NHTSA Complaint #10548188 — 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER

DURING HIGHWAY SPEEDS NOTED CHATTERING/CHUTTERING WHEN ACCELERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 60-65 MPH. LATER AFTER EXITING THE INTERSTATE, SLOWING DOWN WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTION, DURING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFT, VEHICLE SEEMED TO LUNGE FORWARD. SCARY IN CITY TRAFFIC. UPON RETURN TO HOME, REMOVED RADIATOR CAP, COOLANT FLUID WAS COLOR AND CONSISTENCY OF PEANUT BUTTER. FEARING BLOWN HEAD GASKET, CHECK ENGINE OIL WHICH WAS FINE, CHECK OF TRANSMISSION FLUID REVEALED VERY RUNNY AND MORE OF A PEANUT BUTTER COLOR ON THE DIP STICK. REMOVED TRANSMISSION DRAIN PLUG FOR A BETTER FLUID INSPECTION, WHAT DRAINED WAS VERY WATERY, REDDISH, BROWNISH, PEANUT BUTTER COLORED FLUID. DRAINED APPROXIMATELY 3 QUARTS. REPLACED DRAINED FLUID WITH NEW, SET UP APPOINTMENT AND DROVE VEHICLE TO NISSAN SERVICE CENTER. CURSORY SEARCH OF THE WEB IDENTIFIED EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF OTHER CONSUMERS COMPLAINING OF SAME ISSUE. COUPLE HOURS LATER, NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS CROSS CONTAMINATION BETWEEN COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION. BECAUSE VEHICLE HAD GREATER THAN 80000 MILES, SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME WOULD BE A CO-PAY OF $2500.00. REPAIR WORK COMPLETED, MONEY PAID, NOW ATTEMPTING TO HAVE NISSAN REIMBURSE. *TR