NHTSA Complaint #10502211 — 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I TOOK MY 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES WORKED ON AND WHILE THERE THEY PERFORMED A MULTI POINT VEHICLE INSPECTION. FROM THIS INSPECTION THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS CROSS CONTAMINATION OF THE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID DUE TO A FAILED TRANSMISSION COOLER. THEY INDICATED THAT DAMAGE HAD ALREADY STARTED AND IT WOULD ONLY BE A SHORT TIME BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY SO I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THERE WOULD BE A $3,000 DEDUCTIBLE COST. IN TALKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE PERSONNEL AND RESEARCHING ONLINE IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FAILURE WHICH COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TRANSMISSION FAILS WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. MY FAMILY AND I ARE THANKFUL THAT JUST BY CHANCE THE BRAKES NEEDED WORK OTHERWISE MY WIFE AND KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND BEEN AT RISK OF POTENTIAL INJURY IF THE TRANSMISSION FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY AS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER NISSAN PATHFINDER VEHICLE OWNERS. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES THAT HAS OCCURRED IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE FOR NISSAN TO JUST EXTEND THE WARRANTY INSTEAD OF TAKING A PROACTIVE APPROACH AND ACTUALLY NOTIFYING THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THE PROBLEM AND FIXING THE KNOWN PROBLEM UNDER A VOLUNTARY RECALL. I URGE THE NHTSA TO INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION AND HOLD NISSAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DESIGN FAILURE AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK BY FORCING A MANDATORY RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING FOR FAILURE WHICH PUTS THE CONSUMER AT RISK. *TR