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.
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission began to jerk with severe hesitation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician informed that the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Faulty transmission cooler system - Nissan Pathfinder 2006 has faulty transmission cooling system that connects to radiator. Nissan product/design failed and created cross contamination of antifreeze & transmission fluid. This faulty product design poses serious safety risks to my family and others (just search on the internet & you'll see hundreds of complaints/claims & class action law suit). This issue can cause sudden stops and engine failure. My Pathfinder started running hot and that was first indication there was a problem. Mechanic said transmission fluid had leaked into the radiator and radiator fluid leaked into transmission. We had to replace the radiator, thermostat & flushed transmission 4 times (very expensive repair). This just happened and uncertain if transmission will cause problems and require replacement. We have kept regular maintenance and used extended life/synthetic products to help keep the engine & transmission well lubed. *note: We didn't qualify for Nissan recall & class action law suit due to mileage of vehicle. Based on Nissan's exclusion terms, we won't buy another Nissan product.
Transmission: Having problems with transmission - it will not go on reverse. Researching on the internet I found that this is a manufacturer defect. The radiator would crack causing the coolant to mix with the transmission fluid.
As my wife and I with our 5 children were on our way to church, driving at 45mph the car started jerking dropping at 20mph with traffic behind us on a two way highway we had to pull over on a dirt embankment. We took the car to Nissan dealership and the service rep estimated the cost of $9,000. Problem in radiator crack line inside transmission fluid cooler. Antifreeze leak into transmission causing damage.
On August 19th while traveling on the highway when I noticed what appeared to smoke coming from my engine and noticed my temperature gauge reading that it was overheating. I pulled over on the shoulder and observed, what I now know was, coolant vaporizing from my engine. At this time all the mechanics I called where wrapping up for the day, so I had it towed and taken to a local Nissan service the next morning. After paying $49.95 for the inspection the service center informed me that the radiator failed mixed coolant in the transmission fluid killing my transmission as well. They gave me an estimate of $5,901, $6,373.08 after taxes, to fix the damages. I remembered being sent a notice of a radiator recall, that I was told didn't concern my vehicle when I brought it in, so I asked about it. I was told that there was a class action suit against Nissan for this issue and they extended the years/mileage on the warranty and I should call their 800 number. I called the number and was told that the recall didn't effect my VIN# and that my mileage was outside of the extension. I wasn't prepared for $6K in additional expenses so I started looking around for a more affordable price. I ended up finding a shop that was able to do the work for $2,784, and during the price shopping and repairs I spent $495.72 on a rental to get around. During this ordeal I both asked the mechanic who assessed my vehicle and google the issue on the internet. Both showed that I was experiencing the same issue that my VIN wasn't supposed to be effected by, and that it was a common issue for my model. Both sources also informed me that the situation was a ticking time bomb that nothing short of coolant system work around or replacing Nissan's defective radiator would stop it from occurring.
- San Diego, CA, USA
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I brought my 2006 Nissan Pathfinder to a local Nissan dealership to check out a completely unrelated issue when I was made aware that my car had the problem of a cracked radiator that contaminates the transmission fluid that could lead to major problems if not corrected. Since I have less than 90,000 miles, I'd have to pay a co-pay of $2500 out of pocket. Evidently there is no recall on this issue, although there should certainly be one since this has happened to many other cars and shouldn't be the responsibility of the consumer to pay for an issue that is clearly a manufacturer's defect. I personally am not in a position to simply dump $2500 into a vehicle and this makes this problem even more difficult and hard to accept. Something absolutely needs to be done about this.
While entering highway the transmission started growling and would not shift. Oncoming traffic traveling at 60+ mph had difficulty avoiding my automobile.
Just found out that I have the coolant mixed with the transmission fluid causing transmission failure.... called Nissan Consumer Affairs and was told I had to go get diagnosis at dealer witch I did at a cost $100. Called Nissan back and said I was out of luck and nothing they would do.... how can they get away with selling such a defective part for so long is beyond me and the fact that there is numerous class action law suits on this issue and nothing is being done about it..... this is a major safety issue as a transmission failure will cause the vehicle to stop in traffic.... someone needs to do something about this.
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for a diagnostic test. The mechanic stated that the radiator fluid was leaking into the transmission fluid. The mechanic replaced the radiator and flushed the transmission however, six months after the repair the vehicle stalled as the contact attempted to start the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.
Wife noticed problems with our 2006 Nissan Pathfinder with 120K miles on it while driving home one day. When she got here it was leaking transmission fluid and we had it towed to our local transmission shop. They informed us that a coolant leak caused our transmission to fail. After doing some research online, I noticed it is a very common problem with certain years of Nissan. It was our primary vehicle and I didn't have the time to hassle with the Nissan run-around so had it repaired for over $3,800. We will never buy a Nissan again if this is how they do business. If its a known problem and cause so many customers so much grief with their poor design, they should be held liable for the damages and then some for not being considerate and informing their customers of this flaw. We will be sure to steer clear from any Nissan for any upcoming purchase. That is just an outrageous bill to pay for a known defect and they should be ashamed for running their business like that.
While driving transmission did not want to shift gears. Took to Nissan dealer. They stated has coolant and transmission fluid mixing. Coolant hose ruptured inside transmission.
2006 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems. Vehicle transmission started to vibrate and whine and within 1 mile the transmission was not working. I was in traffic and could not move at all. Had car taken to transmission repair shop and the shop automatically knew the problem. There was coolant leaking into the transmission from the radiator. He said it was a know issue with the Nissan Pathfinders and it was too late to do anything. I cannot believe this was a known issue and was not recalled. I had 2 children in the car and this could have caused a serious accident. Luckily, it did not. I am know stuck with a $4,000 bill to get this fixed. I will never purchase a Nissan again if this is how they treat their customers.
On the highway, the transmission started to feel as if the car was going to stall. The coolant light indicator moved rapidly to the high end, which seemed to indicate a radiator or coolant problem. I pulled off the highway and let the car cool down, before proceeding on back roads to get home. The car continued to act as if it was going to stall even at 15-20 miles per hour. Shortly thereafter, the service engine light came on. I had the car towed to my Nissan dealership and was advised that the radiator caused the transmission to fail. Nissan is aware this is a problem but as my car is over 80,000 miles, I will need to pay $2,500 to fix the problem!
The car stalled in oncoming traffic more than once. Nissan dealership says it needs a new transmission, radiator, catalytic converters, cam sensors and fuel system. It has been nothing but trouble since we purchased it and it dangerous to drive.
While driving the car will randomly make a shaking feeling. The transmission makes a weird sound as if you are driving over a rumble stick. We are unable to drive the car or get it fixed. The cost is far too expensive. The car sits and we still owe on it. The car is too unsafe to drive with risk of breaking down on our windy country road. Please look into these issues.
During highway speeds noted chattering/chuttering when accelerating at approximately 60-65 mph. Later after exiting the interstate, slowing down while approaching intersection, during automatic transmission down shift, vehicle seemed to lunge forward. Scary in city traffic. Upon return to home, removed radiator cap, coolant fluid was color and consistency of peanut butter. Fearing blown head gasket, check engine oil which was fine, check of transmission fluid revealed very runny and more of a peanut butter color on the dip stick. Removed transmission drain plug for a better fluid inspection, what drained was very watery, reddish, brownish, peanut butter colored fluid. Drained approximately 3 quarts. Replaced drained fluid with new, set up appointment and drove vehicle to Nissan service center. Cursory search of the web identified excessive number of other consumers complaining of same issue. Couple hours later, Nissan service manager informed me that there was cross contamination between coolant and transmission. Because vehicle had greater than 80000 miles, service manager informed me would be a co-pay of $2500. Repair work completed, money paid, now attempting to have Nissan reimburse.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Highland, CA, USA