Problems with 2005 Nissan Pathfinder POWER TRAIN

Well my pathfinder was working great and i never had any problem with it then one day i'm driving it to work and it just stop i kept accelerating and it wouldn't move. a friend of mine came and looked at it and told me on the spot you radiator busted and filled your transmission with coolant and that destroyed your transmission and destroy it did. my friend to told me funny thing is that could have been prevented by installing an external cooling which he would have done for 100 bucks if only had nissan let me know that the 2005 pathfinders had this issue. oh well i feel cheated and i swore in my life i will have a nissan car again or acura for that matter nor anyone in my family. this one i'm stuck with but once guaranteed that the mechanic gave it's about to expire i'm selling it and i'm definitely not buying nissan again! ever! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that when driving 40 mph or above, the engine would flood, causing the vehicle to hesitate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was advised to the contact that radiator fluid was leaking into the transmission and causing the transmission to fail. the dealer stated this is a known problem, but the manufacturer was not going to cover the cost of the repair unless the vehicle had been serviced by a dealer for all maintenance issues in the past. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would jerk and the transmission would slip. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the transmission was contaminated with engine coolant and as a result, the radiator and the thermostat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 108,000.

My wife noticed acceleration decreasing and then when she change the gear to drive the car didn't move. then, it finally went into drive. we took it to dealership and they stated the radiator and transmission will have to be replaced due to radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. we heard about this issue happening frequently with other nissan pathfinders. therefore, we contacted 1-800-nissan1 to see if we could get some kind of help. i talked to a representative named [xxx] from a company that creates a case with the hope that nissan will cover the costs. after two and half weeks a decision was made not to cover the cost of repair due to the car was bought used and it is over the 80,000 mile extended warranty. if it is a defect, isn't the manufacturer responsible. this is not caused by the consumer and is not wear and tear. i have a nissan altima with over 230,000 miles and the transmission is still producing. i loved nissan cars up until this very moment. i have been researching to purchase another nissan, but after this my mind has changed. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).*tr

The transmission felt kind of jerky one day, and then the very next day it felt like it was slipping or not wanting to shift before it would slam into gear. it was at this point that the transmission finally let go. *tr

our transmission started shuttering, pulling, and lagging while driving at speeds of 40 mph or more and eventually failed. as a known factory defect and design flaw, nissan failed to notify current owners about transmission failures due to radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. instead of sending a letter out to all nissan owners about this issue, they decided to offer an extended warranty up to 2013 or 80,000 miles. since most of the cars will have problems well after 80,000 miles and no owners were notified of this extended warranty, consumers were left unaware as nissan evaded the problem. as our only family car, this issue could have caused a major injury or death if the car's transmission failed while driving on the highway. i have tried to get answers from nissan north america, but they said they are not willing to help me because i am past the 80,000 mile mark and that i am not a loyal enough customer. i have owned three nissans and i don't know how i could possibly be more loyal, especially since i had major issues with my nissan titan a couple of years ago which nissan denied to fix even while it was still under the factory warranty. this should have been resolved with a factory recall long before i had this issue. now i am facing a repair bill from nissan for $5,380.00. leaving consumers with this kind of burden and hazard makes me wonder if nissan is waiting for someone to be seriously injured or die from this very common and inevitable outcome for most nissan suvs and their owners. this problem still exists, it will not go away on its own, and there are hundreds of people like me with the exact same complaint. something needs to be done to hold nissan accountable regarding this matter. *tr

Transmission is leaking in to radiator. *js

My pathfinder started having a vibration every time i drove it and after some research i found out about the problem they were having with their transmissions and that it was a well known issue. i have also had a pop and it lurches forward. *tr

While driving the "service engine soon" light came on the car stopped shifting up or down. the nearest diagnostic center obviously pointed to the transmission and they said to take the car back to the dealer. i did this on 29 february 2012. their analysis was that the transmission fluid and coolant had intermixed due to a leak in the system and the transmission and radiator system had to be replaced, their estimate is $5000. they are awaiting delivery of a rebuilt transmission. i have contacted nissan and been given a file number, 7392063, with no further follow up as of today, 4 march 2012. approximately 1.5 years ago, my son had the same issue with an identical pathfinder. he drives more than i do and reached the 90000 mileage sooner. he replaced his transmission for a similar cost. based on similar complaints i have been researching, nissan is aware of this design flaw but has not satisfactorily addressed it. in virtually every complaint i have examined, the transmission failure due to this leakage occurs after 90000 miles. *tr

Internal components of the radiator fail allowing coolant to leak into the transmission via the tranny cooler. this ruins the internals of the transmission and cause irreparable damage. *tr

Within a week had check engine light for catalytic converter failure and transmission starting skipping. found fluid to be strawberry colored in transmission. stopped at a transmission shop and they advised that the radiator had failed and leaked coolant into the transmission. this has caused permanent damage to the transmission. basically having to buy the car all over again or cut my losses and send it to the scrap yard. i will never buy another nissan product. they know of this problem and refuse to correct their mistakes. *tr

There is a nissan manufacturer defect of faulty radiators that are causing radiator coolant to leak into and destroy the transmission of the vehicles and ends up killing valves, seals and the torque converter on 2005-2010 nissan pathfinders, nissan xterras, and nissan frontiers. this defect can cause an owners transmission to fail and lose forward propulsion on a highway and can cause catastrophic loss(es). *tr

Automatic transmission started to slip and would not go into gears. after parking the car, found that the car would not go into reverse either and all it would do is rev. car has been on regular maintenance schedule. very disappointed to see that this problem occurred with under 100k miles. *tr

2005 nissan pathfinder transmission problems took my 2005 nissan pathfinder to the dealer for transmission repair. the nissan advisor and i noticed transmission fluid in multiple places. coolant container was muddy with transmission fluid. vehicle had just enough miles below the 80,000 miles. hopefully the nissan company will cover the repairs. technician said the 80,000 miles warranty will be good until sometime in the year 2013. i was in the freeway driving and the transmission started to slip. this is very dangerous because i could of been in an accident if i was making a left turn in the highway and the opposite driver could of hit the truck in the passenger side. the nissan advisor told me this problem is happening to many vehicles from the years of 2005 to 2007. just today he registered 5 vehicles for repairs. the majority had 83,000 to 91,000, so the warranty will not cover. be very careful with these type of vehicles. transmission repair for a 2005 nissan pathfinder runs from $4,000 to $6,000 plus other parts. nissan should extend the warranty to at least 100,000 miles and repair the radiator problem. the nissan advisor informed me that the radiator gets damaged and antifreeze mixes inside transmission,"this damages the transmission and many other parts due to the excessive leaking and splashing of the transmission fluid." *tr

The transmission is starting to slip. sometimes when i'm coming to a stop i'll jump forward. the dealer said the radiator and transmission needs to be replaced. why would do radiator affect a transmission. nissan know there is a problem with the transmission and a radiator leak inside transmission. they should recall and fix this problem. the estimate i got to repair is $5200 dollars. *tr

On 2/1/12, i had one incident when my car was stopped and when i accelerated and it gave me a push/pull slow to move. on 2/2/12 the same thing occurred multiple times. my check engine light eventually came on and then my car eventually would not accelerate after being stopped. i towed it to midas, who said they were unable to fix it. i brought it to lee miles transmission and they told me the radiator fluid mixed with antifreeze fluid causing corrosion and contamination within the transmission. i picked it up on 2/6/12 and it was fine driving home. while on my work on 2/7/12, the same problem occurred in which i was not able to accelerate. i had it towed back to lee miles and it's possibly the torque converter that was replaced with the transmission. *tr

I took in my pathfinder this week after weeks of hearing a deep noise coming from the engine when i tried to accelerate around 2000 rpm. turns out the radiator wall cracked and came apart allowing the coolant and transmission fluid to mix together. apparently this has been a problem in pathfinders, especially the 2005 model. i had the radiator replaced (total cost $1,671.61) but was told this is probably a band-aid fix because there's no way to tell how much damage has been done to the transmission. *tr

Radiator fluid leaked to the transmission which cause transmission failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the radiator failed and caused coolant to penetrate the transmission. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the manufacturer warranted radiator replacement performed; however, the repair did not correct the failure. the radiator coolant penetrated the transmission and caused the engine to overheat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

The radiator failed causing coolant to leak into the automatic transmission. bother were ruined and had to be replaced. the repairs cost $5000+ this issue is well documented on top shelf internet websites including edmuands.com and others. many folks are under power when the engine stalls, at any speed.. nissan is not offering recall. a class action lawsuit is underway. this is a dangerous design defect (cooling the transmission via the radiator) and people may be injured or worse. maybe it has already happened to some? *tr

A cracked radiator caused coolant to leak into the transmission and mix with the transmission fluid. once the coolant (antifreeze) entered the transmission it killed the valves, seals and torque converter and rendered the entire transmission useless. *tr

I own a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the engine coolant contaminated the transmission fluid because an internal piece broke. the only reason i noticed any issue is the reverse gear began to have trouble engaging. after visiting two mechanics, i had to replace the entire radiator/coolant system and put in a new transmission. although nissan has acknowledged this is a common issue, they refused to do anything to help with the situation. ultimately, this repair cost me upwards of $6000.00 to repair. *tr

Transmission failure, radiator failure. had it fixed months ago and my car continues to spew blueberry yogurt from cooling system. nissan did nothing, dealer did nothing and now mechanic is making me jump through hoops. this is a serious and dangerous issue, occurring countrywide in thousands of vehicles. nissan obviously does not want the bad publicity by owning up to the faulty parts...why do you think they changed the parts in 08' models and up? luckily my tranny blowing on the interstate did not cause injury, but it very well could have....is it going to take someone dying for someone to finally do something!!?? there is currently a class action lawsuit against nissan for this issue (since 2010!) do something!! innocent, hard working people are being put in danger by these vehicles. *tr

Radiator coolant leaking into transmission fluid, causing transmission to fail. safety issue is it causes delay in forward propulsion. this is a common problem and has been well noted on nissan pathfinders but nissan is not willing to accept responsibility for the problem. *tr

It started with the heat in my 2005 pathfinder not wanting to heat up unless going over 55 mph. then sudden jerking with the vehicle when going over speeds of 40. had transmission flushed and worked for about 6 months. then as my husband was driving on the road it began to lose acceleration and came to a stop. we had the car towed and it hasn't started since? the dealership told us the transmission was completely out. they said it was due to coolant leaking into the transmission. repairs are going to be $5100. the car has 92,000 miles! still waiting to hear if nissan manufacturers are going to fix the damage. this is a dangerous vehicle to drive because when it goes out it will completely go out and if you are on the highway this is very scary!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that radiator fluid leaked into the transmission, causing the transmission to fail. a local mechanic repaired the radiator but the transmission also needed to be repaired. the dealer flushed the radiator after it was replaced by the local mechanic. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the transmission was not repaired. the approximate failure and the current mileage was 96,000.

My coolant is leaking into my transmission and its on its last leg..oil pressure gauge is broken along with fuel indicator and many other problems. *tr

Lost power, transmission not engaging, was told that it was radiator coolant was leaking in the system. after transmission was replaced after at approximately 27,000 miles same incident happened again. *tr

Radiator core is cracked, which is causing the radiator to leak. it is undetermined at this time if any antifreeze has leaked into the transmission; however, over the past several months, i have on a few occasions experienced the automatic transmission operating erratically (e.g., down shifting or not shifting into passing gear when under full power). the vehicle is scheduled to have its radiator replaced on 11/30/2011, and at that time, i will have the transmission fluid analyzed to determine if any antifreeze has entered the transmission. i pray it has not! *tr

2005 pathfinder wouldn't go in gear intermittently and i had to maneuver out of traffic to the side road and then was unable to backup no reverse! i turned the car off and back on and i was then able to to drive home and park the vehicle. this happened again the next day when taking it to our mechanic to have the vehicle diagnosed. the mechanic had issue of this while test driving. received a call from the mechanic and was told to take it to a nissan dealer for repair. there have been numerous complaints to nissan about a defective radiator issue and over time leaks into the transmission. nissan has been aware of this issue and has refused to make this right for their consumers. we took the vehicle to the nissan dealer and was told they would contact nissan to see if they would help with repair. nissan refused to assist or repair the issue that started with a known defective part. i am assuming by the response received from nissan that they are ok with a consumer that can't afford to repair their vehicle with an issue that is from a known defective part have to take their chances in driving to and from work safely until they can make enough money to have the repair done. thank you nissan. *kb

Know issues by nissan not being addressed... radiator/oil leak - warranty extended but does not cover our vehicle. timing chain failure in nissan vehichles - no warrant extension covered. more info available upon request. letter sent to nissan on 1/15/2012 detailing all of the issues.

I took my vehicle into sierra nissan, birmingham alabama on 11-11-2011 for service due to experiencing problems. i was told that the cooler from the radiator had leaked into the transmission and the transmission fluid leaked into the radiator and both needed to be replaced. i was not told by anyone in the service dept of the radiator assembly issue with nissan 2005-2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra. i found this information by surfing nissan website. i did this because i was being told by every repair shop in the surrounding area of birmingham that nissan is well aware of this issue and should do a recall on it. i called nissan consumer affairs on 1-10-2011 about the information that i discovered. i was told that i needed to take my vehicle back to the nissan dealership to access the repairs a because it had been over 30 days since i took my vehicle into a nissan dealership for service. then, my request would be reviewed by consumer affairs to see if nissan would pay for the repairs. i explained to the representative that i did not have another $100 to have the service dept to tell me the same thing again. i got an email 2 weeks ago from nissan for a survey and never heard anything back. when i purchased this vehicle in 2008 i also purchased the extended warranty with nissan, which now is expired. i could not afford to pay $5,695 for repairs so i went out and found a license transmission shop that could do it at a lesser amount. the transmission shop told me that they are having a difficult time with nissan and ordering parts for the transmission because nissan can not produce the parts fast enough due to the high demand for repairs for this issue. even though, i have 114,700 miles on my vehicle i am asking nissan to do the honorable thing and stand behind their company vision "enriching people lives", by paying for the repairs of this vehicle. *tr

My 2005 nissan pathfinder shuttered excessively when decelerating from the interstate and from that point forward had difficulty shifting into higher gears. i immediately took it to a mechanic and was told the transmission had gone bad. in the process of replacing the transmission, they discovered the radiator leaking into the transmission and the computers in the transmission and the car were not communicating. *tr

My wife picked up our two young kids (4, 6 at the time) from school and while on the way back home our 2005 nissan pathfinder totally shutdown as she was passing through a busy intersection. thankfully, she made it through the intersection before being hit but was broken down in the street. unfortunately, i was out of town for work that week so she called our neighbor and he helped get the truck back to our house. after discussing the situation with me on the phone, she called several transmission specialists and had one of them (a+ transmission) pick up the suv the next day. after a running a diagnostic test and determining the severity of the transmission problem, they had to pull the transmission to do a complete inspection. they determined that the radiator had leaked into the transmission and transfer case and that the whole transmission including the radiator needed to be replaced. we opted for a rebuild since transmissions from nissan were on 6 month backorder due to other nissan's having the same issue. we spent almost $4,000 to fix this problem with no help from nissan. after some research online, we found many complaints regarding this issue and the lack of a recall by nissan. this is a significant safety issue that nissan has failed to adequately address. i hope that someone will make nissan do the right thing. *tr

On saturday, october 15, i was crossing a busy intersection between two major highways when my transmission failed. luckily, i was able to get it up on to the concrete median in the middle of the highway. i had 4 children in my vehicle when this occurred, and luckily a nice police officer witnessed what was happening and stopped to offer assistance. later that night, my car was impounded because i wasn't able to tow it that day. i had to pay $275 to get my vehicle out of the impound lot and to the transmission shop. the transmission shop calls and says my transmission is completely "shot" because the coolant mixed with the transmission fluid and i have to replace the transmission and the radiator. the expense alone is more than i can spare, not to mention the danger that my children were in when the truck decided to come to a dead stop at the busiest time of day on a weekend! *tr

Vehicle is slow to accelerate and runs very sluggish. mechanic confirmed coolant has leaked into transmission. *tr

I was having trouble with my 2005 nissan pathfinder transmission slipping during routine driving. i had the fluid level checked and there was no problem. on october 3,2011 while driving on to a highway ramp, i started to accelerate to merge into traffic and the transmission just made a high pitch sound and would not engage. several cars were behind me and i had to go off the road onto the embankment to avoid being hit. i had the vehicle towed to the shop, after several days told by a mechanic that there was a defect in the radiator of the nissan the interior components of the radiator allowed coolant to mix with the transmission fluid contaminating it. the transmission and other drive train components were damaged and needed to be replaced along with the radiator. when i contacted the nissan dealership here in north carolina i was told that there have been numerous complaints filed regarding the transmission problem but there was not a recall on record to date. the cost of my repairs was $2,500. *tr

I noticed a consistent vibration when the automatic transmission shifted around 40 mph. an initial flush of the fluid temporarily corrected the problem, but it reappeared several months later and progressively worsened. the transmission is now erratic at almost every shifting juncture and is pronounced at high speeds. an inspection at a nissan service center confirmed that the problem is due to radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. this is a well documented nissan design flaw that nissan will not take responsibility for. the vehicle is to the point where it is unsafe to drive, especially at highway speeds. *tr

2005 pathfinder transmission in overdrive gear the car felt like it was going over a grated road. took into nissan and after 2 days of tests determined that the radiator leaked into the transmission and now both the transmission and radiator have to be replaced for over $5,500. nissan did extend the warranty to 80,000 miles but since my car has 98,000 and was never routinely serviced by nissan they will not offer any monetary help. nissan knows there is a problem with the radiator/transmission. i called up an independent transmission repair franchise and as soon as i said 2005 pathfinder he knew radiator leak caused the problem. there should be a national recall issued. *tr

The transmission on my 2005 nissan pathfinder has failed due to an apparent leak in the cooling system that allows radiator fluid to leak into the transmission. we brought the vehicle to the dealership as it began to make loud noises while driving, apparently struggling to shift gears, and sounded as if it was about to fall out of the vehicle. the dealership pretended that they did not know what was wrong with the vehicle until i brought them the research i had found online (which there is plenty pertaining to this same exact problem with this same exact make, model, & year vehicle). then they finally admitted that they were aware of the this widespread problem but that unfortunately the vehicle was out of warranty and that i will now have to eat the $6,000 repair bill that they've given me. based on the research i've done, nissan corp. has known about this problem for some time and has failed to address it. *tr

I took my pathfinder to the dealer complaining of shifting problems to esserman nissan in miami florida. the service manager opened the hood and after waiting over 1/2 hour removed the radiator cap to find water in the form of a cream ( took pictures). he stated that the engine coolant most likely had gone inside the transmission and created damage, but because my car was 82k miles there was nothing the dealer could do i called nissan and filed a case, but it was useless. i took the car to a transmission shop where they charged me $700+tax to flush the transmission, change the torque converter and install an external oil radiator for the transmission. they stated that the damage was done and although the rough shifting will be a constant, that at least i will buy some time because a complete rebuilt was 3500usd. finally the transmission gave up on the highway when my wife entered the highway but the car did not move pass second gear. she found the next exit and called me. she made it home on second gear and high rpm. i called back nissan, they ask me to take the car to the dealer. the car was at home so before taking it i decided to pass by and talk to the manager. he stated that if nissan did not help me at 82k miles what made me believe that they were going to help me at 120k. i left the car at home until further notice. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. while driving, the contact stated that the vehicle would drag or hesitate while shifting into the next gear. the dealer diagnosed that the radiator fluid was leaking into the transmission, causing it to fail. the transmission and radiator were both replaced, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified and assisted with the initial repair. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.

My pathfinder has 150,000 miles on the transmission. the pathfinder is a 2005. the problem with the vehicle is that the transmission is malfunctioning. while driving on the freeway, i had trouble with the power in the vehicle. it was slipping and not going into gear all the time. the mechanic stated that it is an electrical problem with the transmission and that nissan already knew of the problem but did not do a recall on the transmission. also because the transmission slipped, it also lunged forward while driving it. this could cause a major accident. at this point, nissan is not acknowledging that it is a problem with their vehicles. they said they would not discuss the problem unless it was diagnosed by a nissan dealer at a cost of several hundred dollars. *tr

Car either stalls out, turns off, or rapidly decelerates at random times. transmission not shifting or staying in gear properly causing near collisions on several accounts, stalling in the middle of intersections, etc... mechanic said coolant in transmission and transmission fluid in coolant system. seems to be triggering multiple mechanical failures codes from transmission, to misfires, to o2 sensors. afraid to drive. it's been sitting parked for multiple months very dangerous! *tr

The vehicle had difficulty changing gears and the check engine light came on. on 8/22/11 i took the car into a nissan repair shop and it was confirmed that due to a faulty radiator, coolant leaked into the transmission causing corrosion. i was told that i would need a new radiator and transmission at a cost of approx. $6000. i called nissan consumer affairs and spoke to 2 representatives and a supervisor who stated that due to the milage on my car, they would offer no assistance with repairs. i pointed out that this is a result of well documented defects with the radiator however they stated that nissan has no obligation to assist me as the product has not been recalled. *tr

I was driving along at approximately 60 mph when the pathfinder seemed to be loosing power and it appeared the transmission was slipping. i pulled off the 4-lane; put the vehicle in park; turned the vehicle off; restarted the vehicle and continued on my trip. it initially seemed as though it was corrected; however, when i stopped for a traffic light the vehicle would rev but was slow to pull out. i was able to take the vehicle to a nissan dealership. later that evening i received a call that the transmission fluid appeared burnt and that the transmission would need to be replaced to the tune of approximately $6,900. the service rep told me that there was radiator fluid mixed in with the transmission fluid in the transmission. i also have reported this problem to nissan through its website. the vehicle has approximately 149,000 miles. this is a serious problem that cause serious injuries or death if one was pulling into or out of traffic when this problem is encountered. a recall must be made for the safety of nissan owners and the community at large who also may be impacted by this problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the vehicle overheated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. the dealer stated that the coolant was leaking into the transmission and the radiator. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

2005 nissan pathfinder radiator assembly & transmission defect my 2005 pathfinder was diagnosed with the nissan noted radiator assembly defect. radiator coolant and transmission fluid are mixing. *tr

While attempting to enter a freeway on ramp the transmission failed causing the vehicle to lose power and stop in traffic. after causing a major traffic jam at the intersection, traffic light, and on ramp we were able to get the vehicle off the road. i had just had out patient surgery and my wife was driving, it was a horrible experience. we find out later that this is a known defect from nissan and they won't do a recall. what would have happened if we had been a few hundred yards farther down the on ramp and trying to merge into freeway traffic when this failed? *tr

I am a car dealer in montana, purchased a 2005 nissan pathfinder at the auction with 85,000 miles for re-sale. showed it once to a customer, it ran fine, i drove it home 8-6-11. 78 mph on cruise control on the interstate. the transmission dis-engaged, i barely recovered from hitting the medium at that speed. turns out this is an issue that the transmission cooler leaks fluid into the trans on 90% of this model year. even though i am a dealer...this is not right. $4500.00 repair. thankfully it was not one of my customers. nissan should re-call every one of these and make it right. i cannot believe there has not been a death from this failure. i am sure there has been many stranded travelers that may have died as a result. *tr