NHTSA Complaint #10543910 — 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER

THE VEHICLE HAD SOME SHIFTING AND HESITATION ISSUES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY UPON ACCELERATING AFTER DECELERATING ABOUT 5 MPH AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CROSS CONTAMINATION WITH THE TRANSMISSION. UPON THE DEALER REPLACING THE RADIATOR AND FLUSHING THE COOLING SYSTEM/TRANSMISSION, THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOW THROWING OFF CODES AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE, I NOTED THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION AS WELL AS AND EXTENDED WARRANTY OFFERED BY NISSAN FOR THIS DEFECT. THE DEALER FAILED TO MENTION THIS, SO I FORWARDED THEM THE INFORMATION AND VISITED THEM TO DISCUSS THE DEFECT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOWER COST VALVE BODY SERVICE THEY COULD ATTEMPT, BUT IF THAT DID NOT WORK, I WOULD NEED THE FULL REPLACEMENT, SO THEREFORE THEY RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT. THE VALVE BODY SERVICE WAS $1300 AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS $5300, SO IF THE SERVICE DID NOT WORK I WOULD BE LOOKING AT $6600 PLUS ANOTHER $350 FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM AND TRANSMISSION FLUSH THEY HAD ALREADY PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAS 109,000 MILES ON IT, SO IT IS OUTSIDE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY NISSAN ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE. I DID TRY THEIR CUSTOMER CARE LINE TO ATTEMPT TO HAVE THEM COVER THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS ONLY 9000 MILES OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY, BUT THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. BASED ON THE COST OF THE REPAIR VERSUS THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE, IT'S HARD TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENSE AND THEREFORE I CONSIDERED NOT REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IS USED BY MY WIFE TO DRIVE OUR KIDS AROUND, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCE OF NOT REPAIRING AND THEN HAVE A COMPLETE FAILURE LIKE SOME OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED WHILE DRIVING. IT'S EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A MAJOR QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. *TR