2006 Nissan Frontier: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Oct 23, 2017 · Transmission · 95,000 miles · FL

Bought a 2006 frontier a year ago, I was unaware of the major defect they were having with the radiator cracking and mixing coolant with tranny fluid. Now my transmission is shot with no warning and I'll be out 4/5k !! It went out as I was trying to turn left and on coming traffic was coming at me. I could not accelerate as obviously without a transmission your car wont go into gear, just a sitting duck with oncoming traffic baring down. Thankfully the people speeding towards me seen me before I was smashed into and possibly killed.

Filed Apr 12, 2016 · Transmission · 90,340 miles · UT

I bought the truck and less than a week later I noticed a weird rumbling noise at around 35-50 MPH and 1-2 rpms. One time while I was by myself in the mountains scouting for an elk hunting trip, the truck would not go into reverse. This could have been very bad as I was isolated otherwise deep in utah mountains in the fall. Took the truck in and found it was transmission failure just like everyone else had written about on the internet. Extended warranty replaced transmission for $100.00. 6 months later, I was still nervous about the issue and before a big trip I did some more research. People with similar problems were pointing at the radiator and warned to check it for transmission oil contamination. Checked it last night and the radiator is full of transmission oil. Truck is currently in the shop.

Filed Jan 6, 2014 · Transmission · 139,600 miles · CA

The truck would get a shudder/vibration that shook the whole truck at around 45 and 60 miles per hour and would not shift properly. A nissan dealer verified that the transmission had been cross contaminated with coolant fluid. I was livid to learn that nissan knew about this issue since 2007 but did not tell me about the defect when I took the truck for maintenance (a transmission fluid exchange) in 2010 when I had 68,000 miles on the truck. I was robber of the opportunity to take action even at my own cost that would have prevented this catastrophic failure. Nissan refuses to pay anything towards the cost citing the settlement in the class action. I was told the terms of the settlement would not allow nissan to cover anything after 100,000 miles. I refused to allow the dealer to fix it because they did not give me a warning when I was having the routine maintenance done on the trani and because nissan will never get another penny from me. The service tech at the nissan dealer told me not to buy an after market radiator because it would be based on the old radiator design so I could have the same problem of cross contamination again. He said nissan had a new radiator. Clearly sounds like a manufacturer design defect. Also, I read that it is for 2005-2010 nissans but I spoke with the owner of a 2011 nissan frontier who told me he had the cross contamination but because it was under warranty, nissan had to pay to fix everything. The fact that nissan knows about this but is not being proactive in letting customers know that there could be a problem is irresponsible. I had to pay $5200 to fix the trani and radiator, $110 for the dealer to confirm cross contamination, $104 for towing and $330 for a rental car. This is 180 degrees from how honda is treating the recently announced cooling fluid leak they have. Honda is extending the warranty 10 years with unlimited miles.

Filed Sep 7, 2012 · Transmission · 114,863 miles · NC

I was making a left turn across traffic in my 2006 nissan frontier when I lost all forward momentum in the middle of the intersection. The truck felt like it was in neutral and would not go into gear. I was stuck in the middle of the intersection blocking traffic for about 15 seconds while cars honked and went around me. After about 15 seconds the check engine light came on and it jerked into gear. I had the code check and they said it was a fault in the transmission. I did some research and found out about the faulty radiator problem that could allow coolant into transmission. I checked my coolant for signs and sure enough I had grey sludge floating all in my coolant which is a sign of cross contamination. I called a local aamco (transmission mechanic) to ask him about it and he knew all about the issue and said he rebuilds at least one nissan transmission a week due to coolant destroying the transmission. He recommended that I bypass the radiator cooler right away and change the transmission fluid in order to reduce damage. He said that since it has already shown since of contamination that it was just a matter of time it failed again and for good. He said a rebuild would cost between $3k & $4k, which is something I cannot afford. I am scared every time I have to cross traffic that it will fail and I will be in a serious accident. Why would nissan ignore fixing this issue while it was minor and allow its customers the possibility of being in a serious accident much less making them pay thousands of dollars that many do not have to fix a safety issue.

Filed Sep 7, 2012 · Transmission · 164,000 miles · KY

My 2006 nissan frontier would not shift out of first gear in rush hour traffic. (latter it would not go into reverse.) I pulled off to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle, decided to try and nurse it in first gear until I got it home. It seem to work fine. My understanding after searching the internet there is a know problem with nissan frontier and coolant getting into the transmission.

Filed Jul 25, 2011 · Engine, Transmission · 50,000 miles · PR

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 nissan frontier. The contact stated that the transmission shifted into limp mode and the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was engaged. A local mechanic diagnosed that the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were notified, but denied any assistance. The failure and current mileage was 50,000.