2007 nissan pathfinder transimission issue

[Mr2005]

back in June i had an issue with my 07 pathfinder. There would be a slight jolt as i slowed down (around 10 to 15 mph). I took it to the dealership and they said it was transmission controller. They said it the transmission wasnt slowing as the engine rpms went down. They changed the part out I explicitly asked if there was any other issues with the transmission to which they said no.

Fast forward to Thursday Night, i am driving home and I feel the jolt. I take it in first thing Friday. The conclusion from the nissan dealership is that there is a problem with the transmission and it needs replaced. They said the lock up is bad??. Initially he tells me they don't work on transmission and my options are 1) a used transmission from a pathfinder with 70K miles for $3,500 or 2)a new transmission for $7,500. After pressing him for a while he said he could take apart the transmission and see if its a just a part that needs replaced? He said he'd charge "a couple hundred bucks" to take it apart but ordering parts could take some time if they could fix it but it would cost much much less than the options above.

I am slated to take it in tomorrow but have some questions:
1) do those prices seem reasonable?
2) does it make sense to get a new or used transmission on a 07 pathfinder with 110k miles? my goal was to get 200k + with this vehickle.
3) is it true nissan dealerships don't work on transmissions? He also said no other repair shops like to work on them because "nissan doesn't release the info" on their transmissions so other shops cant fix them?
4) anyone have a non nissan shop work on their transmission?


any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated?

[eieio]

is it possible that the transmission is failing due to the coolant contamination issue?

[Mr2005]

is it possible that the transmission is failing due to the coolant contamination issue?

i dont know. i am discovering this issue from reading this board. i suspect the nissan dealership where I bought and service this pathfinder would not volunteer this info????

does nissan do the by pass?

[eieio]

is it possible that the transmission is failing due to the coolant contamination issue?

i dont know. i am discovering this issue from reading this board. i suspect the nissan dealership where I bought and service this pathfinder would not volunteer this info?????

it's the most common reason for transmission failures in these trucks (Xterra, Frontier, and Titans also!)
hard to say if they checked that or not
unfortunately, i don't have any confidence in dealerships to get things right

does nissan do the by pass?

not likely, but you'd really have to ask them

one thing to keep in mind is that there is an extended warranty program for coolant contamination related transmission failures caused by a faulty radiator
even though your mileage is beyond the limit of that warranty, be sure to keep all repair documentation as it could be a valuable thing to have in the event that the extended warranty campaign becomes a RECALL campaign in the future
more info here: http://www.nissanassist.com/web/Radiato ... hp?menu=20

[smj999smj]

You could always seek a second opinion from a reputable transmission shop if you have one near you.

[disallow]

You could always seek a second opinion from a reputable transmission shop if you have one near you.

+1!

The standard response from most dealers I've dealt with is that they'll swap it out, but won't do any repair on auto trannies.

Different on manuals, I've had a Honda dealer do a rebuild under warranty on my 98 civic.

t

[Mr2005]

Thanks all.

I actually took it too a tranny shop this morning. Awaiting their second opinion now.

[eieio]

Thanks all.

I actually took it too a tranny shop this morning. Awaiting their second opinion now.

what'd they say?

[NVSteve]

does nissan do the by pass?

My dealership does, but I have yet to hear of any others. Your 2nd opinion transmission shop should be able to tell you if it is contaminated, which will also mean having the rad replaced.

[webmastir]

Curious to see what they said too. Do new trannys for our Pathfinders really cost ~$7k?!?!?!? Mother of God that's expensive. And I thought my Acura transmission was expensive (remand for ~$3500!)

[fidelcastrol]

Curious to see what they said too. Do new trannys for our Pathfinders really cost ~$7k?!?!?!? Mother of God that's expensive. And I thought my Acura transmission was expensive (remand for ~$3500!)

How did the auto industry go from $700 to rebuild a 700R4 to $3500 or more for a Nissan transmission. There is a huge disconnect in customers needs and wants to what the auto industry has been providing. It's almost as if they are artificially raising the price of replacement parts so you can't keep a car past 100k mi. For that price I'm sure I could rig up 5 speed manual trans to my path and be done with it till the clutch goes.