2005 Infiniti QX56

A 2005 INFINITY QX56 WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 50 MPH ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLER HOSE RUPTURED RELEASING THE ATF FLUID. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOSING ATF . LOST THE ABILITY TO PROPEL THE CAR. AT THAT TIME I HAD MY WIFE AND 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN INTO A NEARBY SHOPPING PLAZA PARKING LOT AND WAS UNABLE TO MOVE AFTER THAT POINT. THE RUPTURE COULD HAVE LEAD TO A CRASH SITUATION. THE INCIDENT CAUSED A SHORT TERM FRICTION MATERIAL FAILURE WEEK LATER. THE HOSE WAS REPLACED AND TRANSMISSION CLEANED AND FLUSHED. THE TRANSMISSION WORKED UNTIL JUNE 3 , 2014. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT TO 4TH GEAR AT 55 MPH ON A INTERSTATE, HAD TO PULL OVER AND TOW THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC SHOP, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED OR TOTALLY REBUILD..... BOTH INCIDENTS COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. *TR

A 2005 INFINITY QX56 WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 35 MPH ON A TWO LANE ROAD WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLER RUPTURED INSIDE THE RADIATOR RELEASING THE ATF FLUID INTO THE RADIATOR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOSING ATF THROUGH THE RADIATOR'S PRESSURE RELIEF POINTS AN LOST THE ABILITY TO PROPEL THE CAR WITHIN ONE BLOCK. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN INTO A NEARBY DRIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO MOVE AFTER THAT POINT. THE RUPTURE COULD HAVE LEAD TO A CRASH SITUATION. THE SECOND PART OF INCIDENT IS THE COOLANT CONTAMINATED THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED A SHORT TERM FRICTION MATERIAL FAILURE 4 MONTHS LATER. THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED AND TRANSMISSION CLEANED AND FLUSHED. THE TRANSMISSION WORKED UNTIL AUGUST 20, 2013. THE TRANSMISSION LOST CONTACT WITH 5TH BAND AT 60 MPH ON A INTERSTATE AND WAS NO LONGER PROPELLING THE CAR. A SHIFT INTO THE 4TH BAND GOT THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND IT WAS TOWED FOR REPAIR. THE ANTIFREEZE HAD DISSOLVED THE FRICTION MATERIAL CONSTRUCTION AND CORRODED VALVE PARTS. IT WAS REBUILT AND THE DESTRUCTION CONFIRMED. BOTH INCIDENTS COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. INFINITY SENT US NO WARNING AND SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM OR RECALL. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS REPAIRED 5 OTHER INFINITY QX56 CARS FOR THE SAME FAILURES BEFORE MY CAR WAS REPAIRED. NISSAN N. AMERICA HAS SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE PATHFINDER MODEL,AS CONFIRMED BY TWO INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS CONTACTED. A WARNING: IF COOLANT DRIPS ARE NOTICED UNDER THE RADIATOR CHECK THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE CONNECTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR, IF THE ARE WET AND OR LEAKING COOLANT, HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A SHOP AND CHECKED FOR PROBLEM. CATCHING THIS PROBLEM AT THIS POINT MAY ONLY REQUIRE THE RADIATOR TO BE REPLACED, AND NO CRASH HAZARD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER CONTINUED RISING INSTEAD OF GOING UP AND DOWN WITH THE SPEED. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME THE GAUGE WAS FACING STRAIGHT DOWN, STUCK IN THAT POSITION. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON TO SEE IF IT WOULD CHANGE THE GAUGE, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. NEXT I PUT THE CAN IN PARK, SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND THE GAUGE BEGAN TO SLOWLY MOVE BACKWARDS, AFTER DOING THIS A FEW TIMES THE GAUGE MOVED BACK AROUND SLOWLY. AFTER DOING THIS 5 TIMES THE GAUGE IS JUST TO THE LEFT OF THE RED AREA. NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY, IT IS ONLY 4MONTHS OLD. THE TRANSMISSION FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS SHIFTING PROPERLY, AND THERE IS NOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS BESIDES THE GAUGE. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO AND FROM WORK WITH NO VISIBLE PROBLEM AND PARKED IT IN THE DRIVE. THE NEXT DAY I WAS ABLE TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY BUT WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE I NOTICED THAT THE ATS LIGHT IS ON AND IT IS STRUGGLING TO MOVE FORWARD. THE MANUAL SAYS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER IF THE ATS LIGHT IS ON SO I HAD AAA FLAT BED IT TO MY LOCAL INFINITI DEALER. AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE A LEAKING RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF ALMOST $5,000.00 SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS A FEW MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGHT I WAS UNDER THE MILEAGE LIMIT OF 70K. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND WELL KNOWN DEFECT WITH NISSAN/INFINITI SUV'S WHERE A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR CAN CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND COOLANT TO MIX AND RUIN THE TRANSMISSION. A QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS IN FACT NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH INFINITI USA AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD OR WOULD DO ABOUT THE SITUATION. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP GETTING THE NECESSARY REPAIRS DONE. *TR