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Nissan Pathfinder Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    what did you mean by this[I am one of the lucky ones ] and what type of multiple purchases from dealer did you have, Most all of the tranny and radiator issues are not covered by Nissan
    that's why we all got a partition going for a lawyer. :confuse:
  • r51doodr51dood Member Posts: 6
    I just picked up my pathfinder from the dealer after 15 days since the transmission was on back order. They replaced the radiator and transmission..total cost $6500 repair and $600 rental car but cost me $0 (thanks to extended warranty)
  • sstanisstani Member Posts: 11
    I also received the email on 6/22/10 from Wenjie Cai from the San Francisco office. Wish I knew how long this process will take or what to expect. We cannot drive our car because of this problem. I cannot afford $5000 to put in new transmission and radiator. Reported my car to dot.gov but did not get any communication back from them.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    how much was the additional extended warranty cost you? ,ballpark figure $2,000-$3,000 just curious :D
  • r51doodr51dood Member Posts: 6
    $1200. I had to buy then when I bought my brand new pathfinder. It's one of those deal where buy it now or pay more later.
  • sosenskysosensky Member Posts: 7
    In answer, I felt I was lucky because of numerous reports here of Nissan denying coverage. Multiple purchases referred to my buying new from the dealer a few times. Wonder if I'll be waiting 15 days till the dealer gets the parts. Good luck everyone else. Steven.
  • blastlaneblastlane Member Posts: 10
    I just wanted to give an update. We got our Pathfinder back from the mechanic and it runs like a dream now! Total cost: $5,073. I have written a letter to Nissan, keeping it very professional and can only pray now that they will reimburse us. I do love this SUV and hope to have it for many years to come. I also heard back via e-mail from the class-action firm and got a confirmation number from the government website.
  • nathanp96nathanp96 Member Posts: 3
    Transmission fluid is a strwberry milkshake color. another transmission specialist in town has already ran a diagnostics check, and basic overlook of the tranny, drawing the same conclusions as myself.
  • audhamaudham Member Posts: 31
    I know the feeling. My husband "was" a foreman for a construction company that was exclusive to new homes. Has anyone seen more than 5 homes being built in Southern California in the past 2-1/2 years? :( NOPE!!

    We also did not have that kind of money to shell out. We went with a rebuilt transmission and they did the "bypass" thing for the radiator. It ended up about 1/2 the price. It still is not running like it was ~ but I think it will get us through until something with the lawsuit happens.
  • ftjoeftjoe Member Posts: 2
    Symptoms are after 10 minutes running, its really slow off a standing start and has issues shifting (staying in a lower gear or jumping to a lower gear too soon).

    Details: Daughter came back from school and had to drive around 30mph for over because the engine was racing (of course she didn't call). I get in and it seemed fine though I noticed once warm it wouldn't take off like it used to. Mechanic drove it and said tranny so we got a rebuilt for around $2600. I get it back, take it to work on Friday and after stalling twice in the driveway, its running fine for ten minutes. But then really slow off a standing start. It seems to have issues switching gears so I think it was actually in second or third on the highway. Maybe that was the issue with my daughter? Also seems to jump to a lower gear at the wrong time. First thought was we were had as the tranny is not the problem but now I don't know as I see postings in regards to the radiator?. Have I caused damage to the rebuilt transmission by driving it 30 miles at local and highway speeds?

    Hopefully someone can help. I've read through some posts and searched but I have a 2003 with the following issues.
  • sutt2sutt2 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder with 70,000 miles. No problems with transmission yet , but am very concerned with the problems others are having with their Pathfinder. i checked the transmission fluid and as well as the radiator fluid, and the fluids look normal. I read a post where nissan installed a badge batch of radiators causing the problems. Anyway to to tell by serial number or anything to tell if i have a bad one? Plan on checking the fluids monthly for discoloration. Should i sell it or hope for the best. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    I haven't heard of any serial number or start date for the installation of the bad radiators ,you would have to see when they changed the manufacturer of the radiator,it must be documented by Nissan somewhere as to when the cut off date was for installing the vendor of the bad radiators .
  • suxtbmesuxtbme Member Posts: 4
    If you plan on keeping your Pathfinder, I would at minumum install a tranny cooler and bypass original factory radiator or install an aftermarket radiator and replace the original factory radiator. I would be very hard pressed to trust any Nissan info since they can't be honest about this problem and perform a recall. This $500 or less fix is a great deal better than the $3,000 I have invested in mine to have the radiator and tranny repaired. $5,000 to $7,000 if Nissan Dealer was to install a new tranny and radiator. I would do this before any warranty you may have expires. We have an '06 with 127,000 on it and this problem occured. Nissan was of no help and told me I was SOL due to out of warranty. We like the vehicle but are extremely dissappointed with Nissan.
  • sutt2sutt2 Member Posts: 2
    thanks for your reply. I am going to do the bypass in the am. I found on another forum complete detailed instructions on how to do this. i just wish others would have known about this problem and could have done the bypass thing and saved themselves alot of money and heartache. Hopefully Nissan will man up soon.
  • samurai_jacksamurai_jack Member Posts: 2
    My original radiator was made by Calsonic. Our Pathfinder is now 76K and I decided to replace it with an after market. It will be paid of this month and we plan to keep it for a few more years. Just wondering for those who had the misfortune of having this problem if they noted the brand of the radiator... I kept mine just in case Nissan decides to replace them. I know Calsonic is a reputable brand that is why im asking if those who broke down have the same radiator brand.... cost of replacement is $300, radiator and labor, just in case anyone asks....
  • nathanp96nathanp96 Member Posts: 3
    Sell it! Don't gamble on this!
  • quesocorequesocore Member Posts: 7
    I'm glad I found this thread. I actually first read about this issue a week ago in Popular Mechanics. They published a letter by someone how has gone through this very same thing! Great to see exposure as a major publication! Hopefully that will help force Nissan to take responsibility.

    I have a 2006 Pathfinder with 45k miles which I recently purchased used from a dealership. If the trans fluid turns out to be soured I'm going to ask them how this passed their ten million point inspection that is such a huge selling point.

    I've recently experienced some symptoms similar to others on this thread. It started with a vibration around 75-80mph. Within the past few weeks I started feeling the vibration around 60 and now anything over 40. At the same time I started to hear a slight clicking when I would come to a stop (similar to a CV joint going bad). This clicking has become louder and I now hear it at any very low speed (< 10mph). I suspected a U joint on the front drive shaft (that&#146;s where the noise seems to be coming from) so I crawled under to check. I'm in no way a mechanic but I was able to grab the two parts of the shaft around one of the ujoints and twist back and forth. I got a tiny bit of movement with the same clicking noise that I've been hearing. I have an appointment with my mechanic today to confirm what I found to be a problem. It doesn&#146;t at all seem normal to me.

    After doing some online research I've found that the vibrations at higher speeds could also be caused by a bad ujoint. I was wondering if anyone could confirm that they've had similar symptoms in this thread but found it was a ujoint issue. I also checked my coolant and it looked very clean. I'm having my mechanic check the trans fluid today also. As a precaution, no matter what outcome is with the fluid checks, I'm having the radiator replaced and the trans fluid flushed (not just drained and filled!). I ordered a Koyo A2807 rad for $210 and figure with labor and the way overpriced Nissan fluid I should be around $500. It's been suggested that bypassing the rad and installing an external cooler is a solution but I read that this may actually cause a problems in cold climates? Can anyone confirm or deny that?

    I'm still under power train warranty for another year / 15k miles but I'm picturing the worst case scenario here where the tranny lasts until after that. I don't really want to spend this money now but it will hopefully give me some peace of mind. When I first purchased this car 7 months ago I felt like I finally had a rock solid vehicle (especially with the winter we had here in PA) and now I feel like it's going to bomb out on me at any moment. I'll post a follow-up once I find out about my ujoints / fluid and any other diagnosis.
  • 9728jim9728jim Member Posts: 10
    I have a 2005 Pathfinder with 115K miles on it and had to replace the u-joints (front and rear shafts) twice so far! I had vibration occur at 40 mph and higher. Replacing the u-joints fixed the issue. The fact that you could get movement at the joint using just your hands definitely indicates a problem. Replacement of the u-joints should fix the issue.

    I also went ahead with a proactive fix for the radiator/transmission issue. I wasn't having any problems but wanted to take care of it before it cost me a fortune. I bought an aftermarket radiator (Sherman) from Rock Auto and replaced it myself for a total cost of only $175. It was a bit of work but hopefully I will be set.
  • quesocorequesocore Member Posts: 7
    I think I can do the radiator myself also but the flush concerns me a bit. I looked over the procedure in the service manual and it looks like it involves draining from the coolant line from the tranny while filling? Did you end up flushing the fluid as a precaution? I can do a drain and fill but the flush procedure makes me a little nervous.
  • luckyducluckyduc Member Posts: 17
    "It's been suggested that bypassing the rad and installing an external cooler is a solution but I read that this may actually cause a problems in cold climates? Can anyone confirm or deny that?"

    You can bypass the radiator and run an external tranny cooler, however the radiator also is used to heat up the tranny fluid in cold weather. It is possible to cause damage to the tranny if you live in a cold weather climate as the tranny fluid will not get up to temp fast enough with out the assistance of the radiator heat. A better solution would be an after market radiator. The failure point on the OEM radiator is the connector tube.

    The issue you described is most likely a bad u-joint. Premature failure of the u-joints is a common problem on the pathfinders.
  • quesocorequesocore Member Posts: 7
    Thank you! I'll stick with the after market. When you say the connector tube do you mean that's the point where it is potentially leaking? I wonder if once pulling the OE rad out I can inspect that.
  • blastlaneblastlane Member Posts: 10
    Our Pathfinder had both the radiator/transmission, then the u-joint issue. The "vibrations" are different. The radiator/transmission is a shudder. The u-joint is a definite vibration that gets worse very quickly. Mechanic fixed the u-joint free of charge.
    Nissan Customer Service called last week and referred our claim to the Regional Specialist. We are now waiting for the "Regional Specialist" to call to review our claim.
  • gharpmangharpman Member Posts: 88
    Went thru whole trans/radiator mess. Got Nissan to replace both for $450 labor charge. Called my indep trans guy who reversed the cooler hoses to bypass radiator. So far so good. If you can, ask indep Ask trans person about reversing hoses. Should work if you don't have fluid contamination. Only thing they asked me to look out for is slowing acceleration over 40mph, but all good. Good luck.
  • blastlaneblastlane Member Posts: 10
    We heard back from the Nissan Regional Specialist yesterday. He refuses to discuss anything because we have joined the class action lawsuit. He wouldn't even tell us he could help us if we took our name off of the lawsuit. Very disappointing on Nissan's part. Our only hope to recover our $5,000 is for the lawsuit to go through and win or for Nissan to finally admit there is a problem and reimburse us all. Does anyone know if the lawsuit has even been filed yet?
  • quesocorequesocore Member Posts: 7
    So you had the coolant mixture and they did replace the transmission? What was your warranty status when they replaced it?
  • upset007upset007 Member Posts: 1
    Well I just got back from Nissan Dealer because my pathfinder was vibrating at 40 mph, while I was excelerating. Of course I looked up what it could be before I took it there and seen stuff about the u joint and coolant leak into radiator. Well it figures I have both problems. the dealer says it is going to cost 2500.00 for the coolant leak repair and 400.00 for the u joint repair. I just bought the car from a dealer about 5 months ago. Of course it is no longer covered under any warranty. It has about 87,000 miles on it. Does any one know another way to fix this? I live in Maryland. Thanks.
  • quesocorequesocore Member Posts: 7
    I don't know of any. Does the $2500 get the transmission replaced? I hope they aren't proposing to replace the radiator and flush the trans fluid for that amount!
  • alisonlalisonl Member Posts: 30
    I cant wait until Nissan is exposed in this. They are the most unethical corporate business so FAR. At least Toyota stood up the plate after their exposure and attempted some kind of smoothing out.

    Anyway, Maryland guy, bring it to Pa, Selingsgrove, Pa, its the cheapest replacement Nissan I found. Youll end up replacing all of it. And I had a new U joint put on at the same time as well, about $100.
  • jstreufertjstreufert Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to say I've followed this forum for a little bit now, I got the 40 MPH "shudder" in my '05 Pathfinder about 1200 miles ago. I took it in initially to our mechanic and he said it was the u-joints or the rear differential. I got on the web and found this forum. Thanks for all the information shared here. Nissan is really letting it customers down with this one.

    Our issue ended up being the U-joints which out mechanic replaced and everything runs fine now, BUT, I will definitely keep an eye on the radiator.

    BTW - our gas gauge went out ages ago and our mechanic said it would over $500 to replace. We passed and have just tracked mileage, glad to see we're not the only ones in that boat either.
  • 9728jim9728jim Member Posts: 10
    Sorry it took me so long to respond quesocore,

    I did not perform the "flush" on the coolant system. I simply drained the radiator and added fresh coolant. The coolant I drained looked good, no sign of tranny fluid, so I think I'm fine.
  • fishman7fishman7 Member Posts: 1
    We would like to get in on the lawsuit, could you give me the information on how to do so? Our radiator started pushing coolant into the transmission and our car would vibrate going between 50-55 mph. It costs $5000 for a new transmission, so just like you we are wanting Nissan to reimburse us.
  • gharpmangharpman Member Posts: 88
    http://www.lieffcabraser.com/offices.htm Go to this Url and follow the yellow brick road.
  • sstanisstani Member Posts: 11
    I had reported a complaint to NHTSA.gov about our Pathfinder issue about a month ago. I have received a questionnaire form where they are asking for further detailed information including any repair invoices,etc. I will be sending a FULL PAGE detail of what happened with our car months ago! and also I am sending the Nissan dealer repair estimates and our local mechanic invoice where he gives a full description of what he found. The more people that report their problem with the Pathfinder to NHTSA with full details including the VIN, the better!!!!!!!
  • condrenvcondrenv Member Posts: 9
    O.K.... I have the same shutter that eveyone is talking about. I have had 2 Nissan dealers and one tranny guy tell me it is the tranny. Now that I have a warranty policy Nissan said they fixed the problem. They replaced my radiator and flushed my tranny (6xs) for an additional $891 and everything is running fine. So my question is simply... Are we being riped off my mechanics or is my tranny going to fail in the near future?? Pleaase let me know if anyone has had a tranny flush after the radiator failed and the shutter is gone.

    I am so...... confused and frustrated you have no idea !!!
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    your at their mercy , after all who's knows more about a tyranny other than those who work on them every day at one time I watched a kid in a junkyard take my auto tyranny apart on a old piece of plywood and I put it back in the car myself ,ran good for years.LOL

    image
  • mpadonmpadon Member Posts: 2
    We have an 2005 XTerra Off Road model and have hit the same problem. The estimate for repair is $6000. I hope you will include XTerras in your call for action - they have many cross over parts with the Pathfinder.

    I am equally as disgusted with Nissan. I wrote our Congressman and Senators and they received a response from Nissan simply saying the vehicle was out of warrantly and our problem.
  • gharpmangharpman Member Posts: 88
    What goes around, etc. I'm not a lawyer, but Nissan will eventually have to pay. Legally, the warranty should not be considered since they installed defective parts.Ypu can sign on to the class-action suit at:

    http://www.lieffcabraser.com/contact/thankyou.htm. and report to:

    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/
  • condrenvcondrenv Member Posts: 9
    Before you go and put that kind of $$ into your truck try changing the radiator and get a good transmission flush. That worked for my 2006 pathfinder. I had two dealers and a transmissions shop all tell me that I needed a $5700 transmission. I spent $900 and all is well. I am not sure if Nissan is trying to screw the consumer or is it the mechanics trying to make money. My truck was really.... bad,,, It was shuttering in the rear betweem 40-60 mph and then it started slamming in to gear. Then one day it just stoppped going into gear. Well good luck.
  • dotdotdotdot Member Posts: 1
    If anybody could help[ me I have a question. I am about to get a rebuilt transmission. Some one said I need to also change the sensors in the transmission at the same time because of the coolant and transmission oil mix. Has anyone dealt with the sensors in the tranny. Thanks
  • kuya1284kuya1284 Member Posts: 6
    That resolution may not last very long. I've done and the problem reoccurred within a few months. If your coolant was like chocolate milk prior to having the fluids flushed, I'm sure that the issue will resurface as the coolant and transmission fluid are going to mix again.
  • danielle32danielle32 Member Posts: 1
    Yes my mechanic flushed mine 10 times and still nothing. transmission needs to be replaced. I changed all fluids filters and radiator nothing has worked. I also have 05
  • kmonkmon Member Posts: 8
    I just found out at 132000 miles that my Nissan Pathfinder has radiator fluid leaking into the transmission fluid. the dealer told me that I would need to replace the Trans. and the Radiator at the cost of $6000.00. I have a call into Nissan to see if they can assist in paying for the cost of the repair. Has anyone had any luck with Nissan picking up some of the cost?
  • blastlaneblastlane Member Posts: 10
    You can always try to see if Nissan will pay. I wrote a nice professional letter, but it still came to a NO response from them. Whatever you do, do NOT tell them you have joined the class action lawsuit. They won't even attempt to talk to you if you have. Good luck with your new transmission and radiator. Ours is doing just fine now that we have had it fixed. I just wish we had our $5,000 back.
  • kmonkmon Member Posts: 8
    edited July 2010
    Thanks, I still have not had it fixed yet. I am waiting to see how Nissan responds.
  • kmonkmon Member Posts: 8
    Nissan called me this morning. Guess What? They are not willing to help out with the repair bill. This has been the first Nissan that I have purchased and I can tell you it will be the Last. Nissan just likes to talk a good game but won't stand behind their product. There is obviously a defect in the design of the radiator if so many people at different mileages are having issues. I hope Nissan has to pay for this in a huge recall. They would be better taking care of the problem now with the customers who are having issue then have to pay millions in recall bills.
  • pherrlepherrle Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2010
    Has anyone considered trying to go after Calsonic? I believe they are the ones who make the defective radiator. Doubtful they will do anything by may be worth a shot.
  • spinynormanspinynorman Member Posts: 5
    My 2005 Pathfinder had the same issue - had been shuddering for several months. Coolant leaked into the transmission via the radiator. I sent a sample to Blackstone Labs confirming this, but the contaminated transmission fluid is very obvious because it looks like a dirtier version of campbells tomato soup mixed with milk. The tests however revealed no signs of excessive wear with the transmission.

    About 2 months ago with 78,000 miles I replaced the radiator ($200 for aftermarket, WAS NOT going to get another defective Nissan radiator), $200 for 18 quarts of Matic S and $20 for new nissan coolant. Vibration cleared up immediately. It now has gone about 3,000 miles and seems none worse for the wear. I will be towing our camper with it soon, which should be a good test.

    Moral of the story is to change the radiator and flush the hell out of the transmission, then see what happens before spending $$$$ for a new transmission. I will update this in a few weeks after towing and road trip, but have my fingers crossed.
  • ftjoeftjoe Member Posts: 2
    edited August 2010
    I posted earlier on my 2003 Pathfinder but now things are just getting worse. Four weeks ago had an issue after warming up with very slow acceleration from standing start and shifting issues (staying in a low gear at higher speeds). Had a rebuilt transmission put in and still had similar issues when we got it back a week later. Found out the engine oil was low four quarts, then the car was fine for two weeks until my daughter went on a trip 200 miles away (of course). Same issues in the beginning, slow standing start and won't shift.

    Now the local Nissan dealer says transmission fluid is "burnt" and two gears are suspect. So the rebuilt transmission has 12 month warranty, but is there some other issue such as coolant that might be causing the tranny to fail? I'm concerned the transmission shop will say its not their fault the transmission failed if the cooling is no good and won't cover under the warranty. Any thoughts or advice?
  • kmonkmon Member Posts: 8
    edited August 2010
    Thank you for the tip. I am in the process of doing the same thing. I am going to replace the radiator first, drain and flush out the trans and see if it improves. Let me know how you make out it in a few weeks if the trans holds up and the shuttering goes away.

    Thanks,
    KMON.
  • petekapeteka Member Posts: 2
    We are having the same problem with the radiator fluid leaking into the transmission fluid, ruining both the radiator and transmission (one month after powertrain warranty expired), $6000 repair bill. I reported this issue to the NHTSA and encourage everyone else to do the same.
    How to report a safety Complaint
    Select how you would like to report your complaint. See below for information regarding this form.

    &#149;ONLINE: Select the "Begin Form" button to the right.
    &#149;BY PHONE: Call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at
    (888) 327-4236 , TTY: (800) 424-9153
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