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Feds Reject Consumer Group’s Request To Recall 850,000 Nissans With Transmission - Autos - Nairaland

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Feds Reject Consumer Group’s Request To Recall 850,000 Nissans With Transmission by baress(m): 11:39pm On Nov 03, 2016
[b]Federal safety regulators have rejected a consumer group’s request that about 850,000 model year 2005 – 10 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier and Xterra models be recalled because the automatic transmission has a mechanical problem that can cause a vehicle to lose speed or stall.

In rejecting the request from the North Carolina Consumers Council, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that there is clearly a mechanical problem with the transmission: a defective transmission oil cooler that can allow engine coolant to get into the transmission.

However, in its summary report the agency said proving a safety problem would be such a challenge that “there is no reasonable possibility” of a recall and further use of the agency’s resources cannot be justified.


“We find that notion to be incredibly misguided and irresponsible,” said Matthew Oliver, the executive director of the council, which requested the investigation in 2012.

“Apparently, N.H.T.S.A. does not feel that more than nearly 640 documented consumer complaints directly related to a potential vehicle safety hazard should be a priority or are worth an investment of agency resources,” said Mr. Oliver.

The agency has 638 complaints citing “potential hazards,” with owners saying their vehicles stalled or lost power when they needed to accelerate.

“I was driving on Route 62 near home and was very fortunate not being T-boned as I pulled out. My Pathfinder didn’t go like it was supposed to. Fortunately the oncoming vehicle stopped,” an owner from Wisconsin wrote in 2011.

There were reports of four minor accidents, but no injuries. The safety agency said in three of those accidents the owner had problems with the transmission previously, but did not fix it.

In its report the agency said it had almost 1,900 other complaints from owners, typically citing “customer satisfaction issues.” Those included “shudder and shake,” the cost of the repair (typically $4,000 to $7,000) and the lack of help they received from Nissan.

In some cases the cost of that repair was half of what the vehicle was worth, the agency said.

Many of vehicles about which the owners complained had at least 90,000 miles.

The agency’s investigation included reviewing owner complaints, interviewing some owners, examining and driving vehicles and having its defect investigation group in Ohio test the components.


The agency said the transmission failures were typically preceded by poor shifting or shuddering that provide a warning of a problem. But many owners were not aware such symptoms could lead to a loss of power or stalling or they could not afford the repair.

The agency said there have been recalls for stalling and loss of power, but typically those involved a sudden and total loss of power without any warning, often accompanied by the loss of power assist to the steering and brakes.

And that has not been the case with the Nissans, the agency said.

Many of the owners complained that Nissan refused to stand behind its product.

In 2010 the automaker extended the warranty on the radiator – the component involved in the leak that ruined the transmission – to eight years or 80,000 miles from the time the vehicle was new.

But the warranty notice for owners did not specifically say that the automaker would repair a transmission damaged by the radiator failure, an omission that prompted scorn from consumer advocates.

At the time a Nissan spokesman told The New York Times that the transmission was covered, even thought that was not stated. He said the automaker was trying “to be informative and concise without getting too deep into the details.”

But the recent N.H.T.S.A. report said some owners complained that Nissan nevertheless refused to pay for transmission repair or replacement. Other owners said the warranty should be longer.

In 2012, Nissan settled a class-action suit over the transmissions and extended that warranty to 100,000 miles or 10 years from the time the vehicle was new. That specifically mentioned a transmission repair, but the owner had to pay as much as $3,000.


Meanwhile Mr. Oliver, the head of the North Carolina Consumers Council, said his group recommends consumers not buy the 2005 – 10 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier and Xterra.[/b]



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http://baress.com.ng/2016/11/03/feds-reject-consumer-groups-request-to-recall-850000-nissans-with-transmission-problem/

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