NHTSA Complaint #10492343 — 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER

TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR/COOLING SYSTEM TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF TRANSMISSION BY RADIATOR FLUID. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED REGULARLY. AT 98,000 MILES BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SPORADIC VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ABOVE STATE ISSUE. I USE THE TRUCK TO COMMUTE WITH MY CHILDREN EVERYDAY ON THE INTERSTATE, WHILE I AM THANKFUL THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT STOPPED FUNCTIONING, IT HAS PUT US AT GREATER RISK THAN USUAL WITH A COMPROMISED TRANSMISSION. TO HAVE BOTH SYSTEMS REPLACED, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN "AN OPPORTUNITY" TO PROVIDE A "CO-PAY" OF $3000.00. I PAID NISSAN ONCE FOR A FUNCTIONAL AND RELIABLE TRANSMISSION AND COOLING SYSTEM, I RESENT HAVING TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $3000.00 FOR A DESIGN FLAW MADE BY NISSAN. AS A CONSUMER, $3000.00 IS THE TYPE OF MONEY USED AS A DOWN PAYMENT FOR A NEW CAR, NOT WHAT I EXPECT TO PAY AS "ROUTINE MAINTENANCE" ON A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT. MY PAYMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER IF MILEAGE WERE LOWER. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CORROSION HAPPENS OVER TIME, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES, BUT I FEEL CERTAIN IT WAS THOUSANDS OF MILES AGO. IF I HAD BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE EARLIER, I COULD HAVE ADDRESSED IT, POSSIBLY WITH LESS DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE, LESS SAFETY/RISK TO MY FAMILY, AND CERTAINLY AT LESS COST REGARDING THE "COPAY" FOR ME AS THE COPAY IS BASED ON MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE HEATER HAS NEVER BLOWN WARM AIR WHEN IDLING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW EARLY SIGNS OF THIS ISSUE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR MOST OF THE LIFE OF THE TRUCK. *TR