My transmission has been shuddering for a few weeks and recently slipped a couple of times on takeoff. As I was aware of the Nissan transmission issue, I checked the coolant overflow tank and sure enough, it looked like it was contaminated.
I took the car in to the dealership this morning as it has 76,000 miles on it (just shy of the 80,000 mile extended warranty, according to this: http://www.nissanassist.com/web/Radiato ... hp?menu=22 ). The dealership just called me back to confirm that they found a "very small leak in the AT cooler tube" in the radiator.
The dealership is so far being very supportive but as it is a U.S. vehicle that was imported into Canada, they have to confirm warranty coverage with Nissan USA before they can proceed to next steps. That sounds a bit bureaucratic but as I work for a large organization myself, I guess I understand. Plus, I'm not too worried (yet) as the webpage above indicates that U.S. cars in Canada are also covered by the extended warranty.
According to the dealership, the next steps are (with or without warranty):
1. replace the radiator and then flush the transmission to determine if the transmission can be saved.
2. If the transmission continues to shudder / slip after this and/or if they find "transmission residue" in the flush (I imagine they mean gears??), then they will also replace the transmission.
The whole thing is supposed to take about 2-3 days in the shop, once they receive the parts.
I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. Wish me luck!
Cheers, and Happy 2014 to everyone!