NHTSA Complaint #10435210 — 2005 NISSAN XTERRA

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AT 55 MPH ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHEN IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AS IF I HAD RAN OVER SPILLED LUMBER OR RUMBLE STRIPS. I BRAKED HARD AS I THOUGHT I HAD RAN OVER SOMETHING. I HADN'T, SO AFTER PULLING OVER AND CHECKING FOR LOOSE TIRES OR DRIVELINE I CONTINUE ON PERPLEXED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED. A FEW MILES LATER IT DID IT AGAIN. 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. *TR