NHTSA Complaint #10489208 — 2007 NISSAN XTERRA

LAST MONTH THE CAR SEEMED TO START SLIPPING GEARS WHEN I GOT UP TO AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS SPORADIC AND ONCE I LET ME FOOT OFF THE GAS FOR A SECOND IT SEEMED TO CLEAR AND BE OK. I STARTED TO SEE A SLOW LEAK OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS OIL IN THE GARAGE WHERE I PARKED THE YESTERDAY. WHEN I MENTIONED THE LEAK TO A BUDDY AND ALSO TOLD HIM THAT MY HEATER WAS NOT WORKING, HE SAID WE SHOULD CHECK THE COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR. WHEN WE OPENED THE RADIATOR CAP, THERE WAS A SLIMY BROWNISH SLUDGE ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE CAP. THAT AFTERNOON, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC ACROSS THE STREET AND HE SAID THAT I HAD A RADIATOR FAILURE OF SOME THAT HAS CAUSED RADIATOR FLUID TO GET INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS WHERE THE BROWN SLUDGE HAS COME FROM. HE SAID THE CAR NEEDED A NEW RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE FLUSHED, DROPPED, AND SERVICED AND IT WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SOMETIME SOON AFTER. THE ENTIRE THING HE QUOTED ME AS COSTING $3K. I CALLED MY NISSAN DEALER WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR FROM NEW IN APRIL 2007 AND THE GENTLEMAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SEEMED QUITE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED ME THAT THE RADIATOR REPLACEMENT IS UNDER AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM NISSAN, BUT I WOULD STILL BE OUT OF POCKET FOR AT LEAST A $2500 CO-PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. *TR