NHTSA Complaint #10357266 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

WHEN OUR 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER STARTED TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE DURING GEAR SHIFT AT 40 MPH AND 60 MPH, WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATOR WAS CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION, MIXING WITH THE TRANSMISSION OIL AND DESTROYING OUR TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS ON AUGUST 12, 2010. WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF OVER $4500.00. WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW COOLANT COULD BE LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION, SO WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THIS KIND OF DAMAGE SHOULD NOT OCCUR DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. WE WERE INFORMED THAT NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN FILED BUT THEY WOULD KEEP A RECORD OF OUR CALL AND WE WOULD BE CONTACTED IF THEY EVER DID A RECALL IN THE FUTURE. STILL CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, WE DECIDED TO GET A SECOND OPINION AT ANOTHER NISSAN DEALERSHIP, LESS THAN 15 MILES AWAY FROM THE FIRST. THIS WAS DONE ON AUGUST 30, 2010. WE WERE TOLD THE SAME THING, THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THEY WANTED OVER FIVE THOUSAND FOR THE SAME REPAIR. BEFORE MAKING A FINAL DECISION, WE DECIDED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE FURTHER. WE WERE AMAZED TO FIND OVER A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS ONLINE, ALL FROM OWNERS OF 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDERS, AND ALL COMPLAINING ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THEY HAD TO PAY TO REPAIR BOTH RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WE, TOO, WERE EXPERIENCING. WITH NO HELP OR ACKNOWLEDGE FROM NISSAN, WE WENT TO AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC AND HAD THE WORK DONE AT A MUCH LOWER COST. *TR