2018 Nissan Pathfinder Power Train

The 4x4 never stays engaged. We live in an area where it snows A LOT and depend on the 4x4 for winter driving. We purchased the vehicle brand new and it had this issue. We reported it to the dealership when the vehicle had less than 500 miles on it, within the first few weeks of ownership. They couldn't figure out what was wrong. They sent someone from corporate to look at the vehicle. They found and replaced a cracked coupler. (Our vehicle was sold to us with a MAJOR broken part.) The 4x4 still wouldn't remain engaged. I kept taking it back to the dealership every few months. Nothing. Finally they sent a corporate mechanic out to look at the vehicle. He told me the 4x4 will never stay engaged because 'the drive train is set up to protect itself and the 4x4 is only to get out of a jam", and then told me it is not to be used for driving in snow. I asked why they sold these vehicles as safe for snow. He told me they don't anymore because they have realized they are not safe. So now I am stuck with a vehicle that isn't safe to drive. We purchsed a Tesla that day, January 28, 2022 and while waiting for it to arrive the transmission now went out on the vehicle. Nissan refuses to fix it claiming we are over the warranty miles. So not only is this vehicle not safe for snow and chain control (according to their mechanic) it can't be fixed. Is the NHTSB aware that Nissan Corporate Mechanics are telling people their 4x4 vehicles are not true 4x4 vehicle even though they were sold that way? In the past 4 years I have slid into snowbanks numerous times at low (under 25mph) speeds because the 4x4 does not remain engaged. Many times my children are in the vehicle. There have also been numerous times when I have slid due to the 4x4 not staying engaged where I have almost hit others. I have put my life and others lives in danger thinking my 'Auto' was making sure my vehicle was in 4x4, even though the mechanics assure me it wasn't and I was actually in 2-wheel drive.

THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING. AT LOW RPMS THERE IS A NOTICEABLE METALLIC SOUND AND LOSS OF POWER, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AT LEAST THREE TIMES WITHOUT THEM FINDING A SOLUTION OR BEING ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. INSTEAD I'M BEING TOLD THAT THE HEAT SHIELD IS THE ISSUE AND THAT IT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OFF EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING UNDER CLOSE WEATHER. SQUEAKY NOISE AS WELL.

WHEN DRIVING AT DIFFERING SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION REDUCES, THEN STOPS APPLYING POWER TO THE WHEELS, AND ACTS AS THOUGH IT'S IN NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, DOWN TO BELOW 20 MPH, AND A ALL OPERATING TEMPERATURES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT TOUCHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GAS PEDAL, AND THE VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS IN DRIVE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TO US A MINIMUM OF 6 TIMES, WITH NO RESOLUTION FROM NISSAN.