Problems with 2006 Nissan Pathfinder POWER TRAIN

The transmission is slipping. the vehicle will suddenly lose its ability to move while under power. checked transmission oil. the level is good but the fluid is "milky" in color. the fluid should be a clear, colored liquid. suspect transmission line inside the radiator is fractured allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. *tr

2006 nissan pathfinder 103k miles. we noticed vehicle would shudder upon acceleration at approximately 40 mph and again at 50 mph. also at times the engine would rev up like it couldn't shift to the next gear. if we slowed down to 50 and re-accelerated to 55 mph, the shuddering became a severe vibration. we took it to an independent mechanic since we had recently a bad experience with our local nissan dealer in fixing another problem (timing chain). the mechanic dropped the transmission pan and found the radiator was leaking coolant into the transmission fluid. mechanic stated we were very lucky to have caught this right away as it could have caused a lot of other problems too lengthy to mention here. mechanic replaced radiator and did a tranny flush but i'm not sure our problems are over. now the fuel gauge registers empty after i have just filled up with fuel, the service engine light came on, and now i am totally stressed out driving anywhere, and especially in traffic. *tr

Vehicle began to shudder while climbing a slight grade at about 35-40mph. problem has gotten progressively worse. dealer acknowledges problem is with transmission, which was damaged by defective radiator. *tr

I own a 2006 nissan pathfinder, first my fuel sensor failed, and now at approx 92,000 miles my vehicle has this horrible vibration at 45mph and 60 mph. after thinking it was my tires off balance and having them serviced and an alignment done, i decided to do some research online and called my nissan service dept. to my surprise this is a very common problem with this vehicle and it is a problem with the transmission and radiator fluids mixing, causing the tranny to fail. if this is not a major safety concern i am not sure what is. please review, it will cost the consumer approx $8,000 to fix and not to mention the inconvenience. if this were an isolated incident i would not complain, but there are a massive amount of complaints. i even contacted nissan corp. and after 3 weeks i am still waiting on a return call. i do highway driving and have 3 children in my vehicle daily. this is a major concern. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the air conditioning would only blow semi-cool air. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis who informed the contact that coolant and transmission fluid were mixing together abnormally. the contact was advised that the coolant lines and the radiator would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the lines and the radiator. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that because the failure was not uncommon, they would extend her warranty but not for the recent repairs. the failure and current mileages were approximately 82,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission causing the vehicle to stall. the contact merged to the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. the contact restarted the vehicle and it started to shake between 40 and 50 mph. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. the contact then took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. the technician diagnosed that the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and transmission fluid leaked into the radiator. as result, the transmission became defective and needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 89,000.

Traveling on the highway, the car slowed up. light came on that stated "service engine soon". went to nissan dealer and they diagnosed it as transmission/radiator system gone and needs total replacement. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated when accelerating from a stop the vehicle would jump to second gear and shake violently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. after diagnosis they advised him that he needed a new transmission and radiator. the vehicle was repaired for the transmission and radiator. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 135,000. the current mileage was approximately 136,000. the vin was unavailable.

My nissan has 108,000 miles, always had all required maintenance transmission makes a "clank" at 15 to 20 mph and vibrates severely when i lower the speed or try to regain the speed from 40 or 60 mph. it also drags, losses power and vibrates when going up hill on lower speed say 20 mph. internet information, reveals that the cause is radiator water leak to the transmission. nissan is aware of this. the pathfinder also has motor oil, leaks, in the oil filter area internet search revealed malfunctioning, faulty part both condition is known by nissan corp office internet search has reveals extensive complaints just like mines and nissan does nothing about it for both please request a recall motor oil, leaks, in the oil filter area. *tr

Vehicle started shuddering and lost propulsion on the highway. after this incident it began slamming into gears and would not go in reverse. looked online and saw that many people are having the same issue. i brought the car to the dealer to be told that the radiator failed causing coolant and transmission fluid to mix, causing incorrect internal transmission pressure, and internal failure. nissan refuses to take accountable action and repair the failures. this is obviously a defect and in no way should the consumer be responsible. thankfully nobody was behind me on the highway when this happened as i had my three kids in the car. *tr

My 2006 nissan pathfinder had severe transmission failure at 50mph caused by a manufacturer defect almost causing me to lose control. *tr

the 2006 nissan pathfinder has an issue with the radiator (coolant) leaking into the transmission. truck began to shudder as if driving on rumble strips. leaking fluid causes what first starts out as a rumble during shifting around 40 mph, then eventually leads to a seize of the transmission which can occur at any time. should the transmission fail while in traffic it could cause a accident. the vehicle was taken to transmission shop and they advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. the failure and the current mileages were 103,800 miles. *tr

Major issues with my 2006 nissan pathfinder. intermix with coolant and transmission fluid. the nissan dealership knew after a few moments from lifting my hood. the mechanic explained it would cost over $1500 to replace the radiator and flush the transmission and advised me to come back after 10k miles. after having the radiator ($800) replaced i was on the highway for less than a mile and my rpms were revving high when i accelerated and the truck was obviously stuck in gear. took pathfinder back (two days) to mechanic and found the radiator contaminated once again and needing a new transmission which will cost $2500 that i don't have and i can't afford a new vehicle. i'm making payments on a car i can't drive. my husband is driving a 2005 altima which is having similar problems and just haven't broken down complete. nissan should recognized this issue and address asap. *tr

Transmission has been acting up lately and went into a safety mode that i can only run on 3rd gear. my overdrive has been giving issues for a long time that it wouldn't lock fully so i have been running on fourth gear. *tr

I was driving my 2006 nissan pathfinder on a highway in light traffic at about 60 mph when i began to hear a high-pitched whine from the engine area. when i started to accelerate after stopping at a traffic light, the vehicle "bucked," or lurched forward, and began to shake. there was no one in front of me at the time; if another vehicle had been in my path, i would have slammed into it. i was able to exit the highway without incident and drive/coast to a safe place where i immediately called for a tow truck. the repair shop at the nissan dealership informed me that the radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission and caused the transmission to fail. nissan apparently knew about this problem but did not suggest that the potentially defective radiator be replaced before it led to transmission failure. *tr

I was driving my car on a busy major highway during rush hour traffic. my car sputtered and stalled unable to exceed 40 mph. i pulled over onto the shoulder and waited over an hour for the tow truck while cars zoomed past me at 60 mph. my car was diagnosed with a radiator that leaked antifreeze into transmission causing transmission failure. nissan has several class action lawsuits against them for this problem. *tr updated ivoq 10/24/12

While driving on a very bust highway towing our 3000 lb boat our suv began to shutter and slow down swiftly causing traffic to swerve dangerously around our boat and car and potentially cause a major pile up. apparently, the defect in the radiator and transmission lines caused the fluids to mix, overheating and damaging our transmission. we were unaware of this potential problem since we bought this car in a private sale 2 weeks prior to this incident. luckily a crisis was averted, however it had the potential for a catastrophic consequences because the vehicle slowed down without touching brakes therefore not signaling to following vehicles that we were indeed slowing rapidly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the transmission started to slip. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that anti-freeze had entered the transmission from the radiator. as a result, both the radiator and the transmission would need to be replaced. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

Engine oil cooler ruptured transmission replacement. *tr

When i had about 87,000 miles on the vehicle, it started vibrating when i reached about 40 miles an hour. from there, the heat wouldn't work when i would stop at intersections or letting the car idle. i then had my coolant levels checked, and discovered my coolant was mixed with radiator fluid. i had the radiator replaced, and the vehicle drives, but only up to about 40 mph. trying to accelerate beyond 40 mph and the engine revs high. turns out my transmission is slipping as a result of the engine coolant getting into the transmission. the only way to continue to use my vehicle is to have the transmission rebuilt/remanufactured at a tune of $5,000. well, i've already paid ~$40,000 for the vehicle, alone (excluding other repair items since i've owned it). the fact that i need to replace a major power train component to use such an expensive vehicle is beyond comprehension. until the manufacturer (nissan/infiniti usa) takes responsibility for their major mishap, i discourage everyone i know from purchasing their vehicles. i bought a vehicle... one that should transport me from a point of origin to a point of destination (what it is designed to do). i didn't pay $40,000 for a hunk of plastic and metal to take up space in my driveway. someone needs to do something about this major malfunction as expediently as possible. this should not be permitted to take place in the modern usa that we live in. otherwise, what purpose does federal commissions serve if the citizens aren't protected from such fraud?

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact tried to start the vehicle but it failed to start. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection where they confirmed the radiator leaked into the transmission and both components needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 134,139.

We drove our 2006 nissan pathfinder and parked it in the morning. when we attempted to start it that afternoon, it would not start and had to be towed. the nissan dealership did a diagnostic test and informed us that the radiator had leaked into the transmission and both were ruined and had to be replaced. the estimate for repair was $8,719. we contacted nissan corporate in tennessee to file a complaint only to be told that they were aware of this problem with 05, 06 and 07 nissans, they had increased the manufacturer's warranty to 80,000 miles, and were not able to help me in any way. my vehicle had over 81,000 miles on it when i bought it. this problem should have been addressed before they sold me the vehicle. i paid $2,000 for an extended warranty and $600 for gap insurance, neither of which will help in any way. i still owe $14,000 on the car. nissan should do a recall for everyone's benefit. they should fix my vehicle at no charge. they knew about the problem. *tr

Radiator leaked into automatic transmission, the neutral safety switch shorted out, but not until transmission was burnt up. *tr

Transmission has completely failed due to leakage from the radiator crack. rumbling started at about 130k miles, transmission starting slipping several weeks ago. we took it into the shop and paid $300 for a complete flush and replacement of fluid. it did no good - transmission is now not working at all. *tr

Going 70 mph the vehicle started shaking real bad the rpm gauge was going nuts. brought the vehicle to a stop then tried to start it again the vehicle jumped uncontrollably. parked it and had it picked up by a towtruck. was diagnosed with a faulty transmission and radiator. faulty valve on radiator contaminated transmission. i am so glad that me and my daughter were ok this was very scary. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact noticed the fuel tank was empty. after fueling the vehicle the contact attempted to accelerate but the vehicle failed to accelerate. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the radiator had leaked water into the transmission causing the transmission to fail. as a result, the transmission needed to be replaced. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: dp12004 (power train: automatic transmission: torque converter power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm, pcm)) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

The transmission is shot! *tr

Car stalled at red light, smoking from hood took to mechanics advised of transmission failure, leaking brown stuff. *tr

I was driving on i 20 hwy in atl ! i was going to pickup my kids from six flags amusement park. i was driving in the center lane, and out of the clear blue, my car cutoff,and indicated a slip light come on ! i was lucky the cars around me did allow me to pull over to the side of the road ! when i was lucky enough to pull over,i began to start my car backup,and surprisingly it did start backup. i was able to pickup my kids,and i did drive no faster than 60 miles an hour when i did take my daughter's friends home ! this surprise incident,could have taken my life easily ! thanks to other drivers being surprisingly accommodating and letting me pull off the road without my car having any power ! *tr

While accelerating down main highway in massachusetts my 2006 nissan pathfinder slipped out of gear , jerked repeatedly and then caught again surging forward. this process repeated its self for the following 5 miles until could safely get it off the highway. *tr

I was driving home from a weekend vacation in ocean city, md with 2 of my children in my 2006 nissan pathfinder. approximately 45 minutes into the drive on route 1 in de, the vehicle abruptly 'jumped' and then slipped out of gear. luckily, i was able to coast into the right lane and then pull to the side of the road. if not, we could have been hit by any vehicles that were behind us. for a brief time, i was able to get the vehicle to slowly drive in 1st gear and pull into a parking lot of a gas station/convenience store. i couldn't get it to go back into drive after that point. we then had to wait 2 1/2 hours to be picked up by my husband. the car was towed to a local shop and diagnosed as needing a new transmission. the price quoted was extremely high (probably because they knew we were out of state), so we opted to have the vehicle towed back to our town of residence to a transmission shop. the shop indicated that they have seen this problem many times in 2005-2007 nissan pathfinders. the radiator cracks, and the coolant leaks into the transmission, which ends up destroying the transmission. this appears to be a known defect. $6000 later, i now have a repaired nissan pathfinder. nissan needs to issue a recall and fix these known issues. they also need to reimburse customers who have experienced these issues and have had to pay for the repairs out of pocket. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the transmission failed. the vehicle was then maneuvered to the shoulder of the road. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic for an inspection. several diagnostic codes were produced during the inspection, but they were unable to determine the failure. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Drove to wawa for gas and as car was idiling it over heated and check engine light came on. got my car home and started poking around online just to find thousands of other people are experiencing the same issue. the radiator cracked and mixed with transmission fluid. don't know if transmission is destroyed yet but time will tell. horrible that there is no recall for this. and what a hazard i had my 3 children in car and had to tell them no baseball for them. and top it off there was no signs of any issues and car only has 59,799 miles on it. *tr

I bought this vehicle in june 2011 from benson nissan in spartanburg, sc. i had no idea about the radiator/transmission problems these vehicles were having &of course it wasn't mentioned in the sale. it was already slightly past the 80,000 mile warranty (the previous owner was obviously aware of problems) for the radiator. less than 2 weeks after purchase i told the sales person &a mechanic that the car was jerking at around 60 mph when changing gears. the mechanic blamed ?bad gas? & ?ethanol? & assured me it wasn't the transmission. less than a month later, i took it back to the dealer?s &told them the car was still jerking at 60mph &asked them about the transmission. they again told me there was not a problem with the transmission. the car continued to shake worse when shifting &i continued to call nissan &complain. the sales person even offered to trade the car in for me, but reneged when his manager declined because i ?got too good of a deal on that car &(they) couldn't trade it back.? the shaking began to get worse &spread to lower gears &i accepted the fact that i was sold a lemon. through all this, no one at the nissan dealership mentioned the transmission or radiator problem. i found out about it only after i began to research how to repair it myself &by then all i could do was pray. barely one year after purchase while on the way to my parent?s house with my child in the back seat, &while on a busy highway, the car stuck in 2nd gear. i barely got it to my parent?s house &endured a lot of angry drivers around me. it cost $3700 to rebuild the transmission &replace the radiator that leaked into the transmission &finally after getting it back the jerking while shifting has stopped. i should've been informed about the transmission problem at purchase or at least after complaining &nissan needs to make good on their faulty parts before someone is really hurt. *tr

Our 2006 pathfinder had started shuttering in the transmission about a week before it just gave out on the side of the road. i took it to an independent transmission repair shop, who told me that the radiator fluid had gotten into the transmission and ruined it. i did some checking on the internet and found that i was not the only one that has had this problem. nissan has known this was a problem and has not sent any notices or recalls. i also had another problem recently with the ecm relay, that left it on the side of the road. after research found that a recall was issued and no notice was sent out. i was thankful that nissan replaced the relay. we have call nissan customer service about the transmission, but i do not believe they will help due to the mileage. this should have been addressed when it was discovered with a new radiator and a complete transmission service. *tr

I took my 2006 nissan pathfinder to a transmission shop because when i accelerated or slowed down it was giving a "bucking" feeling and my regular mechanic referred me to them. i was told that it was the faulty radiator and the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced for anywhere from $4800-$5500. wow what a shock! this is ridiculous!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while shifting gears, the vehicle vibrated and emitted a strong coolant odor. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the radiator cracked due to defective material and caused coolant to enter the transmission. the radiator and transmission was replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 91,000 and the current mileage was 97,000.

Just purchased 2006 pathfinder from local (jeep/dodge) dealer. was literally driving it home from the lot when i encountered vibration and near loss of control at freeway speeds. i was able to get the vehicle home and after checking the fluids found a milky white (atf?) fluid in the coolant/radiator. the vehicle has 87500 miles and i'm beside myself right now. the dealer i purchased the vehicle from seems willing to work with me to remedy the situation but i'm not sure if they'll pay for a new transmission and radiator...? after a couple of minutes of investigation on the internet found the mass of folks dealing with the same radiator/transmission failure problem. i've got an appointment with the local nissan dealer this week... we'll see what happens. nhtsa please help the hundreds if not thousands of nissan owners dealing with this obvious defect! *tr

The automatic transmission shudders or vibrates extensively at approx 42 mph, 55 mph, and 62 mph. it cannot downshift properly - i have to drive above or below the referenced speeds to avoid the shaking. in later incidents, the vehicle jolted but not out of control. *tr

Driving between 35-60 mph my 2006 pathfinder was shaking as if i were on a rumble strip. it continued to worsen as the week progressed. i took it into the dealer and was told that both front and rear u-joints were loose and needed to be replaced. with only 81000 miles on my vehicle i asked if this was premature for both u-joints to fail at the same time. i was told it is considered "normal wear and tear". the cost of replacement was $1200. *tt

I purchased a 2006 nissan pathfinder in 2009. it had 64000 miles and i paid $18500. of course the dealer did not inform me of the issue. since i have purchased this car (one previous owner) i have had to replace two cat converters, a radiator, a pressure gauge, and now a transmission because the radiator fluids and transmission fluids are mixing. it causes the car to jerk uncontrollably out of nowhere while in normal operation. when i brought the car in for service, the service adviser had me change the radiator and the transmission maintenance. this costs me $1650. two cat converters, $3200. now they said i need a new transmission for $5000+. there have been over 5000 complaints regarding this safety issue, and the nhtsa has not issued a recall. this is unbelievable. will someone have to be killed first in a pathfinder for something to be done? the car is very dangerous to drive. nissan is well aware of this problem and could care less. i have been spoken to nissan north america, they have decided i was one not worthy of help due to mileage. the problem i have is nissan knows and understands this will happen to their cars eventually. it is not only pathfinders, but also frontiers, maximas, altimas, etc. read all of the blogs. it is a joke. nissan needs be held accountable for the design flaw. they are having their customers pay for nissan's problem. usa nissan customers need your help. nissan needs to be punished for their inaction. nissan has also settled a class action lawsuit as well regarding this issue. please do something before somebody gets killed! *tr

My vehicle is suffering the fate of countless others. i have the coolant intermix issue that has ruined my radiator and transmission. now, i am outside the warranty period and i need a new transmission costing $4500! nissan needs to recall this--i have spent thousands already and it simply isn't fair that they are trying to put a bandaid on a defect that has harmed and could continue to harm thousands of consumers. please fix this! *tr

Soon after purchase when i was traveling between 45 and 55 miles per hour it would feel as if the wheels had locked up but the car was still moving. this problem evolved until it would feel as if you were traveling over railroad tracks, then it started shuddering at anywhere between 45 and 60 miles per hour. now it actually loses speed until it falls down to about 30 and then it will kick back into gear and i can speed up again. this has happened several times while driving on the interstate. took it the dealer when i first started having problems a year ago and they could not duplicate the problem and said that there was nothing wrong with the car. took it back today and now they say it is a known problem with this particular model due to a design flaw. this car should have been recalled from the beginning. lemon law should apply. *tr

As has been reported by many our 2006 pathfinder has been found to have antifreeze in the transmission and we are now told it will take 4500 dollars to fix. this is no doubt a manufactures defect as there was no way to prevent this from happening or knowing for sure when it did. this suv has been maintained by professionals and they did not catch it, i believe nissan knew about this based on actions they have taken and now should have to repair these vehicles. *tr

While returning from lunch break, i pressed the accelerator on my 2006 nissan pathfinder. the vehicle hesitated and did not accelerate. it sounded as if it was idling but there was very little to no movement. this happened in the middle of the highway. after having the trucked towed and the problem assessed, i was told that the transmission and the radiator had to be replaced. this comes with a hefty price tag. in the mechanics explanation of the problems he asserted "you have heard about these pathfinders, haven't you". well, i researched and found that the failed transmission and radiator is not a new occurrence. this has been and is happening regularly and there is no recall. this puts consumers in a bad position, especially when, like me, the warranty is expired. i am still waiting for a transmission to be shipped from california. by the way, i found out that it is on backorder. that's just how frequently this problem occurs. make sure you purchase extended warranties and/or trade it before this happens to you. or even worse someone is seriously hurt physically not just financially. *tr

The transmission is slipping while trying to accelerate or will downshift incorrectly and redline, making the tires chirp and almost lose control. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the transmission would have to be replaced because transmission coolant had erroneously leaked into the transmission. there was a manufacturer's recall for the failure but the contact's vehicle exceeded the mileage limit for the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 133,995.

Vehicle was running normal till we park to have lunch.start vehicle fine place shifter in gear (drive) was not taking any gear.we have vehicle taking to nissan dealer.they determine cause due to a faulty radiator leaking coolant to transmission nissan was not going to do any warranty repairs on the vehicle because vehicle was out warranty. *tr

I use this vehicle to commute to and from work. i currently serve in the u.s. military and must drive over causeways that are located over water to get to work. the vibrations from the failing transmission cause a major concern when going over these causeways. if the transmission were to fail going 50 mph it could cause a major accident possibly killing my family, me and possibly many more. today i was taking the family out for dinner. on our way i drove over the causeway driving 55 and came to an exit. as i was exiting, the vehicle started jerking vigorously. thankfully there was enough room to control the vehicle to bring it to a stop. now the vehicle will not drive past 1st gear, so obviously i had to get it towed. nissan must address the problem immediately before someone gets killed, but we all know that's exactly what they are waiting for. *tr

Radiator/ transmission failed causing breakdown radiator was affected as well as when the interior components of the radiators (internal transmission coolers) broke down allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. as a result of the contamination, the transmission and other drive train components were damaged and required replacement. *tr