NHTSA Complaint #10372623 — 2005 NISSAN XTERRA

BEGINNING SUMMER 2010 2005 NISSAN XTERRA (PURCHASED NEW IN 2005) BEGAN MAKING RUMBLING NOISE (AS IF GOING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS) WHILE DRIVING. INCIDENT OCCURRED FREQUENTLY AT DIFFERING SPEEDS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. NO OTHER PROBLEMS WERE EVIDENT AT THAT TIME. IN NOVEMBER 2010 WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY VEHICLE BEGAN OVERHEATING, BLOWING HOT AIR THROUGH AIR CONDITIONER, AND REGISTERING HOT ON GAUGE. VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. THE NEXT DAY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO RADIATOR FLUID LEAK. AFTER RESEARCH AND FINDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE THE OWNER DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED AT HER EXPENSE AND IS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL AN AGREEMENT IS MADE WITH NISSAN. WHILE THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENTS IN THIS INCIDENCE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN TRAFFIC EITHER CAUSING OR ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS. NISSAN'S FAILURE TO ALERT 05 XTERRA OWNERS OF THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF IS NEGLIGENCE AND RISKS HEALTH AND SAFETY. FURTHER, IT CAN BE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FIXED BY SIMPLY REPLACING THE ORIGINAL PARTS AS THE PARTS AND DESIGN WERE DEFECTIVE TO BEGIN WITH. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT AFTER BEING "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR