Problems with 2006 Nissan Xterra POWER TRAIN

While driving our 2006 nissan xterra at speeds between 40 and 65 mph the vehicle started losing power and not shifting between gears correctly. at stop signs it would start out and rev high and then not shift again. the transmission stopped working while on the freeway. after letting it sit for a period of time the trainsmission would engage for a short time and stopped again. finally had to have the vehicle towed how over 50 miles. waiting until monday (happen on a late saturday) to get vehicle to family mechanic. tried to speak to nissan dealerships and got no help. we had the vehicle looked at by family mechanic at least twice before for the vehicle have symptoms of power loss and sluggish gear change and it was so intermitent that nothing could be detected in the past.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning as smoke emerged from under the hood. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 118,000. returned by usps on 11-6-2013. second attempt on 11-19-2013 failed. *kb

On 9/13/2013 i took my vehicle to alan webb nissan to investigate some transmission slipping that i had experienced the previous day. on 9/16/2013 i was informed that my transmission had become contaminated with radiator coolant and my transmission and radiator would have to be replace at the cost of $5300.00 plus applicable tax. i was further informed that this was known problem with this generation vehicle but that nissan only provided repair assistance for vehicles with less than 100k miles on them and i was therefor required to pay the full amount. it was only later through online research that i discovered that a class action lawsuit had been the only reason they provided any repair assistance. i also noted that the vastt majority of reported cases were for vehicles over the 100k mark. 1. if this was a known defect that affected millions of vehicles why wasn't nissan forced to perform a recall and replace the radiators. 2. why was i not as a minimum informed of the defect when i purchased the vehicle with 74k miles on it. with less than 80k on them nissan would repair the problem at their cost. 3. if the problems are not as a rule happening to vehicles until they go over 100k miles then why cap the assistance requirement. 4. now that it is recognized by the courts as a known failure why are the consumers paying anything to do these repairs whn it could have been avoided with a $200.00 radiator and an hours labor. i find this very dishonest that nissan was not forced by the courts or the nhtsa to do a full recall or disclosure to owners. if so many vehicles are on the road which can have a major transmission failure at any time why hasn't the nhtsa forced nissan to do something about it? this may not be as hazardous as fuel tanks rupturing but i would think that a vehicle that has a transmission failure at highway speeds should be of concern. *js

The transmission is failing due to the transmission cooler inside the radiator allowing coolant to get into the transmission causing a catastrophic failure. it is my understanding that this is a common problem and that nissan knew it was from a defect in the radiator. i've seen online that many people with a 2005-2010 xterra, frontier and pathfinder with the 4.0 v6 engine are having this problem *tr

2006 nissan xterra with 95000 miles. felt a vibration at 40 mph and after doing research online, took it in to have the transmission and radiator flushed. found out that the radiator leaked coolant which found its way into the transmission and has all but destroyed it. currently at the transmission shop looking at a $5k plus bill to replace the transmission and radiator. this has happened enough that the national transmission shop sells a package for nissan vehicles to correct this issue. not happy. was recently considering buying a second nissan but not anymore as they are failing to address this well documented issue. *tr

2006 nissan xterra 4x4 - bought new - only owner - perfectly maintained after reading all the information from nissan we thought since we hadn't had issues that we were safe. not to mention that our xterra was over the mileage that would qualify us for the extended warranty. our transmission just quit leaving us stranded away from home with our two children. 130,000 miles on the odometer. we contacted nissan only to get an email saying they could not help us with our issue. this is a known issue! an internal crack on the oil cooler tube so why are they not standing behind their vehicles? we have been die hard nissan fans since purchasing our xterra in 2006! we even own a titan too. we were contemplating adding a nissan juke to our nissan collection. however now we do not feel we can trust nissan nor do we like the fact that they are not standing behind their vehicles. we wont purchase another nissan ever.

Transmission started to slip abruptly and with imminent failure. checked complaints and discovered a well known issue with transmission/radiator fluids intermixing due to a failure in the transmission cooler. mechanic verified this was my problem as well. nissan quoted $8500 repair. service adviser at nissan north (ohio) confirmed that this is a very common problem. apparently nissan acknowledged this in a class action lawsuit settlement in 2012 but did not notify any of the owners of potential failure without any previous symptoms.i had my car serviced at the dealer 3 months prior and they did not notice/notify me of any potential issues. transmission failed on a trip to new york. i'm looking at a repair bill that potentially exceeds the value of my automobile. nissan has a moral and a implicit obligation to notify owners of problems such as this. this should have been a recall, as it would have prevented the failure and saved numerous owners outrageous repair bills and possible loss of vehicle. *tr

My 2006 nissan xterra with 96,560 miles experienced transmission failure caused by a crack in the transmission cooler inside of the radiator. *tr

Bought 2006 nissan xterra used on august 1st, 2013, had problem the evening after i bought it. transmission was not changing gears properly and was causing high rpm's. took it to nissan dealer and they said the transmission and radiator would need to be replaced due to anti-freeze mixing with transmission fluid cause by broken cooler tube. *tr

2006 nissan xterra: i replaced the radiator & had the transmission flushed last august(cost nearly $2k) . a couple of weeks ago after going about 60 miles the vehicle was not engaging to accelerate. it was a one time occurrence. today after about 20 miles it did not accelerate as i was attempting to merge onto the highway. i could not get it to go over 20 mph but was revving at 4rpm. now the check engine light is on. *tr

My transmission went....the coolant was leaking into the transmission and over time ruined it. barely made it to the transmission shop who charged $3900 that i didn't have. this is a nissan fault and i should be compensated, even though i'm over the absurd low mileage limits. please help! *tr

I was driving down the highway with my family in the car. the car was traveling at 65mph and suddenly started to jerk back and forth and swerve side to side. then it suddenly slowed down and we were almost hit from behind. then vehicle continued to do this until i was able to get the vehicle off the highway and on the side of the road. im told that the radiator had catastrophically failed inside and sent transmission fluid into the radiator causing the transmission to fail. this is extremely dangerous and is my sons vehicle that he drives daily or at least used to. *tr

Transmission began slipping causing the vehicle to lose power at freeway speeds, usually 60-70 mph. inspection revealed a known problem reported for xterras, pathfinders and frontiers, 2005-2010; radiator leaked coolant into the transmission causing it to fail. this resulted in a $6,000 repair with no coverage from nissan. *tr

2006 nissan xterra. consumer writes in regards to transmission problems. *smd the consumer stated radiator coolant contaminated the transmission fluid, and now the transmission needs to be replaced.

My vehicle at time of purchase had 91,736 miles. as i was driving it home it would not allow me to accelerate after 60mph and the rpms reach over 4500. i was in the last lane when traffic started to clear. i could not accelerate and go at the speed of traffic. i had to put my emergency lights on and get over to the last lane. this is a recurring problem when i drive the vehicle. at times when i try to accelerate the vehicle reaches high rpms and it lunges forward until it settles in. i took it to two different mechanics and they both told me it was the transmission slipping and the radiator leaked water and that is what made the transmission start slipping. i don??t want to drive the vehicle with my children because i was scared that i will be driving 65mph and one of a sudden loss of speed and be in an accident because i can??t accelerate. the mechanics gave me a quote f $2400 for a used transmission and $3900 to rebuild the transmission and an additional $250-300 to replace the radiator. i am a single parent with two children and i cannot afford to repair the vehicle. i am not driving the vehicle in fear that i might damage it more. i should not have to repair it at my cost, this is a manufacturer defect. i am asking for there to be an investigation and a recall due to all the similar complaints. i should not have denied the right to drive my vehicle and use another vehicle because there has not been any recalls to fix the situation. the vehicle transmission and radiator should be fixed by nissan at their expense. *tr

My 2006 nissan xterra w/ 119,000 miles experienced transmission failure caused by a failure of the radiator. i understand this is an ongoing investigation and would like to have notice of where the investigation stands at this time. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My 2006 nissan xterra would lunge forward when i was traveling at 40-45 mph. it would first jerk forward when i would go from slowly moving to accelerating, like when you began to move after sitting at a red light. the light turns green, you slowly start to move and then you press the gas to accelerate and the car would jerk forward. then the car had problems shifting out of 1st gear before i was about to get on the interstate after leaving work. i decided to take the back route because i did not want to have an accident. i stopped at 2 mechanics on the way home. each told me i would have to take the car to the dealer. i was able to get the car to the dealer and was then told that the radiator and the transmission needed to be fixed as there was a mix of the radiator and transmission fluid due to a leak and it would cost $5050. i was totally shocked! i had not any other major problems and the vehicle was checked regularly. i specifically asked the asm guy, who checked in my vehicle and told me the specifics of what was going on after the technician looked at it, was this a common occurrence and his response was, "it happens but better than buying a new car." it just didn't make sense. i then had my vehicle towed to a transmission repair shop because it would not shift into first gear. this is when i was told of the radiator leaks with subsequent transmission failure. the mechanic said he has had numerous nissans with transmission failures and even finding a used or rebuilt nissan is extremely difficult to find now. i am just extremely blessed that i did not cause an accident by either ramming into another car or the car just stopping on the middle of the interstate during rush-hour traffic. if i nissan could have notified owners by mail or during a service check, i could have had the defect fixed before this happened. please reimburse owners for this cars defect. *tr

We have recently began to notice the heat - this past winter did not want to blow warm/hot air unless we were stopped in trying to diagnose the problem, we found red/foaming transmission fluid in our radiator-what a surprise after draining and flushing the radiator system and the fact we did not need the heater any further thought we maybe just had a fluke thing happen. now in driving our xterra it has all of a sudden developed a transmission problem that endangers anyone who drives it. it starts our running smooth and then out of no where has no movement and then in an instant will lunge. we have been on the interstate and had this scenario happen in traffic - talk about scary when another vehicle all of sudden is in your back window and now on your bumper..it has caused us to be fearful we were going to be the cause of a major accident more than once. we have a 6 year old that is with us all the time and i can tell you that we are afraid to put him in this vehicle and go anywhere. we are a two income family living from paycheck to paycheck and do not know where or how we are going to get the money for repairs. nissan denies there is a problem but rest assured, if we are in a wreck because of this issue there will be a lawsuit. *tr

Back in january our 2006 nissan xterra, on occasion, started making a sound like it was running over several road bumps. it would stop shortly thereafter. i took it to our family mechanic thinking it was a u-joint or something along those lines. he couldn't figure it out. it began to happen a bit more often so we stopped driving it until our house sold. finally, the house sold and when we were bringing it to our new condo it overheated. we had it towed to nissan who informed us that the transmission fluid had cross contaminated with the radiator fluid, destroying both. the estimate was over $14,000. the service person informed me that nissan was having problems with this and a couple of other makes. now it is in a class action suit, and my car sits while i continue to pay it off. what can i do to join the lawsuit? this is clearly a situation that nissan needs to fix. i would never had bought the car if i had known there was even the most remote chance that this could happen. they have stated they "can't" do anything until the lawsuit is resolved. its unfathomable to me that they simply wouldn't have these cars fixed during each and every incident. thank you for your help. *tr

Vibration from transmission. *tr

Vehicle shudder like rolling over rumble strip. problem is related to manufacture defect with radiator. *tr

My transmission was leaking into the radiator. i need a new transmission and radiator, over $4000.00. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. the contact attempted to shift into reverse however, the vehicle produced a loud noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where the contact was informed that coolant leaked into the transmission. he was then advised that the transmission needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

Transmission failed due to well known issue with 2005-2010 nissan suv/truck transmissions. coolant leaked into transmission fluid through coolant line causing catastrophic failure. dealer quoted $7000 to replace transmission. *tr

Like countless other owners of nissan xterras, my radiator cracked and leaked into my transmission destroying it. my 2006 xterra is just outside of the extended warranty. nissan is not willing to offer any assistance other than an apology. luckily when mine failed i was not on the interstate. *tr

Tramsmission was beginning to make noise and shifting roughly. i took it to the nissan dealer and they said the radiator was leaking into the transmission fluid causing damage to the transmission. they said it was not covered under warranty and it cost me over $3500 to repair.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. the contact stated that coolant leaked into the transmission, causing the vehicle to stall while driving. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer stated that the transmission and the radiator needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the transmission or the radiator replaced. the failure mileage was 152,000.

Xterra began to feel sluggish and would not change gears appropriately (it is an automatic), after driving a couple of miles. returned home to check fluids and found that the transmission fluid did not look 'right'. car was towed to a local nissan dealer/service department and was told that there was cross contamination of radiator fluid with automatic transmission fluid and the cause was that the radiator had failed. correction required is that the radiator and automatic transmission assembly has to be replaced at a total cost of $8438.43. i was told that nissan would cover 70% of the cost of the repair, however required that i pay $3000 dollars up front before they would even order the parts. once i gave them the $3000 by credit card because a check was accepted, i was told it will take three weeks for the parts to arrive and then another two days for the installation. in addition, my extended warranty will not cover the repairs because the radiator is not a covered part according to the warranty. the fine print states that if a non-covered part causes a covered part to be damaged then they do not cover the covered part. *tr

This 2006 nissan xterra problem has caused problems with stability of the vehicle, lurches in acceleration, near-stalls, and uncertainty about reliability of vehicle in taking trips. the problems continues to get worse and we have determined that it is caused by engine coolant leaking into the transmission and vice versa. there is very visible evidence of the coolant being in the transmission and transmission fluid in the radiator. i have checked both of these and there is no mistaking it. this problem has caused me to not be able to take two trips because of being afraid of the transmission completely failing and leaving me and my family stranded in a remote area during the trip, not to mention my everyday driving that is required. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. the contact stated that the vehicle jolted intermittently. the vehicle was taken to dealer for diagnostic testing, who stated that there was contamination in the transmission and radiator. the transmission and radiator would both need to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no further assistance. the approximate failure and current mileage was 89,000. ...updated 07-10-13 *bf updated 07/11/2013 *js

Know radiator leak into transmission. nissan refuses to pay on extended warranty to repair. my out of pocket expense is $7,300.00. *tr

Cpsc: i1340159a. nissan xterra. consumer stated the problem with this vehicle, is radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. *ln

I stopped at a stop sign, when i accelerated it was like my vehicle was not getting any gas. i almost got hit due to the lack of power. i took my xterra to the dealership where they informed me that my transmission fluid and coolant mixed due to a crack in the radiator. the radiator and transmission are ruined. i was advised that it will cost around $8000.00 to fix. at least i didn't have a wreck, although it was close. *tr

Same problem as many others. the transmission fluid and coolant mixed and it is all toast now. this is due to a crack in the radiator. *tr

Transmission is failing because of defect in radiator that allows coolant in to the transmission. *tr

I had been noticing a whining noise associated with transmission 'flare' on acceleration for some time, but only in march 2013 was it diagnosed at 96k miles by the dealership as faulty timing chain guides, a known problem with the 4 l engine. the dealer said the faulty parts needed to be replaced soon. i contacted nissan usa consumer affairs about having nissan partially cover the cost of replacing the faulty parts. despite having the dealership's original report and estimate, nissan's regional rep insisted that the dealership had to reconfirm the diagnosis, which was done. the rep then refused to return my calls, and did not respond to dealership queries about the repairs either. the engine noise was getting worse, and fearing a catastrophic engine failure, i had the dealer repair the vehicle. the dealer said the timing chain was slapping and about to fail. the dealership urged me to report the problem to appropriate federal, local and nissan officials because the problem is potentially very dangerous. *tr

In december 2012 the coolant in my radiator bagan leaknig into my transmission, which i had fixed in april 2013. now in june 2013 all the coolant and transmission frluid has leaked out and leaving me with no car. *tr

Started over a year ago that while driving the motor would just stop running, would have to coast to the side if the road without power steering or brakes. i took it into the shop and they couldn't find out the problem. now that my transmission is starting to shake and make noise, i took it to the dealer. they told me that my radiator is making into the transmission and that makes the motor quit and loss of power. i am informed that i need a new radiator and transmission. looking online i see that there are a lot of people with this sane safety issue and that there is no recall. i think that there should be a recall because it's safety alone! i almost hit a car and a pedestrian while trying to steer off the road and stop. please help with a recall!! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle jerked as the check engine warning light illuminated. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle would fail to shift. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis where the contact was advised that coolant was leaking into the transmission. as a result, the transmission and the radiator would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 94,000. *tr

The transmission fluid and engine coolant are mixing causing my transmission to lock in 1st gear. *tr

Radiator cracked and leaked coolant into the transmission. both radiator and transmission damaged. *tr

About 3 weeks ago my transmission started to shift hard. took it to the dealer and they said my radiator assembly has leak into the transmission and they knew about the problem but wont fix it under warranty because i was out of warranty. i got a letter from nissan saying the same problem with the radiator assembly and show the dealer it as well and they still won't cover it for being out of warranty. so i asked them how much it would be to fix it and it would be $8000.00 to repair. the dealer suggested i call nissan. so i call and tell them my problem with the radiator and tell said they wont cover it of being out of warranty. i asked nissan what i'm supposed to do and they said that i'm out of luck. so i'm wondering why they didn't have a recall on a know problem with their vehicles. *tr

Like hundreds of other xterra owners, our radiator line leaked coolant into our transmission and it totally destroyed the transmission, as well as the electrical component. all told, $4,000 to repair (and that was with a hefty discount from aamco). it happened on at highway speeds, and we were lucky not to end up in a wreck. in the two days it took aamco to fix our car, we spoke with two other people who had the exact same thing happen to their xterra's. i am amazed that this is such a common problem and has not been addressed in a more satisfactory manner by nissan. i hope this investigation helps drive nissan to do a recall on these parts before someone gets seriously hurt. *tr

On feb. 8th my wife and i were moving into a new place just miles away from our old home. when cruising in between 40-50 mph the vehicle was experiencing extreme vibration in the rear end of the vehicle. it was then that i assumed it might be a universal joint and/or the drive shaft. so when i had the money i brought the vehicle to aamco transmissions to have it checked out. i had to drop it off but later that afternoon the mechanic called me and told me it was the drive shaft and the frontal u-joint. he replaced the u-joint and re-balanced the drive shaft. i thought the problem was solved but just a few miles down the road i realized it hadn't. so i brought it back and they took a second look and told me it may be two things. either the torque converter is bad or the coolant hose busted and the antifreeze was draining into the transmission which would cause the transmission to blow out. they then told me to fix the transmission would cost me around $6,000 which to me is worth more than the actual vehicle. when i got home i did a little research and found that sure enough the antifreeze was leaking into the transmission. the antifreeze looks like a green apple milkshake if you can imagine. i don't know what to do because i know that there are no recalls for this issue nor warranty coverage. hundreds of people have complained about this exact issue. i'm at a loss, and now there's absolutely nothing i can do with my only transportation. *tr

Told the timing chain tensioner plastic part failed; only indication is a whine sound from the engine. nissan issued a tsb to their dealers about this issue, but nothing to the consumer. if the timing chain fails it will cause a catastrophic failure of the engine and a possible crash. an unknowing consumer has no idea about what this sound means (just sounds like a noisy engine) and might have little warning prior to a timing chain failure. this is a common issue on the type of engine in the xterra, it affects other model also, and at a very low mileage 50-60k mi. consumers need to be notified of this defect and to listen for the noise. not everyone takes their vehicle to the dealer. most mechanics know that timing chains are supposed to last well over 100,000 - 200,000 miles and would never suspect the defect. a safety recall or at least a notification to consumers would be advisable. *tr

I was driving about 45mph when my vehicle jerked and briefly lost propulsion. this has happened approximately six times on different occasions and at different speeds. i feared that it would happen while pulling out in traffic. about two months after the first incident my mechanic has diagnosed that the transmission has failed, which is related to this phenomenon. *tr

Due to a cracked radiator, coolant leaked into the transmission system causing the transmission to fail. luckily, was able to take vehicle out of service before more damage could occur, as a result the firth gear was deemed inoperative. the cracked radiator was replaced, and a new transmission will have to be installed. the vehicle is drivable, but gas mileage has significantly been reduced because of the loss of the fifth gear. i talked to numerous repair and transmission specialist, and this is a very common problem. researching on the nhtsa website a active investigation was found under nhtsa action number # dp12004. *tr

Due to a crack in the internal radiator, my transmission failed. i was almost side swiped pulling out of a parking lot because my xterra wouldn't go into 1st gear. the crack in the coolant cord is a manufacturing defect, but nissan refuses to pay for the cost of this product defect and correlating damages. *tr

Transmission fluid leaked into the cooling system requiring the complete replacement of both major components. total cost of the work was over $5000 after checking with numerous repair facilities. apparently this is a known issue as every repair shop i talked to said this is an extremely common problem and that every customer has complained about nissan's response. *tr

Transmission failure. the transmission radiator failed causing coolant to leak into the transmission which destroyed the transmission. i spoke to the nissan dealership and they acknowledged that this has been an issue with the xterras. nissan does have a program to rebate some of the repair ($4,500 dollars). this program has a cutoff at 100k miles. my vehicle has 119k miles. nissan will not do anything to help with the cost of repair although they have acknowledged that is a problem. nissan does not have to worry about having me as a customer in the future!