NHTSA Complaint #10691677 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

DEFECTIVE RADIATOR LEAKED ENGINE COOLANT INTO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF), CAUSING CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF FLUIDS THAT WILL RUIN THE RE5R05A TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE COOLANT WATER CONTAMINATION CAN SHORT-CIRCUIT THE LOW CURRENT ELECTRONIC COMPUTER LOCATED ON THE VALVE BODY. THIS TRANSMISSION WAS USED IN XTERRA; FRONTIER; PATHFINDER AND ARMADA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2005 AND 2010. FIXING THE RADIATOR AND REPLACING THE CONTAMINATED FLUID WITH FRESH FLUID DOES NOT ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM, AS THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DAMAGED. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX A DAMAGED TRANSMISSION COMPUTER IS TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE, AND THEY ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM NISSAN AS PART OF A NEW VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY. (HTTP://WWW.TOPTRANSMISSIONS.COM/NISSAN-PATHFINDER-XTERRA-ARMADA) NUMEROUS CONSUMER REPORTS ONLINE SHOW THAT THE VEHICLE CAN SUDDENLY LOSE POWER, OR EVEN LOCK UP THE DRIVING WHEELS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC; THEREFORE, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT ISSUE. SUBURBAN TRANSMISSIONS OF GAITHERSBURG, MD 20878 (PH. 301-362-4040 OR 800-353-3477) REPORTS THAT: "FOR MOST TRUCKS AND SUVS, FIXING THE RADIATOR PROBLEM AND REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID MIGHT CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, ON THE NISSAN PATHFINDER AND XTERRA AND OTHER MODELS THAT USE THE RE5R05A TRANSMISSION?(W)E ALSO RECOMMEND (ALONG WITH RADIATOR & TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT) BYPASSING THE RADIATOR WITH AN EXTERNAL TRANSMISSION COOLER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AS REPLACING THE RADIATOR ISSUE IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN." [WEB SOURCE: LINK SHOWN ABOVE.] *TR