Problems with 2005 Nissan Pathfinder POWER TRAIN

Got recall in mail for radiator and transmission recall which we had to pay for?!?! over $2000. to replace the radiator and not even 3 months had gone by and have had the truck to the garage 3 times due to damage from transmission. got in truck to go to work today yup you guessed it transmission is now shot put in drive and doesn't go. totally unfair nissan should have replaced it when the recall came out. why should the consumer pay for there screw up? new transmission $5000. will never buy nissan again and will make sure i tell everyone. so far to date $5000. to try to fix up nissan's mess and then i'm to spend another $5000. on there mistake. ha total bull!!!!! they should have stood by there product and replaced everything at no cost to the owner!!! very unhappy!! *tr

Radiator failure allowing transmission fluid to mix with antifreeze causing transmission failure. radiator failure due to crack in transmission cooler. is manufacturing defect, should be nissan 's responsibility to fix not the consumer. *tr

Engine coolant leaked into transmission causing irreparable damage; requires both the radiator and transmission be replaced. this problem was noticed while driving. the car shudders and there is a heavy vibration while accelerating/shifting. this is a concern as the transmission failure may result in unsafe operation of this vehicle. *tr

All of my experience with my transmission failure took place on the road while in heavy traffic which was unsafe and scary july 2014 - present. first, the truck developed a "bucking" movement whenever it was driven. the bucking movement is similar to a car that is trying to shift gears like a manual car, but the transition between gears was not smooth. gradually and unexpectedly, while driving, the car started making revving noises like a race car, while the speed is only 20mph. the speed dropped and would not accelerate regardless of how hard you are pressing on the gas. to decrease the revving noise you cannot drive above 40mph. as always i rely on the dealership to service my car, and at first the diagnostic test did not show the coolant leaking into the transmission. with more and more test by the nissan mechanic, there was still no indication by the diagnostic test that shows the increase defect of the transmission. 3 weeks later, after handing over the car for a complete day, the dealership strip the car and ran further diagnostic test which indicated that the transmission failure due to leak from the engine coolant liquid mixing with the transmission fluid leading to an automatic transmission damage. the recommendation by the dealership is to replace the transmission, which would cost $5,000. remaining payment balance for the car is $1700. total mileage on the car is 100,200. *tr

When operating my 2005 nissan pathfinder le the transmission starts to slip at speeds of 40-50 mph in motion on street's and highways.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the transmission was slipping and that there was a transmission leak. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle was hesitating and stalled on numerous occasions. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v142000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

My 2005 pathfinder started to have this heavy vibration sound while accelerating and a shuddering sound so on june 30th i took it to the dealer who said they didn't hear the sound so he took is and run a check on it and told me that the coolant is leaking into the transmission he then gave me back the truck and said he was going to get in touch with the warranty and called me i as still waiting for that call until my husband research it on the internet and told me to stop driving the vehicle i then took it back to the dealer on july 8th and was told the cost will be $6000 but nissan was giving me a goodwill program of $3000 so i would have to come up with that other $3000 which i don't have right now so am out of a vehicle they know of the problem since 2012 and did not recall the vehicle , that is a rip off to consumers. *js

Vehicle began to shudder and shift hard. then it lost almost all power. limped home in the dark not knowing if i could get home. very scary situation. i was lucky that the weather was not severe (excessive heat or cold) as this could have been very dangerous. with children in the car, in a remote area and from what i now understand , the transmission could have actually caught fire, this has the potential to be a real disaster! please review this situation, nissan needs to be held accountable before someone gets killed! *tr

I was driving with my family on the highway when the a/t transmission began vibrating. then the a/t transmission began slipping out of gear. was able to coast to a gas station and inspect it. transmission fluid has been leaking in my coolant tank and reservoir. coolant has mixed with transmission fluid in the transmission and has caused catastrophic failure as a result. *js

I had the vehicle's tires replaced and within a few days there was a shudder like rumble strips. i took the pathfinder back to have the tires looked at. repair shop replaced the wheel bearings. the shudder still persisted. i talked to a friend who owns a transmission repair shop and he told me about the radiator leak/transmission problem. he said to check the engine coolant for milkiness and search online. the coolant is milky and after reading all the other complaints, my family is scared to use the pathfinder. i think a recall should be issued because the transmission is failing because of failure of the cooling system not wear and tear. a failing transmission is more likely to cause an accident than a failing cooling system. also, nissan's extended warranty seems to end to early to be effective. *tr

I was driving along a local road and all of a sudden, my engine starting revving and the car started slowing down. i stopped at a red light, but when it turned green, my car wouldn't move for about a second or two when i pressed the gas peddle. when it did move, it crawled along at 20 miles an hour. i managed to get it home and took it to the mechanic on monday. i was told that coolant from my radiator leaked into my transmission and destroyed it. on researching this, i discovered that this is a known issue in 2005 - 2010 nissan trucks but nissan will not cover the cost of repair even though they are aware of it and did not issue a recall. *tr

Vehicle stalled. check engine light displayed. took vehicle to security nissan in baltimore, md to get checked out. was informed by technician "radiator cooler is leaking coolant into automatic transmission". technician recommends transmission assembly, radiator with radiator cap, and flush cooler lines. extended warranty states repairs are not covered. total bull! cost of repairs $6000! contacted nissan to see how they would assist with this problem and was basically told they wouldn't. nissan corp was aware of this problem since 2010. this situation could have been resolved with a recall to repair "crack in the radiator assembly leading to internal leakage of engine coolant". what could have been a couple hundred dollars or repairs by nissan now is a few thousand dollars to consumers because of the neglect from nissan corp and many of it's certified dealers to make consumers aware of this problem. we purchased this vehicle in 2011 and not once did the dealer mention that this was a known problem nationwide. *tr

The torque converter in the transmission failed. i noticed the vehicle stuttering at different speeds during my time on the road. i had an independent mechanic check it and a nissan dealer confirm the diagnosis. i was told the radiator and the entire transmission had to be replaced. i found numerous complaints on-line similar to mine; the 2005 model showed the most problems with the transmission. i don't have the $5,000 to repair the vehicle. the company extended some warranties due to this problem, but all had expired or i had too many miles (131,000), and a copay of $3000 was required. not much of an offer from a large thriving company. *tr

My suv began stuttering when attempting to change gears. i looked on line and found the problem that so many have been having, coolant leaking into transmission contaminating it. nissan suggested an initial transmission flush, but recommends a $5,500 transmission replacement in addition to a $620 radiator. i cannot afford these repairs, and i am afraid to continue driving my car. *tr

Have problem with cooling system leaking into transmission. *tr

Heard a weird sound while driving down the road....then one day i drove my pathfinder then came home and parked my truck and 3 hour later went to go to store my truck would not go forward. by later that night when the truck cooled down the drove fine... i then took it to a transmission shop and was told coolant was leaking in my transmission...... i have spent 440 dollars so far to get the water out of it...... i pick the pathfinder up and drove 10 mile down the street and the truck did it again...... it is now back at the transmission shop and being looked at again. *tr

I got my oil changed at team nissan in lithia springs, and on the 2nd day of driving the vehicle my 2005 pathfinder overheated. i immediately called team nissan and told them of the problem, and they told me that they apologize and to bring it in. well the suv was too hot to put on the road at that point so i stopped by wal-mart to add coolant. i let the truck cool off and then added coolant. the levels then appeared normal and i made my way to team nissan. when i got there they told me that they could see me and to come back the next day. while i was talking with the rep. i noticed that there was a guy topping off my fluids under the hood. when i came back the next day, they check it and told me that i had no coolant and that my radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission and that the fluids were mixing. the repairs totaled up to $5028.43 including a radiator replacement, coolant flush, and a transmission replacement. i told him that i had heard of other recalls and complaints about this (i had just heard one of the reps call a customer and tell him that his recall on the same issues were complete and that he could pick up his vehicle), but he said that nothing was showing in the system. i then told him that i could not get that done at this time and i enquired that i have not had this issue at other places after an oil change. he gave me an excuse as the guy did the day before and shrugged me off. he suggested that i needed to check the coolant every other day and that the problem was likely to continue. so the waiting game begins. *tr

While driving away from a traffic light the suv hesitates out of first gear and a loud pop as it drags into second gear. after taking the vehicle to a local dc area dealer i was informed that the transmission coolant line had cracked and coolant had leaked into the transmission destroying it. i was then informed that repairs would be $7600 and that this was not a recall item. in researching this it appears that others in the country have had this issue and nissan hadn't issued a recall but settled a class action suit assisting others with the repair costs after an initial $2500 to $3000 cost to the customer. this appears to have been an issue with this vehicle for some time and i'd like to know why no recall was ever issued for those not having problems already??? *tr

Coolant mixed with the transmission fluid causing catastrophic failure.after researching the issue,there are thousands upon thousands of the same problem occurring which could possibly be life threatening in certain instances...the transmission failed while driving on the interstate the first time 3 years ago. and has now happened again this morning getting on the entrance ramp to the highway.

Had a problem with the radiator leaking a couple of years ago. my mechanic told me to put in some fluid that seals up the leak. worked well for a while. then this may the transmission started making noises and vibrations. took it to my mechanic and he tells me that the radiator has leaked into the transmission. about $1,000 to fix it. i say go ahead as what choice do i have. they replace the radiator and flush the transmission about 4 times. about a month later the transmission starts shifting into 4wd by itself and the car won't go anywhere while giving it gas. turn it off then on and that fixes it. i take it to nissan because my mechanic shop was closed. i explain my previous repairs and my problem. they tell me about the extended warranty. ask me if i have a factory or after market radiator installed. i don't know. so i wait until monday to talk to my original mechanic and they say it was an aftermarket. nissan says this is a problem and after talking to the dealership and nissan consumer affairs they tell me they can't honor the warranty. i ask them to maybe take a statement from my mechanic that he took out the original factory radiator and replaced it, but they say they need the original which was taken to the scrap yard. nissan had to replace the accelerator pedal and now i think i will have to replace the transmission. lesson learned that nissan does not make good cars. and won't back them up either. *tr

My wife and i were on a major interstate ? accelerating up hill in the middle lane? the power just shut down. when depressing pedal ? tachometer revved up but still no power. in the meantime ? a tractor trailer was barreling up behind us!! i was lucky enough to just get out of its way by coasting through two lanes and into the breakdown lane. the person that stopped to help us informed us that his brother had this same issue with his pathfinder and that there was a recall. well ? we never received a recall notice ? the truck now has 135k miles and is not covered under their class action settlement. called a local dealer and was told by the mechanic that our issue has nothing to do with the recall and they have no responsibility. my issue is ? if i had received the recall when it was issued in 2010 ? i would have had the repairs made while it was covered?. so how are they not responsible - we could have been killed??? they never sent us a recall notice and no mechanic had ever mentioned it??? *tr

While driving uphill on the freeway, the transmission in our nissan began to slip through gears. i had to get towed off the freeway. i took the vehicle to our mechanic and learned the radiator trans cooler was leaking radiator fluid into the automatic transmission system causing cross contamination and failure. our mechanic flushed the trans system and replaced the radiator. the vehicle transmission operated okay for approx. 3 weeks then began to slip again. now it will not shift out of first gear. i started checking into this an learned nissan was facing a class action law suit in 2012 for radiator/trans oil cross contamination issues. there was a deadline on nissan's settlement in early 2013 where they extended the warranty on the radiator to 100k and would cover subsequent repairs to the trans. my mileage exceeds 100k and i knew noting about the lawsuit back in 2012 and 2013 and did not have a trans problem then. nissan will do nothing to help. is there anything i can do besides fork out all this money to have the trans rebuilt. *tr

Driving on the highway and transmission starts having a bump feel to it then car goes into limp mode and almost gets hit by another car then coast to the side of the highway and stopped on side of highway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was applied. the vehicle was difficult to shift into gears and the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed due to water and anti-freeze entering the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 100,702.

2005 pathfinder transmission failure due to coolant leaking into transmission. i had to pay a deductible for something that nissan was aware of for years. i also did not receive a recall letter stating a deductible would be required. my letter stated extended warranty if the above happened 96 months or 80, 000 miles. i have 72,000 miles. nissan would not pay in full because of the 96 months had expired. problem is that the time starts from the date when the dealer first purchased for dealership. this was not stated in the letter. problem with letters received is that none of them are dated and i did not receive the extended warranty letter until 2012. by the time the problem was identified and customers notified, i had less than an additional 8 years. if the first notice went out in 2007, customers should have 8 years from the notification date or 80,000 miles. nissan put me and my family at risk with car stalling in heavy traffic. this really should have been a recall and not a warranty extension. also, i never received the notification letter for the deductible. my letter doesn't mention a deductible. *tr

Radiator failed and leaked antifreeze into the transmission causing it to fail. *tr

I am driving a group of co-workers out for lunch. i pull in the turning lane to wait for an opportunity to turn. when it was time to make the turn, i pressed the gas and the truck did not move. i pressed the brake again to check and make sure i had not accidentally hit the gear stick. everything looked right so i tried to give it gas again. the engine revved loudly but again there was hesitation in movement. finally, after what seemed like forever, the truck slowly turned. i tried to drive back to the office but had the same issue. i would stop and as soon as i pressed the gas, it would take forever before i would actually take off. the truck moved at a very slow speed as if i was pulling a large load. turns out it is my transmission. how upsetting when i had no previous warning. more upsetting when i begin to do my research and found out a co-worker with the same year pathfinder has the same problem and looking online it appears everyone with this model truck has had this issue or will eventually. why is nissan not doing something about this beyond continuously extending the warranty with huge co-pays that at the end of the day do not really help the consumer? nissan needs to do something about this. how long will it take for this complaint to be reviewed? *tr

Suddenly the car no longer accelerated. nothing was coming or showing me that something was wrong. stopped at a gas station and turned off the engine and on again then the "service engine soon" light came on. tried to accelerate but nothing, everything was running smoothly but the car was just not accelerating. suddenly it started going really slow but 500 feet on the road i had to pull over since the speed went no more than 20mph on a 40mph road. i tried pushing the gas pedal to the limit but nothing. the day before i went to nissan dealership for a diagnostics which i was charged $105 for. they tried to get me to trade in my car for a new one. they recommended i get the oil pressure switch repair as well as something with the coolant flush and transmission flush. i was going go take it tomorrow but this happened i don't know what to do. the reason i took it to nissan in the first place was because i was told my model and year were found to be erroneous with transmission. *tr

Was on interstate and transmission went out while i was driving with my twin nieces in the car.it was a terrible experience and scary.i don't understand if a company builds something that is faulty how do you not support fixing the problem.regardless of miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

Vehicle was stop at red light of very busy intersection. when light turned green the vehicle accelerated and then would only coast in neutral while transmission was not engaging. wife and 3 children were stuck in middle of intersection. had to turn the vehicle off and then on to get transmission to re-engage and drive. this issue happened a half dozen more times. this owner took vehicle to local nissan dealer and was charged for computer analysis. this owner was told there was a "known" issue with transmission of this particular vehicle being contaminated from inner cooler. this owner was told that it would cost over $5500 to fix. this owner did intense research on safety and mechanical problem and found thousands of nissan owners with same issue. this vehicle needs to be recalled for "known" issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the engine rpms increased as the transmission failed to respond without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, who stated that radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and caused internal damage. the mechanic also stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Problem with the radiator and transmission fluid mixing. told that this happens often with these trucks. recommended to either have the radiator replaced and double flush the transmission for 1200.00, or opt to replace both radiator and transmission by nissan and pay a co-pay of 3000.00, plus\tax. if this is a problem with these trucks then nissan should fix their products. *js

I had transmission failure while driving. i lost all but 1st gear with no warning. i had it towed to a transmission shop whom stated that there was coolant in the transmission fluid. they advised me that the cooler in the radiator had broken and allowed coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. i have not got a bill yet but it will be upwards of $3500. i had gotten two letters from nissan that extended the warranty but both times i was to high of a mileage. seems that if they extend a warranty for a problem twice than they know they have a problem and should do a complete recall. i also had the fuel sending unit go out and i repaired that due to nissan wanting a high dollar amount to fix it. i have had it with nissan and them not doing anything to help the customers when they know there is a major problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle would not accelerate past 35 mph and failed to move after being stopped. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 115,000.

I had the same issue as many others. coolant leaked into the transmission causing hard shifts, and shuttering while accelerating.

In short the transmission in my 2005 nissan pathfinder is and has failed. i was in a very dangerous situation on the hyway and jeopardized my family's and my life. the defective transmission/radiator breakdown is a serious situation and a known issue with these vehicles. my radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and failed. the amount to repair this vehicle and make this a safe vehicle is more than we can afford. i feel this faulty product should be recalled and necessary repairs made or a reimbursement made on behalf of nissan.

Radiator fluid has leaked into my transmission, due to a factory defective radiator. my transmission is damaged and will not shift into 5th gear. the transmission will have to be repaired or replaced along with the radiator. *tr

Vehicle was not wanting to accelerate immediately. took it in for an oil change and had air filter replaced, and check the check engine light. that gave a bunch of codes that all related to transmission. took it to transmission specialist who said that the radiator cracked and leaked into the transmission. work to be done is replace radiator, rebuild transmission, and install external coolers. shop said this is a known issue with the 2005 pathfinders. cost is about $5000. they said this also ruined the computer on the transmission. *tr

On 1/17/14,while driving my 2005 nissan pathfinder on a busy highway, the service engine light came on without warning and the vehicle immediately slowed to a crawl.i was able to pull off the road and avoid a serious accident. i live close by and was able to make it home. we took our vehicle to our dealer the next day. they told us they would look at our vehicle on monday. in four hrs., the svc.rep.called and said the radiator failed and damaged the transmission.they found a whining sound and said the timing chain needed to be replaced. the cost would be $3,200 for the transmission and $2,000 for the timing chain. why did they rush to inspect the suv? we wonder if they jumped on the opportunity to make a large repair. prior to this, we took our suv in for scheduled maint.in 8/13 at this dealer. we were told everything was fine and no repairs were needed. the mileage is now 82,300 miles, and we planned to keep it for many more years. we called the nissan hotline and spoke with the reg. cust.svc.rep. she said there was nothing nissan would do and offered no assistance. we discovered that nissan was involved in a class action suit that was recently settled regarding the transmission problem. the nissan radiator/transmission cooler litigation, case no. 10-cv-07493. why weren't we notified by nissan about this problem immediately? per the suit, the cost for repairs over 80,000 miles is $2,500. if this problem was identified during our scheduled maint. we would have avoided all these problems and expenses. this makes us wonder if nissan and the dealer conspired to keep this info. quiet until after the vehicle passed 80,000 miles. we also discovered a new class action suit filed on 6/26/13 involving the premature failing of the timing chain. we will pursue every opportunity to get reimbursed for these problems that nissan was aware of. *tr

Vehicle revved erratically, then jerked then cut off . took vehicle to dealer who diagnosed the problem as "radiator full of oil and transmission fluid and smells burnt-fluids mixing-need transmission. *tr

My transmission is going out took it to the dealership and they change the transmission oil and a month later is still doing the same. take it to another mechanic and he said the transmission oil was black and smelled old. the dealership ask when did i last change the oil and i had forgot the i had the quick lube place flush the transmission a couple of years ago. call them back and told them what the other mechanic said and i took it back to the dealership and he said that not to bad we can only get so much out. the other mechanic flesh it and change the oil. i'm still having trouble with my transmission it goes real slow when backing up. i have keep my car up real good because i don't have the money to keep buying a new car. *tr

Driving 35 mph, approaching stop sign. service engine light went on. stopped at stop sign. no apparent issues until i pulled out onto hwy and the car would barely move. it was as if it was taking off in second or third gear (it is an automatic transmission). since the car would not gain speed, i pulled over as i could not gain speed to avoid the oncoming traffic in the lane. could not drive vehicle over 20 mph and revving at almost 3000 rpm, just barely moving. this happened again after having transmission rebuilt on 1/28/14 at a stop and car would barely move, but rpms were near 3000. took back to repair shop. this happened a third time after it had appeared to be fixed on 3/14/14. luckily, all times i have not been in serious traffic and was able to pull off the road without injury. have been told that there is now evidence of radiator leaking into the transmission. the recall notice for this does not extend to the mileage i have on this vehicle since it is now at 164,000, and the recall only covers 100,000 miles or 10 years. i have only had this car since 2009, but it does not qualify for the recall. dangerous vehicle. it appears to be running just fine, and then it starts dragging and cannot gain speed. have had three close calls. *tr

I was driving the car and when on the onramp of the freeway, the car lost power and shut down. nissan dealership said the radiator leaked fluid onto the transmission causing it to loose power. they said i need a new transmission and radiator but will not cover the warranty which was settle in us district court of new york. they want to charge me $5300 for the repairs. this is clearly a faulty design of the nissan pathfinder series and website searches verify that the problem exits for thousands of nissan pathfinders for the years of 2005-2010 in relations to a radiator crack and fluid leaking onto the transmission. *tr

Purchased this suv from a private owner who replaced the radiator and transmission cooler years ago, had it confirmed from their mechanic and when i drove this pathfinder it has a bump in the trans. was told by nissan of paducah, autozone of paducah that it was the cat converter was plugged. replaced the cat converter, still has the bump/slip in the transmission. found out through several websites and forums that nissan needs to do a recall on this problem. i've been part of z clubs in the usa for over 25 years and a loyal nissan owner and can't believe nissan won't take care of this problem in their suv's and small trucks... *tr

While traveling down the highway at approximately 40 miles per hour i felt like i was riding over rumble strips in the road. the road was smooth, so that was not the problem. i later found out that i had a transmission problem. upon further investigation, i found that the radiator coolant fluid leaked into the transmission and destroyed both the transmission and radiator. upon further investigation i found that this is a problem experienced by many other nissan pathfinder owners (years 2005 - 2010). this is definitely a manufacturing defect not recognized by nissan. *tr

I noticed that the temperature gauge was reading a little high so i took it to a friend and he said there was oil in the radiator when the cap was removed. he recommended that i take the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer said i had to pay a co-pay of $2500.00 to replace the radiator and the transmission because the warranty had expired. *tr

Transmission went out in my vehicle. has been shaking and having trouble for a while, but finally "died" on december 20th. it is from the coolant leaking into the transmission (something nissan is aware of, but makes no amends to fix). this is a costly fix and not one i can pay anytime soon. if i am unable to get to work then i can't buy parts and labor. *tr

Lost all acceleration power; barely moved with full gas. diagnosed as radiator fluid leak into the transmission. *tr

Transmission just out of no where starts jerking and over heating took to the dealership and they told me that coolant/transmission fluid cross contamination due to internal radiator/transmission fluid cooler failure to fix the problem it will cost 4700.00 after doing some research have found that there is more nissan owners having this very issue please nissan you need to do a recall on these transmissions if not ill never buy a nissan ever again. i mean who has that kind of money to spend on a part that is internal and not able to be maintenanced how do we know its going bad? oh yea it just stops working i have a family of 5 and we travel the interstate alot im glad i wasn't on the interstate at this particular time. could have been very tragic if some one hit us because of a malfunction like this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that radiator coolant was leaking into the transmission. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the mechanic confirmed the failure. the transmission was replaced. the manufactured was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.