Is Nissan’s Warranty Transferable? (Coverage, New Owner + More)

Do you know if the Nissan warranty is transferable to the new owner? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

A Nissan Warranty is known as the “Nissan New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage” and it includes powertrain, corrosion, towing, basics, and refrigerant (which includes adjustments and recharging). The warranty itself lasts for 36 months or 36,000 miles. 

So, is the Nissan´s warranty transferable? Yes, Nissan’s warranty is transferable and there is nothing different about it when it transfers. The second owner simply gets whatever is left over from the original owner’s warranty coverage. If there is only a month left, then a month is all the second owner will get. 

It’s definitely not the most robust warranty out there, especially when you compare it to the likes of Kia, which offers much more comprehensive warranty coverage for 100,000 miles or 10 years.

It may be because Nissan went to CVT transmissions, which are some of the most horrible transmissions in the world. 

What Does a Nissan Warranty Entail?

When you purchase a brand new Nissan, you get Nissan’s basic warranty for your vehicle, which lasts for 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

However, there is more to it than that, which makes the overall warranty a little more palatable. 

• Powertrain: The powertrain warranty portion is covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. 
• Corrosion: Corrosion coverage stands for 5 years and has no limitation on mileage. Once you hit year 5, the corrosion coverage comes to an end.
• Federal Emissions Coverage: This warranty makes more sense if you live in places like California or the Commonwealth of Virginia since they conduct annual inspections on your emissions. This warranty covers you for 8 years or 80,000 miles.
• Seat Belts: Seat belts are covered under your Nissan warranty for a full, 10 years and are not limited by mileage
• Roadside Assistance: Nissan’s Roadside Assistance service lasts as long as your basic warranty coverage, which is 3 years or 36,000 miles. 
• Adjustment Period: This is for refrigerant and lasts for a single year or 12,000 miles

Some of these aspects of the warranty last longer than others and if you transfer your warranty to a new owner, what is left from all six of these categories transfers over as well.

Even if the basic coverage has lapsed, the second owner may still get portions of the powertrain, corrosion, federal emissions, and seat belt. 

While the warranty is not comparable to something like what Kia offers, it is pretty much par for the course with what all of the other major vehicle manufacturers offer. From that angle, it’s competitive if nothing more. 

Read also: Is the Toyota Warranty Transferable? (Coverage, New Owner)

CVT Transmission and Nissan’s Warranties

The powertrain warranty is half that of Kia’s and is probably a reflection of the terrible decision to outfit most of their vehicles with CVT transmissions (Constantly Variable Transmission). Yes, they are so downright terrible that Nissan has been forced to extend warranty coverage for it.

For all Nissan vehicles that have a CVT from the year 2003 to 2010, the warranty coverage is extended to 120,000 miles or 10 years.

For vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2017, the warranty has been extended to 84 months or 84,000 miles. 

The problem with CVT transmissions, especially in Nissan vehicles, is so bad that Nissan has been sued, had to issue recalls, forced to extend warranties, and has had thousands of customers lodge complaints with the  NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

This is running all the way up into 2020 and possibly beyond. Of course, that means that this has been going on for the better part of two decades and Nissan has done very little to nothing to rectify the problem, as Nissans are still being manufactured with these CVT transmissions. 

How to Transfer a Nissan Warranty to a Second Owner

Nissan is known for inserting “transfer clauses” into their contracts. As the original owner, that means that it is incumbent upon you to thoroughly check the fine print in your warranty coverage contract.

If you really want to help the future owner out, you can write all of the remaining coverage times and miles that are going to be left over once the sale has concluded.

The next thing you need to do is contact your dealer and request a “transfer form” for the warranty.

Keep in mind, that Nissan will charge you for the transfer form, which usually costs $35. Why? Who knows? However, you will have to pay the fee or you won’t get the transfer form and the rest is a waste of time if you don’t.

The transfer request and fee go hand in hand and when you mail it in, the typical processing timeframe is 6-weeks because apparently, the $35 doesn’t include an expedited process. 

Read also: Is Ford Warranty Transferable? (Yes, Here Is How)

What Voids the Nissan Warranty?

If you are the second owner of a Nissan and the remaining warranty has been transferred over to you, it’s important to understand that there are some stipulations to keeping the warranty intact. 

You will have to keep your Nissan serviced at a Nissan dealership and it would be in your best interests to never miss an oil change.

If they tell you to come back in 3,000 miles, don’t come back in 5,000 miles or you might be in danger of voiding your warranty.

Would Nissan, do it? Probably not but you never know, crazier things have happened. The best practice is to conduct all of your Nissan vehicle’s maintenance routines on time and keep the receipts.

This way, if anything ever gets missed from Nissan’s point of view, you will have proof that the maintenance was performed. 

If you’re the second owner of a Nissan, it would be a good idea to get all of the receipts and records from the original owner so that you don’t miss a beat and can stay on top of the routine maintenance. 

All Things Considered

Nissan’s warranty is definitely transferable. However, there’s not likely to be a whole lot left and you should certainly consider purchasing an extended warranty under Nissan because the CVT transmission is going to be your used Nissan’s Achilles heel.

References

https://drivingconnective.com/is-nissan-warranty-transferable/