2006 Nissan Xterra

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, A GRINDING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END AS THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID PENETRATED THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,400.

THE RADIATOR COOLING WATER GOT INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS CAUSED STRONG VIBRATION THAT WE HAD TO GET OFF THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY. THE DAMAGE WAS REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR AND FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION . IT STARTED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SAFETY SWITCH THAT CAUSED ENGINE TROUBLE ALERT. AFTER FEW WEEKS THE CAR STALLED ALTOGETHER AND WE NOW HAD TO TOW IT TO A GARAGE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WAS REPORTED BEFORE AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY NISSAN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND REPAIR THE DAMAGED UNITS. *TR

VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED CHANGING GEARS WHILE ON A MAIN ROAD WHERE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH. TURNED ONTO A SMALLER COUNTRY ROAD, COULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 20 MPH, AND SLOWLY DESCENDED FROM THERE UNTIL FINALLY COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. CRACKED RADIATOR CAUSED COOLANT LEAK INTO TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING MANY SYSTEMS TO FAIL. IN TURN, HAD TO REPLACE RADIATOR AND COMPLETELY REBUILD AND FLUSH TRANSMISSION SEVERAL TIMES ($4400 EXPENSE). HAD I BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY OR INTERSTATE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE SERIOUS OUT COME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 40-45 MPH AND 1200 RPMS OR 60 MPH AND 1500 RPMS, A VIBRATION AS IF RUNNING OVER RIP BARS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY HAPPENED. AT FIRST, IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A UNIVERSAL; HOWEVER, AFTER REPLACING THE PART, THE VIBRATION CONTINUED BUT HAPPENED AT ALL SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH REGARDLESS OF THE RPMS. RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION COOLANT SYSTEM CRACKING, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION BUT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD NO REPORT OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED TURNING OFF THE OVERDRIVE AND IF THE PROBLEM STOPPED, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED. THIS WAS THE CASE, BUT BEFORE WE COULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED, IT STARTED HAVING A ROARING NOISE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHECKED, IT LOOKED LIKE A STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE AND SO DID THE COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR. BOTH HAVE BEEN FLUSHED BUT APPARENTLY WHEN THE INITIAL LEAK HAPPENED, IT ALSO ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE COMPUTER FOR THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, UP A STEEP HILL, THE RPMS GREW BUT THE SPEED DECREASED. SHIFTING DOWN SHOWED THAT THE GEAR HAD BEEN LOST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY IN THE LOWER GEAR. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP OUT OF THE AREA SAID THEY HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED XTERRA'S BROUGHT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT WE WOULD LOSE ONE GEAR AT A TIME UNTIL WE LOST THEM ALL. THIS IS A $3,500+ REPAIR AND IF WE LOSE GEARS IN HIGH TRAFFIC, WE WILL BE POSSIBLY REARENDED OR STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY, WHICH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT IS NOW OCTOBER AND NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED. A RECALL IS NEEDED BEFORE SOMEONE IS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! *TR

WHILE DRIVING 70 MILES AN HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SUDDENLY SHOT UP TO 4000 RPM AND WOULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR. AFTER MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FRIEND OF MINE'S SHOP HE TOLD ME THE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED, LEAKED COOLANT INTO THE TRANSMISSION, FRIED THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONTROL VALVE, ALL VALVES AND SEALS, AS WELL AS BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THE COST TO FIX WOULD BE $6000. NISSAN NEEDS TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE OF THEIR FACTORY DEFECT!!! *TR

MY VEHICLE HAS JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A FAILED TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE LEAKAGE ISSUE DESCRIBED BELOW. NISSAN IS STATING I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR COSTS UP TO $3000. REPORT DATE : OCTOBER 16, 2012 AT 12:21 PM NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : DP12004 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : DP12004 NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER : N/A VEHICLE MAKE / MODEL: MODEL YEAR(S): NISSAN / FRONTIER 2005-2010 NISSAN / PATHFINDER 2005-2010 NISSAN / XTERRA 2005-2010 MANUFACTURER(S) : NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. COMPONENT(S) : POWER TRAIN POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER DATE INVESTIGATION OPENED : JUNE 11, 2012 DATE INVESTIGATION CLOSED : OPEN SUMMARY: ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING INVESTIGATION OF TRANSMISSION DAMAGE ATTRIBUTED TO CONTAMINATION BY ENGINE COOLANT. THE SOURCE OF THE CONTAMINATION IS A CRACKED ATF LINE THAT RUNS THROUGH AN ENGINE COOLANT CHAMBER IN THE RADIATOR. ODI HAS RECEIVED (512) FIVE-HUNDRED-TWELVE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS BETWEEN AUGUST 2005 TO MAY 2012 REGARDING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. A COPY OF THE PETITION WILL BE PLACED IN THE PUBLIC FILE. ODI WILL REVIEW ITS CONTENT AND RELATED FIELD DATA TO ASSESS WHETHER A SAFETY DEFECT INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED. REFERENCED VOQS ARE LISTED ON A SEPARATE PAGE. *TR

COOLANT FROM NISSAN'S DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED RADIATOR LEAKED INTO MY TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION, VALVE BODY, COMPUTER, AND RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A TOTAL OF $4,000. WHILE DRIVING MY XTERRA HOME UP A STEEP GRADE IT WAS HAVING A PROBLEM SHIFTING AND ITS RPM WAS ALMOST RED LINING SO I STEPPED OFF THE GAS. THE XTERRA WAS AT TIMES BUCKING, SHIFTING UP AND DOWN RAPIDLY MAKING IT VERY HARD TO DRIVE IT HOME. MY VEHICLE COULDN'T GO OVER 40MPH AND I HAD SOME PEOPLE ALMOST RUN INTO THE BACK OF ME WHILE LIMPING IT HOME. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND I PRAY NO ONE HAS BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE NISSAN CREATED. SHAME ON THEM! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE FOR AWHILE BUT I WAS UNAWARE UNTIL LAST WEEK. MY TRUCK WAS OVERHEATING AND THE ANTIFREEZE HAD A WHITE SUBSTANCE IN IT. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE RADIATOR CRACKED AND THE TRANS COOLER WHICH IS INSIDE LEAKED. THE TWO FLUIDS MIXED AND HAS CAUSED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. MY RADIATOR HAS TO BE REPLACED AND THE TRANS WILL BE FLUSHED SEVERAL TIMES. THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRANS IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME AS IT IS STILL IN THE SHOP. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND IT TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN XTERRAS. THE SYMPTOM'S OF OTHERS VEHICLES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS MINE. NISSAN HAS HAD A VERY POOR SETTLEMENT IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT BUT IT IS VERY POOR. THIS SHOWS THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND/OR PARTS. THIS PROBLEM IS LEAVING PEOPLE WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS ($3800 AND UP) FOR A PROBLEM THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF. EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE MAINTAINED YOUR VEHICLE ROUTINELY THIS PROBLEM WILL STILL OCCUR DUE TO NISSANS POOR DESIGN AND PARTS. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL AND IF AN OWNER HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THEIR EXPENSE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. *TR