NHTSA Complaint #10417006 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

STARTED EXPERIENCING SHUDDER WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MOVED BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT AT DEALER TO INVESTIGATE AND MINIMIZED DRIVING IN THE MEANTIME. SYMPTOM DID NOT OCCUR OVER TWO DAY PERIOD UNTIL DRIVING ON THIRD DAY WHERE THE ISSUE WORSENED RAPIDLY UNTIL TRANSMISSION BECAME INOPERABLE ABOVE 10 MPH. I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE AND LEARNED THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE PATHFINDER WHERE THE RADIATOR FLUID FAILS INTO THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING BOTH THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I INSPECTED THE ANTIFREEZE TO OBSERVE TRACES OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, THE FLUID WAS DARKEN AND ABOVE THE HIGH-LEVEL MARK FOR THE FLUID LEVEL. I HAD DEALER INVESTIGATE AND THIS IS IN FACT WHAT HAD FAILED. NISSAN HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 80K MILES SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 89K MILES AND I AM LOOKING AT A $6000 REPAIR BILL THAT I REFUSE TO REPAIR. NISSAN IS OFFERING ZERO ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH NISSAN PATHFINDERS. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE WITH NISSAN AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACTIONS OTHER THAN RAISING THE WARRANTY TO 80K MILES. THIS IS GROSS ERROR IN THE DESIGN OF THE PRODUCT AND CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE TO GET NISSAN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN? I AM DONE WITH NISSAN AS A BRAND AND SUGGEST THAT THE FED INVESTIGATE THEIR INACTION IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM. *TR