CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005-2007 Pathfinder appears to have a widespread defect where coolant leaks into the transmission, causing transmission failure around 90,000 miles. Repair costs are typically upwards of $3,500.

According to the New York Times & a class action lawsuit, the defect actually extends through 2010 model year. More info here.

9.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$4,060
Average Mileage:
110,750 miles
Total Complaints:
231 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replace transmission and radiator (131 reports)
  2. rebuild transmission and replace radiator (40 reports)
  3. not sure (26 reports)
  4. replace radiator and transmission (16 reports)
  5. new transmission (6 reports)
  6. radiator and transmission cooler replaced (5 reports)
2006 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems

transmission problem

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2006 Nissan Pathfinder Owner Comments (Page 4 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #171

Aug 192015

Pathfinder

  • Automatic transmission
  • 156,612 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

click to see larger images

coolant leaked into transmission coolant leaked into transmission

I just spent my life savings on this vehicle, single mom with two kids and now no way to go and no money to repair. I don't understand why there wasn't a recall on this. I can't afford to fix this crap. I hate Nissan I will never buy a Nissan again and I will let everyone know about this problem.

- Betty F., Sylvania, GA, US

problem #170

Jul 022015

Pathfinder V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,700 miles

I bought my 2006 Nissan Pathfinder brand new and have put a total of 6,500 dollars into it. I was just informed that I now have to replace the radiator and transmission for another 5,300 dollars. I am done. It has 100,800 miles on it. I called Nissan and they said that there was nothing that they can do. Never again will I buy a Nissan.

- Adam P., Plumas Lake, CA, US

problem #169

Jul 192014

Pathfinder LS V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,000 miles

In July of 2014 I had just filled my car up with fuel getting ready to leave on vacation the next morning, as I started to pull out of the fuel station, the car would not change gears. I had to back the car up my driveway, when I returned from vacation I had the car towed to Nissan dealer, after a few days I was informed that the transmission was in failure due to coolant leaking into the transmission. In November of 2012 I had my transmission and coolant system replaced by Nissan at a cost to me of 3,000 dollars.

So when my transmission failed again in July of 2014 for the same reason, I expected Nissan to stand by the repair, however I was told that the warranty on the new transmission was good for 12 months. I believe that Nissan knew about the problem originally, prior to the first failure because they had issued an extension on the original warranty on the transmission from 70,000 to 80,000 miles however they did not contact the owners of their cars, so they could have them checked, so my car had 90,000 miles when I found out I had an issue with my transmission.

When I had the transmission replaced at my cost, I would have expected them to have fixed the original problem with the transmission so I would not have the exact same problem in less than 18 months. I lodged a complaint with Nissan, and was told there was nothing they could do for me. So I had to trade my car at a decreased value on the car, since it did not work.

- Terrell S., Robbinsville, NC, US

problem #168

Apr 302015

Pathfinder LE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 135,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I've had Nissan's since 1983 and continued to buy them based on quality of build. I am VERY disappointed that Nissan could make such a lamebrain decision to incorporate the radiator and transmission fluids into the same infrastructure. It is inexcusable! In all the years I've had cars (since 1977), I've never had to replace a transmission. Simply disgusting...I believe that the problem is widespread enough for a recall.

- markhga, Atlanta, GA, US

problem #167

Aug 142015

Pathfinder V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 122,000 miles

Our 2006 Pathfinders transmission has just failed. It's the same problem I've been reading about. The radiator has been leaking into the transmission which has ruined it. We just brought it to a repair shop and it will cost $4200 to replace both radiator and transmission. It will also take over a week. We only have one car and live paycheck to paycheck so this issue is very stressful to say the least! We were never notified by Nissan about this potential problem and we are disgusted with them.

- Rich B., South Boston, MA, US

problem #166

Aug 012015

Pathfinder LE 4.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 78,293 miles

I bought the car since 2 weeks, I came to Nissan dealer for rappel on my car. They talk about first sign of the transmission problem. I realize that my car had them. My car have 126000 and I have to pay $2500 for fix this problem. This is a real joke, they made a mistake when they made the car and I have to pay for this ... I had 5 Nissan in my life but trust me it's the last that I will have ... I don't want to give more cash to this f*cking thief. Sorry for my English...

- jmasse, drummondville, QC, Canada

problem #165

Jul 012015

Pathfinder SE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 127,315 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

First of all, I love my Nissans, always had them. Thought this would be a great car for starting out a family with my husband because of the third row seating and the cargo space. I thought wrong. I'm still making payments on the car, and now the transmission has to be rebuilt. It is currently in the shop, and I'm hoping it will only cost the estimated 5,000 dollars. Ridiculous!! I still owe 8500 dollars on the car, and I have to get a transmission rebuild? When this car is fixed, I am going to see about trading it in. I'm not going to babysit it and put 5000 dollars into it every couple years.

- Ashley W., Livermore, CA, US

problem #164

Oct 252014

Pathfinder

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,000 miles

I know my truck is a 2006, but it has low miles. My biggest complaint is that Nissan knew about the radiator leaking fluid into the transmission line yet didn't do a full recall???? Now I have to get it fixed on my own? And to find out that I'm only 4,000 miles over when they'll pay for it all???? Not happy Nissan not happy!!!

- Karen S., Bel Air, MD, US

problem #163

Jul 262015

Pathfinder V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 106,000 miles

Add me to the list of people who dealt with this issue. Very frustrating and a pain in the as#!!! Left a nasty taste in my mouth regarding Nissan taking care of its customers. If this is how they are gonna treat their customers then never again will I drive a Nissan.

- Israel M., Hydesville, CA, US

problem #162

Mar 012015

Pathfinder LE 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

Didn't realize this actually started the day we drove it off the lot. At 70,000 miles, would not get warm when sitting still. Could hear bubbling sounds coming from behind the glove compartment. Transmission would actually shift hard, but usually while going down a hill. Vehicle decent control was why I thought that was happening.

This is my second Pathfinder (and my last Nissan) I loved my first Pathfinder, which is why I purchased the second one. Stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Can't trade in a piece of crap vehicle, so I had no choice but to pay $3800 to repair. Makes me sick!!!!!!!!! Nissan should have announced a major recall, repairing all free of charge. Their issue, not ours.

Update from Oct 13, 2016: Cost of $4000.00 to replace transmission and radiator. Came with a one year warranty. Of course, right at warranty end (which only covered parts, not labor, transmission once again began hesitating and shifting hard. So very disappointed with Nissan. I have a 2000 Pathfinder with 235,000 miles. Still going strong. The only reason I purchased a second was because my 2000 has been such a great vehicle. Just bought a new car. Guess what? It's a Camaro SS, not a Nissan!

- Jada W., Williamburg, KY, US

problem #161

Jan 012012

Pathfinder SL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Took my car in several times before the engine went. Nissan never mentioned the class action lawsuit. Of course in my mileage was over so I'm out-of-pocket $7000. I had made my last payment on this vehicle one month before this travesty. I had to borrow the money as this was my only vehicle for transportation to and from work I would like to recoup my $7000 .

- lmyers, Tulsa, OK, US

problem #160

Jun 252015

Pathfinder

  • Automatic transmission
  • 185,000 miles

No rant.

Just need a source for replacement parts.

Update from Jul 28, 2015: Replaced transmission and radiator at AAMCO. Package deal for both, plus 3-year parts/service warranty was ~$4500.

But now my A/C doesn't work. Replacement radiator doesn't seem to handle the cooling load, and sensor/computer cuts the A/C whenever I go slow or idle.

- barkster, Annapolis, MD, US

problem #159

May 282015

Pathfinder SE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

I originally had transmission failure about 2-3 years ago (which I didn't know until later). The car wouldn't change gears if I drove about 30+ miles in distance or on hot days. The first time it happened, the car wouldn't go above 5 miles per hour, so I had it towed to the Hooman Nissan in Signal Hill to diagnose the problem. Again, I'm no mechanic and I trusted them to tell me what the issue was and be honest if this was a major issue with my vehicle.

First, they never said it was the transmission. According to them, because by the time the tow truck dropped off the vehicle, the gears would change with no problem. I guess that equated to Nissan that their was no issue to fix. I took the vehicle a total of 4+ times because of the same problem. Did they fix it? No. I ended up giving up on them and taking it somewhere else. The garage I took it, told me it was my transmission and replaced it. We spent about $2000 then.

Fast forward 3 years and this one completely fails on me. Car wouldn't even turn on. Because I've had such bad experiences with Nissan, I simply took it to a Transmission place with great reviews and they said it was the Transmission, because the radiator busted and the fluids intermixed. That repair job will cost me $3,695-$4,295.

Someone advised me to contact Nissan for possible recalls of the radiator and fixing the Radiator/Tranny, because this is such a common issue with them. Come to find out that my vehicle no longer qualifies for the Extended Warranty from the Class Action lawsuit. I would have qualified back then, had Nissan been honest with dealing with me.

Now, I am $6,000 poorer for a mechanical design failure from their company. Yet, the customers are the ones to pay. Never again will I purchase a Nissan vehicle, and if anyone ever asks for my advice, I will steer them to anyone but them. So disappointed. $6,000 down the drain for a design problem from Nissan, not because of customer neglect. They should be ashamed of themselves.

- Jimena S., Long Beach, CA, US

problem #158

May 232015

Pathfinder SE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,501 miles

click to see larger images

coolant leaked into transmission coolant leaked into transmission coolant leaked into transmission coolant leaked into transmission coolant leaked into transmission

I live in NJ. I was leaving a family members West Point graduation on May 23, 2015 at approximately 1230 pm in West Point NY. As I was leaving I was going up a mountain road when suddenly my vehicle began to shake and lose power. The engine then began to rev and the vehicle began to roll backwards. I applied my brakes and put the vehicle in all available gears including reverse and the engine continued to rev. Other vehicles were flying up behind me, being their horns.

Thankfully there were two lanes in each direction so that the cars behind me could move over into the opposite lane. There were no shoulders on the road. I placed the vehicle in park and set the emergency break, turned my flashers on and called 9-1-1. After numerous near misses with my vehicle as well as numerous near misses with the vehicles suddenly swerving to avoid my vehicle the police showed up after 55 minutes. I had to make five 9-1-1 calls so they could accurately pinpoint my location using my cell phones GPS coordinates.

Once the police officer arrived he immediately called for a tow truck due to my hazardous location. He then proceeded to place several flares behind his vehicle and then came up and stood by my vehicle stating that he didn't want one of these vehicles running into his. Mind you, he had numerous flashing red lights and strobes on his vehicle.

After paying the $135 tow bill to the local tow yard I was able to call AAA and have them tow me the almost 90 miles back to my home in NJ. This was of course the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend so nothing was going to be open until Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning I had my vehicle towed to a local, reputable transmission place. Ultimately they told me that water had gotten into my transmission and it would cost $3,188.60 to fix. The transmission place told me that they have seen many Nissans with this type of problem.

After going home and Googling Nissan Pathfinder Transmission I was appalled to see all the complaints about Nissan Pathfinder (and other model Nissans) transmissions. I was literally taken back by it and could not believe it. I then contacted my Nissan dealer and was told that my vehicle would have been covered before November 14, 2014 or if I had less than 80,000 miles. My truck had just over 84,000 miles.

I then called Nissan North America. They advised me that in order for them to determine whether they would cover any of the expenses incurred due to this problem I would I have to tow my truck to the dealer and have them take a look at it. Once completed with that, they would submit a report to Nissan North America to determine whether any or all of the incurred expenses would be covered...potentially taking several weeks or months with no guarantee that anything would be covered. I could not wait this long as I have to work and pay my bills.

I agreed to have the transmission shop rebuild the transmission and put in a new radiator. I was without my truck for almost 13 days while trying to get to work, not to mention now being out $3,188.60. I never had a problem with my Pathfinder and always spoke highly of Nissan.

After this incident I will never even consider a Nissan ever again.

- Mark Z., South Amboy, NJ, US

problem #157

May 232015

Pathfinder ES 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,400 miles

I'm totally disgusted with the Nissan and their cheap ass car. I had this car for 9 years and keep it as clean as possible with regular maintenance but this last 2 weeks the car suddenly give out some utterly sound and won't shift and when it does it won't go pass 25. Totally frustrated and had the car towed back to my house costing my $$$$. Car is in drive way and can't go any where. Had a mechanic came by to check it out and stated that transmission had radiator in it. OMG. So there is a leak on the radiator and it had somehow leak into the transmission. Totally not happy. Mechanic said the fix would cost anywhere from $4000-$5000. Called the dealer the said if its over 100000 miles they wont cover. Sucks. Will never buy this junk car again their company again.

- Pao X., Fresno, CA, US

problem #156

May 222015

Pathfinder LE 4L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 177,490 miles

Recently, my Pathfinder started slipping when going up a hill. I checked the fluid and it is brownish. The local dealer said to check the radiator cap. Although it looks normal, it feels oily. Everyone I have talked to seems to think the coolant is leaking into the transmission and it needs replacement.

I went on line to read how to change the fluid & filter and found all the complaints. I am very upset since I thought Nissan produced high quality vehicles and stood behind their products. I will never purchase another one or recommend them to any of my friends.

- John B., Lake Placid, FL, US

problem #155

Jun 022015

Pathfinder SE 4.6L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 195,504 miles

Based on the mileage of the vehicle, ours obviously occurred well after the common mileage failure. My complaint is not about the design, or the failure of it, but rather the way Nissan has chosen to handle it. I'm a multiple Nissan owner, I love the car brand, and will continue to own Nissans for a while.

We just recently purchased an Armada, we've had our Pathfinder (the transmission issue vehicle) for about 4 years, and my beloved 240sx which has 311,000 miles on it! so needless to say, we have a loyalty to Nissan. That's what sucks about this. What I would like to see is Nissan extend a better helping hand to those who in this situation obviously need it. We're shelling out close to 4000 dollars on a vehicle that isn't really worth that much more than that anymore, just so we can drive it!!

It's a bit shameful if you ask me. Nissan needs to show the same loyalty it's great customers have shown them.

- Adam C., Valdosta, GA, US

problem #154

Apr 242015

Pathfinder LX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 151,000 miles

My 2006 Nissan Pathfinder was banging and shuttering. Found out the transmission fluid had leaked into the radiator. There is white sludge in my radiator. My mechanic said he couldn't believe it hadn't caught on fire. They want $2000 plus to flush transmission to even see if it is salvageable. I still owe money on this car and cannot drive it. I don't know what to do.... Will Nissan take it on trade

- Kim S., Pawleys Island, US

problem #153

Mar 202015

Pathfinder LE 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 138,546 miles

This problem happened just one week after buying this 2006 Pathfinder from a small dealer, who in turn got it from a Nissan dealer auction. The real problem here is Nissan. They obviously knew of this problem. Upon towing it to the Nissan dealer that sent it to their auction, to see if they would do anything about it, they explained the warranty settlement. Since my car had over 100K miles, they could offer no deductible to their estimate of $5,201.41 to fix the problem. Needless to say, I immediately had it towed out of their and had it fixed at the shop I normally use for $2,800. The fact that Nissan put a 80K - 100K mileage limit on their extended warranty for this problem, when they know that the average mileage the problem occurs is 95,000, should tell anyone reading this report and any other similar report, never to buy any Nissan product every again.

- Gary N., San Diego, CA, US

problem #152

May 122015

Pathfinder ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 91,000 miles

I bought this POS 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, used, in 2009, paid it off in a few years and had hoped to maintain it so it would last forever(15 or so years at least). The first few years were fine, except that the air-conditioning went out on it, which much to my surprise, because it was still under warranty, Nissan replaced. I was still a happy customer.

Then, just last year, my Nissan mechanic told me that I had to replace the Timing Chain Kit because it was going bad. On a car with less than 90000 miles, they said there was no warranty and that I would have to pay 1700 to get it fixed. Fast forward to now, as i am learning that I have yet another f-ing huge problem with my Pathfinder. This time it is a bad radiator that has leaked coolant into my transmission, thus ruining the transmission completely.

I now have a 3500 dollar fix to fund, somehow. Notice, that NONE OF THESE ISSUES ARE USER ERRORS!!!!!!!!!! It is all faulty equipment. I am a teacher and make very little money. This company is terrible and I am just beside myself because of all of the terrible problems this car is having but mostly because Nissan doesn't seem to give two sh*ts about their customers. I am done with them.

- sbeard, Winston Salem, NC, US

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