Problems with 2006 Nissan Pathfinder ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Radiator/transmission cooler failed leaking radiator fluid into transmission ruining transmission. radiator and transmission need to be replaced according to nissan dealership. proactive replacement (recall) of known defect in radiator would have been inexpensive and prevented very costly transmission damage. *tr

Took my 2006 pathfinder to a shop for poor heat, and a slight transmission shutter after checking the fluid noticed the anti-freeze was contaminated with transmission fluid and the transmission fluid was milky from the anti-freeze. only having 88,000 miles on car i started looking for reasons and found that there was a crack in the radiator causing it to swap fluids. after speaking with the shop owner he believes it was caught early so there is an off chance that a good flush and transmission service will correct the shutter, how ever i will need to replace the radiator, thermostat, all fluids and the hose assembly that connects the rear heat ( became brittle and cracked from transmission fluid) for a cost off $2000 parts. *tr

I was driving on the freeway and when vehicle reaches approx 50 mph, car starts shuddering. over time this shuddering noise becomes worse even at low speeds 20-30 mph. nissan is well aware of this problem because they extended the warranty for the radiator/transmission cooler. the worst thing is nissan is charging a co-pay of $2,500. they should cover all the charges including the co-pay since this is a known factory defect. *tr

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our 2006 pathfinder's radiator went out, something just popped and fluids just started leaking out, in july of 2012 at under 90,000 miles. i was told fluids mixed and could have possibly caused transmission problems. got the radiator replaced and was told if the transmission starts acting up, it would need replaced. later i got the notice of the extended warranty. since i spent less than the co-pay, there was nothing i could do. now, my radiator needs replacing again, along with my transmission, but i'm just over the 100,000 miles of the extended warranty, as of may 2013. i went through nissan consumer affairs, got to the executive level, and was told there was nothing they could do for me since i was outside the warranty. if i would have known i was going to need my transmission replaced i would have had it done when the radiator went out the first time, now after it was "fixed" at a nissan dealership, it fails again and this time it requires a new transmission. there is obviously a problem with the radiators they are installing, i'll be on my 3rd one now, and it's causing damage to the transmissions. if my first problem didn't happen till after the 100,00 extended warranty it would be a different story, but i already had 1 radiator fail, and nissan said they fixed it. i see the extended warranty coverage came after a class action law suit, i hope something can be done before someone gets hurt from the radiator failing while driving. please do something about this.

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

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated the service engine light illuminated, and the fuel system gauge displayed the incorrect fuel levels. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. a warranty letter was received from nissan to repair the radiator crack assembly failure, but the vehicle did not qualify due to the mileage. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximately failure mileage was 85,000. the current mileage was 109,000. updated 3/19/13 *cn updated 3/29/2013 *js

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

My transmission failed while driving on an interstate. mechanic said the cooling line cracked, which allowed radiator fluid to enter the transmission and destroy it. *tr

I had transmission problems, the transmission started vibrating and then would not move, i took to local transmission shop, they advised there was a problem in the radiator causing damage to transmission, i took to nissan dealer they advised that nissan had extended the warranty to 80,000 miles due to the radiator, however nissan had not sent any information regarding a problem are extending the warranty. if i had known there was a problem with radiator, i would have had it checked prior to the 80,000 miles. then nissan sends letter that they are extending warranty to 100,000 miles with a 3,000 dollar deductible. if i had received a letter earlier from nissan about the problem, i would have taken the nissan to a dealer prior to the 80,000 miles. at times the transmission would stall out when making a turn, which could have caused a serious accident; fortunately there were no on coming traffic. the car also has a fuel gauge which gives a false reading at all times to the actual amount of fuel in the tank due to a faulty sending unit. so now i am stuck with a bill for 3,000 dollars. i feel nissan was negligent in not advising their customers of the problem earlier. the dealer then called me and told me that the timing chain was worn and needed to be replaced at a cost of 2,000 dollars. my nissan has less than 100,000 miles and the radiator, transmission and timing chain are faulty, and nissan should cover these charges. *tr

While driving, the car vibrates and if you stop at traffic light and try to proceed driving it acts as if it has no power and it doesn't want to pull. took the car to nissan and they said the radiator had leaked coolant into the transmission, and both has to be replaced about $7000. there was no prior warning of this problem. *tr

Verified at local dealership that radiator coolant is mixing with transmission fluid which causes rough shifting and car to shake at certain speeds. this is a serious safety issue as car can suddenly lose power/break down while driving. radiator and transmission need to be replaced. we received nissan's extended warranty (8 yr/80,000 miles) on radiator last year. car is only 800 miles out of warranty, however nissan will not cover the cost of replacing the radiator and transmission. nissan needs stand by its product and issue a recall for this problem. *js

My 2006 nissan pathfinder's radiator leaked antifreeze into my transmission fluid. this is a problem that nissan knows about and does nothing about it. *js

When i try to accelerate, my vehicle shakes and the speed does not increase. i had the vehicle looked at and i was told the transmission fluid is mixing with the radiator. there is a purple slime under the radiator cap and there is corrosion under the cap of the overflow. this will cost thousands of dollars to fix which i can't afford. trying to merge in with traffic is dangerous since the vehicle doesn't always accelerate. *kb

Driving the car as i normally do and felt the transmission slipping and acting funny car lost power on hwy took to an aamco transmissions mechanic and was told that the radiator coolant leaked in to transmission. so to get it fixed had to rebuild transmission,new torque converter and new radiator. i see too many people having the same problems and nissan dose nothing to fix the problem you call them and they brush you off. mean wail everyone is spending any-ware from $5000 to $7000. could this get looked in to? *tr

Shuttering at about 40mph. dealer said nothing was wrong. later took it to the nissan dealer and the dealer flushed the transmission fluid. a week or so later, the transmission started jerking and not shifting correctly. i found transmission fluid and water were mixed. nissan dealer said there was no recall on the radiator. i purchased a new radiator ,had it installed. the installer said that the transmission had water in the transmission fluid. i purchased new transmission fluid(for nissan) and had the transmission fluid replaced, then had it replaced again after 100 miles. to remove any residual water. nissan still denies any problems with the radiator or transmission. the radiator problem renders the entire vehicle useless. nhtsa - please remember that our government is by the people and for the people. you need to make nissan repair our defective vehicles. its your job. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle was resistant to acceleration. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised the contact that coolant leaked into transmission and the fluid from the transmission leaked into the radiator. the radiator and the transmission would both need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 92,200. updated 04/27/12*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the radiator was leaking fluid onto the transmission. the dealer was notified and diagnosed that the vehicle would need a new transmission. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 93,000. updated 03/06/12*lj updated 03/08/12

It started feeling like i was driving over the bumps on the side of the road. i took my 2006 nissan pathfinder to the dealer and i had the radiator leaking into the transmission problem. i was told this is a common issue with nissans and they are not recalling the problem. they extended the warranty to 80,000 miles; unfortunately, i have 95,000 miles on my truck. it would have cost me approximately $1,000 to fix the radiator, more than 5000 to fix the transmission. *tr

The radiator colling pump cracked causing the cooling fluid to leak into the transmission and mix with the transmisssion fluid in return a new radiator drive unit and transmission needed to be replaced as well as the torque converter. *tr

Heard a thud in the rear. took it to get looked at by a mechanic. before the mechanic even looked at it he knew what was wrong. i told him i think something is wrong with my transmission. the mechanic already knew what was wrong hooked it up to the computer. didn't show anything he explained to me. the computer was not working on the car it had burned out due to the design of pathfinder. the transmission oil the radiator and all of the cars fluids are mixed. the radiator looked like vasoline.he told me i need a transmission cooling system and computer. hr would charge 5,000 dollars he suggested taking it to nissan.he said he has fixed several pathifinders with the same issues he said nissan is well aware of the problems.i took it to my dealer in bradenton fl. where i purchased my car they quoted me 8,000 dollars to fix it. since my truck isn't under warranty. i asked my dealer about all the problems.he told me to call nissan to make a complaint there isn't any thing he can do. then i researched and found thousands of pathfinders with my same problem im appalled by this. and need to know what i can do???? *tr

as i was going down the road and my vehicle started to shake like i was running over the emergency lane vibration strips and lost power. i was in high traffic and was almost rear ended. i had to let off the gas pedal, coast a little then press the pedal again until it shifted into a higher gear. i had it checked by a dealer and turns out the transmission had failed because of a crack in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to leak into the transmission. a problem that many pathfinder owners have experienced. a problem that nissan knew about in their pathfinders and instead of recalling the vehicles they extended a warranty that leaves the owner paying a $3,000 co pay to have the transmission and radiator replaced for a known problem. *tr

The cooler radiator opened and allow the coolant and transmission fluid to mix, causing damage to the transmission unit.. *tr

Fuel sending unit ..... tank reads 1/4 to 1/3 to empty on panel and runs out of gas ....while driving gauge fluctuates to full half and none after filing up and continues to do so no matter how much fuel ...... digital reading says 0 to 30 to 120 to 300 miles after filling up ... check engine light is on giving a error code for fuel sender.... there was a recall on the 2006 nissan pathfinder for this issue but nissan states that my vehicle does not fall in the recall ...... vehicle was manu 05/06... and has the same issue as the recall for 80,000 other nissan vehicles made the same year...nissan wants me to pay 98.00 for a diagnostic when i've had one done by a auto shop and the code matches the fuel sending unit.... nissan states they are unsure if they will cover the fuel sender or assist in repairdue to the fact my 06 pathfinder wasn't included in the recall. *tr

Radiator is leaking coolant into the transmission, mechanic explain that it would cost $5500.00 to fix and this should not happen, is a manufacture default. please help. thank you. *tr

About 10,000 miles ago i noticed a vibration at 40 and 60mph. i took it to a local dealer who replaced two u joints and sent me on my way. well, vibration is back, not only that now that it is winter, my vehicle wont warm up from an idle. it never blows hot air. these are a couple of symptoms that going forward show the radiator leaking into the transmission causing damage to the gaskets, seals,gears, torque converter. please help the radiator obviously need replacing but not only that the transmission is messed up and stalls out now from time to time. it is really expensive to replace and should be covered under a recall program so it forces nissan to recall just the radiators beofre they start leaking. *tr

Transmission and radiator fluids mixed and caused a major lock up and overheating in the car. the transmission was destroyed and the radiator needed to be replaced. nissan is aware of the malfunction but failed to notify or do anything about the issue. this is not only a safety risk, but a mechanical risk to the owner and nissan should at least notify the owners of this potential risk. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle began to vibrate with hesitation. the vehicle was able to remain in operation. the contact later inspected the vehicle and detected the transmission fluid was a brown color and the radiator coolant leaked into the transmission. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 71,867. the vin was not available. updated11/29/11 *bf updated 12/14/11

Auto failed to start or if started failed to run with computer coordinated power production. engine misfiring and powerless and immobile. check engine light on. garage said there have been several of these failures on nissan autos and expect a recall to replace defective part failing with increasing regularity. ipdm failure diagnostic is complete engine power failure and stop after extremely rough idling, even when accelerator engaged. the problem is without warning, instant and erratic onset with no preventative maintenance protocol. this is a part failure which will strand the driver wherever it happens until the part (ipdm) is replaced , after which the various computers on the car will perform as normal and auto functions normally. this part should be improved, recalled and reinstalled with defect free replacement to avoid further damage and stranding of other nissan drivers. nissan has not recalled the part as yet but the repair cost me $910 for diagnoses and replace the defective and failed ipdm on the 2006 nissan pathfinder and perhaps other nissan vehicles. the records of nissan should show the spike in orders for this part as other vehicles fail to function due to failure of the ipdm. a recall should be initiated to repair this defective essential and expensive part which cannot be maintained -just replaced when it fails. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate while driving. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the radiator fluid was leaking into the transmission. as a result, both the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 120,235. updated 09/30/11*lj updated 3/29/12 *cn

Vehicle coming to a complete stop when the transmission control module failed due to an electronic short resulting from a radiator cooling line rupturing and flooding the transmission. this is a 2006 nissan pathfinder. i checked on line and was surprised (amazed) at the number of individuals who have had the same problem. there are even class action lawsuits pending related to nissan knowingly aware of a defective radiator cooling line that breaks mixing into the transmission. my vehicle has been diagnosed by a nissan dealership quoting $6,500 to replace the transmission and radiator. nissan also extended the factory warranty to 80k miles when it was discovered that there was a defective part. thank you. but, they never notified me that there was a problem. and, you don't know there is one until it fails and creates the problem. this is very dangerous. as the car will die if the module shorts out. it is the same module that tells the electronic ignition system that the vehicle is in park. my opinion, nissan being aware of the defective part, in collusion with a vendor who provided the part. is darn near not only fraud but conspiracy. i pinged several dealerships who openly advised of the defective part and the number of vehicles they have fixed. i asked the dealer how long to get a transmission. i was advised that the one required to fix the 2006 nissan had 148 transmissions on back order. i should expect 4 to 6 weeks to get one. but, of course. my warranty is expired. i was also advised that the line that ruptures normally does between 90 and 110k miles. this is not only a safety issue. it is down right fraud and deceptive practices. deceptive, because of not notifying owners. fraud by knowingly having a defective part on a vehicle. *kb

Nissan used bad radiators in 2005-2006 that break, leak into transmissions, and require users to purchase both a new radiator and transmission. this happened to mine, and then i found countless complaints online. nissan knew that the radiators were faulty, but didn't perform a recall, which put a lot of cars on the road with transmission failures that are dangerous. *tr

2006 nissan pathfinder experienced transmission slippage at @ 85,000 miles and now no heat. car is maintained perfectly and now transmission and radiator need to be replaced, nissan says that it is not covered. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while accelerating, the vehicle would stall once it reached a speed of 20 mph. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that there was a hole in the radiator allowing radiator fluid to leak into the transmission. as a result, the transmission failed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 104,000.

At first incident, the transmission would start slipping causing a vibration while the overdrive was on, the vibration would go away when out of overdrive. then the car would stall when you would try to take off at a stop, the car would not move until you would turn the car off and crank it again. as you would pull out into traffic the car would not go. then even with the car out of overdrive while at speeds at 55 mph or higher the transmission would not work, you would have to let off on the accelerator and wait on the rpm's to drop and then it would go into gear again.i took the car to a local mechanic and he advised the trouble was in a solenoid in the transmission. i took the car to a transmission shop, they checked the fluid and said there was water in the transmission fluid, caused by a coolant leak from inside of radiator getting into the transmission lines causing the transmission to go bad due to coolant into the transmission. *js

Radiator failure caused transmission failure leading to lurching and difficulty handling. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle violently jerked into gear. the check engine light also began to illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the radiator fluid was leaking into the transmission fluid, causing the failure. the contact was also advised to replace the transmission. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who recommended the same repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 98,000.