NHTSA Complaint #10130332 — 2001 NISSAN MAXIMA

MY NISSAN MAXIMA (2001) BEGAN TO HARD SHIFT BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AT APPROX. 55,000 MILES. WHEN I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER (TIM DAHLE NISSAN IN SANDY, UT) AT THE 60,000 MAINTENANCE SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE SHIFTING PROBLEM GOT STEADILY WORSE. THE CAR BEGAN DOING IT RANDOMLY AT ANY GEAR. AT 74,000 MILES I FINALLY HAD TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM (AFTER I MADE THEM TEST DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN) AND REPLACED THE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY IN THE TRANSMISSION. I PICKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE OFF THE DEALER'S LOT AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY HARD SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. THREE WEEKS LATER I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK. APPARENTLY, NISSAN RELEASED A BULLETIN TO ITS DEALERS, EXPLAINING THAT THERE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE MAXIMA 2000 TO 2003 (AND OTHER MODELS AS WELL). THE BULLETIN INSTRUCTS THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY, BUT NOT THE TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY. I AM LEFT WITH A CAR THAT SHIFTS HARD BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND, RESULTING IN A "CLUNK" SOUND. I BOUGHT NISSAN FOR PERFORMANCE BUT TO AVOID THIS HARD SHIFT I HAVE TO DRIVE SLOWLY, BABYING THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT QUIETLY BETWEEN 1ST AND