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Nissan Xterra Manual Transmission Problems

13

Comments

  • ruckuzruckuz Member Posts: 2
    yes I'm from Canada (province of Quebec)
  • ktsteven3ktsteven3 Member Posts: 6
    We have created a facebook group entitled "I have a Nissan Xterra with a bad clutch". We thought it would be a good way to collect everyone who is involved in this mess and keep everyone up to date about any strides made against Nissan USA or Canada. We can also post pictures and have discussions. Please join so that we can begin to build strength in numbers. -Karen
  • agatkaagatka Member Posts: 4
    ok the dealer replaced the clutch and flywheel and all the other clutch parts with new OEM parts so we will see how many miles i get this time before it brakes down again. It is mid April and car is stil rolling. I have 2 more yrs before the powertrain warranty expires and dealer menager said that it will be cover and replaced if it brakes down bore that. Hope I won't have to prove with the edmunds xterra forum print outs that I am not the only one with this problem in my car. My gas sensor was also replaced while they work on my car....so so far I am glad with Anchorage, Alaska Nissan dealership.
  • altramarinealtramarine Member Posts: 5
    Hey guys,

    let me join your club:(
    I am now at 65k km(40k miles) and also started having the "loss of power".The clutch is slippage is becoming worse and worse and now i am afraid to travel long distances. I had my mechanic look at it and sure enough he stated exactly what a few others said about the clutch being undersized for the truck this size/power. He also said it is the clutch that is going to kingdom.... I've contacted two Nissan dealers so far and both said this is a wear and tear issue and will not be covered under warranty. I am too much in love with the car but feel like I've been literally violated by Nissan after switching from Toyota (which is a 1992 vehicle and clutch is solid). So unfortunate. I am going to try the rough route that others have tried - pressuring teh dealership, and then the Nissan Canada and so forth. I hope something can be done to resolve what appears to be an ongoing issue.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    Unfortunately, no one at Nissan cares about customer safety or satisfaction or about product integrity. This problem has existed for 5 production years ant they still have no desire to solve THEIR problem. They find it easier to blame the consumer. I've had three Nissans. This will be my last as I won't deal with a company that treats it's customers so shoddily.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    Don't know how many of you tried this but I just left a message at NissanUSA.
    Go to this site and let them know how you feel about their lack of customer care and product quality.
    http://www.nissanusa.com/apps/contactus
  • ktsteven3ktsteven3 Member Posts: 6
    Altramarine and others: Make sure you file a complaint at www.nhtsa.gov and your BBB as well as Nissan Consumer Affairs. The more of these that they have reported, the better case we have. And the dealership may change their mind about reimbursal with some pressure from the BBB coming down on them.
  • altramarinealtramarine Member Posts: 5
    I will file the complain alright.

    I just called Nissan Canada and described the problem. The lady on the phone told me that there are no such cases reported on file and that the warranty does not cover that. So there, they refuse to even attempt at acknowledge this problem. I for one am pissed.
  • Just_PeachyJust_Peachy Member Posts: 17
    Thanks to whoever mentioned JIM WOLF Technologies. Clark spent a lot of time on the phone with me. I learned loads about clutches. These guys are serious petrol heads. The clutch cavity can fit a 275mm clutch yet only a 260mm was fitted. Doing some math, that small increase in diameter has a massive effect on longevity. For the non-techies, the difference in time between toast and burnt toast is a few seconds yet the change is huge. Once that clutch hits that magic temperature for a few seconds it's terminal. JWT use higher performing materials in the clutches they build. I would buy a JWT in a heartbeat, my dealer would even fit it for me, the warranty would be with JWT not Nissan. Make sure Nissan REFUSE to do the work under warranty, then buy a JWT and then pursue Nissan for the cost. My next stop is the Canadian automotive arbitration groups. More info contact me at [email protected].
  • Just_PeachyJust_Peachy Member Posts: 17
    What????
    They have MY case on file, I sent them over 70 pages detailing people that contacted me or posted on this forum probably around a 100 clutches on the second gen X - ZERO on the first generation. Those lying @#$%^#&%$.

    Now I am really $#%&*^% off !!

    Contact me please, [email protected]
  • ktsteven3ktsteven3 Member Posts: 6
    They have our cases on file. The thing is, when you are filing your initial complaint with Nissan and dealing with the pencil pusher in Nissan Consumer Affairs, they are merely collecting your side of the story and then asking the mechanics at your dealership what their professional opinions are. Obviously, if you were denied any reimbursement initially, you are going to get nowhere with consumer affairs because they are not trained mechanics and simply regurgitate that which the dealership mechanics say. My consumer affairs agent acknowledged that they do not investigate other cases and do not have access to that data; they are only concerned with your specific case. I quote "that is someone else's job". I don't know how to get in contact with that someone else but I am hoping that once the Nissan legal department is drawn into the case that they will be forced to begin to look at the total numbers and stop operating in vacuum. We shall see...
  • altramarinealtramarine Member Posts: 5
    Looking at the forum, it exhibits a large concentration of complaints pertaining to the same issue. However, considering that there are thousands of Xterra out there that have been sold and have not had this problem, it might also be a factor for Nissan to disregard our calls. I mean say for example there are 20000(example) Xterra vehicles in North America and only 100 posts on this forum, that’s a small fraction which is easy to overlook. It might take a bit more than that to have fellas at Nissan take customer affairs seriously. As much as I hate it, it holds true to any large corporation out there. Either way, they are losing customers.

    On the other note, I called Jim Wolf Technology and probably will be ordering the new clutch + flywheel. Screw the OEM parts, waste of breath. I need a vehicle that’s not going to quit on me half way on a highway.
  • altramarinealtramarine Member Posts: 5
    Has anyone had success with the Jim WOlf Technology cluch,flywheel? Just curious. I wonder whether they will last longer than the OEM Nissan part.
    Thanks,
  • pietroantpietroant Member Posts: 3
    Re: JWT [altramarine] Nissan may have manufactured thousands of Xterras but how many were manual transmissions. This is the sample figure I urged Nissan Consumer Affairs to look at. There are even those who repaired their vehicles outside of the dealer service network for cost savings and therefore no record on those. Even so, we have a legitimate and worthy battle.
  • j_schmidt_stlj_schmidt_stl Member Posts: 1
    Alright....my 2006 nissan Xterra's clutch went out after 45,000 miles. Cost me $1500. This morning...I found out it is going to cost me an additional $700 to fix the faulty fuel gauge...a part that is under recall for other xterra's, but not mine.

    If anyone has any good advice, please reply, or e-mail me at [email protected]

    Thanks

    Justin
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    e-mail me at ...

    Let's keep the discussion right here so everyone will benefit. To do otherwise tends to defeat the purpose of a Forum.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • Just_PeachyJust_Peachy Member Posts: 17
    Not true. I worked in automotive dvelopment and industrialisation. We dealt in defects in parts per million not per 1000. Also consider, how many people have just assumed it's them and have never even researched. I have people contact my e-mail [email protected] but don't blog. How many others read up but don't log their own stories? We are often culturally insular and apathetic. Xterra drivers because of 4x4 enthusiam are more vocal. Also remember n.America is an auto transmission culture so effects less vehicles. Nissan have told you there have been no other cases - That is a lie!!. Do you not think there database is alittle better than our blog? They know. It is unacceptable. I am not finished with Nissan.
  • tincanmantincanman Member Posts: 8
    I know in my heart that there is a clutch-flywheel-etc configuration that will dial in the powerful drive train in the nissan exterra and frontier. Once a few of us find it we will have "Improvised, Adapted and Overcome" the corporately weakened nissan products. I feel that I have gotten more than half way there with the Jim Wolf Tech solid flywheel and clutch plate. Somebody out there is a smart tech-mechanic who has the know how to solve this. I can almost guarantee that Nissan harbors far too much contempt for us consumers, (and I mean that literally), to spend any assets or time solving this problem. I say, We do it!
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    No reason to reiterate all that's been said - but I have NEVER replaced a clutch at 47K and have been driving manual transmission for 20+ years. Dealer says "normal wear & tear" isn't covered under warranty. SPending of $1000 right now to get it fixed. Total crap!
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2010
    Ok - It cannot be a coincidence that both of us had the clutch problem AND the faulty fuel gauge thing at the same time! The clutch started slipping first and then the fuel gauge quit registering when I filled the tank - took 2 days to fill up...I was at 46100K. Spooky.

    Not sure why it didn't quote your original post - but whatever - you get the idea. I am showing up at the dealer tomorrow with 7 pages of posts from this site!
  • ak_geekak_geek Member Posts: 1
    I've wanted an Xterra for years now, and now that I can afford one I've been obsessively doing research. I found an '07 6-speed sitting at a local used car lot in beautiful condition with only 24K miles, and I almost made them an offer on the spot. Boy am I glad I waited and did more research. I'm half tempted to print out all these complaints and see if I can't get them to slash the price to compensate for the impending clutch repair it would need.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    Do it. Maybe if dealers knew they were losing sales because Nissan wouldn't fix their design problem maybe the dealers could apply a little pressure.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    I bought my '06 Xterra new in 2007. At 7954 miles, the clutch gave out. Took it to the dealer, he repaired/replaced it and said they decided to use the warranty ( no charge ) because they figured it was NOT a "driver" issue, ie., a bad part/design. OK, last week, 27,000 miles ( and 2 months out of the Nissan warranty, it did it again. The clutch does not engage. Towed it to dealer, he said they have to replace the clutch again, but this time quoted me $2005. So, in less than 28,000 miles, I have had the clutch replaced twice. Don't you think they have a quality problem?
    Does anybody know how to get Nissan to cover this defect, even though it is two months out of warranty ? Judging from all these problems listed here, Nissan needs to recall this vehicle. Where do I send my first complaints? I live in California.
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    edited September 2011
    Nissan ended up not paying for mine. The dealership seemed to support me, but when corporate started their "investigation" they decided it was normal wear & tear. at 46,000 miles - ridiculous. It seems Nissan WILL NOT admit this issue, and although I love my Xterra - if the clutch goes again I am selling the ********. By the way I am in California too.

    Good luck to you!
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    Sorry, Nissan doesn't care about product quality or customer satisfaction.
    I'm on my third clutch. My next one will be a Jim Wolfe Technologies clutch. It should last the life of the car.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Thanks, man. I sent an e-mail to Nissan describing the problem and my dissatisfaction with their product. I haven't picked up the vehicle yet (haven't been called) but will start at the dealer with my complaints. I threatened to go to NHTSA, but I suppose they are in the car manufacturer's pockets, so ??? BTW, they originally told me the car would be ready 4 days ago, but left a message saying a part or parts was damaged in transit and they had to re-order. What part of a manual clutch assembly would be so weak as to be damaged during shipping.. they should be bullet-proof !!
  • phxjeffphxjeff Member Posts: 4
    No I don't drag race it. I baby my 2008 4X4 OffRoad Xterra. I am 70 years old and retired (no rush hour traffic). no competition, no sand, mud or snow. I have driven standard transmission vehicles all my life including some very high performance vehicles. Never a clutch problem. My last vehicle was a 2001 Frontier with 100K miles, no problems. I bought the Xterra new in March of 2008. 5K miles later the clutch went. The dealer replaced it. At 9K miles it went again. Same problem (seems clutch came apart). Dealer replace it again. At 11K miles I had the clutch wear checked. It had 70% left (not really very good for 2K miles). Yesterday I had it checked again at 15.8K miles. 15% left. The dealer quoted me $2300 to fix. I ordered a Jim Wolfe assembly. Dealer quoted $1100 to install it. I checked a local transmission shop. $300 and they resurface the flywheel. No more Nissan. Either the service/engineering is incompetent or the parts are inferior or some combination. I wrote them and received no satisfaction. I look forward to the Wolfe clutch assembly.
  • ktsteven3ktsteven3 Member Posts: 6
    Hi everyone. We started a facebook page about this issue. I would urge you all to join it so that we can build our numbers and organize in such a way that it is easier to communicate and share information/updates, etc. I live in Maryland, and had an uncle who is a lawyer look into our problem. He took my specific case to his firm, who unfortunately lost interest in the case when they saw that I *may* have driven in the snow for 50 feet with my emergency brake on when my clutch failed. The sad part is I don't know if that was the case - I have never forgotten to take my brake off. Regardless, I mentioned it to the dealership and lost all chance at getting warranty coverage. I believe that at some point we will have enough numbers to be heard, and some lawyer or firm will see the merit in a class action suit against Nissan. So let's all keep in touch so we can mobilize when that time comes.

    Anyone who hasn't done it should definitely register their clutch failure on the NHTSA. There are dozens of complaints about that fuel gauge that failed and that is likely why it eventually got recalled. There are only a few clutch failure reports, so it looks like it is rare. I know from this site that it is NOT rare. Let's get the numbers up!

    Facebook page : I have a Nissan Xterra with a Bad Clutch

    Karen
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    I want to put my voice in with all the dissatisfied Xterra owners, but I quit Facebook months ago because of their lousy security and crass commercialization. Are there any other forums out there??
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Are there any other forums out there??

    Yes, there are and you're already here! :)

    And, yes, we'd prefer to stay on the topic of the Nissan Xterra clutch problem rather than discussing other automotive sites.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Cost $2106.28. The dealer gave me the 1-800 Nissan number to complain, which I did, and I am supposed to hear back within one business day. The arbitration with the BBB is the next step ( judging from what I hear here, Nissan does not give their customers their money back ). I test drove the car with the mechanic who did the clutch work, and he said the clutches should last 60-70000 miles. Doesn't sound like a lot to me. My Toyota pickup has 145000 miles, no problem with the clutch. Why would I have TWO clutches go bad in less than 28000 miles ? I have been driving manual vehicles for 40 years, and this is the first problem I have ever had. I'll keep you all updated...
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    edited August 2010
    A lady from (customer affairs??) Nissan called me less than 4 hours after I called in my original complaint, and took the same info the first guy (1-800-NISSAN1) did.She tells me she will contact me by next Wednesday (7 days) with an answer. I specifically told her I want to be re-imbursed for my $2100 ( until I mentioned this, she apparently had no idea?). I faxed her my original receipt from the dealer, and she acknowledged receiving my e-mail to Nissan North America yesterday. I appear to be in their system! I told her I intend to go to the BBB arbitration if I do not receive satisfaction from them. I am logging all this info, along with the stuff the dealer service rep and mechanic told me, just in case. I don't think a Class Action Suit is advisable, as the victims rarely get more than a $50 credit towards a new car, the car company never admits its mistake, and the lawyers on both sides get rich (cynical, I know, but....). I'll keep you advised.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    A lady named Luann called. Her job is to politely make me go away without getting anything from them, I think. Who knows ? I may be surprised. But, I doubt it. I am in Riverside, CA.
    BTW, she gave me the same phone number, just a different extension. Thanks !
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    Yup that's the same thing that happened to me. Did you join the facebook site? I will go look for you there and maybe we can chat about this there...
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Sorry, me and Facebook parted ways because of their lousy privacy and security. Besides, I think our moderators here want us to discuss this stuff on this forum. I can respect that..
  • phxjeffphxjeff Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2010
    I had my 2008 OffRoad Xterra stock clutch and pressure plate replayed this weekend with a Jim Wolf Tech system. Very nice. I did some measurements. The JWT clutch is 275 mm in diameter with 45 mm (wide) of clutch surface. The clutch material is 0.127" thick. I measured the stock clutch that was removed. Less than 0.020" left of the clutch material. The manual says it should be at least 0.031". This is with less than 6k miles on the clutch. The stock clutch diameter is 260 mm with 35 mm (wide) of clutch surface. This is significantly smaller than the JWT system. There was black dust in the rivets as expected, but also a lot of black fabric. When the clutch was replaced last time the whole inside of the bell housing was coated with that fabric. The flywheel was in good shape and did not need any work. The removed pressure plate has some slightly discolored areas, but nothing serious. The clutch would surely have failed in less than another 500 miles. It seems to me that Nissan engineer dropped the ball on this. For something as simple as the clutch, it should out last the rest of the vehicle under normal use. 3 bad clutches in under 16k miles on a new vehicle is a black mark for Nissan.

    Driving the JWT system is much more positive than than the stock clutch and so far I am very pleased with it.
  • altramarinealtramarine Member Posts: 5
    Hey there. I too have replaced my clutch disc and flywheel with Jim Wolf Technologies ones at 65,000 kilometers. The clutch housing appears to be a nissan stock one. The clutch material eventhough much thicker, appears to be the same greyish material as the original that burnt at 65k so that worries me. I called JWT asking about my concerns but they said that it is a different(eventhouygh looks, chips the same), better compound.
    The flywheel is single mass. The reason i replaced it is because the original dual mass flyweehl appeared to be worn out (you can see an imprint of the old clutch grinding through metal) and as i was told non-polishable due to the nature of the flywheel. Ever since it was replaced, the car obviously feels jerkier, the smoothness is gone when switching gears. Yet, considering the JWT flywheel is half of the weight of the original, the truck is much more responsive, takes off quite rapidly.

    I am at 67k now, hopefuly JWT proves its value and lasts me a while.

    I wish they did not drop the ball and butchered this whole clutch situation. My next truck will be a Toyota.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Got my call from the lady at Nissan whose job it is to sympathetically tell me "no." She told me "no." She was nice enough to give me the number to the Better Business Bureau (1-800-955-5100), but I will file on-line just for record-keeping purposes ( www.bbb.org ). I told the poor gal I would hate to have her job, making angry customers even angrier, however, she stuck to the party line. Clutch issues are not covered by the warranty because they are "wear items." Not a problem, I told her, if the BBB doesn't make them do the right thing, I will never buy a new Nissan again, and bad-mouth them to all my friends. It may cost them thousands in new sales in the long run. I will also go to a non-Nissan mechanic for my extended warranty repairs as they come up. I'll let you know how I fare with the BBB, but I am not optimistic, of course. Who pays for their arbitration services ? Nissan ?
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    And if there's any way for you to contact me through this site, please do as I would love to take advantage of the fact that we are both in California!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You can mark your email public in your Profile and other members will be able to see it. Or you can set up your CarSpace mail.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    my e-mail is [email protected] I tried to put it in my community profile, but I don't know if it took...
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Just faxed off the paperwork to BBB, included some reports from NHTSA.gov and this forum reference manual clutch problems in Xterras. I called NHTSA ( www.safercar.gov ) and filed a safety complaint. They only have 3 other complaints in the data base at this time. Where ARE all you people ??? They will consider whether to open an investigation if the defect is severe enough. We need to send more reports !
    My next step, after the BBB finds in favor of Nissan, is to write a formal letter to the president of Nissan North America describing the problem and requesting a fix. When his assistant sends me the nice, flowery letter politely telling me the vehicle is not defective, it is time to get the media involved.
    How about this:
    Park the Xterra on the public street right at the Dealership and put signs in the window telling people not to buy Nissan because of their customer unfriendly ways. With any luck, a reporter will show up before the cops haul me off and charge me with a misdemeanor ( I guess). Maybe I will call up the local press first ? BTW, my Xterra is yellow, just like a lemon. This could be fun.
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the info - I will do the same as you, and keep you posted on the progress. If it's ok with you I will also post this on the facebook page dedicated to Xterra's with bad clutches!
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Go ahead and post. I left Facebook several months ago, if you learn anything we don't know here, please post it (with the indulgence of the moderators, of course).
    Thanks.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    As you know, I had a manual clutch failure at 28,000 miles on my 2006 Xterra a couple weeks ago. This, after they replaced the original clutch after only 8000 miles 3 years ago. Nissan covered the first repair, but I Had to reluctantly pay full boat ($2100) the second time. I am awaiting an arbitration date with the BBB. Yesterday, the shifter would not allow me to select any gear at all. The clutch pedal goes all the way to the floorboard, but I cannot get into any gear. Towed back to the dealer this morning. The young service writer says it may be the transmission itself this time rather than the clutch. I don't think so. Way too much coincidence for this to happen two weeks after they replaced the whole clutch/flywheel system. I am sooo tired of this...it has been out of service now for repairs for over 11 days in the last three years that I have had it for the clutch issue. I eagerly await the call from the Nissan service department. I will keep you informed. If nothing else, this makes my BBB arbitration look a little better....
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    I got a call from the Service department yesterday. They have determined that my Xterra's hydraulic clutch master cylinder and slave are belly up. Not covered by the warranty (either Nissan's or my useless extended one ). They wanted $602 dollars, before taxes, to fix it. I had it towed back home, where my son and I will fix it with the help of our Haynes manual. Maybe $200 tops for the parts. It seems, according to Haynes, that the master and slave cylinders have to be removed before replacing the clutch, which Nissan did two weeks ago. They were also removed 3 years ago when the original clutch was replaced. Do you suppose that has something to do with their failure ?? Nissan North America sucks in the " Customer Affairs " department. Waiting for my BBB arbitration date.....
  • phin13phin13 Member Posts: 7
    Wow - that sucks. I cannot believe they won't address this as it is clearly a default with their parts, or that vehicle model itself. Please continue to keep us posted on your progress.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    I got home from work Friday night, and there was a message from the BBB on my answering machine.The gal said that Nissan had the paperwork from my complaint, and was offering a settlement. I will have to wait until Tuesday ( Monday is a holiday in the U.S. ) to find out what it is. I hear a gentleman on this forum was just notified he was awarded full compensation for his case. I wonder if Nissan sees the writing on the wall ? I'll let you know.
  • Just_PeachyJust_Peachy Member Posts: 17
    I took them to Arbitration in Canada. I won they lost, have a nice day. I will be reimbursed the full amount over $2500. [email protected]. Do not be bullied. I bought two new cars this year, how much will Nissan see? zero.
  • richsmitrichsmit Member Posts: 15
    Got an offer through the BBB from Nissan to settle for $500 "in a goodwill gesture".
    I gave it a day to think about it, and accepted, as I didn't know if I countered their offer with a higher amount, they may wash their hands of it and go to arbitration. My chances then would be unknown, maybe zero, so I felt it was better than nothing. Besides, it was just as good as taking my clutch to an independent garage for $1600 ( $2100 minus $500), PLUS, the repair is guaranteed by Nissan for a year or 12,000 miles.
    Anyway, those of you out there in my situation, stick to your guns and take them to arbitration. They seem to be reluctant to stone-wall owners who stick it out.
    On a funnier note, Nissan sent me a Customer Survey in my e-mail a week ago. It was only about my "dealer experience," but I called the dealer who did my work, and whom I had no complaint about, and told the service writer that I had received it, and would give them excellent marks IF I got a free oil and filter change and tire rotation. I had that done yesterday, and filled the survey out as advertised.
    To sum it up, the manual clutch in the 2005-2009 Xterra is too weak for the duty it is assigned, and problems result. Nissan will not accept ownership of the problem, and will blame the owners for not knowing how to drive a clutch. Pure B.S. !!
    If they don't repair it under warranty( which states that manual clutches are "wear items" and not covered, then I recommend you take it to a reputable transmission shop, have one of the many GOOD aftermarket clutches installed, then take Nissan to arbitration to get some of your money back. My regret now is, I still have a Nissan clutch in my wagon, and can't trust it past 12,000 miles or a year. Good Luck to you all.
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