NHTSA Complaint #707774 — 1990 NISSAN PATHFINDER

THERE ARE 2 RECURRING PROBLEMS THAT APPEAR TO BE PATENT DEFECTS WITH MOST EARLY 90'S PATHFINDERS. THEY DESERVE INVESTIGATION BY DOT. FIRST IS PREMATURE AND REPEATED FAILURE OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, PROBABLY (BUT NOT CERTAINLY) DUE TO INADEQUATE OIL COOLING. I NOTE THAT IN THE YOUR DATABASE THERE ARE 30+ REPORTS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES (SEVERAL OF THEM INDICATING MULTIPLE FAILURES) FOR MODEL YEARS 1989-1991. THERE ARE ALSO A DOZEN OR MORE REPORTS OF EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUD FAILURE - MOST INDICATING MULTIPLE FAILURES - AND NISSAN DEALERS REPORT THAT THIS HAPPENS TO VIRTUALLY EVERY EARLY 90'S PATHFINDER. AT $300-400 A POP, THIS IS AN OUTRAGE...AND IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD (WHICH MAY WARP WHEN THE STUD BREAKS), IT'S $1,300 PLUS! I'VE SPENT OVER $8,000 ON REPAIRS FOR THESE 2 TYPES OF PROBLEMS, AND NISSAN IS UNRESPONSIVE. I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR OWN RECORDS SHOW IN TERMS OF # AND $ VOLUME OF DEALER SERVICE INCIDENTS RELATING JUST TO THESE PATENT DEFECTS. *AK