CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005-2007 Pathfinder appears to have a widespread defect where coolant leaks into the transmission, causing transmission failure around 90,000 miles. Repair costs are typically upwards of $3,500.
According to the New York Times & a class action lawsuit, the defect actually extends through 2010 model year. More info here.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
101,407 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Car shutters when we get to about 45 mph and you can feel some issues with the transmission. After doing a lot of research, apparently this is a known issue by Nissan. There was a class action law suit that says this is not a safety hazard so they made an arrangement to cover some, but not all, in full. Apparently radiator fluid is leaking into the transmission and ruining the transmission. The settlement says that at my mileage, over 90,000 miles but before 100,000 they will fix the problem for $3000! wow! how sweet of them. I can't believe this is not a recall. There are threads and threads of people complaining about this exact problem. It effects 2005-2010 models. They say it only effects a small amount, that is because they haven't even seen the impact yet. Are we going to wait until someone is really injured to do a recall. This is absolutely ridiculous. Guess I will just drive it like this and hope that it doesn't hurt me or someone else, since Nissan says it is not a safety hazard. How issues with a transmission are not a safety hazard is beyond me. I think this needs to be addressed again. This is my second Nissan and the second one that I have had to have a transmission replaced in. The other one was replaced in the first year because of another issue that they couldn't fix. No more Nissan in this house!
Shuttering at about 40mph. Dealer said nothing was wrong. Later took it to the Nissan dealer and the dealer flushed the transmission fluid. A week or so later, the transmission started jerking and not shifting correctly. I found transmission fluid and water were mixed. Nissan dealer said there was no recall on the radiator. I purchased a new radiator, had it installed. The installer said that the transmission had water in the transmission fluid. I purchased new transmission fluid(for Nissan) and had the transmission fluid replaced, then had it replaced again after 100 miles. To remove any residual water. Nissan still denies any problems with the radiator or transmission. The radiator problem renders the entire vehicle useless. NHTSA - please remember that our government is by the people and for the people. You need to make Nissan repair our defective vehicles. Its your job.
Driving up a hill with my kid in the car the vehicle stalled due the transmission stalling fortunately I was able to pull over. You have to make Nissan recall these vehicles or send a notice to everyone that the transmission is going to fail do not put your kids in the unsafe vehicle. Do not wait until someone gets killed.
My husband was picking up the kids from school, and while he was driving, the car stopped accelerating. The engine was running, but the car wouldn't move.
The vehicle had some shifting and hesitation issues while driving at highway speeds, especially upon accelerating after decelerating about 5 mph at highway speed. I brought it in to the dealer who said the radiator needed to be replaced due to cross contamination with the transmission. Upon the dealer replacing the radiator and flushing the cooling system/transmission, they called and said that the vehicle is now throwing off codes and that the transmission needed replacement. In researching the issue online, I noted there was an open investigation as well as and extended warranty offered by Nissan for this defect. The dealer failed to mention this, so I forwarded them the information and visited them to discuss the defect. The dealer stated that there was a lower cost valve body service they could attempt, but if that did not work, I would need the full replacement, so therefore they recommended the replacement. The valve body service was $1300 and a new transmission was $5300, so if the service did not work I would be looking at $6600 plus another $350 for the cooling system and transmission flush they had already performed. The vehicle has 109,000 miles on it, so it is outside of the extended warranty Nissan issued for this issue. I did try their customer care line to attempt to have them cover the repair since it is only 9000 miles outside the warranty, but they said there is nothing they can do. Based on the cost of the repair versus the value of the vehicle, it's hard to justify the expense and therefore I considered not repairing the transmission. However, the vehicle is used by my wife to drive our kids around, and I can't imagine the consequence of not repairing and then have a complete failure like some owners have experienced while driving. It's evident that this is a major quality and safety issue, and that Nissan should be responsible.
Car stopped in the middle of traffic going up a hill and overheated and had white foam dripping from the engine and underneath. The coolant and transmission fluid cross contaminated and it ruined the radiator and transmission. I replaced the radiator and had the transmission flushed. Car worked until 8-30-13, when vehicle began to shudder, RPM gauge ran to 5000, vehicle had no power on a highway causing a potential safety issue. A crash could have ensued. Had car towed to dealer. The transmission is out. Now I am faced with a $3000 fee/co-pay, for something I didn't cause! Nissan needs held responsible.
While my wife with my children in the vehicle come home from a trip felt a vibration and then had no power just made it off the road.when I left work and got to them and checked the car out found that there was coolant in the transmission and that there was atf in the radiator further research in to this found that Nissan knows about there screw up but will not stand behind there product had a issue with the fuel sending gauge earlier this month that was once again known by the Nissan company and they gave me the run around and now I read that they had a extended warranty but did not notify any body this is crap and some thing needs to be done people can not just keep forking out money to fix a lemon when the company knows they have junk I will never buy a Nissan again major break downs with out notice please some one do something these big company's just do what ever well okay hope this gets right soon.
Transmission failed with no notice only 110000 miles upset and not safe! now I have no car and Nissan wants to charge me 8,500 to fix seems so unjust I'm a widow with children and struggled to pay for my car and this shouldn't happen at just over 100 thousand miles!
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while traveling 40 mph, the vehicle made a rumbling noise and stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the radiator hose had failed and caused coolant to penetrate the transmission and that the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 85,238.
My Nissan came to a stop while driving home. I was going no more than 30 mph and my car started to shake and then it stopped and would not move anymore. I took it to a shop and they said it was the transmission and would have to rebuilt it. The shop kept my car for a month and was unable to fix it, even after rebuilding the transmission. I finally took it to a Nissan dealership and they stated that the problem was the radiator and transmission. They would fix it, but it would cost me $6,700. Because my car is over mileage in the extended warranty that Nissan had offered, I would get no financial assistance to fix my car--even though this is a manufacturing defect. This is just outrageous and irresponsible that Nissan will not recall the transmission and radiator problem. Luckily I was not traveling on the expressway at the time the transmission failed or there would have been fatalities. I will never purchase a Nissan ever again!!
My car has coolant in transmission and starting to give me problem I told Nissan 2 year ago when my car had 78,000 miles but they said no now it has 103,000 and my transmission is bad and they don't want to fix issue.
The coolant was leaking into the transmission fluid. Nissan must have known there was an issue to extending the warranty from 60,000 to 80,000. The Pathfinder was taken in for service for a few months because something wasn't right and finally found out the issue was coolant leaking into the transmission fluid at 83,000 miles.
I just bought vehicle from a small dealership who promised to be in very good condition, my husband drove the car for about 8 minutes down the road and as soon as we hit the highway, not even being 40 miles the engine light lit up and started jerking!! called the dealership and will said they are not held responsible, had to pay to have someone towed my vehicle to my home.
2006 Nissan Pathfinder SE the radiator seems to have a bad leak and bad smell, motor keeps over heating causing it not to be driven until motor has cooled off, I need to keep putting water in radiator. The transmission seems to jerk and makes a loud sound when changing shifts and driving. The motor also has a squeaky sound when driving. I have taken the car for repair and the same thing happen again only this time even worse I can not afford the high Nissan service and part prices. I am still paying on this car, Nissan should fix the problem at no charge if there is a defect that caused so much trouble to my car not to mentioned the safety of my three children and I. Nissan needs to recall 2006 Nissan Pathfinder radiator and transmission cross contamination.
I was driving my truck on the expressway. The past few days there has been a vibration, a clunking noise and very slow acceleration. Until recently, there have been no signs of engine problems. Today on the expressway the truck started vibrating badly and lost acceleration. I was able to coast over to the side of the road but I almost caused a serious accident. I had an appointment schedule with Nissan on Friday due to the recent symptoms; however, after this morning I took the truck to the dealership. I spoke with someone at the shop who indicated tan extended warranty was issued for radiator and transmission problems. I never received a letter from Nissan and I certainly would have brought the truck in for repair. I almost caused a very serious accident.
I was shocked to find out that my transmission and radiator needed replaced after such low mileage. Dealer said it was a design defect and it would be covered by Nissan who extended the warranties on vehicles with this problem because of a class action lawsuit. What disturbs me is that I was told I could have had a catastrophic failure in my Pathfinder. I literally could have pulled out onto a highway and my transmission might have failed. With 3 small children who ride in the backseat, this might have resulted in serious injury or death. How can this admitted defect not result in a recall so all affected vehicles could be inspected for safety"?" and my "new" remanufactured transmission has a very limited warranty now, not the 60,000. On my original transmission so I'm afraid of future repair costs. So unfair!!!
My Nissan pahtfinder 2006 sudden jerking when traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate while driving. Diagnosed as a failed transmission cooler which allows, coolant to mix with the transmission fluid.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA