Problems with 2005 Nissan Pathfinder ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

While backing out of a parking space my check engine light came on and it felt like my transmission was slipping. i had the vehicle towed to the nissan dealer. they told me the radiator failed and the radiator fluid seeped into the transmission fluid causing everything to fail. 80, 000 miles is the warranty. i am just over that. they are offering me a $2500.00 co pay but i feel they should take care of this problem. there should be a recall on the radiator to prevent this problem. *tr

Failed transmission due to contamination from radiator fluid. *tr

It appears the radiator failed leaking coolant into the transmission. when i asked the mechanic about it he said that now your transmission will fail soon. i have been reading that this is very common and has happened alot with this year and model which i believe to be totally not acceptable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the transmission failed. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was determined that the coolant from the radiator leaked into the transmission and caused the transmission to fail. the transmission would need to be replaced. the failure and the current mileages were 90,000. *tr

My wife observed issue with gas or brakes for last couple months. i thought it was brakes and i had just bleed and replaced fluid which helped. on 6/20/13 i made left turn on my home street and transmission did not respond. i was stuck in middle of road and luckily no cars were approaching. at first i thought car stalled and tried to restart but realized the engine was still running. at that moment i knew what it was (failed transmission from cross contamination). i drove directly to reliable nissan in albuquerque where they verified the bad news. this really proves this is a manufacturing defect. my car has all proper maintenance and only has 54600 miles. i am the original owner. the vehicle looks brand new. i had just talked to both service managers from both the local dealers about my fears about this possibly happening. even had them check and they said the radiator was ok. i am only 50 days past my 8 years and with only 54600 miles nissan refuses to provide any good will. i am still stuck paying 2500 dollars. nissan keeps insisting this is not a safety issue. loosing propulsion is a safety issue. even in driving school i was trained that power, can avoid a possible disaster just as well as brakes. this is fact. too many close calls reported on this issue and its sad that our government only acts when cars explode and people die. i have noticed that this issue is increasing exponentially putting the risk of death and injury a more probable outcome. from last february almost 29 percent more cases reported in just 4 months. i worked with my dealers trying to avoid this. did all the trans oil changes, radiator flushes and asked if i could do anything to avoid this disaster and also had them inspect my radiator just a few months back. and yet, my brand new looking, meticulously maintained pathfinder needs a new transmission and radiator. *tr

I brought our pathfinder in to our mechanic for an oil change and inspection. he said that the radiator is going bad. specifically the coolant that is attached to the transmission. he said that we should not drive the vehicle, as it could blow the transmission. we are lucky that he did such a thorough inspection, as we had no warning signs. i googled the problem and found your website, and that this has been an ongoing problem with nissan. our mechanic said he recently had to replace two radiators, one on a 2009 nissan pathfinder and another on a nissan (truck)...i can't remember the model and year. *tr

I was driving on a highway back from getting groceries in a town 45 miles from me. all of a sudden the car started revving. i took it off of cruise control and tried pressing on the gas. nothing happened. i pulled off to the side of the road and called a tow truck. after several hours sitting on the side of the road in the dark and by myself, i got it towed back to my town, 35 miles away. i found out that the transmission had gone out. i took it to a transmission shop and they told me that it was the cooling system had leaked into my transmission and fired the tcm. it will cost me $4600.00 to fix it. i found out that there is a recall on this problem after the fact of it happening and now they refuse to fix their mistake. they will cover up to 80000 miles for the recall and up to 100000 miles with a deductible of $2500.00. and nothing after 100000. why did they not inform us of this problem? does anyone have a law suit going on this? *tr

I just bought this car, and had a problem with transmission to begin with, following with the fuel level sensor (just started), i had to replace the transmission, radiator, now i have to replace the fuel sensor, and 2 days ago the plastic heater receiver that is located in firewall of car had melted, and all anti-freeze had gone and the motor got overheated (why plastic made?, instead of brass???), so the dealer said that i had to replace the whole piece ($250.00) plus labor, it is incredible how this car company called nissan is loosing their prestige since started to assembly in us, it is just making more money out of the people with all these crappy parts they are using. we need the federal government to be involved and give us back the money spent on these manufacturing defects as soon as possible. *tr

The check engine light came on in the vehicle the night before. vehicle was taken to the nissan service dealership the next day-june 5, 2013-for a diagnosis. was told the coolant had leaked into the transmission and ruined it. both the radiator and the transmission will need to be replaced. was told by the mechanic that nissan will not pay for any part of the repairs due to being over 100,000 miles. the odometer has 103,000 miles, only 3,000 miles over the limit. this is manufacturer's defect and should be repaired by nissan, free of charge. after further investigation, discovered that thousands of owners 2005-2010 pathfinders, x-terras, frontiers and armadas have experienced the same exact issue. the cost for my repair is $6300! nissan needs to be investigated and the total repair costs refunded to the owners! this is an enormous hardship for this family and all who have experienced this fiasco! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel continuously. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that there was a combination of both the transmission fluid and coolant leaking together, which could cause damage to the transmission. the manufacturer offered an extended warranty associated with a manufacturer's voluntary recall related to the transmission. the vehicle was ineligible due to the excessive mileage. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 119,072. ...updated 07-10-13 *bf

I was driving .it did a click sound when changing shifts from 1 to second. i took the mechanic and i was told the transmission had leak some fluid damage because the radiator had a leakage. i changed the radiator and heater assembly hose that it was damage, too. to replace a re-build trans. i was told that i need 5k that i don't have it right now. but, sooner of later i have to replace it. i called my dealer and i was told that i'm in my own.because my car has 137k miles. i found out that there are more than a few owners with the same problem.

Failed transmission fluid cooler located in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged internal transmission components and a damaged internal transmission computer. *tr

I took my truck to the nissan dealership for them to tell me that my transmission fluid and radiator fluids have mixed and that i need to replace both of them. after doing some research i found out that this has been a problem with this truck since around 2007. i called nissan and asked them what do they plan to do to help me get my truck fixed and they told due to the miles that they couldn't help me. i *tr

Car would just die while driving. the gauge would read empty even with a half tank or more of gas, i also called nissan dealership to check on recall of the fuel sending unit, the dealership told me there was no recall. so i started doing the work myself, got halfway done and asked a buddy for help and he informed me that there was in fact a recall on that part. so i went to the dealership and then they all of a sudden had a recall and did the work for free. since then (before) 100,000 miles, my radiator fluid filled my transmission and ruined it, and my transmission fluid filled my radiator and ruined it too. so out of pocket for transmission rebuild and rerouting of the coolant line ($3000). now i just drive because i have too, anytime i stop i have to kill it to keep it from overheating. but i have no other vehicle so nothing i can do. nissan continues to just not care at all. i will never have another nissan. you could give me a nissan for free and i wouldn't touch it. straight garbage company. *tr

I purchased the vehicle from carmax in 2012 w/ 76k miles on it. no warning about possible radiator issue. in may of 2013, radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission and resulted in transmission failure at 96k miles.(thankfully, i was not merging onto a highway). paid $3k co-pay to have transmission and radiator replaced. february 4, 2014, transmission hose blew while driving on the highway. was assured that it was not related to the previous repairs. paid $262 to have it fixed. march 9, 2014, was driving on highway, rpms spiked, acceleration was sluggish, made it to nissan dealership - transmission failure (less than 1 year later) - 105k miles. i was very fortunate that these transmission failures did not occur while attempting to merge onto a busy highway. *tr

I have only had this vehicle for a year. i noticed the transmission started sputtering when i got to about 40 or 50 mph. i had it taken in to see what the problem was and they told me the radiator failed and leaked into the transmission and both had to be replaced. luckily i was not on the road with my children in the car when this thing decided to fail. *tr

The 2005 nissan pathfinder's transmission started to slip and engine speed would dip and vehicle would feel as though it was attempting to shift into a non existent gear at speed. several weeks after this started to happen a notification was received in the mail pertaining to the coolant leaking into the transmission oil. after having replacing the radiator and flushing the transmission and replacing transmission oil, the transmission is continuing to slip. awaiting word from nissan north america to replace or fix this known issue. *tr

I felt a grinding nose while shifted and i stop and took the car to a dealer nissan and the find out a problem from transmission/ radiator. there was a recall for a faulty radiator who leaks into the transmission that cause the problem and i should pay for the repair on my own. i find out that nissan knows that problem never sent me a recall for that and i bought the car new i serviced it and all the maintenance at a dealership no word i should change the radiator . the same thing happens to me with my 2002 altima. *tr

I have been notified by my mechanic, that there is transmission fluid in both my radiator and coolant system. thought i'm thankful that no incident has happened yet, in doing research i have heard of many nissan pathfinder 2005-2010 owners having the same issues with their vehicles. some have even reported repair costs in excess of $3000 for transmission failure repairs. i am getting mixed information as to what my options are in regard to a class action suite against nissan. i need some clarity in this issue before i find myself in an unfavorable situation. *tr

The transmission cooler of the radiator is leaking into the transmission. *tr

Car would not start, got it towed to my mechanic, radiator allowed coolant to mix with transmission fluid. containment the transmission. radiator and transmission has to be replaced. job will cost $5346.74. *tr

Driving down interstate and vehicle started slipping wouldn't take gear had to coast off to the side of the road had to have vehicle towed into station serviceman said that radiator leaked into transmission and damaged the transmission had to have both transmission and radiator replaced the man at the station said that was the sixth vehicle that he had to do the same repairs too same make and model said that nissan had a recall on this make and model for a defect. *tr

Radiator cracked allowing coolant to contaminate transmission fluid. transmission suddenly failed on highway. no warning signs. vehicle was revving but not moving. dealer says internal transmission problem and not eligible for repair under extended warranty. specialty shop says radiator is cracked. photos and parts available. *tr

While driving at approx 40 mph, the transmission suddenly disengaged; rpms went up to 5000; was like being in neutral. at the time, i was traveling up a slight incline without a shoulder or safe area to stop. stopped in the roadway. had it towed to nissan dealership. they advised that they were aware of the known issue'for a long time and that the radiator part that cools the transmission fluid failed and radiator fluid had entered the transmission causing the transmission to fail. this known issue, was never a recall and nissan had no intentions on a recall due to a class action lawsuit. unfortunately, my vehicle mileage is over the class action lawsuit settlement mileage and therefore nissan will not take any responsibility; leaving strict instructions' to nissan customer affairs to specifically not offer any assistance to persons affected by this known issue. nissan dealership service dept advised that nissan had fixed' the known issue on a newer model of radiator. nissan should have recalled the product for a safety inspection and replaced all parts known to fail. total estimated cost to repair at nissan dealership started around $8000 and negotiated to $5000. several private transmission repair shop estimates are approx. $4000. most private auto shops will not touch this repair due to the known issue' and no confidence that nissan fixed the known issue'. request an investigation with an eye towards safety recall & reimbursement for those who already had to pay out of pocket. *tr

I was driving and stopped at a traffic signal. when the light turned green and i pressed the gas pedal the vehicle moved less than 5 m.p.h. this continued all the way to church on march 10th, 2013. i drove to the vehicle to the dealer and 2 days later they diagnosed the issue. the radiator was leaking coolant into the transmission, cross contaminating the transmission fluid. this caused the valve body in the transmission to fail. the nissan dealer informed me that the radiator and valve body in the transmission had to be replaced. they also informed me that my power train warranty was expired because i was over 100,000 miles and my vehicle is at 104,000. i was told that nissan wouldn't cover the repair even though the radiator is defective but since i caught it early the transmission wasn't totally damaged just partially damaged saving me more money. however, my repair bill was $2,999.94!! even the mechanics at nissan told me that this is an known issue (off the record) and nissan should cover the repair!! this is due to a defective radiator and nissan should issue a recall. consumers shouldn't have to foot the bill for a manufacturing defect that nissan is aware of! it effects 2005 thru 2010 pathfinder, xterra and frontier vehicles. nissan is voluntarily offering to co-pay for repairs if your vehicle has less than 100,000 miles because of a class action lawsuit that is still pending in court. the issue only occurs after 100,000 miles leaving millions of consumers on the hook for an obvious manufacturing defect!! please help us recover the cost of this expensive repair?? please!!!! *tr

I was leaving an appointment at the hospital and as i approached a speed bump i heard a loud drop noise and the vehicle would no longer move upon pressing the gas. there was a complete loss of motive power. i put the vehicle in park and turned it off and then on again and it went into gear however i was unable to accellerate over 40mph and headed straight to a dealership. i received a call on from the dealer diagnosing the problem as a failed transmission fluid cooler located in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged internal transmission components and a damaged internal transmission computer. *tr

Transmission cooler leaks, allowing transmission fluid and engine coolant to mix, leading to automatic transmission damage. nissan dealer is aware of the incident and offer a $2500 deductible, this is not a fair deductible and nissan is not playing a fair game. *tr

While driving in middle of the street, suddenly car stopped driving. had the car towed to repair shop. it seems there is a coolant leak into transmission that caused the issue. however nissan's extended warranty only allows up to 100000 miles or 10 years whichever comes first. since my mileage is over that, nissan will not cover any repairs. *tr

Noticed my truck hesitating at about 40mph took in to have checked and was told the transmission and radiator were both failing due to a broken line between the two which caused the fluids from the two parts to mix and cause the failure. then the good news haha the cost would be $6,000.00. i then came to read that this is a problem for many and it should have been a recall by the nissan corp.

Transmission started chugging took it to the repair shop the next day and they showed me i have engine coolant in the transmission and that it would be 5000 to repair. told me i was the 6th nissan that has been in his shop in the last month with the same problem!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the vehicle seemed to shift incorrectly. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that there was a crack in the radiator that was allowing coolant to enter the transmission. there were also cracks in the hoses that contributed to the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 127,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and failed to engage in gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that radiator fluid was leaking into to the transmission and as a result, the transmission solenoid needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 116,000. *tr

I was at a stop light in washington d.c, when the light turned green the vehicle refused to move. some kind people helped to push the vehicle and it was later towed to my home. i later serviced the transmission fluid and discovered that the radiator had failed and leaked into transmission. after changing the radiator the transmission remained inoperable. i have not been able to drive the car since. i am still making payment on the car even though i cannot drive it. *tr

while driving the pathfinder at 45mhp it started to shake and slowed down even while pressing gas pedal down... felt like the brakes were on.. after getting the vehicle home i discovered the problem with the transmission and radiator. it seems to be a common problem that nissan is aware of... if we were on the interstate at high speeds it could of been a serious accident. *tr

2005 nissan pathfinder. consumer writes in regards to defective radiator in vehicle. *smd the consumer stated he sent nissan a letter regarding his concerns about radiator coolant leaking into the transmission. nissan responded by saying they would not cover any repairs until the leaked developed. *jb

Radiator coolant getting into transmission causing the short circuit, transmission computer is inside the transmission which destroys the transmission causing replacement, radiator replacement, thermostat and computer sensors replacement. cost for replacement in this pathfinder approx. $5,500 - $6,000 and the remaining loan on the pathfinder is almost the same amount! according to the local dealership this is a major default of nissan and a major problem with more complaints than they themselves can count. this pathfinder belongs to an 83 year old man who uses this transportation to travel with his 80 year old wife to and from 90% medical use, now he can not afford to have the repairs and to no fault of his and due to nissan's default and will not agree to fix the problem, the pathfinder can no longer be used and the loan payments are still coming in. *tr

I was going to work a usual so i have to take the highway. everything was pretty normal then as i was driving for about 10 minutes i felt like hesitation from the suv. i was in first lame so as i pressed the gas pedal a little further in i noticed that the car was decelerating. it was like it was losing power. it returned to normal then 5 minutes later the same thing happened only the car started jerking as well. i turned to the emergency lane to see what was wrong. i turned the engine off and popped the hood it smelled like coolant leaking and the suv didn't say that it was overheated.i tried to turn it on it didn't let me and the dashboard wasn't displaying the n,d,r...etc. took it to the mechanic and said the suv had internal leakage of the radiator and it messed with the transmission. he told me that this type and year of suv had faulty radiator that came like that. the only problem is that i had bought the car 8 months ago and that it came with a warranty for these type of car for less than 80,000 miles. well i bought the car from the dealer with more than 100,000 miles .now at this point to fix the car ranges from 3,000-6,000 dollars. shame on nissan dealers for selling these type of cars that are potentially dangerous on the road. *tr

This complaint is regarding a 2005 nissan pathfinder. it is common to this model and involves the intermingling of coolant and transmission fluid due to the faulty design involving these systems. the result is ruination of both the automatic transmission and the radiator, in addition to various associated components. please, compel nissan to issue a fully-covered recall on this defect. it is an obvious design flaw and the fact that the consumer is currently forced to bear the significant burden of the substantial related repairs is absolutely ridiculous. *tr

My vehicle quit driving in the middle of traffic. it would only idle when i pressed the accelerator. i was notified that my radiator had an internal leak and the coolant was mixing with my transmission fluid which caused my transmission to shut down. i was notified when searching for a radiator, that this has been a common problem with the vehicles and is documented with complaints all over the internet. i am currently a nursing student, and i do not think it is fair that i must pay for repairs that are not my fault when i am not able to afford them. this has been an extremely costly repair and i have been forced to take out a loan to get my vehicle repaired so i will have transportation to school. *tr

Radiator leaked into the transmission case completely destroying the entire transmission. per nissan, the cost to fix is $5900 and requires a new radiator and transmission. first symptom was lack of acceleration. *tr

Driving vehicle and suddenly lurched forward and wouldn't drive. taken to shop and said defect in radiator allowed coolant into transmission ruining both components. this is a known complaint which nissan fails to address. they uped their warranty when problem was seen but mostly happens outside of the warranty. i spoke with a customer service rep and she said there was nothing they could do even though they are aware of the problem. *tr

On two separate occasions, i cannot remember the date of the first incident. my 2005 nissan pathfinder stalled and would not accelerate. my family was in the vehicle and we were leaving a place of business, which was kind of on a hill and when i tried to accelerate the vehicle would not move, but started to go backward. i cut the vehicle off and tried again and we were off and going, until we were on the road and in traffic going about 45mph the vehicle started to stall, and we had to get ourselves out of traffic. i gt the vehicle going again and everything seemed to go fine for about 2 weeks, then on sept 15 i woke early to take a family member to a weekend class, as i was driving down my street i heard a noise coming from the 2005 pathfinder i rolled my window down to hear the sound as i was listening the sound went away and all of a sudden i was approaching the traffic light the vehicle began to stall, i was pushing on the gas and it would not go, the light was green and i had cars behind me. i had to turn my hazard lights on and try to get myself out of the middle of the road to safety, once i did i had to park my vehicle in a business parking lot at a shopping center that is close to my home. at this point my vehicle is parked due to the fact that it will not accelerate when put in drive. i have talked to nissan dealership and they have advised that they have heard of the radiator/transmission fluid mix and this seems to be the case with my 2005 nissan pathfinder, and that it is costly to get it repaired. the cost is ultimately left up to me, and i feel as if this is a nissan issue that has been an ongoing issue for quite some time for some other nissan customers that needs to be considered a recall and nissan should be fixing this manufacturing problem. *tr

Radiator and transmission fluid mixed. internal radiator failure caused damage to transmission. causing loss of power when driving. nissan is aware of this problem and refuses to step up to the plate. it is a defective radiator and it can become very dangerous if it happens on a very busy interstate. i have chosen to let my vehicle set. i don't want to cause a fatality to myself or my family. please help not to let nissan get by with this. *tr updated ivoq 01/02/13

i was leaving a restaurant parking lot with my wife and kids. i pulled to the parking lot exit and turned right onto the 4-lane boulevard. i tried to accelerate to traffic speed in the near lane but the motor simply raced and would not propel the vehicle. as traffic caught me i heard tires squealing and horns blowing from the vehicles behind me. the traffic worked around me while i shifted the transmission into park and then back into drive and began to move at idle speed. as traffic allowed i worked over into the left lane and then the turning lane while gradually accelerating to driving speed, merged back into traffic and proceeded home, careful to avoid any stop lights in busy traffic. we are fortunate that we were not involved in an accident. i'm no expert, but i do know that a vehicle that suddenly won't propel itself in traffic is as dangerous as one with no brakes. this was the one and only time that we experienced this problem. there was no previous indication that anything was wrong. i took the car to the nissan dealer and they diagnosed the problem as a transmission coolant line failure which allowed transmission fluid and engine coolant to intermix in the radiator, engine block and transmission, which in turn caused the transmission to slip. i'm sure nhtsa has received many complaints about this problem. i'm hearing many of the same complaints just in my area and likely there are others that have not yet been reported. hopefully no one will have to die or suffer serious injury because of this unsafe condition before a recall will be issued. *tr

While driving up to speed at 55 mph the transmission started making a rumbling noise like if driving over rough pavement. when the transmission shifts to it over drive gear it starts rumbling. radiator fluid is contaminating the automatic transmission. *tr

Radiator cracked causing coolant fluids to leak into transmission and transmission to slip and not drive. *tr

Water in transmission. transmission/ radiator issues now. $2500 co-pay to have repaired. *tr

Radiator failed and coolant leaked into transmission. *tr

Coolant leaking into transmission. well-known nissan issue. vehicle started rumbling intermittently going between 4th and 5th gear around 40 and 60 mph. the rumbling will last between 2 and 5 seconds until the accelerator is depressed hard enough to force the vehicle to downshift which results in a loud banging noise and a jerk. also noticed what looks like curdled milk all around the radiator cap. i have an appointment with the dealership, nissan of saco, on 08/28/2012 and am almost certain they will try and get out of covering this under the "lifetime powertrain warranty". *tr

2005 nissan pathfinder. consumer states problem with vehicle transmission *tgw the consumer stated while driving, the check engine light illuminated, as well as the 4-wheel drive light. the vehicle started hesitating. when the consumer called the dealer, they advised her to open the gas tank, to see if a puff of air came out. once she told them no, she put the vehicle in drive and it would not move, she then put it in reverse, and it still did not move,. the dealer then advised her to disconnect the battery for a half hour. she reconnected the battery and drove around the block and it stalled. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. an inspection revealed a problem with the transmission. the dealer stated a gasket between the radiator broke and anti-freeze leaked into the transmission. the dealer informed the consumer, it would cost $6,000 for the repairs. *jb