NHTSA Complaint #10422839 — 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER (120,000 ,MILES) THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION, I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AT ALL. AFTER A VERY FRIGHTENING COUPLE OF MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE THROUGH AND COAST DOWN A SMALL INCLINE TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. AFTER THREEDAYS OUR LOCAL MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE CAR, AS HE CONCLUDED THAT THE ECM HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHO AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ECM ($1014 REPAIR). AFTER THREE MORE DAYS, THEY'VE NOW TOLD US THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE ECM, BUT THE FACT THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID HAS LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION, DESTROYING IT. THEY ARE QUOTING A REPAIR COST OF $7500. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR OVER A WEEK (RENTING A CAR BECAME COST PROHIBITIVE), AND NOW WILL SPEND THE MORNING TRYING TO FIND A MORE COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. I'VE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE OF WHICH NISSAN IS COMPLETELY AWARE. THE COOLANT LEAK/TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS IN FACT A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED THESE VEHICLES, OR AT THE VERY LEAST MADE THE REPAIR FREE FOR CONSUMERS REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE MILEAGE. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER NISSAN AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE. *TR