CarFix Answers

2013–2016 Nissan Pathfinder: Shudder or judder when accelerating gently (CVT)

Likely causes, ranked

  1. CVT torque converter or belt judderShop
  2. Outdated transmission softwareShop

Real-owner fix counts will appear here as reports come in.

DIY or shop: See DIY or shop section

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Symptom: A shudder or vibration at light throttle around 20–40 mph, sometimes with codes P17F0 or P17F1.

Likely causes

  1. CVT judder. Nissan published judder diagnostics and a software campaign for these Pathfinders, and PathfinderTalk owners report the same symptom.
  2. Coverage. Nissan extended CVT warranties for some model years. Ask a dealer what applies to your VIN.

DIY or shop?

Dealer first, because of the software and warranty programs.

Useful steps

  1. Read any stored codes.
  2. Ask a Nissan dealer about PC500 and the CVT warranty extension for your VIN.
  3. Check the CVT fluid service history.

Vehicle focus: 2013–2016 Nissan Pathfinder.

Safety / mechanic note

A transmission that shudders or slips can affect acceleration in traffic. Verify with a mechanic or dealer.

Related trouble codes

  • P17F0 Manufacturer-specific or not yet in our code library
  • P17F1 Manufacturer-specific or not yet in our code library
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Recalls & service bulletins

Technical service bulletins

  • PC500 2016-12-07 Voluntary campaign for 2013–2014 Pathfinder: reprogram the transmission computer to improve CVT diagnostics, with extended CVT warranty. Details
  • NTB15-014b 2016-04-05 Enhanced diagnostic logic for CVT judder on 2013–2015 V6 Pathfinders and other models. Details
  • CVT warranty extension 2022-06-01 Extended CVT warranty coverage for 2015–2018 Pathfinder and some Rogue models. Details

NHTSA complaints: 661 keyword-matched complaints for Nissan PATHFINDER 2013–2016 (of 1,884 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-15).

Always check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Sources

What actually fixed it?

Had this problem? Tell other owners what the real fix was. Reports are counted above; we never show made-up numbers.

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