Nissan Altima transmission problems

DEAR SIR, I PURCHASED A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA SER WITH A 6 SPD. MANUAL TRANSMISSION APPROXIMATELY 14 MONTHS AGO USED WITH 33,000 MILE AND FACTORY DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY UNTIL 60,000 MILES. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 59,000 MILES. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO IRA NISSAN IN WOBURN MA FOR A RE-OCCURRING CLUTCH ISSUE ; CLUTCH PEDAL SINKS TO THE FLOOR MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE AND GRINDING IN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING INTO THIRD GEAR. UNDER WARRANTY, NISSAN REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. LAST MONDAY, A WEEK AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK, THE CLUTCH IS ONCE AGAIN SINKING TO THE FLOOR JUST AS BEFORE, AND THE NISSAN DEALER IS SAYING BECAUSE THE CAN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO, LEAVING ME WITH A CAR THAT IS UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE.THE CLUTCH FAILS INTERMITTENTLY AND USUALLY RETURNS WITHIN AN HOUR OR SO, MAKING THE CAR DIFFICULT AT BEST TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC AND MAKING IT HARD TO REPLICATE ON CUE. THE CLUTCH APPEARS TO FAIL AFTER AN HOUR OR SO OF DRIVING OR AFTER IT GETS WARM, WITH NO WARNING. THE DEALER DROVE IT FOR 7 MILE AND SAYS IT CAN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.. NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THEY KNOW NOTHING OF THE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THE INTERNET LISTS OVER 60 INCIDENTS OF CLUTCH PEDAL SINKS TO FLOOR ON 02-06 NISSANS WITH STANDARD TRANSMISSION, ESPECIALLY 05-06 NISSAN SER"S.- BUT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT? MY CASE NUMBER WITH NISSAN IS 6600267. I USE MY CAR PRIMARILY FOR COMMUTING GLOUCESTER TO WOBURN AND BACK AND I TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED 6 OR SEVEN TIME NOW AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THIS WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE SALES BROCHURE FOR THIS MODEL NISSAN. THIS IS PROBLEMDANGEROUS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE. AND NOT KNOWING WHEN YOU CAN RELY ON YOUR CAR, AND WHEN YOU CAN'T? PLEASE ASSIST ME IN MAKING NISSAN DO THE RIGHT THING AND SIMPLY FIX THE CAR- THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, REPLACED THE CLUTCH AND A WEEK LATER, STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY WON' T DO IT RIGHT. *TR

CAR: 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA SE-R 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION 3.5L V6. PROBLEM: CLUTCH PEDAL FELL TO FLOOR DURING NORMAL USE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I HAD THE FIRST INCIDENT INVESTIGATED BY THE DEALERSHIP WITH NO RESULTS. I HAVE REPORTED THAT INCIDENT TO NHTSA SEPARATELY. I HAD BEEN USING MY CAR FOR A 1500 MILE FAMILY TRIP. I WAS NEARLY HALFWAY THROUGH MY 12 HOUR ONE DAY RETURN TRIP. I GOT HUNG UP IN STOPPED TRAFFIC IN NY FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR FIFTEEN MINUTES. WE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO A REST STOP AND HAD DINNER FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I RETURNED TO THE CAR, SPENT ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES IN TRAFFIC AND WAS MOVING ALONG AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AGAIN. THE CAR WAS LOADED WITH 2 ADULTS AND 3 CHILDREN AND ABOUT 125 POUNDS OF VACATION STUFF. UPON APPROACHING A TOLL BOOTH ON THE NY "EXPRESSWAY" I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH TO BEGIN DOWNSHIFTING AND DECELERATING FROM ROUGHLY 60 MPH. THE CLUTCH PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR. SINCE THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS NOT CAUGHT COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND BEGAN PUMPING THE CLUTCH AS THE CAR COASTED IN TOWARDS THE TOLL BOOTH. I WAS ABLE TO PUMP THE CLUTCH BECAUSE IT DID HAVE SOME SMALL DEGREE OF RETURN, BUT IT DID NOT REACH THE HEIGHT OF THE TYPICAL PICKUP POINT WHICH I ESTIMATE TO BE 6-8 INCHES OFF THE FLOORBOARD. PUMPING THE PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. I PLACED MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL AND LIFTED IT ALL THE WAY UP. PRESSING AGAIN HAD THE SAME RESULT. VERY LITTLE FRICTION. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TOLL WAS DEAD STOPPED TRAFFIC. THERE WAS ENOUGH FRICTION IN THE PEDAL TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH PLATES AND TO SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS. THE TRAFFIC SPEED INCREASED AND AFTER A FEW HUNDRED YARDS THE CLUTCH RECUPERATED ON ITS OWN. I ALWAYS DOUBLE DECLUTCH AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE CLUTCH PLATES IN MY CARS. SEE THIS LINK FOR MANY SIMILAR CONSUMER STORIES:HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/2005-2006-NISSAN-ALTIMA-SE-R-DISCUSSION/229124-CLASS-ACTION-LAWSUIT-CLUTCH-PROBLEM.HTM. *TR

CAR: 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA SE-R W/ 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND 3.5L V6. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY CLUTCH PEDAL BOTTOMS OUT TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER AND OVER IN THE NISSAN FORUM. UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY A FEW PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED TO NHTSA. I USED MY CAR ON A SUNDAY MORNING FOR A SHORT RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE (APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES ROUND TRIP). I LEFT THE CAR IN THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT ON MY BLACKTOP DRIVEWAY ALL DAY (ABOUT 85 DEGREE F). IN THE LATE AFTERNOON I STARTED MY CAR TO PUT IT IN THE GARAGE. BEFORE I TURNED THE IGNITION I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO PICKUP POINT. THE PEDAL WAS EASILY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE TYPICAL RESISTANCE IN THE PEDAL THROW WAS NONEXISTENT. THE CAR WAS ALREADY IN GEAR AND WHEN I LET THE CLUTCH OUT THERE WAS BARELY ENOUGH RESISTANCE TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH PLATES AND PULL THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE. THE PICKUP POINT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF INCHES OFF THE FLOORBOARD, WHEREAS THE USUAL PICKUP POINT IS ANYWHERE FROM 6-8 INCHES. I LEFT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT ON MONDAY. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR ON TUESDAY TO BRING IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WAS NO ISSUE AT ALL. I PAID MY $46.50 TO GET THIS ON RECORD WITH THE DEALER. THEY OF COURSE COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ERROR (AS WITH NEARLY EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM) AND SAW NO CLEAR DEFECTS UNDER THE HOOD. I HAVE THE COMPLETE PAPERWORK FROM THE DEALERSHIP IF THE NHTSA ODI INVESTIGATOR WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. FOR A HISTORY OF THE MANY INCIDENTS PLEASE SEE THIS PAGE: HTTP://WWW.NISSANCLUB.COM/FORUMS/2005-2006-NISSAN-ALTIMA-SE-R-DISCUSSION/229124-CLASS-ACTION-LAWSUIT-CLUTCH-PROBLEM.HTML. *TR

FOLLOW UP TO COMPLAINT NUMBER 10198578. THE ENTIRE CVT TRANSMISSION WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED WHILE THE CAR HAD ONLY 4500 MILES ON IT. AT AROUND 60,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (8/31/09) SO I TOOK IT TO DO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY RECEIVED TRANSMISSION CODES. NISSAN HEADQUARTERS GOT INVOLVED AND DETERMINED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TRANSMISSION ON A CAR THAT IS A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT. NISSAN HAS SAID THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS HAVE HAD FEW PROBLEMS, AND INSTEAD OF REPAIRING THEM, THEY ARE JUST GETTING REPLACED. NO FURTHER EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN. I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS. *TR

THE MOTORIST AND LAWFUL OWNER OF NISSAN ALTIMA 2005 (29K MILES) WAS DRIVING ON CLOUDY BUT DRY JULY 21 '09, AT 9:50AM, 4.5 MILES FROM HOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK. MOTORIST PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO THE STUDENT CENTER, AND DROVE AROUND LOOKING FOR SUITABLE PARKING SPOT. AFTER ONE LAP AT CREEPING SPEED OF 5 MPH, MOTORIST FOUND AN UNOCCUPIED PARKING SPOT FACING THE WOODS. MOTORIST PULLED INTO AVAILABLE PARKING SPOT, NOSE FIRST, AND SLOWED DOWN. WHEN AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STILL STAND, MOTORIST THEN INTENDED TO SHIFT THE GEARSHIFT FROM THE 'D' INTO THE 'P' POSITION, GOING THROUGH 'N, R'. WITH RIGHT FOOT ON BREAK PEDAL, MOTORIST SHIFTED GEARSHIFT FORWARDS, WHEN THE GEARSHIFT SUDDENLY GOT STUCK IN THE 'N' POSITION. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE, HOWEVER, UNEXPECTEDLY REVVED LOUDLY. THE VEHICLE SIMULTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY FORWARDS, RUNNING OVER A 4-FOOT LONG, 8-INCH TALL CONCRETE STOPPER BLOCK, THEN GOING OVER THE 6-INCH HIGH SIDEWALK, AND INEVITABLY MOVING INTO THE WOODS, WHERE VEHICLE HIT A TREE AND FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE HALT, WITH GEARSHIFT STILL BEING IN 'N' POSITION. SHAKEN BY THIS STARTLING EXPERIENCE AND BY DRIVER'S AIRBAG, MOTORIST INSTANTANEOUSLY TURNED CAR'S ENGINE OFF BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEYS COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THE TRAUMATIZED AND BRUISED MOTORIST NOTICED SMOKE EMANATING FROM STEERING WHEEL, THUS DECIDED TO STEP OUT OF VEHICLE. AT 1ST GLANCE, THE COLLISION DAMAGED RIGHT FENDER, BOTTOM METAL FRAME, HOOD, RIGHT HEADLIGHT AS WELL AS BUMPER. WITNESSES ASSISTED MOTORIST IN ARRANGING TOW-TRUCK TO PICK-UP INCAPACITATED VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT LIES IN MECHANICAL FAILURE: A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH AN UNDEPENDABLE TRANSMISSION. LUCKILY, NO PEDESTRIANS WERE IN THE WAY OF THE UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE. A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT, AND A REPLACEMENT OF ALL FAULTY PARTS OR VEHICLE, IS HIGHLY ADVISABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CLUTCH PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. SUDDENLY, THE TRANSMISSION BRAKE ENGAGED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING GEARS AND HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.