NHTSA Complaint #10564505 — 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND AS THE FREEWAY WAS COMING TO ITS END WHERE YOU HAVE AN OPTION TO GO ON ANOTHER FREEWAY OR INTO THE CITY AREA, MY CAR COMPLETELY DIED AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP. I WAS TRYING TO ROLL AND STEER MYSELF INTO A SAFE AREA SO THAT CARS WOULD NOT COME CRASHING INTO ME FROM BEHIND AS IT WAS AT NIGHT @ 7:30 PM. AFTER WAITING A MINUTE, I STARTED IT BACK UP AND THE VDC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS DRIVABLE BUT SOMEWHAT JERKY AND STALLED ONCE AGAIN ON MY WAY BACK HOME. I TRIED TO GET THE CAR HOME SAFELY SO I CAN HAVE AAA TOW IT TO THE NEAREST SHOP NEAR MY HOME IF NEEDED. I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME AND THEN TOOK IT TO A SHOP WHERE BOTH CAM SHAFT SENSORS WERE REPLACED FOR $500. CAR DROVE BETTER BUT THEN STARTED SHAKING AT 40 MPH OR 60 MPH UNLESS I PUT IT IN OVERDRIVE OR LET OFF THE GAS AND TRIED AGAIN. DRIVING IN OVERDRIVE HELPED. MY MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE SO I THEN FOUND ANOTHER SHOP THAT WAS FULL-SERVICE WHERE THEY DID A FULL DIAGNOSTIC. I RECEIVED THE CALL ABOUT 5 HOURS AFTER DROP-OFF WHERE HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE AND YEAR AND THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE RADIATOR WHICH ALLOWS COOLANT TO MIX WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ULTIMATELY DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION. HE ALSO RECOMMENDED AS A FIX THAT I GET A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR AND HOSES AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD GO IN IT WOULD BE A NEWER MODEL NISSAN PATHFINDER TRANSMISSION WHERE THEY HAVE CHANGED/CORRECTED THE DESIGN AND WOULDN'T INCUR THIS ISSUE AGAIN. HE STATED IT'S A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPS RUNNING AND THAT I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT IT STILL DOES RUN. AS I HAVE JUST PAID THIS CAR OFF A FEW MONTHS EARLIER, THE NEW COSTS INCURRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY, WOULD RUN ME ANYWHERE FROM $5,600-$7,500. MY VEHICLE'S VALUE IS $8,000 ACCORDING TO EDMUNDS.COM. *TR