The V6 option on this Altima generation — a genuinely strong engine in its own right, paired with the same CVT whose documented concerns apply regardless of which engine sits in front of it.
The Altima's midsize sedan body is a comfortable, unstressed load for this V6 — the same well-regarded engine covered in detail on the Infiniti pages, here offering genuinely stronger performance than the standard four-cylinder Altima.
The engine itself is a genuine strength here, but it doesn't change the car's primary risk: this generation pairs every engine, four-cylinder or V6, with the same Jatco CVT covered in detail on its own dedicated page.
This is about the car itself — for engine-specific failure points, see the dedicated engine page below.
This Altima is paired with the Jatco CVT covered in detail on its own dedicated page under Infiniti — essential reading regardless of which engine the specific car has.
FULL ENGINE BREAKDOWNInfiniti/Nissan CVT (Jatco) — Reliable or Not →Test drive extensively under both light and firmer acceleration, feeling specifically for shudder or hesitation, and watch the temperature gauge for any unusual behaviour.
Ask whether a transmission fluid service has ever been performed, and treat an unserviced example as a candidate for proactive service.
Ask for documented oil change history on the V6 itself, since this high-revving engine is less forgiving of extended intervals.