NHTSA Complaint #10616548 — 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER

HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATOR LEAKING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME TO PUT IN SOME FLUID THAT SEALS UP THE LEAK. WORKED WELL FOR A WHILE. THEN THIS MAY THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING NOISES AND VIBRATIONS. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TELLS ME THAT THE RADIATOR HAS LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION. ABOUT $1,000 TO FIX IT. I SAY GO AHEAD AS WHAT CHOICE DO I HAVE. THEY REPLACE THE RADIATOR AND FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION ABOUT 4 TIMES. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SHIFTING INTO 4WD BY ITSELF AND THE CAR WON'T GO ANYWHERE WHILE GIVING IT GAS. TURN IT OFF THEN ON AND THAT FIXES IT. I TAKE IT TO NISSAN BECAUSE MY MECHANIC SHOP WAS CLOSED. I EXPLAIN MY PREVIOUS REPAIRS AND MY PROBLEM. THEY TELL ME ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. ASK ME IF I HAVE A FACTORY OR AFTER MARKET RADIATOR INSTALLED. I DON'T KNOW. SO I WAIT UNTIL MONDAY TO TALK TO MY ORIGINAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAY IT WAS AN AFTERMARKET. NISSAN SAYS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND AFTER TALKING TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS THEY TELL ME THEY CAN'T HONOR THE WARRANTY. I ASK THEM TO MAYBE TAKE A STATEMENT FROM MY MECHANIC THAT HE TOOK OUT THE ORIGINAL FACTORY RADIATOR AND REPLACED IT, BUT THEY SAY THEY NEED THE ORIGINAL WHICH WAS TAKEN TO THE SCRAP YARD. NISSAN HAD TO REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND NOW I THINK I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. LESSON LEARNED THAT NISSAN DOES NOT MAKE GOOD CARS. AND WON'T BACK THEM UP EITHER. *TR