There is a manufacturer's defect with the radiator in which it cracks and leaks fluid into the transmission, which then destroys the transmission. when we called nissan to ask if they were going to stand by their product, they told us there was nothing they could do for us. *tr
Service engine soon light came on at 106000 miles. immediately took it in to get it diagnosed (the next morning). they said that the radiator was leaking radiator fluid into the transmission, and therefore, i would need a new radiator and transmission. this apparently seems to be a problem with 2005-2010 nissan suvs and nissan is doing nothing about it. the class action settlement does nothing for us. *tr
I was driving on an interstate highway where the speed limit is 70mph. car begins have a large rumble. can't tell if it the rear end, the drive shaft or transmission. there is no pattern to the rumble and it continues for several weeks, so i take it to an auto repair shop. they tell me that i have water in my transmission fluid, which was caused by a cracked line in the radiator. i am told to check on the internet, because this is a big problem that lot of nissan xterra owners are facing. so, i check it out and the issue is huge. i bought the xterra about 2 years ago and during that time was never contacted by anyone warning me of this issue. now, at the time i find that there was a settlement, my vehicle has over the 100,000 mile limit. from what i read, the majority of the vehicles are over the 100,000 mile limit when the problem occurs. my vehicle still will drive and only get the rumble occasionally, but i now know it's fate. it's ashamed that i could not have been warned by nissan before facing costly repairs. nissan could have saved us lots of headache and money if we had know and been able to be pro-active before the damage was done. *tr
My 16 year son was driving home at 11:00 pm on the interstate when, with no warning, the car lost all acceleration power. he was able to get the car to the side of the road and turn the car off and on and got it into 3rd gear. it would not work in drive. he proceeded very slowly for a short distance until he would lose acceleration power. he had to continue to turn the car off and on the highway multiple times to get it home that evening. he continued very slowly with his flashing lights on. it subsequently had to be towed. thankfully, it did not result in a crash on the interstate. the car is black and it was very dark. it would've been very difficult for someone immediately behind him to react on the interstate. my son's safety was severely compromised. the problem turned out to be the radiator/transmission problem nissan is already being investigated for (nhtsa action number dp12004). it required a new radiator, a new transmission and a new transmission computer as this was all ruined with the catastrophic failure of the radiator. the cost of repairs was $4632.97 including the tow charge. nissan has been aware of this problem for quite some time and even settled a class action lawsuit for this very issue a few years ago. had they voluntarily recalled the vehicle and fixed the problem, my son would not have been put in this dangerous situation and the costs would have been minimized. i desire for nissan to be held liable for this - you have received literally hundreds of the very same complaint. please conduct a recall on the xterra, pathfinders and frontiers you know are impacted. we were fortunate not to have a crash resulting in injury or death; the next family may not be so lucky. *tr
I started to notice a problem while driving on the highway and thought it may be a engine oil issue. i knew there was something wrong because it did not feel right when driving the car it on the highway. attaining the speeds on the highway was difficult and slow. when braking it was also slower to react. i took it too nissan thinking it an easy fixed, i paid $700 dollars to fix whatever they could analyze. i thought the problem was solved, but no. then i was hit with a $3000 to replace the transmission and radiator, which was known about back in 2010. what a rip off nissan, you knew there was an issue and you neglect to inform your customers. i hope you go bankrupt now! *tr
When i am driving on the highway doing 65 or 50 miles an hour the car would slow down and cars behind me would almost hit me. this car was on a recall for the transmission and was fixed. the same problem came back on the transmission and nissan would not fix it. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
2nd owner of 2005 nissan xterra. first had issues with heat not working when at a complete stop, then car would begin to vibrate on the hwy, and now car is having issues up shifting. 2 mechanics have told me the same thing, stating defective radiator was leaking fluid into transmission. now i must replace both at about $4000. after doing some research online, i have found this is a common issue with this model and nissan has not issued a recall. jeopardizing the safety of many and being very costly to those who can not afford a major issue like this. *js
Vehicle moving along interstate in heavy traffic at 60 mph when acted as if it was shifted into neutral. almost got hit twice trying to coast to side of road. there was no response to trying to accelerate, shifter still in d position. engine temperature rose quickly. shut engine off engine, to prevent a fire. sit there momentarily, restarted the engine, temp came down, transmission engaged, drove home. husband investigated and found oily substance in radiator and transmission low in fluid that was a pasty looking material now on dipstick. refer to the nissan radiator defect class action lawsuit settlement case is in re: nissan radiator/transmission cooler litigation, case no. 10-cv-07493, u.s. district court for the southern district of new york. we were never notified of a recall or the suit, when we would have qualified for assistance from nissan. does the state of new york decide reparations to the rest of the country while i am now poor and need a car and can't afford to repair it. how many more failures are out there? includes pathfinder and frontier models. also discovered vin number on top of dash was incorrect. thanks. *js
I was driving my 2005 nissan xterra down the highway around 65mph when i noticed the vehicle would not accelerate when pushing the gas pedal. i was able to maneuver the vehicle off the road just before the steering wheel locked up & the vehicle went dead. had it towed into dealership, was told the transmission had failed & would have to be replaced. issues caused from faulty radiator drainage into transmission fluid. i have read of countless other reports of this same issue. this year vehicle should be recalled by dealership to correct this recurring problem. it wont be long before someone loses control of their vehicle due to failed transmission & hits another vehicle or kills someone! *tr
Driving with family on interstate 5 on the right lane going 60-62 mph. without no light sensor warning from the xterra or no other warning whatsoever, it slowed down drastically from 60mph to 30mph, and i can see fast moving vehicles passing me. there was a huge semi truck behind us, he started to flash his high beam on us from behind. i try to accelerate but it would not, it just make a very loud engine sound. the semi truck so close behind us, i got scared, i signal right to pull over to the shoulder and doing so we almost got hit by another car that was merging to the freeway because the xterra was very slow. we pulled to the shoulder, put in park and the xterra has a weird smell coming out of the engine front. i try to shift to drive but it didn't move. i try to shift to reverse to park the xterra in a better position off the freeway but it didn't move. two hours later, the tow truck arrive. i was extremely upset our entire family could have been kill because there was no warning light. *tr
The car had been driving fine and then all of a sudden it would not shift into a higher gear. the rpms would just increase. at times the car would not even go into any gear what so ever. finally managed to get it to a dealership where they told me it was the transmission fluid mixing with the radiator fluid. told me i needed both replaced and quoted over $6500 for the fix. check engine light was on at the time, but i was also having a problem with the fuel gauge (also another known problem in xterras). *tr
When driving at various speeds i began to notice the engine bogging down when changing gears. upon taking it to my mechanic i was told that there was a leak between the transmission and engine coolant systems. the fix would require a replacement of both systems totally approx. $6000! apparently this is a "known issue" with 2005-2010 xterras. upon contacting nissan i was told that since my vehicle was over 100,000 miles that there was nothing that they could do for me. if this is a known issue, and a rather major one at that, i'm not sure why there hasn't been any recalls or some kind of fix. *tr
I had a complete loss of motive power and needing to be towed to a shop. the shop diagnosed the problem as a failed transmission fluid cooler located in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged internal transmission components and a damaged internal transmission computer. there were no warning signs leading up to or just prior to the failures. the transmission and radiator now need to be replaced. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan model xterra. the contact stated that he replaced the radiator as a precaution to avoid radiator fluid from mixing with the transmission fluid. the contact had not experienced a failure. the current mileage was 83,000.
While turning back into traffic my 2005 nissan xterra jerked as i began to accelerate over 20 mph. once i got the vehicle to the speed of traffic it began to have troubles shifting gears and accelerating. while the vehicle was at a steady speed i didn't notice any other issues. as i slowed to an exit the vehicle started to jerk and not shift properly. it also had trouble accelerating. after having these issues i checked my fluids and found a milky like substance was in my transmission and my coolant. i researched the problems i was having with my xterra and found that it was very common and realized that their is a crack in my radiator which is causing the contamination of my transmission and coolant. i have had this vehicle for just about two months and it is very upsetting to know that i may have to pay for a new transmission and radiator which is more then what i paid for the vehicle. *tr
Driving xterra on highway when suv started to hesitate when moving forward in traffic....suv would hesitate, rev...and not shift out of gear easily upon acceleration. took suv to mechanic and found out the radiators engine coolant was leaking into the transmission fluid causing the problem. i lucked out and did not damage the transmission, however; i am having to replace the radiator due to the nissan known defect. i was never given any letters or notified about this mechanical problem and now will be paying under a $900 for fluid flush, new radiator and new fluids. this is not ok for nissan to not notify the vehicle owners!!!! i expect repayment from nissan on their faulty mechanical equipment. *tr
When i drove it to work, there were a few delays while shifting gears. after half hour driving it, i heard water splashing sounds. i turned off the radio and i heard the splashing sounds even more clear. in the same time, i smelled electronic burnt like smells. since i was on the express way, i couldn't stop right away. then, 15 minutes later or a total of 45 minutes driving it, there were smokes from the front. i was so shock and worry if the car was going to blow up. i felt panic because i couldn't just stop in the middle of the driving lanes. thankfully, other cars slowed down for me and let me passed. i pulled up in the nearby dairy depot's parking lot, but i was 20 minutes away from my workplace's city. it was so cold and windy, but since i was worry if the car would blow up, i got out and stood in the cold. also, the tow truck was delayed for 2 hours and i had to missed work. the car shop told me that the radiator causes the transmission issues and all fluids are mixed together. when i researched this issue, i came across many others who had the same issue. i am shocked that it's very common. i feel so discourage to ever trust nissan again. this car was my investment as i have $7000 loan remaining on it and i just fixed all four shafts for $1000. i have always done comprehensive maintenance to it. so, where did i go wrong? how can nissan does this? why there was no recall that would have regained customers' trust that it is safe to drive nissan??? why nissan has to wait for a mountain of complaints before agreed to extend the warranty and even that was only for those under 100k mileage? does it mean that nissan can't make a car that last more than 100k??? not only nissan jeopardizes my safety and others, now my investment in nissan has turned into a chunk of debt for me. this is so wrong!!! *tr
Due to a faulty design by the manufacturer, transmission fluid leaked into the radiator and caused complete failure of the radiator and transmission. because my vehicle had over 100,000 miles it is not covered in any way by warranty and there was no recall issued. i am now facing a car that is worth $7000 or so and needs more than that in repairs. my vehicle is totaled thanks to a faulty design that has been well documented by the manufacturer, but they will do absolutely nothing to help. if they had simply issued a recall on the radiator when the problem first became known, this would have been and easy $500 fix, instead i am left with a worthless vehicle and insufficient funds to repair it or get a new one. i could not be more angry and disappointed with nissan and their handling of this situation. needless to say i will never be buying from them again and i will suggest the same to anyone who will listen. *tr
Our radiator and transmission broke,causing our car to stall, on vacation, in the middle of utah. apparently nissan is aware of this problem but the warranty is too limited to cover nissan xterras suffering from the exact same problem! it's not just us!!! we use our xterra for off roading (as its intended for!) and a busted transmission put all of us at risk! we did not do anything crazy but you need a safe transmission on hills. after over $1000 in towing expenses we got to a nissan dealership where we were informed that there is nothing we could have done to prevent this. later we researched and found out it is a common defect in cars like ours. *tr
Cracked radiator causing coolant to leak into the transmission. once mixed with the transmission fluid this lethal combination kills the valves, seals and torque converter -- rendering your entire transmission useless. my xterra is not able to drive. got quoted over three thousand to repair and my car is not even paid off yet. *tr
Radiator defect causes leakage into transmission. transmission fails and vehicle abruptly stops unpredictably on the freeway. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power and would not exceed 25 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the transmission had failed due to being contaminated by coolant. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 102,000.
I took my 2005 nissan xterra to dealer to get serviced. the service department person told me my transmission fluid was leaking into radiator. they told me do to my miles on car at that time i had 94000 miles it would be a 3000 dollars co pay due to the extended warranty nissan had authorized. i ask why wasn't i told when nissan was aware of problem to do prevented maintenance. the service rep. said since it was no recall he was not obligated to tell me. i don't know about most people but i don't have 3000 dollars laying around to use i live paycheck to paycheck. i take my car to dealer only for service thinking its getting the right service but i found out i was wrong. if i was advised early i may of found this problem earlier and got it replace free. now what do i do? *jb
Fortunately i was simply attempting to back out of my driveway when the vehicle would not move. i read numerous horror stories of others who had this issue in the middle of the highway so i am very thankful that this did pose any further risk of injury especially since i am 9 months pregnant and was on my way to an ultrasound. after taking my suv in, we learned that anti-freeze was leaking into the transmission causing complete transmission failure and ultimately requiring a full transmission replacement. the cost is closing in on $4,000. never did i receive any notification from nissan that this was possible and my xterra did not show any signs of concern. i started researching this problem online only to learn that i am one of many who have experienced this issue and at a hefty price with no help from nissan. i read online that nissan's answer to the problem was to extend the warranty to 80,000 miles but i have just recently passed that threshold. furthermore, i have learned that this problem more often begins to present itself after 80,000 miles. i am appalled that this issue has not been investigated and more importantly been recalled since it could cause serious injury if not death. one thing is for sure, my husband and i will never purchase another nissan vehicle. i strongly feel that the nhtsa should analyze the way nissan is doing their business not to mention find a way to compensate every single customer who has suffered from this problem. nissan should be ashamed of themselves and hopeful that no one gets seriously hurt should it occur in the wrong circumstances. *tr
Just bought auto from used car dealer day before. drove it 30 miles pulled in visited then went out to start auto. would not start traced back to blown fuse, changed fuse tried starting again, blew fuse again, one more time then when auto started smoke came out from under hood. after 3 months of replacing electrical wiring from frying narrowed down to radiator and transmission (fuse that blew) the coolant had backed up and tore up transmission. if it had been on the road there would have been a full blown fire on a highway with possibility of human damages. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated while driving 45 mph the vehicle stalled and failed to shift gears. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic, who stated the transmission failed because cooant mixed with the transmission fluid. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure was not reported to the manufacturer. the failure and current mileage was 108,000. updated 08/20/13*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that the transmission failed, causing the vehicle to decelerate while the contact was attempting to accelerate. the contact's personal mechanic inspected the vehicle and found the radiator smoking. the mechanic also noticed that the radiator fluid had mixed with the transmission fluid. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 149,000.
I have experience what many other owners of a nissan xterra have experienced with a defective radiator. a leak in the radiator has allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged internal transmission components and a damaged internal transmission computer. in less than a week since noticing loss of power in my vehicle it became inoperable. due to the high number of these incidents involving the nissan xterra transmission parts have become impossible to find to rebuild the transmission. as a result they only recourse to resolve this problem is a costly $6000 replacement of the transmission. *tr
A radiator failure caused the cooling system fluid to mix with transmission fluid causing transmission failure. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission and the radiator would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 115,000.
Radiator leaked onto transmission. learned about their faulty radiators just today. now i'm in a $6200 bind to get a new radiator and transmission. i take good care of my xterra and i am so appalled with nissan i don't know what to do with myself. a $600 fix turned into a $6200 fix. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle shook violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the torque converter, radiator and the transmission had failed. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 94,200. updated 06/18/13*lj updated 06/21/2013 *js
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle began shaking as the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised the contact that transmission fluid had leaked into the radiator and both components would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 114,000. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle shook. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that transmission fluid had leaked into the radiator and both components needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 88,000.
My car started shaking and i lost power. i had the car in for repairs for 10 days and it cost $3,700.00. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. the contact stated that as the engine was started, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine area. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 117,000.
Just started moving after stopping at a light, and the engine stalled. would not restart immediately, but when it finally restarted it was missing. every time i have driven this car since then it has stalled, usually but not always after i have stopped or slowed to make a turn. i took it to the dealer this week (1/5/2013) and was told the problem is the transmission and radiator. the transmission is leaking fluid into the radiator and they both need to be replaced. i was told about the extended warranty and the $3000.00 co-pay. i have to fix the car but i don't know where i'm going to get $3000.00. i don't understand why nissan didn't recall the part that fails which allows the fluid to leak into the radiator. that would have saved hundreds of people and nissan a lot of trouble and expense. there shouldn't be any co-pay since nissan could have prevented this. *tr
Transmission kept slipping from 4th gear to 3rd, then back to 4th. it was brought in for transmission service and learned the radiator was leaking fluid into the transmission. the radiator needs to be replaced and the transmission rebuilt. nissan is aware of the issue occurring in 2005-2007 models, but have done nothing to correct it, nor have they notified owners of this serious problem. *tr
Vehicle started making a jerking while shifting into moderate speed of 65 or lower. vehicle was taken to a transmission repair shop where the technitian informed me that there was transmission oil in the radiator, causing the proper engaging of gears. extended warranty is expired and the extended warranty of the radiator issue is also expired. nissan was made aware of the malfunction and denied assistance unless i wanted to pay out of pocket. transmission repair shop offered to fix problem at a cost of $5000! car is still being paid for until 2015! *tr
While driving on the 73n freeway in orange county, my car started shuddering. the temp gauge was ta the max so i pulled over. i was towed in to a nissan dealership where the master mechanic told me that the problem was caused by the transmission cooler in the radiator failing causing radiator fluid and transmission fluid to mix rendering both inoperable. he also told me that this is a growing problem with nissan and he has personally seen many such cases. he said that nissan is using defective radiators which is the main cause of this. *tr
Two years ago my 2005 nissan xterra began rattling, shaking and not heating when idling. i took it for diagnostics at my mechanic he thought it may be a u joint or tire problem. recently, this problem is getting worse. i took it to the dealer after searching the nissan website which has recently posted an extension of the radiator/transmission warranty due to the many reported problems of radiator fluid leaking into the transmission and destroying the transmission. my xterra has 84000 miles on it. i was just told by nissan that they will rebuild the transmission due to the defective manufacturing, however i must pay a co pay of 2500.00 dollars since i am over the 80,000 miles. this is ridiculous. they say it is dangerous for me to driver if i don't pay to replace it. why isn't this a recall item ? how can anyone justify not recalling a defective radiator/transmission on a car with less that 100,000 miles on it ? this must be stopped. nissan must be forced to make right the defective engineering used in it's automobiles. the customer who paid full price for a new car should not have to bear any of the cost for this defective and dangerous workmanship. *tr
On september 8th, 2012, i got back from a 20 minute trip and was pulling into my driveway when my xterra would not move. transmission fluid was leaking all over my driveway. i had it towed to a service center where they estimated the cost to be between $2,500 and $2,800. when they realized the transmission and radiator had to be replaced the repair bill would have been much higher but they kept their promise and the final bill was $2,856. i am thankful that this did not occur on the highway. i should not have to pay for a defect that is not my fault and that is a possible safety hazard. *tr
Nissan is well-aware of a design flaw that allows radiator fluid to cross-contaminate transmission fluid. they jokingly (at least their dealers) refer to it as a "strawberry milkshake". the antifreeze degrades transmission parts and causes transmission failure. a quick web search shows over 300 such cases. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. while parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle but the engine would not start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostics. the technician stated that the radiator and transmission would have to be replaced due to coolant from the radiator leaking into the transmission, causing an electrical shortage. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: dp12004 (power train:automatic transmission:cooling unit and lines power train:automatic transmission:torque converter power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm, pcm)) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 104,324.
I was driving my car after a long trip, i had about a quarter tank left. i parked my car and when i returned to use it to run an errand i began to drive. my gas tank needle went all the way to below empty then my check engine light turned on as well. i have looked up this issue and found out there were multiple complaints about the exact same thing that happened to me. this is a nissan issue that should not be taken out of pocket from the consumer. especially since there is a long history regarding this exact same problem. *tr
Transmission cooler leaked into radiator, fouled cooling system with transmission fluid, also fouled transmission with coolant. this caused vibration in the transmission, loss of acceleration, check engine light was activated for a clutch solenoid switch, and unknown possible damage to the transmission. *tr
Radiator coolant leaked into transmission causing overheating. replaced radiator $1200 now required to replace transmission for $3510 parts, $1450 labor, and $100 fluid at tischer nissan laurel maryland. transmission feels like riding over rumble strips. *tr
First incident occurred in april 2011 - while driving the transmission began to fail and would not shift. i had to have the vehicle towed because it would not drive faster than about 15-20 mph. the nissan dealership diagnosed the problem as "internal fault in valve body" and replaced the valve body. this incident cost me $1568 and a week without a vehicle; went in to dealership on 4/20 and i picked it up on 4/27. second incident occurred in june 2012 - while driving with my kids in the vehicle, on a busy street, the transmission began to fail again and would not shift. once again, the vehicle would not drive faster than about 20 mph. this time i had the vehicle towed to a local transmission repair shop. the diagnosis was "fluid is full, but is black and burnt, dipstick for the trans is crusty looking..." the transmission shop rebuilt the transmission and replaced all faulty parts, including the valve body. this incident cost me $3865 and eleven days without a vehicle; went in to transmission shop on 6/15 and i picked it up on 6/26. in fourteen months, i have had transmission failure and have had to replace the valve body each time, a very expensive part. it is simply unacceptable that the manufacturer patches the vehicle, instead of fixing it, not to mention charges the owner for their defect. *tr
My 2005 nissan xterra had leak in the radiator and went into my transmisson. now the truck did not run. i contacted nissan when the truck had less than 80,000 miles on it but they refused to fix due to mileage.
First incident occurred in april 2011 - while driving the transmission began to fail and would not shift. i had to have the vehicle towed because it would not drive faster than about 15-20 mph. the nissan dealership diagnosed the problem as "internal fault in valve body" and replaced the valve body. this incident cost me $1568 and a week without a vehicle; went in to dealership on 4/20 and i picked it up on 4/27. second incident occurred in june 2012 - while driving with my kids in the vehicle, on a busy street, the transmission began to fail again and would not shift. once again, the vehicle would not drive faster than about 20 mph. this time i had the vehicle towed to a local transmission repair shop. the diagnosis was "fluid is full, but is black and burnt, dipstick for the trans is crusty looking..." the transmission shop rebuilt the transmission and replaced all faulty parts, including the valve body. this incident cost me $3865 and eleven days without a vehicle; went in to transmission shop on 6/15 and i picked it up on 6/26. in fourteen months, i have had transmission failure and have had to replace the valve body each time, a very expensive part. it is simply unacceptable that the manufacturer patches the vehicle, instead of fixing it, not to mention charges the owner for their defect. *tr