NHTSA Complaint #10327980 — 2004 NISSAN MURANO

2004 NISSAN MURANO WOULD PERIODICALLY NOT SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL INTO REVERSE OR PARK. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN TO APPEAR ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM LASTED FOR A DAY OR TWO SOMETIMES FOR A WEEK OR MORE. IT ONLY HAPPENED IN THE WINTER. THE FIRST 2 TIMES I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. THERE IS A WORK AROUND (BYPASS) FOR THE REVERSE LOCKOUT PROBLEM IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL SO THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF A POTENTIAL FOR TROUBLE. ABOUT MARCH 2010 THE PROBLEM APPEARED AND DID NOT DISAPPEAR. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENTIRE SHIFTER. I REQUESTED THEY DISCONNECT THE LOCKOUT MECHANISM. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY DEVICE. SO I TOLD THEM IT SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME. ABOUT A YEAR AGO I FILED A COMPLAINT REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WITH NISSAN. I ASKED THE DEALER TO TALK WITH NISSAN AND GAVE THEM THE COMPLAINT FILE #. NISSAN SAID THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY SO I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. MY INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE REVERSE LOCKOUT ON THE 2004 MURANO THAT WAS COVERED BY NISSAN IN MOST INSTANCES BUT THERE IS NO TSB ON THE ISSUE AND NISSAN SAYS IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR