NHTSA Complaint #10400148 — 2010 NISSAN FRONTIER

6-SPEED MANUAL STICK SHIFT TRANSMISSION; CLUTCH FAILED PREMATURELY AT 20,160M, 13MOS VEHICLE AGE; SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR, INTERMITTANT BURNING SMELLS OF UNK ORIGIN WHEN BACKING VEHICLE THAT WENT AWAY QUICKLY MAY HAVE BEEN ONLY SYMPTOM OF IMPENDING PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE. SOLE DRIVER/OWNER IS VETERAN STICK SHIFT DRIVER SINCE 1975, PREVIOUS SOLE OWNER OF A FORD RANGER STICK THAT DID NOT HAVE CLUTCH FAILURE UNTIL 11 YRS OF DRIVING IT AND 85,000M, SO DRIVER ERROR NOT A FACTOR. CLUTCH FAILURE IN MID-TRAFFIC RESULTING IN HAVING TO DIVERT VEHICLE OFF MAIN ROADS AND SLOWLY LIMP IT TO NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP; CLUTCH FAILURE GOT PROGRESSIVELY AND DRAMATICALLY WORSE IN A SPAN OF JUST 10 MINUTES. EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS COVERED UNDER BOTH A 36K/3YR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY AND 6YR/75K EXTENDED GOLD PREFERRED MANUFACTURER WARRANTY, NISSAN REFUSED TO COVER THE PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE UNDER WARRANTY, CLAIMING DRIVER ERROR. MECHANIC FOR PREVIOUS FORD RANGER IS WILLING TO TESTIFY TO DRIVER STICK SHIFT EXPERTISE. DRIVER WAS PLACED IN HARM'S WAY BY CLUTCH FAILURE; DRIVER'S EXPERTISE WITH A STICK IS THE ONLY REASON VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN IN A LIMPING FASHION TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP.