Nissan Juke CVT after an oil cooler leak: rebuild, recon or used?.

What came in

This one reached us as a request for a second opinion, not a booking. The car was a 2012 Nissan Juke with the CVT automatic gearbox.

The gearbox oil cooler had failed and leaked a significant amount of transmission fluid. The car was driven before the leak was spotted. Another garage then diagnosed internal gearbox damage and quoted for a brand-new gearbox. The owner sent us photos and asked whether the gearbox could be repaired or rebuilt, or whether we could supply and fit a reconditioned or used one instead.

How we look at it

Once a CVT has been run low on fluid, or without it, there are three routes, and the right one depends on how far the damage has spread.

• Rebuild. Usually only worth doing if the damage is confined to particular components, for example wear on the chain or pulleys. If the whole unit is contaminated, a rebuild becomes a gamble.
• Reconditioned or good used unit. Once it has got that far, this is often the more reliable route.
• New gearbox. Rarely worth pursuing. A used unit tends to be far more economical.

We would not choose between those from photos. Before recommending a route, we want the car in the workshop to inspect it, or at least the other garage's full diagnostic report. The cost depends on what we find when it is opened up: labour plus whichever unit it needs.

Where it got to

We gave the owner that second opinion in July. They then asked us to estimate for supplying and fitting a good used or reconditioned gearbox, the route we had pointed to. A firm price on that still depends on getting the car in and inspecting it.

What to watch for on a CVT Juke

• The oil cooler can fail. On this car it let go and leaked enough fluid to damage the gearbox. A fluid leak under a CVT car is worth investigating straight away.
• The damage came from driving it afterwards. The car was driven before the leak was discovered, and the internal damage followed. If you find transmission fluid under the car, get it looked at before you drive it any further.
• Get a second opinion before paying for a new gearbox. A rebuild, a recon or a good used unit can each be the right answer, depending on what is actually damaged inside.

If you are facing a CVT bill and want a second pair of eyes on it, start with our transmissions page or the Nissan specialist page.