NHTSA Complaint #11055470 — 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA

I AM REPORTING A DANGEROUS CONDITION WITH THE 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY CAR AT 75,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING 65 - 70 MPH ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BASED ON MILES (NOT TIME) AND I WAS DENIED COVERAGE BY NISSAN DUE TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. THE TRANSMISSION HAS STUTTERED SINCE PURCHASE BUT IT SEEMED TO BE A QUIRK OF THE CAR; HOWEVER, ON DEC. 5, 2017, IT BRIEFLY WOULD NOT MOVE IN REVERSE AS MY DAUGHTER (THE PRIMARY DRIVER) BEGAN A 4-HOUR DRIVE FROM ORLANDO TO MIAMI. IT ENGAGED AND SHE CONTINUED ON HER TRIP. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE, THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE TURNED OFF THE CAR AND IT STARTED AND MOVED AGAIN. IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND NOT SAFE FOR HER TO REMAIN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO STOP SEVERAL TIMES DURING HER DRIVE AND SHE AGAIN PULLED OVER, STOPPED, THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. SHE MADE IT SAFELY TO MIAMI. THE NEXT MORNING, DEC. 6, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. ON DEC 10 THE CAR WAS TOWED BY AAA TO A NEARBY AUTO MECHANIC. ON DEC. 11 THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AND I WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS, INCLUDING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MODELS UP TO YEAR 2010. ON DEC. 11 IT WAS TOWED TO NISSAN AND WE ESTABLISHED A CASE WITH NISSAN CUSTOMER CARE. TODAY, DEC. 19 WE WERE INFORMED THAT NISSAN WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THE COST OF REPAIR. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS AT LEAST $3,700. THEY WILL REPLACE WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION, SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY IN THE FUTURE. WE STILL OWE ~$8,000 ON THE VEHICLE AND FEEL WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REPAIR.