NHTSA Complaint #10553524 — 2014 NISSAN VERSA

WE RECENTLY (2 NOV) PURCHASED A 2014 NISSAN VERSA WITH THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION ,OUR PROBLEM IS WITH DOWN SHIFTING FROM 5TH TO 4TH . WHEN SHIFTING FROM 5TH TO 4TH THE SHIFTER WILL RANDOMLY LOCK UP AND YOU HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PHYSICAL MOVE THE SHIFTER IN EVERY DIRECTION TILL YOU CAN SHIFT AGAIN OR IF YOU?RE LUCKY AS YOU?RE COASTING AND FIGHTING WITH THE SHIFTER IT POPS LOOSE AND YOU CAN SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR. IT SEEMS LIKE THE SHIFT LINKAGE LOCKS UP AND THE CAR WON?T GO FULLY INTO 4TH. MY WIFE HAS TAKEN OFF WORK TWICE AND ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER (LEGLUE NISSAN, ALEXANDRIA, LA). BOTH TIMES SHE HAS BEEN SHE TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AFTER A SHORT TEST DRIVE NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR, ALL THE 2014 VERSAS SHIFT LIKE THAT. WE HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND RECEIVED A SIMILAR ANSWER BASICALLY THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE VERSA HAS A HARD DOWNSHIFT FROM 5TH TO 4TH BUT THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. ALSO, LET ME AT THIS TIME ALLEVIATE ANY CONCERN ABOUT US BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE OPERATION OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. WE PRESENTLY OWN FOUR PASSENGER VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, ONE BEING A 2009 VERSA WITH THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION WHICH HAS NEVER GIVEN US A PROBLEM AND SEVERAL PIECES OF FARM MACHINERY AND BETWEEN BOTH OF US HAVE OVER 70 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OPERATING THEM. *TR