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Nissan Pathfinder Transmission Problems

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  • kenoman59kenoman59 Member Posts: 2
    I have coolant in my trans. I spent $200, and replaced the radiator and drained the trans. Got it all out and refilled the trans. I drove my Pathfinder for about 10 miles and the same thing happened. I have freaking coolant in the trans. What do I do now? I called Nissan about this and they told me they don't know what could be causing this. They won't do anything about it. Does anyone know what this can be?
  • kenoman59kenoman59 Member Posts: 2
    The color of the trans fluid is milky white. The radiator fluid is low and e trans fluid is way over due to coolant in it.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    edited September 2011
    A new Class Action in process....I know, because we are the lead plaintiffs....details to follow. This will be filed in Texas.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    If you changed your radiator and the same thing happened then you must have gotten a junk radiator between the years that Nissan bought from a different vendor from Nissan 05-07 , you should have tried to get a 04 or 08 an made it fit with a few modifications on the mounts and maybe- just maybe it would have been saved, now its destroyed and costly ,join the lawsuit club and hope the lawyer is as good as Johny Cockerin.
  • surfdude764surfdude764 Member Posts: 1
    At first the automatic transmission of my 2001 Pathfinder started to 'clunk' with a few seconds delay in D. Someone suggested it would be the U-joints, but that's not it.

    Now it got worse: I can't pull up in D anymore. Now I have to put it in 2, pull up and then in D when it's in 2nd gear. I've checked the oil level of the transmission and that seems ok (assuming the level stick has to be pushed back entirely till it's in the clamp again to get the level? Not only till the rubber hits the pipe?). Could it be the oil got old and thinner? Or is it more likely the oil pump is worn? Or?
  • tmeves59tmeves59 Member Posts: 1
    No cross-contamination to date, but I'm seriously considering an aftermarket radiator switch as a proactive action versus the much discussed bypass. For those of you that have installed either Koyo (quesocore), Spectra, or others - how are these aftermarket rads holding up? Realizing fully that there may not be enough history to comment at this time.
  • spinynormanspinynorman Member Posts: 5
    Nissan could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and maybe even kept some customer base (judging by this forum and my opinion) by offering to install a separate $50 +/-transmission cooler when this problem began appearing years ago. They still, to my knowledge, have not offered this option. Perhaps this is because it may be construed as an admission of a problem? Such a simple fix. I suspect that every 05 and above is at risk unless Nissan changed the design. I also own a 2005 Pathfinder that had this problem.

    Nissan's apparent decision to minimize the significance of this problem seems to be the tack of many businesses now - DENY DENY DENY. A calculated BUSINESS DECISION that ATTORNEYS can save more money than HONESTY and DECENCY. To Nissan and its execs (led by Carlos Ghosn) shame on you. At least Toyota bit a somewhat questionable bullet when the old folks that drive Toyotas allegedly couldn't find the brake pedal or something like that and offered a repair.

    My 05 pathfinder is still alive. I changed the radiator at 78k just when it began having problems. I did not repair the transmission - it was shaky but still functioning. Now at 100k the tranny hasn't died yet. Nissan reimbursed me for the radiator and 30+ quart blood transfusion (at $12 per quart) for the transmission fluid needed to get the contaminatants out. But - this doesnt change the fact that other Pathfinders have this same risk. My opinion is this is a safety issue that Nissan should have and should still PROACTIVELY ADDRESS. To my knowledge they have not. Just my 2cents.

    To Anyone with an 05+ pathfinder - add a bypass transmission cooler and you will never never ever have this issue (although the crappy defective Nissan radiator may eventually leak coolant through the abandoned transmission fluid ports, which would have ended up in the transmission had you not installed the cooler. That is when you know your investment paid back 100- fold) Why nissan did not offer this to its initially satisfied customers earlier is beyond me. Poor business decision. You cannot buy cheaper insurance.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    yes they bought the radiators from an inferior vendor 05-07 and the coolant leaks into the transmission and it s destroyed at your cost $5,000, and to add the v6 engine loose the brass swirl valve screws down into the engine and destroy the engine another blunder, and now its a corrosion problem with the driver side strut and steering column rusting out. so everyone who loves pathfinders ,keep feeding Nissan and the engines are also the same engines that go into altimas and maxima's its a VQ35 with a timing chain that also eats up the plastic timing chain rails ,about a $2,000 dollar job.
  • rricksrricks Member Posts: 1
    hello, how can I be added to the class action. I have replaced my radiator once and completely flushed the tranny. Guess what, the new radiator has done the same thing (coolant in the tranny). I am tired of paying money to a company who think nothing about their customers!!!!!!
  • snowbird127snowbird127 Member Posts: 9
    Call both of these firms...I spoke with Mazie a few weeks ago...it's case is in court awaiting a ruling from the Judge. Nissan asked the suit be dismissed (shocking I know)... My very non-legal understanding is the key for victory will be to get the class-action suits certified by the Judge. If certified as a class, Nissan will then need to engage instead of putting the blame and cost on its customers...I just paid $4,950 to have my 05 Pathfinder fixed. Will never buy another Nissan again...:lemon:

    Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC based in Essex County, New Jersey
    http://www.transmission-lawsuit.com/

    Kantrowitz Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C.
    http://www.kgglaw.com/Investor-Consumer-Bulletin/Nissan-2005-Pathfinder-Radiator- - -Defect.shtml
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited September 2011
    the key for victory will be to get the class-action suits certified

    And then what? Get a coupon? Maybe you should talk to your own lawyer and go your own way. If the amount of damages is too low for a lawyer, you could try small claims court.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    We have a Class Action suit being petitioned to the Northern District Court of Texas. My wife is the lead plaintiff. Our car (Pathfinder) is currently in repair and should be out of the shop this Friday. Once the petition is filled...I will release the name of our Law Firm. Not quite sure how wide the Class Action will be. Same problem....the radiator cooling system failed and contaminated into the transmission. Our TCM died....(ele module that tells the ignition system in in park), upon diagnostics by Nissan, they determined the contamination of fluids. Transmission is now dead. The real problem is once the indicators are present, it is too late. I wish I had kept the response to Nissan we wrote when they selected us for a response on the quality and satisfaction to their customer service. Nissan, you have to be kidding! The question is: Are they stupid or stupidly smart. We'll see.... ;)
  • fl116fl116 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2006 Frontier with no problems so far (knock wood). Are there preventative measures I can take to ensure I don't get this problem. Thanks D
  • jk05mdxjk05mdx Member Posts: 16
    Bypass the transmission fluid internal cooler in the radiator. There is a detailed step by step DIY procedure for this in the Frontier Forum. It is easy and you will not need to purchase anything.

    All the best!
  • fl116fl116 Member Posts: 3
    Hi jk05mdx. I am having trouble finding it in the Frontier forum. Can you point me in the right direction to find the DIY - Thanks Dan
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2011
    I think he's referring to the link this post, which takes you off our site:

    jk05mdx, "Nissan Pathfinder Transmission Problems" #114, 11 Dec 2009 1:18 am
  • myme54myme54 Member Posts: 1
    I keep reading how just about everyone who owns this car including myself has the same problem and I still don't understanding how Nissan can get away with this. I am a single mom and, if my car doesn't work my life gets turned upside down. On top of all that, the problem is so expensive I don't know how I'm gonna pay for it. I still owe on my car so I'm paying for a car that at the moment I can't even drive. Anybody who can offer any advice or just say anything that can help me would be great!
  • redbeard8redbeard8 Member Posts: 3
    I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune with your Nissan. If you have under
    80k miles,Nissan issued an extended warranty. If over 80k miles, you may be out of luck unless the pending class action lawsuit gets some results. I haven't had any problems yet with my '07, but I'm worried that it's just a matter of time. I will either trade it or disconnect the trans. cooler before it happens, which may be an option for you if & when you get your vehicle back. Good luck!
  • grid1grid1 Member Posts: 2
    I have 134,000 miles on the pathfinder and my mechanic just told me the coolant is leaking into the transmission. It will cost 4600 to fix. Anyone know about any class action suits or warranty possiblities?
  • lauracpalmerlauracpalmer Member Posts: 35
    Check out the message after my rant with links to two law offices; I suspect there are more. My understanding besides a class action suit is making sure this is reported to NHTSA: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects

    Be sure to add anything that might have happened while driving the car when the damages occured. In our case our Pathfinder lurched forward in heavy traffic. Fortunately my husband was driving & managed to control the vehicle but it was terrifying. I used to enter VT traffic accidents into the NHTSA database while working for VT Highway Safety. Many of the reports involved deaths, including photos. This makes us so angry that Nissan can so casually treat this like it's nothing. The money is one thing, in our case $6000.00 plus loss of our vehicle for over 3 months due to the lack of transmissions from Nissan. But that they turn their backs on this when there is clearly a danger involved is beyond pathetic. What NHTSA takes seriously are dangerous vehicles. I know the money is important, we hope to get ours back, but pushing the dangers of the Nissan vehicles really needs to be addressed so the feds take it seriously.

    Here is the lawsuit link info:
    #847 of 857 Re: Nissan Radiators Another Class Action [rricks] by snowbird127 Sep 26, 2011 (6:43 am)
    Replying to: rricks (Sep 25, 2011 7:59 pm)

    Call both of these firms...I spoke with Mazie a few weeks ago...it's case is in court awaiting a ruling from the Judge. Nissan asked the suit be dismissed (shocking I know)... My very non-legal understanding is the key for victory will be to get the class-action suits certified by the Judge. If certified as a class, Nissan will then need to engage instead of putting the blame and cost on its customers...I just paid $4,950 to have my 05 Pathfinder fixed. Will never buy another Nissan again...

    Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC based in Essex County, New Jersey
    http://www.transmission-lawsuit.com/

    Kantrowitz Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C.
    http://www.kgglaw.com/Investor-Consumer-Bulletin/Nissan-2005-Pathfinder-Radiator- -Defect.shtml
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    Ours is being petitioned to the Northern District of Texas. The petition is requesting (if approved by the Judge) Class Action status. I have not seen the final version of the petition....but, I was advised it was complete Monday the 10th and is in process of being submitted to the court. My Pathfinder is currently going thru repair...and I have been asked to secure all parts for engineering and liability (defect) analysis.
  • grid1grid1 Member Posts: 2
    My mechanic is having a difficult time finding another transmission for the 2005 Pathfinder. Does anyone know a good source?
  • barb_715barb_715 Member Posts: 4
    When I got mine done a couple of months ago I had a 4 month wait because the they were on "national back order." This was confirmed thru a friend, who is a mechanic with the government, who contacted the national distributorship. Seems so many need to be replaced they can't keep them in stock nor can they keep up with the demand. I was fortunate that the shop who replaced mine got one for me a at least a month before it was suppose to be in. The best bet is to call the Nissan distribution center in California and see how long the wait is going to be for them to receive the transmission. You can also order one directly through them.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    Don't buy a new (or replacement) transmission...have the one you have rebuilt. You will need to add a tranny cooler, replace the failed radiator...and have clutch disks, seals, and other items replaced in the rebuild of the transmission (and maybe the control module). Most reliable transmission shops can do it. Mine did the work and provided a 5yr - 50,000 mile warranty. Cost is approx 50% to 70% of what Nissan would charge for a new one. Remember, Nissan replaces customer transmissions, full up ($6K plus)....they don't repair. Unless of course, you give them a trade-in...then they send it out for repair. They are not stupid, just unethical when it comes to supporting their products.....much easier to extend a warranty as a gamble (statistical probability) versus coming to the table to admit a DEFECTIVE part.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    We got our '06 Pathfinder back this afternoon. Required a transmission rebuild, added a separate transmission cooler, new radiator, a new transmission control module and tons of flushing. We also had to add a new water lines for dual heater due to oil damage to plastic parts. All of this could have been done for $300 bucks or so if Nissan had stepped up and took responsibility for installing defective parts and did a recall to add a cooler and kill the lines to the transmission. It is really a shame if Nissan gets away with deceptive business practices by selling what will be determined to be a defective part to save a buck or two on production costs and not taking responsibility. Quite assuredly, their legal costs will far exceed their merger production cost savings. Nissan has put many families in a difficult situation to pad their pockets. I will wait patiently while the legal proceedings plow forward. It will be great during discovery to see why the decision to change the design was made. For some, it will be interesting to figure which will be more important the 'why' and the 'who'. Suit up gentlemen…should be a fun ride!
  • novalax6novalax6 Member Posts: 2
    did anybody help out on this? mine has 118k and it did the exact same thing. cost me 4600 for transmission plus 1200 for radiator. all at hilltop nissan in east hanover nj. i felt like i got mugged. when i got the car back the engine light went on 50 miles later and now i need a catalytic converter. seriously nissan is just rigging the car to fail. any word on the lawsuit and where do i sign up?
  • grantinigrantini Member Posts: 8
    I've done all that... its what they do. In theory now the car should last another hundred k.... thats my hope.
  • cgyjoecgyjoe Member Posts: 1
    2001 pathfinder LE. 130,000Km

    Recently I noticed that when i put it into reverse (just after I start her up), she 'jumps' a bit after I switch gears.. then the other day I was reversing up a small hill and noticed a drop in power (it was revving, not reversing though), i then switched it into 4wd and nothing happend... no lights on the dash or on the switch (auto switch).??!!!??!

    Now the reverse seems to work fine but the 4WD is still unresponsive.

    i recently took the front dash apart to re install the factory Bose deck.. would that cause a problem?? is it a fuse issue????

    Please help!
  • channoffchannoff Member Posts: 1
    I am buying a relatively low mileage 2005 Pathfinder. I want to address the radiator/transmission issue immediately. Can anyone tell me exactly what needs to be done to avoid the problem? Sounds like a radiator replacement and oil cooler. What else am I missing?
  • finztotheleftfinztotheleft Member Posts: 19
    What can be done to avoid this? Simple. DO NOT BUY A PATHFINDER! Seriously. Do not do it.
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    only 2004-2007 have the radiator problems :blush:
  • 99accent99accent Member Posts: 237
    just get an aftermarket oil cooler and plce it inline with the original tranny lines, plug up the short tubes goin into the radiator your done ;)
  • finztotheleftfinztotheleft Member Posts: 19
    Right- those years for Pathfinders have problems and the Exteras too.

    But why buy Nissan in the first place?

    They are not a honorable company. They are cowards that cannot stand up and admit they were wrong. They have no problem treating their customers like crap. They have defective equipment and safety issues. Why woud anyone want to pay money for one of their vehicles or advertise their company name by driving one?

    I love that there was a Honda owner in the news recently that hit 1 million miles with their car. Original engine and original transmission. Show me a Nissan owner that can say that.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    Some folks have kept the radiator and simply plug the lines running thru the transmission...then added an external transmission cooler. Roughly a $300 effort to avoid the problem. Mine busted...which resulted in new everything including the TCM which is a $1,000 by itself. Best of luck...and by the way...I don't hate my Pathfinder....just hate that Nissan is dishonest. If you know you have a defective part, and don't fix ALL the FAULTY vehicles...you are dishonest. A warranty extension is a copout if you know the parts are abnormally prone to failure.
  • gharpmangharpman Member Posts: 88
    A Hyundai Santa Fe. Don't buy the car. It sucks. went thru mess of stuff. Fuel guage. ball joints. If you buy it. recheck the trans to be sure no coolant leakage into tran. Replace radiator and cooler. have them reverse hoses on cooler. I went thru the whole radiator /trans issue. Had to beat them over the head. In the end got my $$$ back. Nissan DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES. I researched and bought a Hyundai Santa Fe LTD. Very Cool vehicle. EXC warranties. NISSAN NEVER AGAIN.
  • akiluviaakiluvia Member Posts: 7
    edited November 2011
    This happened to me a couple days ago. Dealer says not a Nissan's fault. It is true that it is a manufacture defect on Radiator. A part of it breaks and causes antifreeze to leak into transmission. If this happens, transimission gets ruined and vehicle stalls or slips after that. I need a new transmission and a radiator. Very costly repair (>$5000). I was a proud customer of Nissan, but now no more Nissans for me and I would not recommend to anyone. This is the Law firm started a class action lawsuit http://www.kgglaw.com/Investor-Consumer-Bulletin/Nissan-2005-Pathfinder-Radiator- - -Defect.shtml
  • jbaumerjbaumer Member Posts: 8
    My 2006 Pathfinder just turned 118K miles, replaced Radiator with 3rd party Radiator at 85K miles. This week Pathfinder started shruddering at 45 miles per hour. Checked UJoints etc, transmission shop suggested I drain Transmission fluid and replace filter. Fluid looks a little brown, has anyone done this and solved this type of problem. Tests on transmission look OK. jb
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    Terribly sorry, but inevitable if your vehicle has the defective radiator. Nissan knows which vehicles by VIN are subject to the failure. Our suit has been filed in Texas, and we are awaiting Nissan's response to several charges including fraud by concealment, breach of warranty, intentional misrepresentation, deceptive trade, defects in design, defective parts for profit....and so on. We have a very strong attorney (law firm), who has researched the issues throughly. Let the games begin…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: :lemon:
  • akiluviaakiluvia Member Posts: 7
    Buy a new redesigned radiator and replace the one you have. You have to be specific that you want a new redesigned radiator.
  • parkcityxjparkcityxj Member Posts: 4
    @unrelenting are you in a class action suit? I had to rebuild my transmission on my 05 Fronter as well due to the faulty radiator. I signed up for a couple class action suites a while back but haven't heard a peep.
  • tonyo999tonyo999 Member Posts: 1
    I currently have a 05 Nissan Pathfinder SE with 66700 miles. Can you give me some guidance regarding the 80K Nissan extended warranty?

    I just notice that my coolant level is low and a whining sound in the transmission. Is this covered under the 80K warranty?

    Please advise.
    Thanks
  • luckyducluckyduc Member Posts: 17
    You should be covered if you are under 80k, but the transmissions are back ordered.
  • gharpmangharpman Member Posts: 88
    Contact Nissan USA. Be Persistent. Don't take no for an answer.
  • akiluviaakiluvia Member Posts: 7
    Defective Radiator that causes antifreeze coolant to leak into transmission fluid lines warranty has been extended to 80K. Dealership/Nissan should be able to replace your radiator for free under warranty coverage.

    There are couple signs that, this problem has actually happened to you. It doesn't even take any time to notice. If this happen, I would recommend flatbed your truck from wherever you are (that's what I did).

    First, you will immediately notice that your vehicle starts 'slipping', meaning it feels like you are driving on pockets of slippery road.

    Second, if you open your radiator cap (offcourse after engine has cooled-off), you will notice antifreeze color has changed to something like heavy milky-brown.

    Also because of existence of antifreeze in transmission, fluids in it could also start leaking through a breather. You will start smell odd odors from inside and outside the car. Breather is a small valve on top of your transmission that allows pressure to escape your transmission, if it exceeds required amount.

    I have heard that Nissan refuses to cover Transmission since its warranty is up to 60K (for cases of between 60K and 80K), but I am not sure if that is indeed true. Nissan don't rebuild transmissions so they will tell you to replace it - ouch! if no warranty.

    My vehicle was even out of extented warranty (139K) and this is how I fixed my issue:

    - I bought a new aftermarket redesigned radiator, not from dealer. It costs half the price of what dealer charges, infact I don't trust any radiators from them anyway right now.

    - I bought gallons of cheap transmission fluid and flushed the transmission until no signs of antifreeze mixture comes out of it. Drain out all that cheap oil and fill out with Genuine Nissan Matic J ATF.

    - I bought gallons of antifreeze and flushed engine few times until I made sure no oil mixture in coolant.

    It cost me less than 1K to do all this and my vehicle is driving fine after all this. My philosophy was better to take this chance, than rebuilding or replacing transmission on 139K vehicle which I would end up spending more than 5K.
  • unrelentingunrelenting Member Posts: 42
    The way it works is the suit has to plea to the court for class status. That plea has been submitted...but, class or not, Nissan has been served and has 30 days to address the complaints. We are nearing the end of that 30 days. Once the response is received, it is up to the Judge to approve the 'class'. Either way....we plan to move forward in an 'unrelenting' manner. We have had a lot of interest over various social networks....this is going to be 'fun'. We have both the resources and the time. The comments by Nissan to me and the letters of rejection as well as the quotes in the NYT...make it a tad personal. And, that will not be a good thing for Nissan. Buckle up ladies and gentlemen....it's gonna be a ride!
  • luckyducluckyduc Member Posts: 17
    What aftermarket/redesigned radiator did you buy? Brand and Part No?

    Thanks.
  • bloodworthbloodworth Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2011
    To One And All,

    I'm an ASE master transmission specialist and have been since '85. I believe the problem with the cooler tank in the radiator is due to the pressure spikes from a transmission system malfunction and not necessarily from the radiator itself.

    While a better built/designed radiator may help, an inherent transmission design where default line pressure within the transmission is maximum oil pressure @ 300psi and a transmission malfunction can far exceed that. It is this extreme pressure in the system that I feel is largely responsible for the rupture of the cooler tank in the radiator and allowing the intermixing of coolant and ATF. It is my opinion the radiator is being wrongly blamed for what I believe to be a transmission malfunction as the root cause.

    A transmission on any make is ALWAYS the first Big Ticket repair, bar none. As such, emotions can run high and financial compensation is often sought. However, modern technology is not without its costs and early versions of anything are not without its bugs, and subsequent fixes. The early versions of Edison's light bulbs didn't last forever. Nissans are good vehicles and they make a good product, along with a good transmission. Cut them some slack. They're fixing their transmissions within an appropriate time and mileage frame.
  • snowbird127snowbird127 Member Posts: 9
    edited December 2011
    Looks like Nissan seeding for its defense...
  • lauracpalmerlauracpalmer Member Posts: 35
    Ditto, or someone ignorant of the fact that no matter the reason for the cause Nissan has and is still claiming to not be aware there is a very dangerous, not just expensive problem with their equipment and has been going on for years. And that this is something they could have started working on preventing a long, long time ago. Disgusting ethics.
  • luckyducluckyduc Member Posts: 17
    So according to bloodworth's ASE knowledge and experience, the problem is with Nissan's transmission design and not some radiator manufacturer they outsourced their radiators to! That lays more of the blame on them for inherent design flaws with their product.
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