Friend offering me her 2019 Nissan Sentra for $9k (18k miles) — good deal or too risky?
A close friend is selling me her 2019 Sentra — only 18k miles, one lease before her (one year), clean title, full dealer service history. There was one accident in Dec 2019 (rear-ended, functional damage only, no airbag deployment) and the car actually went through Nissan’s CPO inspection afterward before she got it. l
My hesitation: these Sentras had a well-known CVT transmission issue, and Nissan extended the warranty to 84 months/84k miles — but based on the in-service date, that warranty has likely already expired by time even though mileage is still low. So if the transmission ever fails, I’d be on the hook for a $4-6k repair with zero recourse. On top of that, the service records show regular engine oil changes but nothing indicating the CVT fluid was ever changed separately.
Getting an independent pre-purchase inspection before deciding (specifically asking them to check CVT fluid condition and pull codes)
Is $9k still a good deal given the CVT risk, or would you walk away? Would love to hear from anyone who’s owned this generation of Sentra long-term, especially around CVT fluid maintenance. She has maintained it well and I have seen the car for the last 4 years.