Problems with 2005 Nissan Xterra POWER TRAIN

Transmission locked in one gear which caused dangerous circumstances on well traveled roads. subsequently, it operated normally, but the problem recurred. the occurrences were intermittent, and if occurred on a highway in heavy traffic could have resulted in an accident and injuries. nissan has admitted there is a problem/defect by extending the warranty to 80,000 miles. however, this defect affects vehicles beyond 80,000 and is a significant safety concern. i understand the defect has to do with a cooling system in the transmission which is prone to cracking resulting in the mixing of radiator fluid and transmission fluid, ultimately rendering the transmission inoperable. *tr

Brought a used 2005 nissan xterra from a dealer in eugene oregon on october 13, 2011. on july 31, 2012 the radiator leaked fluid into the transmission disabling the vehicle. took it to the deals where i have an extended warranty ( 12 months or 12,000 miles) only to be told that the radiator caused the problem to the transmission, which meant both are not covered by the warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact was driving 65 mph when the vehicle started shaking violently. the contact drove the vehicle to the dealer who inspected the failure. the dealer advised the contact that radiator fluids leaked into the transmission, causing a transmission failure. both the radiator and the transmission would need replacing at the contact's expense of $7000. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 86,000.

Traveling at 65 mph, transmission started to shack terribly and was almost uncontrollable. this was a direct failure of a leak in the radiator that allowed radiator fluid to leak into the transmission and cause the transmission to fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 75, he noticed that the transmission failred and the vehicle stopped accelerating. the contact was able to successfully coast to the shoulder of the road. the vehicle fucntioned as normal upon restart. the vehicle was then taken to a dealer for a diagnosis. they stated that they needed to replace the transmission. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were 112,000.

Transmission cooler leaked into radiator, fouled cooling system with transmission fluid, also fouled transmission with coolant. this caused vibration in the transmission, loss of acceleration, check engine light was activated for a clutch solenoid switch, and unknown possible damage to the transmission. *tr

Failure of radiator causes engine coolant to mix with transmission fluid causing transmission destruction. while driving on the highway, vehicle shakes violently and shifts hard during slower driving. happens to be a very common problem i was un aware of, until it was too late. dealer service dept advised me it was a $8,000 "known issue" and instructed me to contact nissan about helping with repairs. *tr

My 2005 nissan xterra started having some problems early in july. on or about july 5 i was pulling onto highway 30 in montgomery illinois. there was oncoming traffic. i pushed the gas and proceeded to merge on to the highway. the car moved very slowly almost causing an accident. i pulled over out of traffic and rested car for approx 5min. when i began to accelerate again the car performed normally. i took to a mechanic who stated that the radiator fluids had mixed with the transmission fluids causing the transmission to slip and fail. after hearing this i went online and observed that over 500 people have also experienced the same problem and that it is a defect in the manufacturing of all 2005-2010 trucks and suv's. i have asked nissan to repair my car at their expense since it is a problem they knew about. they first stated they did not send me the original info on this problem because they did not know i owned the car. this is not true. they had previously sent me information about a tow bar issue/recall and a nissan dealer in san jose ca fixed that problem. i believe that nissan intentionally did not inform owners because they wanted the mileage to exceed what they were offering (80,000). had i known i would have had my truck looked at long before the mileage expired. what happened to me could happen to a family and if they were to pull into ongoing traffic an accident would certainly occur. this is very dangerous and nissan needs to do the right thing. i appreciate you opening an investigation on this and hope you get results before someone dies. *tr

Radiator coolant leaked into transmission causing overheating. replaced radiator $1200 now required to replace transmission for $3510 parts, $1450 labor, and $100 fluid at tischer nissan laurel maryland. transmission feels like riding over rumble strips. *tr

Daughter coming to intersection at 20 mph. failed in intersection and was able to coast out of intersection. later found failure due to water in transmission. nissan has a class action suit on this issue- which i joined. *tr

Transmission damage attributed to contamination by engine coolant. the source of the contamination is a cracked atf line that runs through an engine coolant chamber in the radiator. *tr

Car was acting funny so i took it to my mechanic. coolant was leaking into the transmission. replaced the radiator before it caused any major issues with the tranny but still cost me $1200. now a check engine light came on indicating something with the tranny. i am afraid it will fail now and i will have to put more money. nissan extended the warranty to 80k miles but this issues started happening after that. *tr

First incident occurred in april 2011 - while driving the transmission began to fail and would not shift. i had to have the vehicle towed because it would not drive faster than about 15-20 mph. the nissan dealership diagnosed the problem as "internal fault in valve body" and replaced the valve body. this incident cost me $1568 and a week without a vehicle; went in to dealership on 4/20 and i picked it up on 4/27. second incident occurred in june 2012 - while driving with my kids in the vehicle, on a busy street, the transmission began to fail again and would not shift. once again, the vehicle would not drive faster than about 20 mph. this time i had the vehicle towed to a local transmission repair shop. the diagnosis was "fluid is full, but is black and burnt, dipstick for the trans is crusty looking..." the transmission shop rebuilt the transmission and replaced all faulty parts, including the valve body. this incident cost me $3865 and eleven days without a vehicle; went in to transmission shop on 6/15 and i picked it up on 6/26. in fourteen months, i have had transmission failure and have had to replace the valve body each time, a very expensive part. it is simply unacceptable that the manufacturer patches the vehicle, instead of fixing it, not to mention charges the owner for their defect. *tr

Radiator assembly failed causing antifreeze to leak into the transmission. *tr

A nissan faulty radiator (original equipment) caused antifreeze to mix with transmission fluid slowly deteriorating the components of the powertrain/transmission of the vehicle. nissan has acknowledged and agree to replacement costs or repair to the faulty radiator and to its potential harm to the transmission but refuses to acknowledge or warranty the eroded transmission caused by the defective radiator. *js

Just as i was about to enter the 405 freeway in long beach, my xterra would not accelerate. the garden grove nissan dealer said it was due to a leak in the radiator that caused the transmission to give out. i was charged $5,000 to repair. i filed a claim with the dealer and that's when i first learned that i had been given an extra 20,000 miles warranty back when my xterra only had 60,000 miles. i was never notified of the extended warranty and i've been taking my xterra to the dealer for all maintenance since i bought it from the dealer. *tr

I am the original owner of a 2005 nissan xterra. i have had all repairs and services done at dealership and had an extended warranty until approx 94k miles. i brought xterra to dealership in august 2011 for service and was advised at that time that i had complete transmission failure but not to worry because it was under warranty. the transmission was replaced and they were never able to tell me why the transmission failed in the first place. i had a warranty on the new transmission for 12k miles to approx 104k miles. i brought my xterra to dealership in may 2012 for jerking at approx 105k miles, just past the new transmission warranty. i was advised that i had an inter cooler leak where coolant was mixing with my transmission fluid and that the problem could not be repaired that i would have to "junk" my xterra. i was assured however that i did not have anything wrong with the new transmission. nissan flushed all my fluids at a cost of $254, told me to drive the xterra as much as i could for the next three weeks and bring it back to them and then they would confirm if that in fact was the problem. i talked to several mechanics including two nissan mechanics and was told that i would not have to "junk" the xterra that i would have to replace the radiator and transmission and not to drive the truck until it was repaired. i was also advised to contact nissan north america. i contacted nissan and they told me after there investigation that i was too far out of warranty and there was nothing they could or would do to assist me financially in repairing the damage. i am also aware that nissan knew about there defective radiators and there is a class action lawsuit against them for this exact problem. *tr

Transmission locked up on highway. evidently engine coolant had gotten into the transmission by way of failure of the radiator. could have been killed... *tr

Transmission slipped while driving, then would not shift at all. had to be towed. transmission was rebuilt, but goes into "limp mode" after a few miles of driving, with a strong odor of hot fluid. *tr

After driving to a remote fair ground facility, the transmission failed due to a leak allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. after leaving the driver and passenger stranded waiting for help, the passenger lost consciousness due to high outdoor temperatures and lack of near by facilities. paramedics were called to the scene. *tr

I was driving on the interstate at 45 mph and all of a sudden my car started slowing down. when i pulled over the car would not go into gear. i had to have the car towed to my house and it hasn't started since. *tr

Nissan's 2005 xterra has a major flaw in its cooling system and transmission. apparently the coolant in the radiator leaks into the transmission causing the transmission to fail. this is very expensive as the radiator and the transmission have to be replaced. flushing the system is not enough. this should have been recalled and repaired by nissan before the problem became costly. apparently nissan has known about this for some time. this is disgraceful. *tr

First incident occurred in april 2011 - while driving the transmission began to fail and would not shift. i had to have the vehicle towed because it would not drive faster than about 15-20 mph. the nissan dealership diagnosed the problem as "internal fault in valve body" and replaced the valve body. this incident cost me $1568 and a week without a vehicle; went in to dealership on 4/20 and i picked it up on 4/27. second incident occurred in june 2012 - while driving with my kids in the vehicle, on a busy street, the transmission began to fail again and would not shift. once again, the vehicle would not drive faster than about 20 mph. this time i had the vehicle towed to a local transmission repair shop. the diagnosis was "fluid is full, but is black and burnt, dipstick for the trans is crusty looking..." the transmission shop rebuilt the transmission and replaced all faulty parts, including the valve body. this incident cost me $3865 and eleven days without a vehicle; went in to transmission shop on 6/15 and i picked it up on 6/26. in fourteen months, i have had transmission failure and have had to replace the valve body each time, a very expensive part. it is simply unacceptable that the manufacturer patches the vehicle, instead of fixing it, not to mention charges the owner for their defect. *tr

Driving on a busy road the x-terra stopped moving forward. pushed the vehicle into a parking lot. insurance company towed it to the dealership. they investigated and found a fluid contamination between the radiator and transmission. spent $5300 to get it fixed. this is apparently a known problem. i expect the transmission to eventually fail, but not at 113k miles. but, i think this is something else - a design/flaw. the web is full of transmission complaints for a 2005 nissan xterra, as well as a class action lawsuit. *tr

I was noticing a difference in the shifting of my vehicle and took it to a transmission specialist who discovered i had radiator fluid mixed in with my transmission fluid. i was told my radiator needed to be replaced and the transmission flushed, which may or may not solve the problem. there was hope this would work as i caught the problem early and never had a service code pop up. i paid $1110 for this work. subsequently i contacted my nissan dealer who told me it was related to the radiator problem that nissan had extended the warranty on. i contacted nissan and made a claim for reimbursement and for the problem to be rectified completely. nissan advised me to take the vehicle to the dealer at my own expense for a diagnosis. the nissan dealer verified that indeed my problem was due to the radiator issue and my transmission needs to be replaced. i contacted the manufacturer again and when i told them this i was told my vehicle had surpassed the extended warranty of 80,000 miles and they would not assist. during my research, i have discovered that most of the people with the same problem were also over the 80,000 miles granted by nissan. my transmission completely stopped shifting and is parked in my driveway. i feel the extended warranty notice sent by nissan was very misleading. it stated a "radiator issue" which in no way identifies that is only the culprit and not that the transmission will be impacted and rendered useless. it would have been such an easier option to replace a radiator and continue to have transportation, then to have a lawn ornament. by the way...why was there never a service code light that alerted to the problem? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph and approaching a stop sign at an intersection. after stopping, the contact accelerated from a complete stop and there was severe hesitation and the gears began to slip. the failure progressed over a period of time. the vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop for diagnosis. the technician stated that the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. there was currently an open investigation under nhtsa action number dp12004 (power train:automatic transmission:control module tcm, pcm). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 124,000. the vin was unavailable.

I have a 2005 nissan xterra which over the years my engine light would come on for all periods of time and then go off. the first time it came on i ran to the dealership because i could not afford to be broke down. no diagnosis was found (phantom light - $300 to tell no there was no problem) so after that i did not run to the dealer everything the light come one which was most of the time. starting in january 2012 my 2005 xterra would seem to have a difficult time changing over at certain speeds especially 40-45 and 55-60 mph. i mainly drive highway so i knew this was not normal for my car. since the car was still running and i had a state inspection coming up in march-april 2012 i wanted to wait because i cannot be without a car. the engine light remained on from january until april when i went to the dealership. finally in early april 2012 i realized that the heats was not working. at the april 10, 2012 inspection the dealership told me i needed a new radiator ($999.45). they told me the radiator leaked into the transmissions but they were able to fix the problem. the car seemed to work fine after the repair, no difficultly changing over at certain speeds until october 18, 012 when i left work and the car would not start. aaa came and tried to jump it to no avail. towed to local mechanic (not going back to dealership again) and found out about the transmission cooling problem ($1,950.98) and two weeks without a car and $100 towing bill. now i get a letter from about lawsuit with nissan but my vehiles diagnosis occurred 1,985 miles after the allotted mileage (100,000). so, i am out $2950.45 plus the cost of towing and rent a cars with the vehiile that i am never going to be able to trade in because no dealer would purchase it from me knowing the problems with 2005 nissan xterra. i will never buy nissan again.

My wife was driving home from the grocery store when her nissan xterra would not shift out of first gear (it's an automatic). she had to drive home in first gear and keep it under 15 mph. the dealership informed us that the faulty radiator leaked coolant into the transmission causing a transmission failure. this is apparently a widely known issue with nissan, but we were unaware of it until this occurred. nissan is aware that the radiators in this model have been known to leak into the transmission, but they never notified my wife (she's the original owner) or else we would've taken steps to prevent this from happening. thank god she wasn't on the highway when this happened. this issue needs to be taken more seriously before someone ends up in a fatal collision as a result. even though my wife suffered no physical harm, we're now facing a $6100 repair bill. *tr

Transmission failed while trying to accelerate across an intersection almost causing me to be hit by on coming cars. nissan is aware of the problems with these cars and has not recalled. i feel this is poor business and will result in loss of life! *tr

I've noticed recently that my xterra started shuddering while cruising at highway speeds, and has been shaking while shifting between gears. additionally, there was a specific occasion where my vehicle stopped accelerating while merging onto the highway. when i took it to a local nissan dealership for to fix a separate recall notice, i was told that my transmission fluid had mixed with my coolant, which meant that i would need to replace both my transmission and radiator. *tr

Transmission failed to shift and made loud noises while driving. caused the car to shake but did not lose control. failed part in radiator allowed antifreeze into transmission and transmission fluid into radiator. complete failure of radiator and transmission could have occurred on highway at speed. know issue from nissan who did nothing to communicate to vehicle owners on risks or precautions to take as well as no ownership for fixing this. *tr

Vehicle vibrates around 40 mph, vibrates at certain rpms. *tr

Radiator fluid leaked into my transmission, which caused transmission failure. *tr

Went to pull out into traffic and experienced tranny slipping. i was very lucky not to be involved in an accident. check engine light came on took my vehicle to the dealership and they told me what was wrong and that they have been seeing this problem more and more frequently. it would seem nissan is aware of the manufacturing defect in the radiator which causes fluid to leak into the tranny thereby slowly destroying the transmission, they offered an extended warrant to 80,000 miles but thru research i have discovered that this problem does not manifest itself until around 100,000 miles. i was never contacted by nissan about this issue and there is no recall but hundreds of complaints. it is obvious that if nissan does not resolve this issue there are going to be accidents and maybe even deaths related to this manufacturing defect. *tr

As with most of the 2nd generation xterras, my radiator failed causing coolant to mix with transmission fluid. this causes the transmission to seize up and/or an inability to shift. i first felt shuddering while shifting into 4th (automatic transmission). i immediately recognized a problem and and began driving to my mechanic. i entered the freeway and found myself unable to get out of 1st or 2nd gear - i could not drive faster than 20 miles per hour with traffic traveling at 65+ and no shoulder. this is a serious safety issue. nissan has acknowledged the problem and extended their warranty to 80,000 miles but apparently this issue happens between 85k and 100k typically (my issue came to light at around 95,000). i was in serious danger on the highway and this is not an isolated incident by any means. *tr

Total transmission failure after engine coolant floods transmission, causing vehicle to lurch and stop. incurred repair costs at dealership of $5,968.89. nissan is aware of this problem on 2005 xterras, but failed to inform owners to replace faulty radiators which causes the transmission failure. nissan secretly extended the power train warranty to 80,000 miles because of this problem (owners not informed), but the transmission failure associated with this issue does not occur until after 80,000 miles. one website, caromplaints.com, as 23 pages of complaints from 2005 xterra owners documenting this issue. ref: http://www.carcomplaints.com/nissan/xterra/2005/transmission/radiator_causes_transmission_failure.shtmlnissan refuses to reimburse owners for the repairs. the nissan consumer affairs file no. for my complaint is [xxx]. please help. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).*tr

Radiator leak, heater temp dropping, rough gear vibration from transmission. *tr

Radiator fluid leaked into transmission. caused transmission failure. had to replace radiator, electrical components, hoses, transmission, etc. repairs cost over $3900. this is a known problem by nissan and they refuse to recall, but they have issued bulletins. *tr

My problems started in november of 2010 with whistling noise coming from the engine. after taking the truck to nissan dealer they said the timing chain needed to be replaced and nissan has sent out a service bulletin to the fact that there is a defect in the timing chain that causes the noise. after contacting nissan consumer affair for two weeks at the end, they ruled that since i was over the standard warranty of 60k, they were not to cover the cost of this repair even though they knew about this problem and never sent out notice to owners to have this fixed. so i had to spend the $1063 with i did not have to fix the repair. again this last december, one morning i was driving at 55 miles on the freeway when out of no where lost total power. i stepped on the gas and my truck went from 55 to 10 miles an hour. thank god it was close to a off ramp and i was able to get off the freeway and when straight to the dealer close by. the determined that the defect is the radiator the anti- freeze in leaking to the transmission and causing it to seize. after some research on-line, i found out that this problem is plaguing many other owners of nissan xterra, pathfinder from 2005-2010. nissan has issued a recall on this and extended the warranty from 60k to 80k. however i have not yet found one owner that did not have this problem happening before 80k. as far as i see it is nissan trying to hide the face that this is not a safety recall. i just came from nissan dealer and they gave me an esteemed of $4925.73 to fix the tranny & the radiator. i have contacted nissan and they have decided not to help me in this matter. so i have now have a truck that i can't drive or can afford to fix. i am going to look in to other options to deal with this problems. i will fight this to the end. *tr

Due to a cracked radiator line coolant leaked causing major transmission and electrical failure. this causes the car to shut off randomly or shake violently ( this happen to me on the freeway and i was stuck with cars zooming pass me at 70 mph) and transmission to jolt and shake when going through the gears. *tr

In january 2012 one morning i was driving at hwy speed on the freeway when out of nowhere lost total power. i stepped on the gas and my truck went from 60 to 10 miles an hour. thank god it was close to an off reap and i was able to get off the freeway. i took the car to nearest auto repair shop. after examination of transmission they found large amount of white subtend in the transmission fluid but they could not determine what that was. next day i drove the truck to nissan dealer and they told me that because of the defect in the radiator the anti-freeze was leaking to the transmission and causing it to seize and both components need to immediate replacement. the mechanic told me that the failure is a known problem and that is occurs with no warning, no engine light, no noticeable deterioration of performance, it just happens. he said that in a worst-case scenario, the vehicle?s transmission could seize causing an immediate stop and loss of control. since i was not in any position to pay for this repair, i took my truck home and try to contact nissan for help. on january 16, i contact the nissan consumer affairs again and requested an exception to the 80k miles limitation. nissan consumer affairs took 2 weeks to review my case before denying it. the failure of nissan to stand behind their products, particularly when the problem represents a serious safety concern and attributable to a design flaw, is inexcusable. nissan denies that there is a safety concern, whereas they should have acknowledged responsibility for their error and issued a recall. *tr

January 2012 one morning i was driving at hwy speed on the freeway when out of nowhere lost total power. i stepped on the gas and my truck went from 60 to 10 miles an hour. thank god it was close to an off reap and i was able to get off the freeway. i took the car to nearest auto repair shop. after examination of transmission they found large amount of white subtend in the transmission fluid but they could not determine what that was. next day i drove the truck to nissan dealer and they told me that because of the defect in the radiator the anti-freeze was leaking to the transmission and causing it to seize and both components need to immediate replacement. the mechanic told me that the failure is a known problem and that is occurs with no warning, no engine light, no noticeable deterioration of performance, it just happens. since i was not in any position to pay for this repair, i took my truck home and try to contact nissan for help. on january 16, i contact the nissan consumer affairs again and requested an exception to the 80k miles limitation. nissan consumer affairs took 2 weeks to review my case before denying it. the failure of nissan to stand behind their products, particularly when the problem represents a serious safety concern and attributable to a design flaw, is inexcusable. nissan denies that there is a safety concern, whereas they should have acknowledged responsibility for their error and issued a recall. how many accidents or fatalities need to occur over the coming years before nissan is held accountable for their negligence? my local nissan dealer estimated it would cost $5368 to repair my xterra. this represents a significant financial burden and hardship -- especially on a vehicle with just over 100k miles. how many nissan owners have to experience this type of financial hardship before nissan is held accountable? *tr

My 05 xterra has a leak from the radiator in the transmission due to a defect in the lines. now i have to replace the transmission and the radiator which will cost $6000. i filed a claim with nissan to try and get this repair covered. i was denied because nissan said this is not a problem other people are having. if you are also having this problem you need to open a claim with nissan to show them there is a real problem here. the rep i talked to is named [xxx] and her personal work line is 615-725-7205. please open your claim with her and prove to nissan that there needs to be a recall for this problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

We have a 2005 nissan xterra that we had to have a transmission replaced on in 2007 because radiator coolant leaked into the transmission. again, the same thing has happened. recall these cars, please. they are dangerous and this repair is very expensive. i had read the complaint history and i am not the only one with this problem. *tr

While driving, the engine cuts off without warning causing all systems to shut down, including brake assist and power steering causing a near collision twice, once while navigating a curve at low speed with a ditch on the right side and once while navigating a curve at higher speed and nearly coasting into oncoming traffic. the issue is due to a known defect in the radiator causing coolant to spill into the transmission. this is a major safety concern that appears in vehicles without warning in any circumstance at any speed. please initiate a recall asap for our safety! *tr

Radiator cracked and leaked coolant into the transmission. both radiator and transmission damaged. estimated cost of repairs around $4700. *kb

While driving my xterra i started to notice it shuddering and vibrating while driving to work. this was getting worse so i brought it in to be looked at and they new what it was from the moment i drove in. they told me it was my transmissions and they have fixed multiple xterras with this problem. so naturally the warranty has expired so my cost is 3800.00. *tr

Radiator failed and allowed coolant to mix with transmission fluid. both radiator and transmission need replaced at a cost of $6411.00 (includes labor). *tr

I was driving on the highway around 70 mph. experienced a loss of power followed by my car running hot. i pulled over and had the vehicle towed to my repair shop. diagnosis was the radiator was leaking coolant into the transmission. the radiator was replaced and the transmission was flushed. total costs $900. possible damage to the transmission unknown at the time. the car is now back in the shop with the same issues slipping/grinding at highway speeds. looking online it seems that a number of people have the same problems with a leaky radiator hose. i spoke with a nissan dealership and consumer affairs and they said that nothing can be done. *tr

The vehicle's automatic transmission disengaged without warning while traveling at highway speed. immediate deceleration, forced us to cross lanes during period of heavy traffic with no ability to control the acceleration of the vehicle. vehicle's automatic transmission would not engage. transmission mechanic stated that failure was rusted internal transmission components. follow up internet research revealed to us that this failure is common in 2005 nissan xterra's. a common component between the factory radiator and auto transmission cooler rusts and fails, causing transmission fluid to mix with radiator fluid. this destroys the radiator and eventually the automatic transmission. during a service call at a local nissan dealership in may 2011, we were made aware of the radiator / transmission cooler leak, and we were advised that the radiator should be replaced. we replaced the radiator. the mileage at the time of this service was approximately 108,000. the potential transmission issue was never mentioned.