NHTSA Complaint #10681039 — 2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER

I NOTICED MY 2007 PATHFINDER'S HEATER WOULD ONLY WORK WHEN THE CAR WAS MOVING BUT, FIGURED IT WAS SOMETHING INSIGNIFICANT AND WOULD GET IT FIXED SOON. I THEN STARTED TO NOTICE MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND STALLING OUT AROUND 40 MPH. I DECIDED I BETTER GET IT INTO THE SHOP BEFORE I WAS STRANDED SOMEWHERE. BEFORE TAKING MY CAR INTO THE SHOP, I FIGURED I'D CHECK THE INTERNET AND MAKE SURE THERE WEREN'T ANY RECALLS ON THE HEATING SYSTEM. I TYPED IN "2007 NISSAN PATHFINDER" ON GOOGLE AND IT AUTO-FILLED "TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS" - NOT A GOOD SIGN. APPARENTLY, NISSAN WAS AWARE OF THE FAULTY RADIATORS IN THESE VEHICLES WHICH LEAK ANTIFREEZE IN TO THE TRANSMISSION AND DESTROY THE DRIVE TRAIN, YET DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.. POST AFTER POST DESCRIBED THE EXACT SAME ISSUES I WAS HAVING WITH MY CAR - PEOPLE WERE DESCRIBING HOW THEIR CARS WERE GETTING STUCK IN HIGH OR LOW GEARS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT SCARED ME TO DEATH! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TWO LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIPS AND GAVE THEM MY VIN AND MILEAGE. I WAS INFORMED, DUE TO SOME WORTHLESS SETTLEMENT WITH NISSAN, MY PORTION OF THE COST WOULD BE $3,000. HERE IS WHAT MOST INFURIATES ME ABOUT THIS SITUATION: 1. NISSAN WAS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE MANY YEARS AGO SO WHY DIDN'T THEY RECALL THE RADIATOR AND SAVE US THIS TROUBLE AND EXPENSE? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? I'M SURE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME WITH VEHICLES GETTING STUCK IN HIGH GEAR OR STALLING OUT ON THE INTERSTATE! 2. WHO DID THIS CLASS ACTION SUIT HELP EXACTLY? SOUNDS LIKE NISSAN DEFINITELY GOT THE BIGGER END OF THE STICK. WHEN IT ALL BOILS DOWN, I'M GUESSING THEY ARE OUT VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, MONEY AT ALL. 3. WHAT HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE? THIS ISN'T JUST BAD SERVICE - IT'S BAD BUSINESS. IT'S ABSURD THAT CAR COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO SELL FAULTY VEHICLES WITHOUT REPERCUSSION. *TR