NHTSA Complaint #10585504 — 2007 NISSAN XTERRA

FIRST NOTICED A STUTTERING WHEN DRIVING AND A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN MOVING THE SHIFTER FROM PARK TO REVERSE TO DRIVE IN FEBRUARY. ALSO EXPERIENCED NO HEAT AND OVER HEATING IN MARCH. UPON REPAIR OF THERMOSTAT, DRAINING THE RADIATOR SHOWED AN ACCUMULATION OF THICK GREY GUNK IN THE COOLANT. THERMOSTAT SEAL ITSELF WAS MELTED. HAD DEALER EVALUATE CLUNKING SOUND AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS INTERMIX (THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED BY THE COOLANT) A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION COOLING COMPONENTS THAT ALLOWS THE COOLANT TO CONTAMINATE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. AS A RESULT OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT MILEAGE WAS OVER THE NISSAN WARRANTY LIMIT OF 100,000 EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM DID NOT MANIFEST UNTIL ALMOST 120,000 MILES. RECOMMENDED FIX WAS IN STAGES - 1) REPLACE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION FLUSH $1200++ 2) IF PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED, REPLACE TRANSMISSION $4000++ HAVE TALKED WITH NISSAN CORPORATE TO NO AVAIL. CASE # IS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS