra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2013 Nissan Sentra based on all problems reported for the 2013 Sentra.
Transmission shakes and judders. Car bucks when slowing below 15 mph, clunks when switching gears, rpms are high and car seems stuck and cannot switch gears. It happens on regular streets and the highway and when accelerating from a stop. The worse is going down an exit ramp. Very unsafe especially on the interstate to have the car suddenly buck and lurch.
I bought my 2013 Nissan Sentra sr from towne auto brokers 03/2013 I test drove it and it had no shifting problems at that time. 2 weeks later while I'm driving it the Sentra started jerking and idling erratically, the rpm tachometer red lined 3 times without the gas pedal being depressed!! while redlining the Sentra's transmission shudder with the erratic jerking all the while decelerating before catching 3rd gear at 4,000 rpm. I was in rush hour traffic 3 miles from home so I decided to try and making it home. While stopped at the stop light the Sentra idled normal, then at the green light when I depressed the gas pedal nothing happened( no power at all and the rpm didn't rise) I was literally stuck in the middle of an intersection not able to move my Nissan Sentra under its own power!!! I'm afraid that this is a transmission issue that the manufacturer was well aware of before installation in Nissan Sentra and all other models with this cvt transmission. I believe the Nissan corporation should recall all cvt transmission due to mechanical failure resulting in lack of power.