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I have a 2001 Infiniti I30 (basically a re-badged Nissan Maxima) with a 4 speed auto and every time it shifts from 2nd to 3rd, I hear a short squeak from under the car on the driver's side, toward the front wheel area. It kind of sounds like shoes squeaking on a basketball court, but only for the split second during the shift. It's never really loud but I think it's louder outside the car than inside because with the windows down I can hear it echoing. It also seems to get louder as the car warms up. I took it to a Nissan dealer back in March and they put a friction modifier in the transmission. It got quiet for about a month, but then gradually came back. It also was making a creaking/groaning when shifting between reverse and drive. I took it to another (not Nissan affiliated) mechanic last week and he tightened up a loose CV axle.  Now no more creaking when I put it in gear, but the squeak remains. The transmission fluid level looks right and it is a nice red color, but I doubt it has ever been changed (the car only has 50k miles, most of which were put on in the last 2 years). The transmission shifts fine but I'm afraid this squeak is a cause for concern. I've searched around on the net and can't really find any similar problems. Any idea what this is?  

Since a friction modifier made it go away then its safe to assume that the noise is coming from the direct clutch.The direct clutch comes on in 3rd and stays on for 4th.
Does the trans shift good on a heavy throttle 2-3 shift? Any slipping or flare up of rpms?If not I have found that the best friction modifier is GM limited slip oil.It comes in a black 4 oz squirt bottle.Put one oz and only one oz directly in the dipstick tube.Most likely the noise will be gone by the time you leave the dealers parking lot.

Its only available at GM dealer parts dept.Its about $7 a bottle  

No slips or flares. You definitely feel the shift under full throttle, but no more than with my old Altima. I'm probably just noticing it because of the accompanied squeak. Thanks for the advice; I'll go by a GM dealership this week.
Also, this doesn't necessarily mean that the clutch is failing, does it? This is the first time I've heard of one squeaking like this.
Thanks  

if your 2-3 shift is firm then the clutch is probably ok.  

Alright, I got some of this stuff and squirted just a bit (probably less than an ounce) into the transmission. The noise seems a bit quieter now and I have to drive longer for it to start. Looking at my transmission fluid again, it doesn't seem all that bright red and even a little brown. Would it be advisable to go ahead and change it? I can't imagine having 9 year old fluid is doing it any favors. Or could that cause problems?

Thanks again for all the help  

Yes you should probably change the fluid and if you get the flush also have the pan dropped and the filter replaced