CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005-2007 Xterra 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.
The same defect exists in the Pathfinder & Frontier as well. And according to the New York Times & a class action lawsuit, the defect actually extends through 2010 model year. More info here.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
85,982 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who diagnosed that the radiator fluid mixed with the transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road to a complete stop. The vehicle was driven home. The following day, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that radiator coolant leaked into the transmission fluid chamber and the transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 10/18/16
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that the transmission failed and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to an authorized mechanic who stated that radiator fluid leaked into the transmission, which caused the transmission to fail. The transmission was replaced. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge failed. The contact did not know if the fuel tank was full or empty. The fuel gauge was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving at any speed, the vehicle idled highly and made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and the transmission fluid leaked into the radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving at 35 mph, the vehicle seized and smoke emitted from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission, radiator, and another component needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,160.
- Clermont, FL, USA
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The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle vibrated and shifted gears. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was caused by a mixture of transmission and radiator fluid that affected the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle shook. The failure occurred multiple times. The dealer stated that the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.
I was informed by the dealership service department that radiator fluid had contaminated transmission fluid in my 2005 Nissan Xterra. This defect in the radiator was known to occur in high mileage vehicles such as mine and was known to Nissan as they extended a service warranty to 100,000 miles. Unfortunately, my vehicle's mileage is over the extended warranty and I am now responsible for the cost of the repairs. This is a huge safety issue as the transmission plays a vital role in the ability for the vehicle to accelerate into and across traffic on busy highways and roads. The inability to do so properly with a defective transmission may lead to accidents. Not to mention that the contaminated radiator coolant may not accomplish the intended goal of cooling engine components leading to over heating and engine dysfunction. I feel strongly that Nissan new about the defect and did not take appropriate action to notify consumers to have the radiators replaced prior to having complications from the defective parts.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-50 mph, the vehicle began to shake without warning. The contact also stated that the radiator was cracked and caused fluid to leak into the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised that the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance due to the vehicle not being included in any recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 80,625. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that the radiator cracked and leaked fluid into the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was informed that the radiator cap needed to be replaced. The failure recurred so the dealer replaced the U joints. The problem continued and the contact stated the vehicle began to shake while driving and the transmission failed. The dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 106,000 and the current mileage was 106,716.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated while driving at low speeds the vehicle began to jerk. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the broken radiator welding caused fluid to leak into the transmission forcing the gear to improperly engage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and denied assistance with repairing the vehicle. The failure and the current mileage was 104,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated the vehicle started making a rumbling sound after having the oil changed at the dealers. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and was told that the transmission was slipping and coolant was leaking from the radiator into the transmission. The vehicle would need both the radiator and the transmission replaced. The failure and current mileages were 85,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, she heard a rumbling sound. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostics, where the technician stated that radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and the radiator needed to be replaced. There were also parts within the transmission that needed to be repaired, but the contact was unaware of the specific parts. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.
Defective transmission cooling design causing 2005 Nissan Xterra leaking coolant into transmission resulting in transmission and radiator failure. Nissan has not corrected the design problem for consumers resulting in putting consumers risk of harms way and extreme costs to repair.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the transmission began to shake excessively. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission was flushed. The mechanic also stated that the radiator was cracked and leaking transmission fluid into the engine. As a result, severe damage was being done to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- East Bridgewater, MA, USA