NHTSA Complaint #10436342 — 2005 NISSAN XTERRA

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION DURING A RECENT HORRIFIC EVENT THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAS SEIZED DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE RADIATOR CRACKING AND MIXING COOLANT INTO THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN THROUGH MY DEALER WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2009. THEY HAD AN ADJUSTOR FROM CAREFREE CAR PROTECTION COME OUT TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2011. WITH THAT BEING SAID; THEY STATED THEY DO NOT COVER THE RADIATOR ISSUE; AND SINCE IT WAS THE FAULTY RADIATOR THAT CAUSED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AND ULTIMATELY SEIZED, THEY WILL ALSO NOT COVER THAT OR ANY OTHER OF THE REPAIRS. UPON A BIT OF RESEARCH ON MY OWN THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL OF NISSAN. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES OF CONSUMERS WITH THE VERY SAME ISSUE. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL MADE ON THIS AT ALL. YES, NISSAN EXTENDED THE RADIATOR WARRANTY UP TO 80,000 MILES BUT NOT THE TRANSMISSION. GUESS WHAT; THIS HAPPENED IN MY VEHICLE AT 89,000, SO NOT ONLY CAN I NOT FIX THE RADIATOR ISSUE BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO THE SAME. THE WORST PART OF ALL THIS IS; ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9TH MY FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I WERE ALMOST KILLED DUE TO THIS KNOWN MALFUNCTION. WE WERE TRAVELING ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY IN MID-DAY TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE TO SAY, IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATIONS BY THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS , I HONESTLY DO NOT BELIEVE MY DAUGHTER OR I WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY. THE VEHICLE SEIZED RIGHT ON THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AND I HAD TO VEER INTO A DITCH AVOIDING OTHER VEHICLES, TREES, GUARDRAILS AND JERSEY BARRIERS. I AM THANKFUL THAT WE DID SURVIVE THAT HORRIFIC EVEN. NOW I AM LOOKING TO NISSAN TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE THIS RIGHT. UPDATED IVOQ 12/01/11 *TR