The light turned green. The truck got up to fourth gear and slipped all the lights on the dash lit up so I took it to the first transmission shop where they said transmission just went out at 75,140 miles pretty much the exact mileage for my first service according to the book in the glove box I took it to Nissan dealership where they said it was the shift selector needed to be changed for a total of $1600. I had it done. I drove it a half a mile down the road and it did it again. They said they drove it over 14 miles with no problem but my odometer says different now they’re telling me I need a new transmission for $9214.03. I’ve done a lot of research and googled other people having the same problem. I called Nissan corporation they offered to pay 60% for a new transmission. This tells me they know something is wrong with it. After taxes I will have spent over $11,800 for a new transmission at 75,000 miles. This should not have happened.
Nissan Frontier transmission failure problems
217 of the 3,369 owner complaints about the Nissan Frontier describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 217
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,000
- typical mileage
- 102,000
By model year
Often reported together
Overheating 24Slipping 20Stalling 15Shudder 13Check engine light 10Won't start 9Loss of power 9Fuel gauge 7
Trouble codes mentioned
P1774 1P1769 1P1759 1P1000 1P0717 1
What owners say
Radiator failure leaking into tranny, causing a sound coming from transmission as if driving over a rumble strips when accelerating between 40-60mph, as well as sudden jerking when changing gears. SMOD residue (creamy pink fluid) present on radiator cap. This is a known issue that I was never made aware of during nor after purchase. Obviously this was not addressed prior to the sale by the Nissan Dealership. No warning signs were present prior to the issue appearing. Vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer yet as I am only now learning of this problem, however I have made arrangements. The issue is confirmed by third parties. Vehicle is available for further inspection upon request. The issue first appeared about 2 weeks ago but symptoms were milder and progressively became more noticeable. Sudden transmission failure on the highway could be catastrophic and is part of my daily driving routine.
Transmission failed catastrophically after 1300 miles of use. Vehicle was towed to Nissan who confirmed multiple selinoids had failed within transmission. Vehicle is completely inoperable. Manufacturer has been unhelpful getting vehicle repaired. Manufacturer has history of supplies vehicles with inferior transmissions.
This is known problem you refused to force Nissan to recall. At a minimum Nissan should have been required to notify owners of the problem. They did not. My radiator has failed allowing coolant to mix with the transmission fluid destroying the transmission. I have 96,000 miles on my vehicle. I would have gladly paid out of pocket to replace the defective radiator to save the transmission, but since I was not notified of the problem, now I have to potentially replace the transmission.
I was at work, Which is 100% depended on my vehicle, as I work in the oilfield, I was out in the middle of nowhere, when I was getting back into my vehicle, I turned the key and the vehicle would not even turnover, I was forced to walk 5 miles to get to a job site that cell phone service to make a call for help, Took the truck to my mechanic, He said it was a transmission code coming up on his computer and that he was unable to fix, So I had to tow the vehicle a second time to Nissan in Grand Junction co. where they informed me that the Transmission and Radiator fluid has mixed together, Now I'm needing a new Transmission and coolant system at a price over $6000, They did let me know that this was a VERY common problem with this vehicle.
After turning over 72,000 miles, a slight vibration was noticed during normal driving conditions. Our local transmission mechanic diagnosed the problem as a non-repairable transmission due to radiator fluid mixing with the transmission fluid: resulting in the need for a brand new transmission.
I bought the 2007 nissan frontier off a dealership as a used vehicle with no warranty. One week later the transmission started to slip, the following week the slippage was worse until it lost power and it left me stranded in a parking lot. I took it to my mechanic and he said that it's a possibility that the transmission computer had gone out and it would be close to $5,000 dollars to replace the transmission. The transmission fuse keeps blowing out once the truck is started. The mechanic said it could be a possibility that it was cross contamination since nissan was known for faulty radiators. So I'm stuck with a truck payment through a loan with a transmission out and I can't even drive it. There are thousands and thousands of complaints online from people having the exact same issue.
Transmission failure due to coolant in trans oil contaminating trans components. Total trans rebuild/replace radiator and trans cooler. 130k miles on vehicle - low miles for a 2008 frontier. The vehicle shuddered, hesitated, would not pick up speed as it should, was having difficulty shifting thru gears as it transitioned from stop to moving, typically around 30-40 MPH under load (accelerating). We have since found out this is a known problem. Expensive repair!
My 2005 nissan frontiers transmission failed at 137,000 miles. I was driving on the freeway when it seemed to jolt out of 5th gear to 4th. Check engine light came on. I headed to nissan but it seemed to only remain in a high gear (3rd or 4th). They diagnosed it as a failed transmission due to coolant leaking into the transmission. Its a known problem. I called nissan headquarters and asked for help they said no. I had an extended powertrain warranty through aul, but because it was the radiator that leaked and not a transmission failure they won't cover it.
First long trip since I bought the used truck, a trip to oakridge, 90 mile round trip from home. The truck made it back to our driveway, then when I put on the break for my husband to get out, it would not move and all the dash lights came on. I couldn't budge the truck. It was locked up. Couldn't move the stick. The engine quit. Forced it into park and tried to restart, but not a sound. The neighbor came over with his code reader. It said p1000. Battery checked good, got a new one anyway because its age. Grounds were good, but cleaned anyway. Had it towed to dealer. They put a new transmission in.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) Model Year 2020-2022 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM and Engine Control Module (ECM) Model Year 2023 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM Model Year 2023 Z vehicles: reprogram TCM. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669.
Recall number 22V671000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A2 R22A3.
Recall number 22V457000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect. " these vehicles could have a shift cable lock plate that is too brittle and can break. The gear shift lever and the "prndl" indicator may move, but the transmission will not shift out of the park position. Over a period of time, the transmission could shift out of the park position, but the gear indicated on the display may differ from the gear engaged in the transmission.
- Risk
- If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the automatic transmission shift cable lock plate.
Recall number 00V288000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with automatic transmissions. A securing pin inside the automatic transmission control device assembly can come loose allowing the shift lever to be inadvertently moved out of the park position with the key in the ignition.
- Risk
- This could result in a crash if the parking brake is not engaged.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the automatic transmission control device assembly and replace it if necessary.
Recall number 98V064000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Frontier transmission failure
Which Nissan Frontier years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (67 complaints), 2005 (65 complaints) and 2006 (54 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Nissan Frontier?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,000 (median of 86 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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