NHTSA Complaint #10135082 — 2000 NISSAN XTERRA

I OWN A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ON AUG 19, WHILE ON A TRIP, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER BECAME STUCK AND THE LEVER WOULD NOT MOVE. AFTER CONSULTING THE MANUAL FOR A PROCEDURE TO DISENGAGE THE SHIFT LOCK MECHANISM, I DISCOVERED THAT THE SHIFT LEVER WOULD MOVE FREELY WITHOUT ENGAGING THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER ADDITIONAL TIME, I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION INTO "D", BUT THE SHIFT INDICATOR DISPLAYS "N". I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TRIP, AND RETURN HOME. UPON RETURNING, THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS RECURRED. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 00V288000 WHICH DESCRIBES A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE 2000 NISSAN XTERRA, THAT INDICATES NISSAN SHOULD CORRECT THIS DEFECT. I CONTACTED A NISSAN DEALER IN MY AREA AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN ASSESSMENT. I INFORMED THE DEALER OF MY CONCERN ABOUT THE RECALL, BUT THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THIS RECALL, AND SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT NISSAN DIRECTLY. I CONTACTED NISSAN, AND AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WAS REFERRED TO "CHAD" WHO IS A REGIONAL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CHAD CAN BE CONTACTED AT 310-771-3853). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A DEFECTIVE SHIFT LOCK, AND AFTER TWO CONVERSATIONS WITH CHAD AT NISSAN, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND NOT PART OF THE RECALL, THEREFORE I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. BASED ON THE INFORMATION IN NHTSA 00V288000, I FAIL TO SEE HOW NISSAN SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE REPAIRS. *NM