Selling a Junk Nissan in Chicago

Nissan models we get calls about

Model	Years	What matters for the offer
Altima	2013 to 2018	CVT coverage was extended to 84 months or 84,000 miles; most of these cars are now past that window.
Sentra	2002 to 2019	2002 to 2006 cars carry a Takata passenger inflator recall; 2013 to 2019 cars fall under the CVT extensions.
Versa and Versa Note	2007 to 2019	Light cars; 2007 to 2012 Versas in Illinois had a recall for salt-corroded front coil springs.
Rogue	2014 to 2020	Compact SUV with a folding-key recall; tell us how the CVT behaves.
Pathfinder	1996 to 2004	Body-on-frame SUV with a strut housing recall in salt states, Illinois included.
Maxima	2001 to 2003	Interim Takata passenger inflators were recalled for replacement with desiccated ones.
Leaf	2013 to 2015	Electric car, so the battery pack is a large share of the offer.

Nissan put a CVT automatic in the Altima, Sentra and Versa, and then extended the warranty on those transmissions twice. When a CVT fails outside that coverage, the repair can cost more than the rest of the car is worth, and that’s usually the moment an owner starts looking for a buyer like us.

What Nissan’s CVT extensions covered

In May 2020 Nissan stretched CVT coverage on 2012 to 2017 Versa Sedans, 2014 to 2017 Versa Notes, 2013 to 2017 Sentras, 2013 to 2016 Altimas and 2013 to 2017 Jukes from 60 months or 60,000 miles to 84 months or 84,000 miles (Nissan dealer bulletin, May 2020). In 2023 a second bulletin did the same for 2017 and 2018 Altimas and 2018 and 2019 Sentras and Versas (Nissan dealer bulletin, 2023). Both say they answered, in part, concerns raised in class actions.

Seven years is the number to watch. Count from the original sale and nearly every car on those two lists has aged out by now, which leaves the owner of a slipping, whining or shuddering CVT paying out of pocket. We buy those cars as they sit, whether they creep along or won’t move at all, and the non-running cars page explains how pickup works for a car that won’t drive. If yours still runs and a dealer is offering a trade, weigh it against junk, private sale or trade-in before you sign anything.

Salt damage Nissan recalled in Illinois

Two Nissan recalls name Illinois directly. On 1996 to 2004 Pathfinders, salty slush can collect where the upper strut housing meets the inner hood ledge until the housing cracks and pulls away, which can mean grinding, heavy steering and, at worst, a broken steering column (NHTSA 11V244). On 2007 to 2012 Versas, road salt can corrode the front coil springs until one fractures and punctures the tire (NHTSA 15V573).

A Pathfinder that grinds when you turn the wheel, or a Versa sitting low on one corner, is a tow, not a drive.

Older Sentras, Maximas and Versas with airbag work pending

Nissan’s 2020 campaign went after interim Takata replacement inflators, the non-desiccated kind, fitted to 2001 to 2003 Maximas, 2002 to 2006 Sentras, 2002 to 2004 Pathfinders and 2007 to 2011 Versas (NHTSA 20V008). Those inflators can explode after long exposure to heat and humidity. An open entry on your VIN won’t stop us buying the car, and the swap is free at a Nissan dealer if you plan to keep it.

What we ask about a Nissan on the call

• Does it start, and does it move in Drive and Reverse, or just rev?
• Any warning lights, burning smell, or fluid under the car?
• Do you have a key? On 2014 to 2020 Rogues with the folding key, a recall covers keys that can collapse while driving and shut the engine off (NHTSA 23V093).
• For a Leaf: is the battery original, and does the car power on?
• Which papers do you have in hand?

Those answers, plus the model and year, give us the number. For a wider view of what goes into it, read what a junk car is worth.

From our Western Avenue base, West Lawn is about 3.4 miles by 63rd Street and Pulaski, and Archer Heights about 3.7 miles by 47th Street. Junk car removal explains the pickup, and the tow costs you nothing.