Problems with 2005 Nissan Frontier POWER TRAIN

The problem began with a growling noise accompanied by a shuddering sensation. i had the problem diagnosed at the dealership as transmission fluid contamination. they advised me to take the vehicle out of service for repairs at an estimated cost of $6500. i could not afford this so i had my local asme certified mechanic replace the radiator and power flush the transmission at a cost of $900. the problem persists and i expect a catastrophic transmission failure at any time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the transmission began to slip gears with hesitation. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and an independent mechanic for diagnosis, in which both advised the contact that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. updated 04/24/13 *bf the consumer was informed the radiator was the cause of the problems with the transmission. updated 06/13/13

On 1 nov 2001 i was coming back from ajo az. when my engine overheated as i was trying to pass a vehicle. about even with the other vehicle transmission started slipping and i noticed that the engine was over heating. i let off the gas and stopped as soon as i could and was almost rear ended.after stopping i discovered no water in radiator.i filled it from a 5 gallon can of water and made it to a gas station.the mechanic on duty told me that the radiator failed internally and that i had water and antifreeze in the transmission.mechanic told me that he had several pathfinders and a few frontiers with the same problem. i got on line and found hundreds of people with nissans had the same complaint. i called the nissan dealer and they said that that was not the case that they would replace the radiator and flush the transmission and it would be good to go. on line peoples complaints that i found said they were told the same and the transmissions still failed. can i expect a recall to fix this problem?the waranty was up at 98,000 miles. *tr

The transmission cooler built into the radiator failed causing coolant and transmission fluid to cross contaminate and cause possible overheat of motor and failure of transmission. tried contacting nissan north america about help fixing it but they refuse to do anything about it because it is out of warranty. getting the radiator and transmission replaced will cost about $5,000. *tt

Experienced vibrations in the suspension at approximately 55mph. over the next couple of months, the vibrations became progressively worse. i took the truck to the nissan dealer for repairs. i was told this was a transmission failure caused by a design problem where the radiator fluid over time contaminates the transmission fluid. the nissan dealer stated the repairs called for complete replacement of the transmission and radiator. the repairs were done at a cost of $5,375.28. since this transmission and radiator failure was caused by a design problem, i contacted nissan consumer affairs to request that they compensate me for the cost of repairs. they refused to cover the cost of repairs, stating that the warranty period had expired. *tr

I drove the frontier to work that morning, then in the afternoon i began my 62 mile commute home. i came to a stop at a traffic light and then when i began to drive again the engine would rev high and accelerate slowly. i made it to a service station where the code p1754 was read on the onboard computer. i was told by the service station that it needed to be looked at, since he didn't see any mechanical issues. the code was cleared and i was able to drive it home. the next morning thinking the problem may have been a glitch in the computer i attempted to drive it down the road, approximately 2 miles into the drive a violent jerk of the truck and i could not accelerate, it was as though the vehicle was in neutral. i made it home and had the vehicle towed to the dealer i bought it from in 2007. they informed me that the transmission cooler had cracked and cross contaminated the radiator and transmission fluids and it would be a 6300.00 dollar repair. i contacted nissan after reading online about multiple issues with this and they said that they had sent a letter out in december notifying owners of the issue. the letter stated that the warranty had been extended to 80,000 miles. due to the fact that neither the dealer nor nissan had taken the time to update the vehicles info showing my ownership, i never received a letter and am beyond the 80,000 miles as are many of the other owners experiencing this issue. nissan admits that the transmission cooler is suffering catastrophic failure in the transmission and radiators, but only on the phone. when you let them know that the transmission fails while on the highway in the middle of traffic, they only offer what seems to be the typical "i am sorry." this problem needs to be corrected and not at the owners expense, since it is a faulty transmission cooler that was used that caused all of the damage. *tr

Radiator failed/cracked and coolant leaked into the transmission and destroyed the transmission. *tr *js

I noticed at driving speeds of around 45 mph the truck would shake very bad. also my heater would only blow cold air. when i took the truck in they said the transmission fluid looked like a strawberry milkshake. $6000.00 later and looking online seeing all the other people that have had the same issues i am trying to figure out why nissan is not being held responsible? *tr

Dear sir or ma'am; i have a nissan frontier 2005 v^ 4.0l engine nismo 4x4 model. it has 91k miles in it and have recently been experiencing sluggishness and a "thud" while in low power (automatic transmission). so i have been reading forums and online sites to get an idea of what the source of the problem maybe. mechanics and auto part stores have diagnosed it as an issue with the transmission brake control valve (internal). my trucks discrepancy might be isolated but what concerns me goes not only for my vehicle but also and more for all these consumers who have reported problems with their radiation+transmission. they have spent money and it seems from their comments nissan dealerships and company have not been able to help or address a known issue (it sounds like a cover-up--hopefully the consumers are accurate in their description). what further concerns me is that they seem to be stuck with their situation and unable to go further. one consumer contacted a local tv stations consumer affairs section and got help. so it seems that what these consumers need is backing from a legitimate institution or agency. if the dealership/company will not listen to their costumers and address the issue (which i believe is a safety issue), perhaps we can get your (nhtsa) help. i propose that nhtsa pls look into this mechanical safety concern and look into possibility of poor materials/manufacturing of some of the nissan frontier components. appreciate your response on this matter. for the consumer concerns/problem descriptions, please reference: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/nissan_frontier.html. *tr

Nissan has not stood behind their product once so ever. radiator fluid leaked into the transmission causing it to go out. nissan knew about the problem and did not send out a recall for the problem and never did till this day. although they choose to on other problems. its a saftey issue as well and nissan does not seem to care at all. they went on selling cars like normal and choose to leave there past consumers in the dust. not working with or caring about us. i work hard for this truck and nissan does not want to help and wont help one bit. even though its completely due to a manufacturer flaw by nissan as a company and they know it! please help! *tr

Gradual failure of transmission due to ruptured transmission cooler inside radiator allowing coolant into transmission fluid. symptom started as small vibration and numerous service attempts could not identify problem. had transmission flushed and service center did not mention any discoloration of fluid or other problem. had radiator drained and flushed and thermostat replaced,service center did not cite any discoloration of fluid. transmission now bucks heavily and web research uncovered the problem with similiar make and model vehicle. *kb

I have a suffered a transmission failure due to a faulty radiator in my 2005 nissan frontier. coolant has entered the transmission due to radiator failure, thus ruining it. i have had my 2005 nissan frontier in the shop for five weeks and it will cost $4,500 to repair. *tr

Took my truck to peltier in tyler for an ecm relay recall. mechanic looked at truck and found that the radiator transmission cooler was leaking anti-freeze into my transmission. was told to replace radiator immediately and flush transmission. did this however transmission went into limp mode and progressively got worse. a mechanic replaced the valve body which cost over $1000 for the part alone and checked the clutch packs in the transmission. clutch packs checked okay however the mechanic could not guarantee that the torque converter was okay. vehicle seemed to drive okay after the repair. now the torque converter seems to be going out and the vehicle will go into the limp mode. i have to disconnect the battery to reset the code and it will drive okay for about 10 miles and the service engine light goes on. when this happens the vehicle goes into the limp mode. my mechanic told me that he thinks the torque converter is shot and will have to be replaced. update as of 07/192011 - mechanic replaced my torque converter and rebuilt transmission. the old torque converter came apart and after pulling the transmission, he saw a lot of metallic shavings on the screen on the valve body. while driving to work on 07/22/2011, i was driving around 70 mph with the cruise control on. all of a sudden my rpm gauge redlined and my transmission went into neutral. i immediately released the cruise control by tapping the brake pedal. with no shoulder on the road at my location, an 18 wheeler was quickly coming up on my rear. i put my flashers on and was able to coast to an exit. the 18 wheeler came within inches hitting my rear end. now my frontier is in dunn's transmission shop in tyler, tx to be repaired. as of this writing, the problem has not been diagnosed but i am sure the problem will be in the valve body since something caused the transmission to go into neutral. probably some metallic material got inside something in the valve body which was replaced in march 2011. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier pickup truck. while driving 45 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle would vibrate into the next gear. the contact would release the accelerator pedal the vehicle speed would increase excessively. the contact was forced to shift into over drive in order to gain control of the vehicle. the dealer nor manufacturer were notified of the failure. the failure was not remedied. the failure mileage was 94,600. the current mileage was 95,000. updated 08/15/11 *bf the contact stated that the problem has since been diagnosed by a nissan dealership as being an intermix of radiant coolant and transmission fluid. this mix ruined the radiator and transmission. updated 06/07/12 *js

Defective transmissions and fuel sensors on nissan trucks. nissan is very aware of these problems but refuses to remedy or repair. my current vehicle is a nissan frontier 2005 but i had the fuel sensor problems on my 2006 nissan xterra as well. pleas see link to consumer affairs complaint page listing hundreds with the same problem; http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/nissan_frontier.html *tt

When the car had about 60 thousand miles i went to the dealership because i felt like there was something wrong in the way car started to drive. i asked for paper work of the inspection but was not provided instead got the estimate of things that were not important at that time had noting to do with the issue i was having with the car. after a while i had to use that vehicle my only car,it start slipping on the gears. car had about 98 thousand on it!! and little after that transmission went!! i have taken the car to norwich dealership for answers. when they have told me is not covered by my warranty because car had at that time over a 100,000 miles (103,000 miles). i bought the car from nissan dealership car was display model and had 7 thousand miles on it when i got it. dealership stated that's a new car and this 7 thousand miles wont count to the warranty major selling point price was lower!!! when i told them about it they said its over the warranty and they cant do anything unless i pay my self. i have received a letter from nissan about class action unfortunately it doesn't help me because my car has more that 100 thousand miles. so i have a car which has been paid of and it just sits on the driveway because its broke and i don't have $3000 to just go and fix it and i don't think i should since they new what was the problem since the beginning!!! *tr

2005 nissan frontier. transmission failure.. vehicle shutters around 40 mph and some loud clunking noises when the tranny shifts. dealer tried to blame my brakes. took to transmision shop and was told it would be $5000 to replace tranny because coolant contaminated the transmision. *tt

2005 nissan frontier le (transmission failure). driving at interstate speed (70mph), transmission failed causing sudden deceleration. failed once, transmission must be replaced. nissan service department is not able to repair due to high demand for parts. possible consequence high speed collision due to sudden deceleration. *tr

My slip started to go on and it would down shift and sometimes stall. i needed brakes so i went to tony nissan to have my brakes done and the slip checked out and they called me and said that a transmission line inside my radiator cracked and was leaking into my transmission and i needed to replaced both ( $9000.00 dollars that i don't have.) nissan has extended it's warrant to 10 years and 100000 miles, but my truck has over 147000 miles. this is not my fault as it is due to a faulty radiator that they knew about. it's just not right, i drive a lot do to my work. i don't know what to do. please help .. i do not know the vin number it is at the nissan dealer having my brakes done. *tr

My nissan 2005 frontier has a transmission problem where the radiator is leaking coolant in the transmission. this has caused the vehicle to not change gears properly and is a danger as it does not accelerate as it should. *tr

My truck first started shuddering on acceleration in 2011 at 68,000 miles. i checked it out and found foamy coolant and strawberry like milk shake in my transmission. since it was out of warranty i tried to save it by changing the fluid and doing the bypass which worked for a while. soon after i received a notice that they extended the warranty on this issue (making it within warranty). i then took it to the nissan dealer to have them check it out, they said they checked the pressure on the radiator and said everything was fine. now 2 years later at 100,000 miles my truck can't shift into overdrive. this is very upsetting and i feel you guys should be responsible for fixing this problem. all these vehicles should be recalled!*jb

Vibration occurred while shifting. took to dealership pf which they stated problem related to engine coolant getting mixed with transmission oil due to failed cooler inside radiator. costs for rebuilding transmission over $6,000this is obviously a manufacturing or design defect, nothing to do with normal wear and tear. nissan will not reimburse the repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier. the contact stated that the vehicle began vibrating extremely hard as it overheated. the contact checked the fluids in the vehicle and found that the coolant, oil and transmission fluids were mixed together in the transmission. the vehicle had not been inspected but the contact believed that the seals fractured on the engine when the vehicle overheated, allowing coolant to enter the transmission. the failure and current mileage was 71,000.

Radiator & transmission failure. *tr

Three days after receiving the letter from nissan regarding the "possible" problem with the radiator failing i was on my way to work and my truck started to shudder at about 45mph. i pulled off the road but could not see anything wrong. i then had it checked out and found out about the radiator failing and damaged the transmission resulting in a total rebuild! called nissan and after 3 weeks of back and forth talks of "seeing what we can do for you" the end result was sorry theirs nothing we can do for you! if this problem would of happen on an interstate highway with my family along i hate to think what could have happened! *tr

I have a 2005 nissan frontier. during the recent cold mornings i have noticed a buzzing/whinning noise when i started my truck. i took the vehicle into the dealership and later found out i needed a new timing chain. this was a huge surprise since i followed all of the maintenance requirements and only have 59,000 miles. i also found out that this is a known problem with my model year and unfortunately i was less than 20 days outside of my warranty period and nissan would not pick up the cost which were estimate to be $1,300. i called nissan corporate to see if they would still honor the warranty since it was a known problem, however, they said they were strict with their warranties and since i was technically outside of the warranty they would not pick up the costs or help out. the service i received was terrible and after doing some research it sounds like there are many other people out there that have had some same issue with the model year vehicle i have. all nissan told me i could do was save my receipts incase there was a recall in the future. *tr

Had to replace radiator and transmission. fluids leaked between the two. *tr

Transmission failure related to coolant from the radiator oil coolant assemble. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier se. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the radiator ruptured. the transmission also began slipping. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the radiator and transmission needed to e replaced as the antifreeze mixed with the transmission fluid. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 82,000.

my 2005 nissan frontier with a 140,000 on it's been a good truck up till know. so it just sits in the yard collecting dust.going to cost about $6000 to fix. this is something they should fix,for they knew they got problems with these radiator in these trucks and suv.and the transmission too help please now i am laid off so i do not have work or money to fix this truck so nissan has to fixed for free help all those who pass the 80,000 miles and i still need to make 7 more payments on it. *tr

In november 2010 my transmission failed and had to be replaced. 3 months after having the transmission replaced i started having problems with the new transmission, i discovered i had to have the radiator replaced but it was too late. the new transmission has been ruin due to a faulty radiator install in the 2005 frontiers by nissan. *tr

Driving home from post office in august 2010 truck would not exceed 35 mph and started to shake intensely. i got it towed to the dealer who diagnosed $9500 to fix, i was over mileage by about 1500 miles so all out of pocket. i parked it immediately due to lack of funds, much due to a $565 payment for a $30k new truck for 5plus years. nissan north america denied me any assistance, and was actually more rude than the have the least bit of empathy while i was told i did reach the top person who was the final say. many months passed and i replaced the radiator and other things, so it appeared as i saved the trans from harm by parking it but now at 98000 miles the service engine light is on coding an at brake issue while the tranny is getting jumpy and sluggish again. quick search returns a big expense and cross contamination most likely did occur and can end up costing me well over $40000 in the long run for a midsize truck that i have owned and took good care of since new and i cant even get rid of it now except for losing even more money...very unhappy as an owner of 4 nissans in my time i really expected a quality product, now i worry about when it could go, as i was recently laid off i don't have the money for repairs or another car. *tr

Whining noise from front of engine. diagnosed as timing chain tensioner failing. numerous complaints online. dealer covered 300 dollars but after 20 days and 13 phone calls, nissan usa refused to participate in repair or discuss the issue. concern for transmission failure due to coolant leaking into transmission. nissan extended warranty to 80,000 which does very little for those of us that keep our vehicles a long time. *tr

Had been getting some noises from the transmission for a little while, but mechanic never caught the real issue. transmission failed while driving 100km/h, overdrive and 4th gears no longer worked. was able to make it home and do quick internet search where it became obvious that my problem was related to engine coolant getting mixed with transmission oil due to failed cooler inside radiator. opened up radiator cap which confirmed this fact, tranny oil floating on top of the engine coolant. costs for rebuilding transmission over $5,000, hooked up oil to external cooler already in the truck, therefore saved cost of replacing radiator (bypassed this cooler). this is obviously a manufacturing or design defect, nothing do with normal wear and tear. nissan will not reimburse the repair. *tr

Clutch break band solenoid failed. lost all power to my vehicle and would not start again. $1000 for the part $400 for the labor $100 for transmission fluid. *tr

At about 85,000 miles on the truck, while cruising at around 40 mph the gears dropped and stuttered. i brought it to the dealership and they documented my concern and the incident. they did a diagnostic and only came up with a fuel gauge malfunction and replace it for $475. at 90,000 miles i described the same concern, which they documented, at a lower mph and they flushed/replaced trans and radiator fluid and replaced the radiator itself for $1600. i am now being told that the entire transmission needs to be replaced for approximately $6000. nissan has to do something about this, it stands to reason that the cause of the transmission malfunction is due to coolant getting into a lubricant. *tr

Hi ,im just gonna make this short . ive owned 2 nissan frontiers both 2005 se models and 4 tranmissions later im done with nissan never again my first tranny replacement was at 70,000 right when my warrenty ended nonethess 7,000 dollars later i am done with nissan forever !!! believe me i have all paper work for work done but im not gonna waste my time inputing anymore crap about nissan.

05 nismo frontier, i had a ticking noise while driving. my engine light was on with a catalytic converter code, gas gage was intermittent. took it to the dealer. had to replace the fuel sending unit, get a new catalytic converter and have my driveline replace because it was blown. the truck had 94k when i took it in for repairs. i am currently trying to find a possible coolant leak. i can smell it but can't find where it is coming from. *tr

Loud clanking sounds coming from under vehicle; my mechanic says its the transmission, again; eight year old vehicle, going on its 3rd transmission... i paid $1,500.00 for the last one (2010)... why do these keep going bad? please help. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier. the contact stated when traveling at speeds of at least 45 mph, the vehicle would exhibit unusual shaking and hard vibrations. the dealer advised the coolant was leaking into the transmission and both the transmission and the coolant system would need to be replaced due to cross contamination. the vehicle was no longer being utilized. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 91,000.

Why has there been no recall on nissan frontier pickup trucks? they have had thousands of complaints reported online about transmission failure due to cross contamination of transmission fluid and engine coolant due to a problem with the transmission cooler pipe design. this is a very common problem with these vehicles. also i have a failed gas gauge sending unit. again there are thousands of the same complaints online. there have been recalls on other vehicles for the same reason, yet not on the nissan frontier pickup. the recalls on others was issued because there would be false readings of fuel levels and a person could run out of gas in traffic and cause and accident. the same problem can occur with the nissan frontier because the gauge gives an inaccurate reading or shows empty yet there is fuel in the tank and the operator would have no idea if he is about to run out of gas or not. back to the transmission, the transmission can go out completely without notice due to the cross contamination. there is no way to no if there is a problem until it was to late. the transmission will fail and there is no way of knowing there is a problem unless you check the radiator periodically. that is the only way to find the problem with out having an actual breakdown. i have had to replace a radiator, have my transmission completely cleaned out twice to remove any coolant, and now my transmission has completely failed. i am asking fro an investigation into the nissan frontier problems and the numbers of the same complaints. i am sure there would be a basis for a recall. *tr

Timing chain whine/rattle on 05 nissan frontier. *tr

2005 nissan frontier with m226 (dana 44, v6 engine) rear end. the axle seals on both the driver and passenger sides are leaking and oil is getting on the rear brakes causing them to not work properly. i have had nissan fix this 2 times (5/09 and 8/09) and it started leaking again 12/09. that makes this 3 times in under a year. this axle is the same as used in nissan titans which are also experiencing the problem. each time the seals were replaced and each time it started leaking within a month of the repair, taking a few months to become dangerous and get on the brake rotors. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan frontier. the contact stated that there was an internal leak in the radiator while spilled onto the transmission and caused it to fail. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 150,000.

I had to have emergency service to the u-joints. strong vibration under driver seat, afraid to drive any further. peruzzi nissan refusing to reimburse a warranty part. *tr

Gear oil leaking past both rear axle seals resulted in inoperative parking brake and minimal regular rear braking. accident was cause when car rolled into homeowners garage door after being left running with the parking brake applied. repair is to clean oil from all contaminated surfaces, replace both axle seals, replace parking brake shoes on both sides, and main brake pads on both side. *tr

3/10/08-transmission is slipping and clunking, took to dealer-turn away, 59994 miles. 4/21/08-62,597 miles returned to dealer and again was told no problem. that day took to local mechanic and he drained transmission fluid. resembled a milk shake and he diagnosed the problem as a broken transmission line in the radiator. returned to dealership and they once again turned me away refusing to acknowledge the problem. local mechanic flushed transmission and repaired radiator. transmission still slips and clunks and is presently parked.(not drivable) received a letter from nissan admitting to this very problem and they still rejected my request for repairs. believe engine may have been damaged as a result of this problem. burns oil and stalls as well. made many requests to national consumer affairs and totally rejected my concerns. *tr

Nissan frontier 2005 - 27,000 miles clutch and flywheel went out nissan dealership here on kauai said that it was due to "driver error" and not covered under warranty - wanted to charge me $1700 to fix i have been driving standard shift cars for 30 years and never had a clutch go out on me. i took the truck to another mechanic who said a. he got several different stories from the nissan mechanics, b. in his opinion nissan had never taken the clutch apart to look at it therefore how could they tell it was driver error and c. in his opinion the materials used to make the truck were too soft. how can i get nissan to admit that this was a factory defect and pay for repairs? *jb

At the time of the transmission failure i had no prior signs of a problem. as i was merging on to the 4 lane at a speed of about 45-50 mph the truck began shaking violently. i thought i had gotten some bad fuel because i had just filled the fuel. the shaking somewhat smoothed out at about 60 mph, though the truck was lacking normal power, and would shudder when pulling a grade. i drove the truck about 10 miles and stopped to get some fuel treatment because i still thought i was having fuel problems. at this point the truck began to act as if the transmission was in neutral, then the transmission would grab and jar the truck violently. at this time i was in heavy traffic and nearly hit. i barely got the truck to my mechanic. further inspection by my mechanic showed antifreeze in the transmission. i had to have the transmission totally rebuilt and replaced the radiator, at a cost of about $4,000. about a year prior i had the transmission flushed, replaced filter and fluid as preventative maintenance. the truck has been maintained properly because i planned to keep the truck for long term. my truck is past the warranty so total cost is incurred by me. *tr

Poorly designed u-joint to front in 4 wheel drive. ,u-joint has no grease fitting will rust and disinterested. manufacturer has added fitting to replace part. however, original could fail and bring vehicle to complete stop in traffic or front drive could fail in adverse weather, leading to loss of traction ,both of which could lead to accident. tailgate prone to failure due to poor weld on inner half tailgate hinge.tailgate was heavy and could lead to injury to a child or small person if failure occured while opening.once again manufacturer has added additional welds in replacement part. *ak