Problems with 2006 Nissan Pathfinder POWER TRAIN

I purchased my 2006 nissan pathfinder in 2013 with 109k miles on it. i loved it for 1yr and a half. 2 months ago it started shifting rough, i took it to a local place to be looked at. i was told that nissan pathfinders have a faulty radiator that leaks internally into the transmission causing complete transmission failure! would cost $3600 to fix. i called suntrup and was told by the service department that they had never heard of this before and to bring it in, which i did and $100 later they told me the same thing i already knew from the other place for free. they again said they had never heard of this happening before but they could fix it for $6800! i began searching (not too difficult since it is all over the internet!) i called around trying to find a more affordable transmission place and every single place i called knew about the nissans faulty radiators!! this is a prevalent problem for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 pathfinder, xterra and and frontier! nissan refuses to do a recall stating it isn't a safety issue but there was a class action suit closing in 2013 (year i bought my car) and would fix the transmissions up to 100k (i bought mine at 109k. the national transportation safety board is looking into this issue. i did contact suntrup and talked to the sales manager who said to come in and they would "try and help me". their solution is to roll the $4,000 i am upside down into a brand new car causing my payments to go up exponentially! (also as a single mom of 3 kids in car seats a car isn't helpful, neither is super high payments). you can not tell me that they didn't know about this nissan transmission issue being a nissan dealer! they didn't know about the class action suit, the year i bought the car?!?! perhaps there isn't anything that can be done in my case but i do not think it is ethical to continue selling these models and years!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the drive shaft became stiff and the vehicle started to emit smoke from the front of the vehicle. upon inspection, it was noticed that burnt oil was leaking from the radiator. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact was made aware of nhtsa action number: dp12004 (power train). the failure mileage was 148,500.

Fluid cross contamination from radiator to transmission causing hesitation during operation of vehicle. per nissan service department,unless transmission and radiator are replaced this is unfixble and car will soon die. repairs estimate is 6,000 dollars. *tr

Leak in radiator causing cross contamination between radiator and transmission fluids. this is causing hesitation in power during operation of vehicle. per the nissan service provider we took it to, the cars needs a new transmission and radiator at the cost of $6000 or it will soon die. we believe this is a manufacturer 's defect and a known flaw- many other complaints are posted by other owners. *tr

On saturday, february 14, 2015, my 2006 nissan pathfinder started to shudder at 45-50 mph. after taking it to aamco transmission specialists, i was told that the radiator cooling fluid had leaked into the transmission and was causing it to fail. after researching this problem, i found that this is a known problem with nissan transmissions and usually occurs after high mileage (100,000) and the warranty on the pathfinders had been extended to 80,000 to 100,000 miles. however, my pathfinder currently has over 120,000 miles on it so nissan will probably not pay for any of the repairs. if this problem doesn't occur until after 100,000 miles, why didn't nissan extend the warranty over 100,000? there are thousands of complaints on the internet from people who are in the same situation as i am right now and have spent $5,000+ to fix something that nissan knows is defective on their suvs from 2005 to present. *tr

The car is not heating up. the transmission fluid and radiator fluid is mixing together making a pink color.. we have had it only for less than a year. we have loan on the car. i keep seeing online that even after replacing the transmission. more problems keep happening. i looked up the vin number and it's saying our car make is recalled for the air bag? is there anyway you can help us or could we just trade to get a different vehicle. i would much appreciate someone to help. *tr

Coolant in transmission.! because of bad radiator.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. while the vehicle was at the dealer for an unrelated issue, the technician discovered that the vehicle needed a new transmission. the contact stated that the radiator leaks coolant onto the transmission, which caused corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 93,000.

I purchased my car new with may 3-7 miles on it in 2006. i've never had a problems as i keep it serviced on time at the nissan dealership. the car started performing weirdly this past week. the noise started out as a ticking sound when i would press the accelerator and by the end of the week my car sounded like a motorcycle when i pressed the accelerator! i would even "stutter" when i what on the interstate like it was not in gear. i got two separate diagnostics, one at the dealership, one at a non-dealership mechanic who said it was the transmission! *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. while driving 20 mph, the engine warning light illuminated and the gear shifted into neutral. the vehicle stalled and would not accelerate. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and then driven slowly to its destination. the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic who stated that the transmission was fractured due to the coolant from the engine. the mechanic diagnosed that the raider, the converter, and the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

My nissan pathfinder was not heating/ defrosting...also, there was excessive noise when the truck was shifting gears. i brought it into my mechanic who told me coolant was leaking into the transmission, and the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced at a cost of approximately $4400. *tr

Transmission failure due to radiator coolant mixing with transmission oil. i refuse to spend 4-5k on repair. this is something that is manufacturing design defect and nissan company know about it. there should have been a recall instead of a class action lawsuit. these were not isolated issue. nissan should pay for all the repairs. this is a scam because they know that the radiator has a defect. nissan should be force to issue a recall or have them pay for the full repair of all affected vehicles. *dt

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was contamination of radiator fluid in the transmission and that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. while the vehicle was previously in park, there was engine oil leaking underneath the front end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator was leaking fluid into the transmission and that the radiator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Vibration transmission is dangerous driving 50 mph or more in highway. *tr

While in gear, traveling approx. 40mph, vehicle stopped moving without warning (no engine light, no overheating) and had to coast during heavy freeway traffic, which caused several other vehicles to suddenly slow or stop. car was towed & code evaluation was performed. radiator and transmission had to be replaced due to a defective radiator which leaked coolant into transmission for $5347.52.

I bought this suv brand new back in 2006, never had major problem till now. we just found out nissan's radiators are a huge problem they leak into the transmission and that explains why our transmission died. while i drove on the freeway the transmission slipped. luckily the car didn't stall after i pulled in the driveway. i brought it to the repair shop they said the coolant leaked in to the transmission. they told me that i needed to have the transmission replaced because it got coolant in it and damage the inners.

While in motion in a very busy traffic, the vehicle suddenly started stalling prompting my pumping of the gas pedal in panic, as well as deployment of the hazard light. the energy generated from the engine, while pumping the gas pedal, is not being transferred to the transmission. eventually the vehicle rolls to a complete stop with the engine dead in the busy traffic, effectively putting me in harms way. i turned the ignition and the engine started, after about a quarter mile it will stall and quit again. this process repeated several times and eventually the vehicle quit for good. it will not start again. i had a wrecker tow the vehicle to the nissan dealership where the service agent told me, approximately 24 hours later, that the problem resulted from a cracked radiator that leaked antifreeze into the transmission and subsequently damaging or destroying the transmission. the agent told me that it will cost several thousand dollars since it will entail installing new radiator and transmission. *tr

Transmission is shaky and jerks when shifting, apparently nissan knew about radiator coolant leaking into the transmission line!!!

I am the owner of a 2006 nissan pathfinder with current mileage of 106,000. i just learned today that i will have to replace the transmission and radiator for $6000. due to this known product defect. i am infuriated as i read through all the post by people like myself who have been told nissan will do nothing since the vehicle is over 100,000 miles, especially since the problem does not show up on average until 95,000 miles or more. it would appear nissan who just reported billions for their earnings could have done the proper product recall of all units manufactured/effected regardless of mileage and fixed the issue! *tr

Transmission failure due to radiator coolant mixing with transmission oil: reading other similar complaints about 2005-2010 pathfinder on carcompalints.com, i am wondering if there is a $90 solution to bypass the original setup and have a separate radiator for transmission, why couldn't nissan do it or atleast inform all owners about it so we could have avoided spending 4-5k on repairing something that is manufacturing design defect. i am in no way claiming to be a mechanic, but i am assuming other vehicles also have a similar setup, even other nissan models. how come this is the problem only for pathfinders? this is a design flaw and there should have been a recall instead of a class action lawsuit, but i guess our government is too busy looking out for special interest lobbyists. i am disgusted in nissan's conduct and also the conduct of nhtsa & cas who did not do anything when there was class-action lawsuit to prove these were not isolated issue with a few vehicles, but a design flaw. as is evident from multiple complaints on www.carcomplaints.com, this problem mostly occurs around 95k+ mile mark and by that time the extended warranty offered by nissan as part of their class action lawsuit is over. the settlement is an admission of fault on nissan's part and nhtsa/cas should force nissan to issue a recall or have them pay for the full repair of all affected vehicles and have them provide a remedy such as separate cooling system for transmission for vehicles which have not experienced this problem yet. *tr

I have been without transportation for 2 months due to transmission problems. my truck transmission went out on me oct. 5, 2014 on my way taking my kids to school. i was very disappointed because i was late to work and had to find other means to get my kids to school. please help *tr

Radiator failed and cross contaminated transmission with anti-freeze and transfluid. replaced radiator and flushed transmission in sept 2014 and three months later dec18, 2014 the transmission failed. repair center said it will cost $4500-$5000 for repair of transmission. *tr

A faulty radiator caused fluid to leak into my transmission, causing major damage to the transmission and the computer inside of it. the issue was initially noticed on a drive up into the mountains (although at the time we did not what it was). as we were climbing uphill we noticed a shuddering and it felt as though the transmission was slipping a bit. we made it back home safely, but on two subsequent trips on the highway the same thing happened as well as it overheating on one occasion. i also noticed that while driving in town, the transmission would jump a bit upon putting it into gear and there was also another occasion of it overheating. thank goodness we were never put in a dangerous situation due to this issue, although that probably has a lot to do with the fact that we limited driving on the freeway after first noticing the problem, as it was more noticeable when driving at a higher rate of speed. *js

Transmission went out all of sudden as i was driving on busy highway. was unable to get speed, coolant is gone as well. *tr

Leaking coolant caused transmission failure. *tr

While driving my 06 nissan pathfinder with 82000 miles on the car, it would began to shudder and shake as if running over rumble strips and temporarily lose power that nearly caused me to get in to an accident. as i was merging on to a highway when this shudder and power lose occurred. i later learned how many years of nissans were having these same issues, from transmission fluid and radiator fluid mixing due to faulty lines causing transmission problems like mine. i am writing this complaint in hopes of making this issue aware so it can be corrected before someone loses their life. as i researched this matter i learned that if your coolant overflow appears to be a milky color than that's a sigh of contamination and of course after my near life experience mine too was contaminated. after reading so many stories of how this same experience happened to so many people, how is this issue being over looked? i got lucky i just have to replace my transmission and radiator, at least i still have my life , iam just fearful that if no action is taken the next person in a nissan wont be as lucky. *tr

On 08/15/14, i was pumping gas and as i was leaving i noticed that the pathfinder's transmission would hesitate and shift hard. as i drove home, i noticed that it did the same thing after every stop. it wouldn't run as it usually did. then i noticed that the "service engine soon" light came on. my boyfriend then went to aamco transmission total car care but was told to go at 9:30 a.m. the following day. we took it the next day, which was 08/16/14 and we received a diagnostic. the multi-point check revealed that the transmission fluid level was okay and the condition was contaminated. there is coolant contamination in the transmission. a computer scan revealed the following codes: p1710 trans oil temp, p1764 direct clutch solenoid valve circuit fault, p1731 first gear engine breaking logic error. the manager then told me that the 2005-2007 nissan pathfinders had this defect. when my mother called nissan at the 1-800 number, she was told they couldn't do anything about this problem. the pathfinder is paid off, as of this year, only to have it sit in the garage until i get it fixed. this is ridiculous! needless to say, we were never informed of any of the 5 recalls. *tr

I was driving down a residential street and came to a stop light. once the light turned green i eased off the brakes and push the gas. it jerked and it moved very slowly making a loud noise. i started smelling something burning. had to get it towed to a shop and the mechanic called me yesterday afternoon and told me the transmission was gone. now i'm looking to have to pay $3000 for a transmission. *tr

From dead stop at stop sign, pushed on gas with resultant "grind" of transmission. happened 3 more times over the course of 2 weeks. took into dealer. transmission failure due to cracked radiator leaking coolant into transmission. known problem with certain nissan models. nissan only did an extended warranty that tapered off every year/10,000 miles. after 100,000 miles no help. this was not a result of worn out transmission, this was a result of engineering/manufacturing defect and should have been covered by nissan 100%. *tr

Coolant leak into transmission rendering vehicle useless. out of pocket cost was 2500.00 based off of class action suit. nissan picked up rest. found hundreds if not thousands of similiar complaints in this regard. *tr

Without warning the radiator leaked coolant into the transmission cooling part of the radiator and caused an almost instant burning of the transmission failure that was found to be ruined before i could even safely stop and have it towed. the car lost temporarily lost power to the rear wheels and stranded me in a dangerous intersection where i was almost t-boned. there was no prior symptoms until the transmission failed..... *tr

For several months there has been what a appeared to be as a torque shutter with the 2006 nissan pathfinder. once the speedometer hit around 60 mph it would make this frightening shutter and again at 75 mph, only while accelerating. our mechanic was aware of this recall for the radiator and we replaced it. what i wasn't aware of the possibility of the coolant leaking into the transmission and slowly destroying a modular which sends the signal to start the car and tell the transmission which gear to be in. i tried to start my car one day before work and to my surprise it wouldn't start. not even with a jump. that evening we replaced the positive battery terminal. tried to start the car again and nothing. there is dash lights but no clicking or even an attempt to turn over. head it towed to the mechanics shop. the next day the results were that the modular is done! what is so much more frustrating since i didn't qualify to get the radiator replaced because of the mileage! how does a company put faulting parts in many different models of vehicles and this be the consumers responsibility. *tr

A light turned green, as i began to accelerate, my truck would not get into the next gear. i had to pull off the road as other drivers had to go around me. i almost caused an accident. i managed to make it to a transmission expert the next day, and a diagnosis informed me of contaminated transmission fluid by way of a faulty transmission fluid line coming from the radiator. my research of this problem led me to the fact that nissan is fully aware of this flaw and is not taking responsibility for this faulty design and my fear is that this happened so suddenly that it will eventually lead to a major accident and possible death. this needs to be recalled. it's not just about the thousands i must pay in repair (new transmission), but for the safety of owners, and for the safety of those on the roads with us. nissan needs to take accountability and let their customers know that they are in danger unless this is corrected! contact customers nissan and let them know! *tr

Transmission is failing especially in reverse, it shakes and slips. i took my truck to a transmission expert who informed me that these trucks have this manufacture issue and my truck should be under warrantee by the dealer, i did my research and i am now aware of the radiator issue and the extended warrantee will cover vehicles under 80k miles my truck just reach 60k miles which is when these issues start according to the internet. i took my truck to the dealer for repairs. they told me that my radiator was fine and i do have a transmission problem but not related to the radiator and wanted to bill me for a service fee. i called the expert i had been talking to and he advised me that this was bs and to ask if they did a glyco test which they did not and ask how they knew it was not mixing. the service manager stated to me that it will look slushy and mine was simply black or dark. now i am no expert but antifreeze is green and trans fluid is red. even a child knows that if you mix red and green you will get blue or a dark color, which to me explain why it is dark. the dealer just does not want to fix my truck for the price that the manufacturer will pay them which is approximately 2k so they rather tell me that it is not covered and try to bill me for 5k+ taxes so they can make a profit of 3k of which the service manager probably will get a 1k commission. i don't know what check they did but whatever it was my truck now leak antifreeze which was not an issue before i took it to them. *js

My radiator is evidently cracked, leaking coolant into my transmission, causing failure to shift. my vehicle began losing power. at one point, i attempted to accelerate through an intersection from a stand-still as the traffic light turned green. i was nearly rear-ended by the vehicle behind me as my vehicle was not moving, like being stuck in neutral. *tr

Have a 2006 nissan pathfinder le and noticed the transmission was starting to make a rumble strip noise around 45 mph. did some research and discovered that nissan had a defective radiator which caused anti-freeze to leak into the transmission through coolant line. knowing that the radiators were defective why wasn't nissan ordered to recall them. it is a safety hazard if you are traveling on the highway and your transmission fails!!! i now have to pay $2500 to pay for a known defect to have radiator and transmission replace. *tr

While driving approximately 60-65 mph on the highway during a family trip, the car began to shudder. the shudder returned several times over the next few hours, but we made it safely to our destination. had to bring into the shop where i learned the defective radiator on 06' pathfinder causes it to mix transmission fluid with coolant. this caused damage throughout the transmission resulting in a hefty bill ($4774). i learned there was a class action suite against nissan for this problem, but it closed last year. hoping to find information on perhaps another settlement. *tr

Fluid from radiator leaked into transmission, completely burned out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. the vehicle was placed into neutral and the contact was able to drive. the problem has occurred several times. the contact called an independent mechanic who stated that the failure might be due to the radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified about the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

The car has a noticeable shake when shifting gears. *tr

Had issue with transmission.brought to mechanic and found out that radiator was cracked and ruined transmission. was told by mechanic that this was common with this vehicle.went in internet and found all kinds of info about same problem. i feel if i was notified from nissan earlier i would not have to pay for extended warranty 2500.00.would have been free for under 80,000 miles.my car has 80,743 miles.not happy with nissan,will not ever buy another. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while waiting at a traffic light, the vehicle started shaking violently and stalled. the contact mentioned that the check engine light was illuminated. the vehicle was inspected by a licensed mechanic, who diagnosed that the transmission fluid leaked into the radiator and water leaked into the transmission. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the contact referenced a recall under nhtsa campaign id 10v517000 (engine and engine cooling). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

Radiator coolant leaked into transmission, killing transmission. *tr

110,000-115,000 miles -> was driving down a two lane hwy in the evening (busy time with work traffic) - i am glad i was driving the car and not my wife, as she typically has our child in the car with her at all times - it could have caused a major incident due to the nature of the hwy being traveled. next, there was a brief incline and it took a bit more power to get up and then the awful noise happened. was so disturbed by the noise/shutter that i pulled over to see if i had lost a tire. after inspection, there was nothing wrong that i could see. i continued to drive home and felt it a few more times over the course of the next 15-20 min. honestly, i was praying that nothing would happen until i could make it home - that noise was alarming. upon arrival home, i looked up what could be wrong, then that is when i found everything online about pathfinders. we do not have the money to fix this problem and have had to wait for several weeks to save the money just to get the transmission rebuild process started. i cannot believe a company that is as highly respected in the industry as nissan is not stepping to the plate to make this right. it is an obvious defect for 3 different model cars. the "deductible" that they are offering does not come close to the cost of the total fix for the issue(s) at stake - especially if you go through nissan dealership for repairs - not even guaranteed to be completely fixed since it is a defect - just replacing the problem it already has and will continue to have. love my pathfinder but will look at every opportunity to never buy a nissan or infinity product, ever, again. safety is my biggest priority when buying a car - this car fit the mold when i bought it in 2008/2009 and never again, but not anymore. loss of complete power/operation in a vehicle at 55 mph is not safe. btw, i'm ocd about servicing my car(s) - all records to show. *tr

Vehicle transmission stopped shifting while driving in traffic. sounded like vehicle couldn't switch gears any longer. this is serious problem and lucky it did not result in an accident. we have kept the vehicle on the proper maintenance schedule. with so many complaints this needs to be a recall. *tr

Same issue as all others, drive a 2006 nissan pathfinder and was happy until 125tsd miles never a big repair. now i have the same issue faulty radiator kills silent the transmission. did visit the dealer for every service even as the problem starts little by little. first a unpleasant shifting, dealer recommends a transmission flush before the official service interval, done. after we are still not happy as we can tell the transmission shifts different as we did know it from before. see the nissan dealer again, they write the order with the customer complaint, ?customer complains about transmission problems?. written statement of the dealer, transmission checked no issues found. some miles later, total fall out of the transmission special the tcu. good customer will not see now dealer again but a lawyer. *tr

Noticed vehicle pulling off sluggish and wasn't shifting gears. when i made it home, i had it checked out and found transmission fluid mixing with the engine coolant. i started searching online for recall and found this is a common problem, but there isn't a recall to fix the issue. i also didn't know they extended the warranty to 80,000 miles to only have the radiator replaced. they to do something to fix the problem and make it right for their customers. *tr

Nissan pathfinder just got to 100,000 miles when started experiencing transmission issues, turns out there was a factory warranty that i was never informed of that would have covered the radiator/transmission issue. however because i was not having an issue until the extended warranty ended nissan is refusing to cover the cost of repairs despite knowing about this engineering fault. it is extremely frustrating that a large company such as nissan is able to send a vehicle out into the public with known engineering flaws and put a mileage limit on repairing the issue. it is something that will inevitably fail but it is only a matter of time so it might have occurred within the limit for some and outside the limit for others. it is my hope that you will expose this shady and unsafe practice that nissan has going and help get people the repairs they deserve. *tr

Driving down the road, vehicle becomes sluggish. notice that the temperature begins to rise rapidly. in afternoon work traffic and have difficulty negotiating traffic trying not to break down in the middle of a busy road/intersection at 5:20pm. vehicle was take to a repair shop where i was informed that the radiator had ruptured, thus sending coolant into the transmission and transmission fluid into the engine. current estimate is approx $3000. *tr

Pathfinder experienced complete transmission failure. car stalled in the middle of an intersection and the engine started smoking and fluids spilled out from underneath. people behind us had to swerve around us to avoid hitting us. some good samaritans helped my husband push the car to the side of the road. he could no longer drive the car. earlier in the day the car was having trouble accelerating and would jerk. we managed to get off the freeway before it stalled completely. we had the car towed to mossy nissan and we were told by the service advisor that the manufacturer radiator that came with the car was badly designed. the radiators crack causing cross contamination of the radiator and transmission fluid which then results in complete transmission failure, which is what happened to our car. he told us there was a class action lawsuit, actually, and the settlement terms were that if your car was under 80,000 miles nissan would cover the cost of repairs. our car had 87,000 miles and so we had to pay $2500. over 90,000 miles and you have to pay $3000. over 100,000 miles and you're out of luck. we were told the repair runs about $7,000 outside the warranty period. this should have been a recall issue, not an extended warranty issue, because it is unsafe to be driving on the road when your car stalls and the transmission fails. the car has since been repaired but i no longer feel safe in a nissan. nissan north america refuses to take responsibility for a design flaw and the extended warranty from the lawsuit benefited no one but nissan. you couldn't have your radiator replaced under the warranty if it wasn't malfunctioning yet. your car needed to break down before the warranty could kick in, and at that point you were already outside the 100% coverage window. *tr