NHTSA Complaint #10470075 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING/NOT RESPONDING/HESITATION/CAR 'SHAKING' WHEN SHIFTING, ETC SO WE TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID THE RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND PRETTY MUCH DESTROYED IT. I ASKED IF THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE OR IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR IT AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT SEEN IT NOR WAS THERE A RECALL. I THEN CALLED ANOTHER NON-DEALER TRANSMISSION CENTER AND THEY KNEW WHAT THE ISSUE WAS BEFORE I EVEN FINISHED EXPLAINING. THEY SAID THEY GET 2005 PATHFINDERS ABOUT 1 PER WEEK AND CURRENTLY HAD TWO ON THE LOT -- ALL WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK WITH THIS INFO AND THEY TRIED TO ACT SURPRISED BUT I COULD TELL THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE. HERE IS A FULL (AND BETTER) DESCRIPTION FROM A PENDING LAWSUIT ON THIS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLES LIKE WE (AND SO MANY OTHERS) EXPERIENCED: "TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY CRACKED RADIATORS - FAULTY RADIATORS ARE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO AND DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION. AN ALARMING NUMBER OF NISSAN XTERRA, PATHFINDER AND FRONTIER OWNERS ARE STEPPING FORWARD WITH STORIES ABOUT THEIR CRACKED RADIATORS WHICH ARE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION. ONCE MIXED WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID THIS LETHAL COMBINATION KILLS THE VALVES, SEALS AND TORQUE CONVERTER -- RENDERING YOUR ENTIRE TRANSMISSION USELESS. THIS ISSUE IS CURRENTLY CONTAINED TO THE 2005 MODEL YEAR, BUT WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYES OPEN FOR REPORTS FROM OTHER YEARS. WHAT'S EVEN MORE TROUBLING IS OWNERS WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD THEIR TRANSMISSIONS "REPAIRED" BY AN AUTHORIZED NISSAN DEALER ARE STILL REPORTING CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, NISSAN OWNERS WHO ARE OUT OF WARRANTY ARE LEFT TO COVER THE HEFTY REPAIR BILL, WHICH CAN BE OVER $4,500 WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE." *TR