This Sucks - 04' QX56 transmission Dead at 73K

[Socaldiablo]

Well, I just got probably the worst news I've ever had on a car repair. The transmission in my beloved 04' QX56 with just over 73K miles on it is dead and the repair shop said a rebuilt one is going to set me back $3200. I am shocked that this transmission only lasted 73K ...freggin blows my mind! And to boot, $3200 just to get it working again. I'm truly frustrated at this. I don't buy American cars b/c the quality of them is crap and before I bought this truck, I had some slight reservations b/c these QX56s, although Japan designed, are also built in the U.S. by union workers and so here I am now paying for that decision. I really do love this truck but in no way shape or form should a well-maintained transmission fail after only 73K miles. I have the 4x4 version, which I have rarely used, I've never towed anything with it, and my truck has not been driven hard or been abused by any means. My wife and I drive it like any normal, responsible adult would. I've maintained this truck flawlessly, often times replacing fluids before they need it. Also, I had the transmission serviced about 2 years ago where the dealer flushed the fluid, etc. It has always shifted perfectly and never showed any signs of beginning to fail. My wife was driving it last Friday and when she went to put the gear shift in reverse, the truck just revved and acted as if it was in neutral or park. She shut it off, turned it back on, and was able to back up at that point. She called me and told me what was going on and I told her to immediately drive it home. En route to our house, the truck would not shift out of 1st. It basically gave no warning that it was going out (no grinding or knocking noises, no slipping, etc.). I had it towed to my mechanic yesterday and he is now calling around to find something slightly cheaper than $3200 but it will be about that much give or take a few hundred. Given this, I may get the truck fixed and then trade it in on another brand. I cannot support a car maker with repairs like this that are far too premature and unwarranted. It's too bad ...I've really enjoyed the Infiniti brand and my other car, an FX45, has been very reliable.
If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do as an alternative to replacing the transmission with a rebuilt one, please do let me know.
Thanks ...Steve

[C-Kwik]

Sorry to hear this. I've not heard of any commonly frequent issues with the OX56/Armada/Titan transmission's (aside from when people use the wrong fluid). Sometimes, things just break.

It sounds like you took it to an independent mechanic as dealerships don't usually seek out used or rebuilt transmissions. Did your mechanic actually state what was wrong with the transmission and how he came to that conclusion? Ask. If he can't provide it, tow it elsewhere. Preferably to a shop that has the proper diagnostic equipment for checking the electronics as well. I've heard the transmission can go into a sort of limp mode when some error exists and cause something like what you describe. A dealer would definitely have the right equipment or a reputable nissan specialist might. Transmission replacement tends to suggest a mechanical problem, so there should be some clear evidence of it. At the very least, some burnt fluid. My gut tells me its an electronics based issue as mechanical issues tend to make noise or slips badly. Not engaging gears or shifting tends to be electrical these days.

I believe the FX45 also uses a variation of the same transmission. As does the G35, 350Z, FX35, M45 and Frontier (pretty much every RWD Nissan of that era).

Lastly, a little off topic, but I don't think JATCO is unionized.

[Socaldiablo]

Yes, I had the truck towed to my independent mechanic. He's extremely good and his prices are very fair. I trust him far more than any Infiniti dealer I've ever used. My mechanic has an Infiniti/Nissan specific independent shop and he and his partner worked as mechanics for Infiniti for over a decade each. He did review the codes the truck was throwing and nothing electronic was showing. The only way to know what was wrong with the transmission, other than review the codes, is to remove it and open it up. That's over $500 in labor right there. He called his transmission specialist and that guy said based on what it was doing (i.e. not shifting out of first and not engaging in reverse), it needed to be rebuilt and he was going to charge $3200 for that. He'd open the housing and only replace the parts that were bad. My mechanic then called a local dealer he's got ties with and worked a deal where I could get a newly rebuilt unit (used housing, all new parts inside) for the same $3200. I also called another Infiniti dealership and they wanted over $4500 before taxes and shipping for a newly rebuilt transmission (I've got the 4x4 with towing package). They don't have new transmissions for a 2004 anymore ....all of them are rebuilds. Anyway, I went with the newly rebuilt unit from the dealership that my mechanic got. It took 5 guys to remove the old and install the new one. The transfer case is attached to it apparently so it was super heavy. So I was charged $3200 (including taxes and fluid) and $480 in labor. I picked it up last night and it drives wonderfully now but cost me nearly $3700.

Yes, I stand correct that the Canton plant is not part of the UAW (for now) but it looks like they're being nudged to join it based on some articles I just came across on the web.