NHTSA Complaint #10409237 — 2005 NISSAN XTERRA

IN SEPTEMBER, 2010 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AT 55 MPH ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHEN IT THE TEMPERATURE SPIKED OVERHEATING THE ENGINE AFTER PULLING OVER AND CHECKING IT I DISCOVERED I HAD TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE RADIATOR. COME TO FIND OUT THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT ON 2005 THRU 2010 NISSAN XTERRA'S, PATHFINDERS, AND FRONTIER'S IN WHICH THE RADIATORS INTERNALLY LEAK WATER INTO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND CAUSES THE VIOLENT SHAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS ONLY CHOSEN TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE RADIATORS AND NOT RECALL THE VEHICLES. IN FACT THE LETTER SENT TO THE CONSUMERS DOESN'T EVEN REFERENCE THE TRANSMISSION (IN WHICH IT DESTROYS). WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT HURT, IT WAS A CLOSE CALL AND COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN WORSE AT THE SPEED I WAS GOING AND THE EFFECT THE FAILURE HAS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE AND THE RADIATOR REPLACED AND TRANSMISSION FLUSHED. WHILE SERVICING MY VEHICLE THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD HAD CRACKED. I INCURRED OVER 2,400 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS...USING A USED REPLACEMENT ENGINE. NISSAN CORPORATION AFTER 9 WEEKS OF WAITING HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE OPTED NOT TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE NOR PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT. ON JUNE 23, 2011, MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL. *TR