NHTSA Complaint #10332546 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

IN DEC. '09, NOTICED REAR END VIBRATION AND CLINKING SOUND. THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. PURE COINCIDENCE-BROUGHT IT TO DEALER FOR COOLANT FLUSH WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS TRANS FLUID IN MY RADIATOR. CALLED MY TRANS REPAIR PEOPLE (NOT NISSAN). THEY WERE AWARE OF PROBLEM. TOLD ME THAT RADIATORS IN PATHFINDER 2005'S WERE DEFECTIVE. COOLANT LEAKED THROUGH ONE OF RADIATOR TRANS COOLERS, INTO TRANS. AND TRANS FLUID LEAKED BACK INTO RADIATOR, RENDERING BOTH IRREPARABLE. NEEDED NEW TRANS AND RADIATOR. TOLD DEALER AND NISSAN. THROUGH SEVERAL PHONE CALLS/NEGOTIATIONS,, NISSAN AGREED TO DO THE $5,000-7000 REPAIR FOR DEALER LABOR CHARGE OF $450. TOLD ME I WOULD GET MONEY BACK IF THERE WAS A RECALL. DEALER DID REPAIR. THE PROBLEM IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE RADIATOR AND/OR TRANS CAN FAIL WHILE ON THE ROAD. COUNTLESS PATHFINDER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL. NISSAN GETTING AWAY WITH A MAJOR DEFECT THAT COULD PROVE DANGEROUS. *TR