NHTSA Complaint #10441122 — 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA

I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 NISSAN MAXIMA HOME ON THE INTERSTATE IN 5-O-CLOCK TRAFFIC AND THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO GET INTO THE RIGHT LANE WITHOUT HITTING ANOTHER CAR OR CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I THEN ROLLED TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO BREAK TO A STOP, BUT OF COURSE WITH THE TRANSMISSION GONE I COULDN'T EVEN ROLL THE CAR HOME. I HAD THE CAR TOWED. THIS WASN'T TOO MUCH OF A SURPRISE AS I HAD SPOKEN WITH A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP JUST A FEW MONTHS PRIOR AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW VALVE BODY, THE ONE ON THIS PARTICULAR CAR IS COMMONLY SEEN AND REPLACED ALL THE TIME. AT THAT TIME HE QUOTED ME $1800 FOR THE PART/LABOR, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE SO I AGREED TO COME BACK WHEN I RECEIVED MORE FINANCIAL AID FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER. WHEN I CONTACTED THE SHOP THIS TIME AROUND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE I'D UNFORTUNATELY NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION ALTOGETHER. A USED ONE ONLY HAS A 90 DAY WARRANTY AND HE QUOTED ME AROUND $2700-$3000. THE VALVE BODY COULD BE THE SAME DEFECTIVE ONE AS BEFORE, AND BEING USED, I COULD EASILY WIND UP IN THE SAME BOAT 90 DAYS LATER. HE SAID HE'D CALL BACK TO GIVE ME A QUOTE ON A REBUILT TRANSMISSION, BUT THAT IT WOULD COST MORE AND COME WITH A LONGER WARRANTY, POSSIBLY 2 YEARS. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED. APPARENTLY SINCE I DIDN'T DIE YET OR CAUSE ANYONE ELSE TO DIE IT'S OK. *TR