NHTSA Complaint #10648709 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 40-45 MPH AND 1200 RPMS OR 60 MPH AND 1500 RPMS, A VIBRATION AS IF RUNNING OVER RIP BARS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY HAPPENED. AT FIRST, IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A UNIVERSAL; HOWEVER, AFTER REPLACING THE PART, THE VIBRATION CONTINUED BUT HAPPENED AT ALL SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH REGARDLESS OF THE RPMS. RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION COOLANT SYSTEM CRACKING, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION BUT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD NO REPORT OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED TURNING OFF THE OVERDRIVE AND IF THE PROBLEM STOPPED, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. THIS WAS THE CASE, BUT BEFORE WE COULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED, IT STARTED HAVING A ROARING NOISE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHECKED, IT LOOKED LIKE A STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE AND SO DID THE COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR. BOTH HAVE BEEN FLUSHED BUT APPARENTLY WHEN THE INITIAL LEAK HAPPENED, IT ALSO ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE COMPUTER FOR THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, UP A STEEP HILL, THE RPMS GREW BUT THE SPEED DECREASED. SHIFTING DOWN SHOWED THAT THE GEAR HAD BEEN LOST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY IN THE LOWER GEAR. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP OUT OF THE AREA SAID THEY HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED XTERRA'S BROUGHT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT WE WOULD LOSE ONE GEAR AT A TIME UNTIL WE LOST THEM ALL. THIS IS A $3,500+ REPAIR AND IF WE LOSE GEARS IN HIGH TRAFFIC, WE WILL BE POSSIBLY REARENDED OR STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY, WHICH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT IS NOW OCTOBER AND NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED. A RECALL IS NEEDED BEFORE SOMEONE IS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! *TR