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.
Vehicle would stutter when hitting roughly 40 mph. Mainly annoying at that time. My father inlaw came up with a great fix at the time after my sister had a similar issue with her Pathfinder.
Vehicle began to shutter/vibrate when shifting to overdrive. Loud sound, like hitting a rumble strip. Checked with some local repair shops, but none were sure what the problem was. Referred to a mechanic in another area who asked a few questions and immediately identified the problem. He stated it was a problem of radiator fluid leaking into the transmission and causing it to slip. Estimated approximately $4,000 to replace transmission and radiator. We have since then, found out that this has been a widespread problem with many Nissan models. Would love to have Nissan resolve this issue for us.
So, I purchased this 2007 Nissan Xterra SE in December of 2015 with 72,000 miles on the car. I had owned a 2005 Nissan Frontier for over 8 years up to this point and had virtually no problems throughout the entirety of ownership. I felt super confident about purchasing another Nissan. In fact, I was brand loyal to a fault and steered away from other notably reliable vehicles in favor of this one. HUGE MISTAKE!
The problem started not after 7 months of ownership at about 85,000 miles. The Xterra transmission started to slip when I would accelerate and turn simultaneously. I ignored the problem and drove less as a result. Over a months worth of time I realized that this problem was getting far worse. I began exploring online reviews of the problem and, of course, the exact symptoms and problems that I was having were listed in every website that discussed the 2007 Xterra! Oh, but then there was hope when I read about a class action lawsuit and there was an extension to the warranty......Full of sh*t a-holes they are! You want a COPAY of $3,000! This feels like a preview into what Bernie Sanders led medical visit would be to anyone grossing over $50,000 per year!
I am not sure about the resolution yet as I am still exploring my after market warranty but I will NEVER be a Nissan customer again, ever! Nissan you lost a brand loyal individual with purchasing power and you better bet your ass that I will be proselytizing to my outdoor enthusiast friends here in CO to never buy a damn Nissan.
Part 2 of my complaint after the initial problem of the car not heating up we had the transmission flush. This worked for a while and then we started to notice a shuddering sound and then when we were driving on the highway (driving in middle of 3 lane) in peak traffic....the car just died. We were travelling around 65mph and all of a sudden lost power. We had a near miss as all control became dead, luckily i was able to guide the car to the shoulder to avoid an accident. Keep in mind this is Alaska where pileups are common when road conditions are bad. the car was brought to a local garage and then say the transmission is done, it will cost around 4200. I dont have that money and we still owe money on the car. It is out of the extended warranty as it is a 2007 with 101000 miles on it. as a result we dont have a car and the car is sitting in the garage as we figure out what to do. I know there has been people hoping for a recall for years and still waiting. This is a major safety concern and needs to be dealt with. I wonder if some research was conducted into major accidents (deaths) involving 2005-2010 Xterras, Pathfinders and Frontiers would the findings come back with catastrophic failure of the transmission? For now we wait!
A defect permits cross-contamination of engine coolant and engine fluid ultimately causing the transmission to fail or cause substantial an costly repairs. This site ( see below ) explains problem much better than I do.
We just started having this problem 4/2015 @ 95,000 miles, but it appears we no longer have recourse from this lawsuit since we had to have issued a claim by 7/2013. The reimbursement didn't seem fair to begin with and now without any recourse, it's definitely not right at all.
- esmurphy1,
New Hope, US
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My wife noticed the problem. Took it to the dealer and they knew what to do. Checked the transmission fluid. Coolant was in it. Estimate is $1300 for radiator and fluids. If the trans is ok. independent trans guy told me the problem is that the mixture eats the clutches in the trans. Oh well, seems as though everyone knows what the problem is. It is common. My Honda had a problem with engine block. it was well past warranty and they bent over backwards giving me a new engine. One vote for Honda.
I thought there was a transmission issue. Took it to several shops and everyone said it was fine. Took it to Nissan and of course right away they wanted $5k to fix it. I researched the problem on the internet, which was the only way I figured out what was going on. I did eventually find out that the transmission and radiator were exchanging fluids. I paid $1200 to Mr.transmission for a transmission flush and new radiator. Truck is in the shop right now because slipping shuddering has gotten worse. Haven't gotten the 411 on what they feel the issue is and the cost will be to repair.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Vehicle would stutter when hitting roughly 40 mph. Mainly annoying at that time. My father inlaw came up with a great fix at the time after my sister had a similar issue with her Pathfinder.
- Paula H., Green Bay, US