NHTSA Complaint #10717788 — 2006 NISSAN XTERRA

AS I CAME UP TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE XTERRA BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND THE TACHOMETER STARTED RISING AND FALLING UNTIL I FINALLY STOPPED, THEN THE TACHOMETER DROPPED BELOW 500 RPM AND THE TRUCK TURNED OFF. RESTARTED IT FINE, BUT IT STALLED AGAIN. I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH IT IS AN AUTOMATIC, I NEEDED TO DRIVE IT LIKE A MANUAL. SO I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, STARTED IT AGAIN, IT DID NOT STALL, THEN I REVVED THE ENGINE TO 2,000 RPM AND PUT IT INTO DRIVE. OFF I WENT, AND IT DID NOT DO IT AGAIN THAT DAY. HOWEVER, OVER THE NEXT MONTH IT BECAME A GROWING PROBLEM, UNTIL IT FINALLY WAS OCCURRING EVERY SINGLE TIME I STOPPED UNLESS I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC WHO SPENT 4 HOURS DIAGNOSING IT TO BE CERTAIN OF THE PROBLEM. WHICH THEY SAID WAS A FAILING TORQUE CONVERTOR AND PLATE. IT FAILED DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FROM A BROKEN HOUSING COMING OFF OF THE RADIATOR (APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR WHICH NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY). NOT HARD TO VERIFY THEIR FINDINGS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF PINK MILKSHAKE LOOKING LIQUID IN THE RADIATOR. FINAL VERDICT, AT BEST IT NEEDS A NEW TORQUE CONVERTOR AND PLATE, BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO INSTALL THOSE AND UNKNOWN FURTHER DAMAGE FROM THE COOLANT LEAK, A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS RECOMMENDED.