NHTSA Complaint #10387030 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I RECEIVED, IN THE MAIL, A WARRANTY NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA HEADQUARTERS, CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, FRANKLIN, TN. BASICALLY, IT READS: NISSAN HAS EXTENDED YOUR VEHICLE'S NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY AS IT APPLIES TO THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY TO 96 MONTHS/80,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST)...NISSAN NORTH AMERICA WBI/10-029. WHEN MY HUSBAND, SCOTT, CONTACTED OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPONENT WOULD HAVE TO FAIL BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ACCORDING TO OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINTS FROM NISSAN PATHFINDER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE COMPONENT FAIL, IT SOMETIMES CAUSES TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL (LACK OF ENGINE POWER THROUGHPUT TO PROVIDE MOBILITY). IF THE COMPONENT WERE TO FAIL IT SEEMS THAT IT WOULD CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE UNDER SOME CONDITIONS (ON HIGHWAYS WHERE IT IS NOT CONVENIENT TO PULL OVER). SOME PATHFINDER OWNERS HAVE CLAIMED THAT IT CAN COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, AND THAT NISSAN SOMETIMES DOES NOT COVER REPAIRS BEYOND THE RADIATOR, DESPITE THAT PROBLEM CAN LEAK COOLANT INTO THE TRANSMISSION, SOMETIMES CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO, OR FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. NISSAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND OFFER OWNERS OF POSSIBLY EFFECTED VEHICLES A FREE TEST TO DETERMINE IF THEIR VEHICLE DOES, INDEED HAVE A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY. IF A TEST IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEN THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLIES ON THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE REPAIRED OF REPLACES AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL NOT FAIL UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND MILEAGE. FURTHERMORE, IF A RADIATOR ASSEMBLER WERE TO CAUSE A TRANSMISSION TO NEED REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT, NISSAN SHOULD COVER ASSOCIATED TRANSMISSION CORRECTION COSTS. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, WE (MY HUSBAND AND I) NO LONGER DRIVER OUR PATHFINDER ON LONG TRIPS, AND HAVE LOST FAITH IN OUR VEHICLE AND NISSAN.