Problems with 2005 Nissan Pathfinder ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

My nissan pathfinder (2005) stopped in the middle of the road. i had it towed to the repair shop and was told it was a computer sensor and they repaired it. my service engine light came on a week later- i took it to the shop again and they said it needed a catalytic converter and fixed it. now 3 weeks later the check engine light is on again! *tr

I don't understand that 3 nissan 2005 pathfinder recalls have recently been announced within the past 6 months but i don't qualify for 2 of them because of the year/mileage cap. so people who actually use their vehicles are at a disadvantage even though a design flaw has been acknowledged. my wife and i have owned 6 different nissans (pathfinder, sentra, ultima, murano) since 1998 and disappointed with the handling of the year/mileage cap on the pathfinder recalls. this makes us seriously think about looking elsewhere for our next vehicles. *ln

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. he stated that the vehicle was taken into the dealer for maintenance and they advised him that fluid was leaking from the radiator into the transmission. the vehicle was repaired at the owners expense. he also stated that the defective part should be recalled. the failure mileage was 39000. the current mileage was 40350. updated 03/26/10. *lj the consumer stated there was a problem with the transmission. updated 07/23/10*jb

In dec. '09, noticed rear end vibration and clinking sound. thought it might be transmission problem. pure coincidence-brought it to dealer for coolant flush was told that there was trans fluid in my radiator. called my trans repair people (not nissan). they were aware of problem. told me that radiators in pathfinder 2005's were defective. coolant leaked through one of radiator trans coolers, into trans. and trans fluid leaked back into radiator, rendering both irreparable. needed new trans and radiator. told dealer and nissan. through several phone calls/negotiations,, nissan agreed to do the $5,000-7000 repair for dealer labor charge of $450. told me i would get money back if there was a recall. dealer did repair. the problem is also a safety issue, because radiator and/or trans can fail while on the road. countless pathfinder owners have reported the problem to no avail. nissan getting away with a major defect that could prove dangerous. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that in february 2010 while driving approximately 40 mph, the rear passenger tire began to shake excessively. the faster the contact drove, the worse the shaking became. when the contact slowed the vehicle down, the shaking seemed to stop. there were no warning lights illuminated to indicate what the cause of the failure could be. the contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealer who stated that the radiator had been leaking fluid into the transmission and both would have to be replaced. the contact then took the vehicle to a local repair shop where the transmission was being rebuilt when the complaint was filed. the manufacturer stated that they could not offer any assistance regarding the repairs since the vehicle was taken to an outside repair shop instead of an authorized dealer. the current and failure mileages were approximately 83,000.

2005 nissan pathfinder 4wd suv suddenly down shifted out of 2wd driving mode with a sudden deceleration into 4wd mode. 4wd warning light and service engine lights came on. diagnostic test found transmission cooler in radiator failed and leaked fluid into transmission damaging transmission control module.. *tr

Several months ago, the pathfinder started to pulsate while gaining speed...dealer performed trans service, fixed problem for a few days. pathfinder started pulsating again, even worse. dealer advised torque converter was bad..second opinion mechanic advised radiator leaked into trans, and trans fluid leaked into coolant. coolant destroyed transmission. learned this has been a ongoing problem with pathfinders for years, there is a weld inside the radiator that fails and the two liquids transfers. why would the company design a radiator that has two liquids inside that can contaminate each other. *tr

First time- transmission failed- new one installed under extended warranty- has gone bad again last week- they tell me the coolant is leaking into the transmission and has ruined it, the gas tank needs replacing, new radiator, new catalytic converter, new u-joints for the second time. my extended warranty has expired- they are telling me that i need $8000.00 worth of repairs to fix the problems. that is more than the vehicle is worth with 155,000 miles on it!!! please help. *kb

Service engine lamp lit. transmission fluid's radiator cooler failed allowing coolant to enter into transmission ruining transmission. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact attempted to accelerate and noticed that the vehicle would not respond. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that radiator coolant had leaked into the transmission . there were no prior warnings of the failure. the failure mileage was 101,000. updated 07/30/10. *lj updated 08/24/10 updated 10/22/10 *bf updated 10/26/10

Fuel gauge not working,radiator fluid leaking into transmission damaging transmission,front passenger seatbelt getting stuck. *kb

I have a 2005 nissan pathfinder se. i have had an issue with it and it could of been a safety issue. in june '09 the radiator had a cooling line that broke which has become a transmission problem. and anytime that a drivetrain is in issue it could cause a safety issue. i replaced the radiator for $600 and the transmission went out with violent stuttering and engaging in and out while in heavy traffic which could of caused a major accident especially at highway speeds. i have replaced the transmission with no help from nissan. this is a major problem that has been documented by several hundred consumers all with the same problem. the total i spent was $3197.09 which should be reimbursed by nissan corp for this problem is well known by the yet no recall has been issued. *tr

This complaint relates to a widespread manufacturing defect in nissan pathfinder and frontier models in production and sale prior to 2008. the issue is the failure of timing chain mechanisms due to inferior quality plastic guides that have failed on a huge scale worldwide. nissan's recognition of this problem was reflected in tsb nos. ntb07-042 and ntb07-042a. recognizing the design flaw, nissan changed the parts in 2008 and forward. outside of warranty times, nissan refuses to repair or replace the relevant parts and, apparently, has not notified customers of the potential problem of catastrophic engine failure that could result in accidents involving serious injury or death as a result of sudden engine failure. as documented on the internet, many failures of these components are occurring post-warranty and most consumers have no knowledge of the impending dangers because nissan appears to have not publicly acknowledged the problem. for those customers who do become aware of the problem post-warranty, they are facing repair costs of approximately $2500.00 which is an economic burden placed upon them by nissan emanating from nissan's own internally-recognized design flaw. request is hereby made that this situation be investigated and that nissan be held responsible and accountable for the economic and safety dangers it has perpetrated by its admitted design flaws. our own 2005 nissan pathfinder is facing this problem at the present time. at a minimum, nissan should be required to advise all owners of the relevant vehicles about the need to avoid engine failure, especially for the large number of affected parties who are post-warranty and unaware of the problem. the nhtsa should also determine the number of parts failures pre- and post-warranty. *tr

I have a 2005 nissan pathfinder. in august of 2009, when the vehicle was 4 years old, it started stalling randomly every 15-30 miles. eventually, after several trips to the dealership, it was determined that the ipdm module was defective, and was replaced. this took care of the problem. i talked to the dealership and nissan, and was told this only affected my vehicle. however, a recall was just issued for this problem. this is an extremely dangerous problem. the first time it happened to us, i was driving back home with my family from a camping trip in big bear, california. our vehicle was fully loaded down with passengers and camping gear on a large downhill grade when it stalled. since the power brakes went out, it took a long time to get the vehicle to stop by holding the brakes and the emergency brake, and finally coming to a portion of the road that was no longer downhill. if this happens in the wrong place, this failure could cause a crash, serious injury, or death. also, when the problem occurs when you are driving, the vehicle cannot be restarted while rolling by placing the vehicle in neutral and turning the key for the starter. the key must be fully turned to the off position for a few seconds,and then back on. once the key is off, the steering wheel locks, so you probably won't be able to restart it when rolling. please make sure nissan corrects all of the vehicles that are affected!!!!!!! *tr

My wife and i were out shopping in our 2005 nissan pathfinder se. on the way home the suv just stopped running on a busy intersection. the fuel gauge read at half. after trying to turn over the engine it still wouldnt start. a fellow citizen helped push it to the side of the road. i went home to get the one gallon fuel tank and pured it in the suv. i hopped in and tried to start it. the suv started but the engine light came on. the fuel gauge was reading half still. after unloading the truck. i went to the gas station to fill up. i noticed after filling up, the gauge read empty. the engine light and the gauge light was still on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated the transmission fluid and coolant mixed together which cause the transmission to malfunction and jump gears while driving 25 mph. at times the vehicle would shut off without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer and noticed the transmission fluid and coolant mixing together. they stated the transmission and the engine needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 95,000. updated 11/15/10

I have a 2005 nissan pathfinder se-or and the radiator fluid into the transmission. i had to replace the radiator and have both systems flushed 2x each. the rpms were hestating when excelling over 45mph. the nissan dealer tried ripping me off saying i needed a new transmission-so i went to a reputable garage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. while driving at speeds of 55 mph, the contact noticed the fuel level indicator reading fuel levels at empty after she had filled the fuel tank moments prior to the failure. in addition, the check engine warning light remained illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 72,000.

Car make a noisy when speed and smell very bad ,after the noisy started increase more and more. i know other people they got the same an exactly problem. *tr

Noticed rough shifts in transmission, eventually failed to engage 5th gear. took to dealer, transmission lines inside radiator had ruptured. replaced transmission, radiator and lines at a cost of over $8000 and 4 weeks time. this occurred at 67k miles. at 87k miles, radiator fluid is milky and shows symptoms of another rupture of coolant lines inside transmission. dealer and nissan usa do not recognize this as a safety issue or inherent defect in engineering. however, a simple search will show an extremely large number of people with similar issues caused by faulty cooling lines in the radiator rupturing causing transmission abrupt behavior and the danger for loss of vehicle control due to the failure. *tr

Transmission gave out on me while traveling with family on highway. the problem was due to faulty parts nissan has placed on the pathfinder. my finding to the problems not only included transmissions problems not covered under warranty but also other defects in which they are unwilling to pay for. i hope it doesn't take for someone to die for them to get this is a serious problem. americans are in danger due to this company and it's cars! *tr

I have a 2005 nissan pathfinder that the oil cooler leaked radiator fluid into the transmission. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. while driving 20 mph, the contact noticed that the fuel gauge indicator illuminated, which meant that there was no gasoline in the tank. however, she had recently filled up the vehicle with fuel. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and it was determined that the fuel sensor failed. the fuel system sensor was reset. a couple of weeks later, while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle shut off. the contact was able to shift into park and restart the vehicle. when the vehicle was restarted, the contact noticed that the service engine indicator was illuminated. the vehicle has not been inspected by a technician to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer would not provide compensation because there were no recalls available. the failure and current mileages were 53,987. updated 4/23/09 *cn updated 04/28/09.*jb

Courtesy copy of a letter from consumers written to nissan north america re problems with their 2005 nissan pathfinder. *nj the consumer stated the vehicle was defective. there were numerous problems with the vehicle. the radiator was replaced, the transmission had a whistle up shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the tires were feathered and an alignment was needed, the door panels creaked, the brakes made a clicking noise, the drive belts were replaced twice because of a noise the consumer heard, the plastic finisher on the running boards kept popping off, the strut on the rear hatch leaked due to a poor seal, the transfer case leaked, there was hesitation when accelerating from a stop, the 4-wheel drive light illuminated on the dashboard, the dealer stated it failed due to internal failure. the rear shocks leaked, the front pinion seal and oil pinion seal were replaced and the rear hatch window leaked. *jb updated 04/06/10.*jb

2005 nissan pathfinder. fuel gauge reads zero, half tank or somewhere in-between when the tank is full. service engine light comes on and will not go out unless the fuel gauge starts reading correctly (which it sometimes does). this is a known problem. nissan has even come out with a service bulletin ntb07-069a that addresses the problem. the problem that i have is that this has happened to several people, and the repair bill for a vehicle that is out of warranty is between $400 and $600. i believe that this could be considered a safety issue and a recall should be issued if people are running out of gas due to incorrect or non-existent fuel level readings. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. due to failures, the contact has only driven the vehicle three times since it was purchased on may 21, 2008. the engine light remains illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they would bypass the engine and shut off the light. on two occasions, the vehicle would not start because it was too hot. the vehicle was purchased with the original stereo system, but, when it stopped working, the dealer replaced it with a demo. the contact took the vehicle to a different mechanic and was informed that the fuel pump sensors were failing and a fuel pump was needed. the current mileage was 47,000 and failure mileage was 46,655. updated 07/10/08.*lj upated 07/08/08

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder.while examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the radiator transmission coolant line was cracked. th vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the part needed to be replaced, however the vehicle was not serviced.the current mileage was 94,000 and the failure mileage was 48,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. after placing fuel in the vehicle, the contact noticed that the dial in the fuel gauge did not move. approximately 30 miles later, the dial increased, the engine warning light illuminated, and the fuel warning indicator light dimmed. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the fuel cap needed to be replaced. the contact purchased the fuel cap and replaced it himself. moments later, he returned to the service department and a representative informed him that he needed to replace the fuel sending unit as well. he did not repair the vehicle because the repair cost exceeded $600. the engine warning light remains illuminated on the instrument control panel. the failure and current mileages were 83,000.

I own a 2005 nissan pathfinder and at 81,500 miles began experiencing transmission vibration while traveling between 40-45 mph. during this vibration, my acceleration abilities were limited. the transmission vibration was the result of defective radiator which caused radiator fluid and transmission fluid to mix. i received a letter from nissan informing me that the warranty on the radiator assembly of my 2005 pathfinder is being extended because 'a crack in the radiator assembly might occur at higher mileages leading to internal leakage of engine coolant.' the radiator and transmission have since been repaired and nissan is unwilling to reimburse the cost of the repairs. as the radiator failure and affected transmission is a well know issue by nissan and the nissan consumer community, nissan should be responsible for all costs to repair the radiator and affected components. nissan being responsible is ever more evident by the fact that the transmission is affected, which causes intermittent acceleration issues. *tr

Timing belt tensioner guides worn out - must be replaced. cost of 1700.00 dollars from nissan. perhaps nissan can do it for free since this seems to be a common problem with many 2005 pathfinder (4 liter engine). *tr

There is an exhaust system noise when a person sits in the rear seat. the nissan dealership refuses to replace the faulty exhaust system. the exhaust system has shifted towards the front of the car causing the noise. *tr

I have had a constant problem with my 2005 pathfinder. there is an annoying loud squealing noise coming from the engine compartment. i have taken it to the dealer twice. the first time it was diagnosed as a bad belt tensioner and was replaced at about 1500 miles. the second time was a bad belt at about 4500 miles. i just had my 30,000 mile service and the vehicle checked out fine now the noise is back louder then ever.*ak

2005 pathfinder had problems with accelerations/pinging noise. mechanic informed consumer that intake manifold needed to be replaced. *ts the consumer had difficulty stopping the vehicle in wet condition road conditions. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. while driving between 25-50 mph, the engine loses power but does not shut off. when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would decelerate. the check engine warning light illuminated. the dealer replaced the throttle and the speed sensor, however, the failure still persisted. the current mileage is 19,200 and failure mileage was 7,600.

Engine shutoff without warning in september of 2009, i started to have sudden engine shutdowns in my 2005 nissan pathfinder. it could occur anytime and was completely unpredictable. the most dangerous times were at highway speeds with traffic behind me. i contacted my local nissan dealer several times and the suggested a number of possibilities and checked various items without success. i wrote the nissan consumer affairs department (nov 17, 2009) and explained my situation and the danger after an internet search revealed the problem to be a computer device called the "intelligent power distribution module" or ipdm. at the time of my problem this device was on back order because of the demand for them. i paid to have my ipdm replaced because of the very serious and dangerous problem of the engine shut-off without warning, since the device was replaced, i have had no problems with engine shutoff and my vehicle runs fine. i can not believe that nissan is not appear of the problem since appears to have started in about 2005. *tr

Dt: the contact owned a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the vehicle will shut off intermittently while in motion. this has occurred for the last three weeks, and within that time period it happened twice. the dealership could not duplicate the issue. until they could do so there was no solution to the problem. *ak *sc

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan path finder. the contact stated while driving at unknown speeds, there was an unusual rumbling. the dealer determined that the radiator was leaking coolant into the transmission, causing the transmission to foul. the dealer advised the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced. the manufacturer advised that the contact was out of warranty and would not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 74,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. the anti-freeze and the oil have mixed within the engine and caused the transmission to fail. the dealer said that this was a common problem. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.