I agree the tree looks fine. Normally any transplant problem will result in severe wilting, not some color change. Should you pull the tree out to add more dirt to make it higher? At this point I would say no--doing that will really stress the tree and maybe kill it. But what you should do is make sure the tree is not planted too deep. To do that, push some of the soil away from the base of the tree until you get down to where the roots flare out from the base of the tree. There should never be any soil above the point where the trunk begins to flare out to the roots. The main risk associated with this is the development of extra roots above the root flare which can eventually strangle the trunk of the tree, killing it. These are called "girdling roots." It is possible that some girdling roots have already formed in the pot you got the tree in. What you should do when you remove the soil from above the root flare of the trunk is to take some kind of tool and scrape away from the trunk in all directions to make sure there are not any roots near the surface above the main roots that go out from the root flare that could circle the trunk of this tree. These roots can already have developed if the tree was planted too deep in the pot by the nursery. Sometimes roots that will eventually strangle a tree are not real close to the trunk when the tree is planted, but as the tree grows in diameter, and as the potentially girdling roots grow, the strangling can occur much later. If you find that you have planted your tree a bit too deep, I think you should not pull out the tree to replant it, but just remove the extra soil from the base of the tree for a distance of about two feet. But you should not remove so much soil that the main roots that come out from the root flare are actually on the surface of the soil. If the tree as a result of this soil removal sits in a small depression, this should not be a problem for the tree. In fact, a small depression like this could make watering easier--the water will not run away from the tree as soon as you water it. --Spruce

It's a little tough to see, but I had some similar damage on a red maple cultivar last year. Turns out it was a borer that had penetrated the bark the previous year. It got smushy and then eventually I could peel the outer layer off. The tree did not grow much last year, but it did wall off a good portion of the damage by the end of the season. Maybe you'll have similar success. Just make sure it stays watered. I did not do any extra fertilization.

nurseryman33, thanks for reviewing and responding to my post. I have given the tree a closer inspection. The dying leaves have now spread to about four branches. The branches are not physically damaged. The buds look good, where the leaves still look good but out toward the end of each branch, where the leaves are dying, the buds are dying too. I noticed that on both dying leaves and healthy ones, there are very tiny little bugs/mites. They are black and hard to even see (smaller than bits of pepper). I now wonder if I have some type of insect infestation. I will do more internet research. Your response is appreciated, thanks. This post was edited by Redwing2 on Sun, Sep 1, 13 at 10:21

“Autumn Blaze” maple trees (Acer × freemanii 'Jeffersred' Autumn Blaze), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, are fantastic trees for fall color, turning bright shades before leaf drop. Like other maples, however, “Autumn Blaze” is somewhat susceptible to bark splitting from cold weather as well as from sun exposure.