NHTSA Complaint #10421664 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

I AM THE OWNER OF A NISSAN XTERRA I PURCHASED BACK IN FEB 2006. I WAS HAPPY TO MAKE MY LAST FINANCE PAYMENT IN FEBRUARY. LAST WEEK WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON THEN STARTED TO OVERHEAT. LATER I FOUND OUT MY CAR WAS LEAKING A WHITE SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS DIFFICULT TO GET OFF MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS SURPRISED SINCE I REGULARLY KEEP UP WITH THE MAINT AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO NISSAN IN TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD A LEAK AND THE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID BEGAN TO MIX TO CREATE THE WHITE SUBSTANCE WHICH RUINED MY TRANSMISSION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO FIND OUT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE XTERRAS AND THAT NISSAN MADE A DESIGN CHANGE TO FIX IT IN LATER XTERRA MODELS. TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, UPPER/LOWER RADIATOR HOSE. THEIR INITIAL ESTIMATE TO FIX MY CAR WAS $8500. AFTER I HEARD THE NUMBER, I PRICED EACH OF THE PARTS OUT ONLINE FOR APPROX $1500. PROVIDED A NEW ESTIMATE FOR $5,500. BECAUSE THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT NISSAN WOULD HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING TO FIX IT AS PART OF A RECALL. WHEN A PERSON BUYS A CAR THERE IS AN EXPECTATION THE CAR WILL LAST MORE THAN 5 YEARS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ONCE YOU EXCEED 85,000 MILES IS NO LONGER VALID. BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE DEALER AND THE QUALITY OF CARS YOU PROVIDE, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A NISSAN AGAIN. IN ADDITION, I AM PLANNING TO SHARE MY NISSAN EXPERIENCE WITH ONLINE FORUMS AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF SERVICE NISSAN DOES NOT PROVIDE OR STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. EX-NISSAN OWNER - INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT