NHTSA Complaint #10884179 — 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER

WE HAVE A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER THAT HAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR. WE FOLLOWED ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE, MOST OF WHICH WAS AT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NEGLIGENT IN ITS INSPECTION AND REPAIR OF OUR VEHICLE. WHEN WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND HAD BOTH TRANSMISSION AND COOLANT CONTAMINATION, THEY FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. TWO NISSAN DEALERSHIP INSPECTIONS IN MAY 2016 OUTLINED THAT ALL WAS WELL WITH OUR VEHICLE, EVEN AFTER WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION FLUID ON OUR DIPSTICK, AND IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT THE BOLT TO CHECK THE FLUID HAD NOT BEEN RECENTLY REMOVED. OUR FAMILY'S SAFETY WAS PUT AT RISK DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH, WHILE IT WAS EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND RISKED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO HEAVILY CONTAMINATED COOLANT. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF SYMPTOMS, WE LOOKED ONLINE AND WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE WIDESPREAD MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED. WE TOOK OUR TRUCK TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. THE NISSAN WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS OR 160,000 KILOMETERS FOR POSSIBLE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY FAILURE. ALTHOUGH OUR VEHICLE FELL WITHIN THE 10 YEAR TIME FRAME, WE WERE OUTSIDE THE KILOMETER RANGE BY 40,000 KILOMETERS. NISSAN CANADA AND CROWN NISSAN REFUSED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO US. WE FEEL THE 160,000 KM IS FAR TOO LOW FOR A 10 YEAR WARRANTY. A RECENT DODGE WARRANTY EXTENSION WAS 10 YRS, 240,000 KM. NISSAN PUT US IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION, WHERE THEY FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND WE WERE OUT DRIVING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, SOME OF WHICH INVOLVED TOWING OUR FAMILY CAMPER ON THE HIGHWAYS. NISSAN HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT ON MANY LEVELS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THESE FAULTY RADIATORS.