2005 Nissan Pathfinder: fire, smoke or burning smell

6 of the 1,050 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder describe fire, smoke or burning smell.

owner complaints: 6
of this car's complaints: 1%
typical mileage: 93,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 16 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year

2025
1
2022
1
2019
1
2018
1
2017
3
2016
1
2014
6
2013
3
2012
1
2011
1
2008
2
2007
4
2006
3
2005
6
2004
1
2002
2
2001
1
2000
2
1999
1
1997
1
1995
4
1994
1
1993
1
1992
1
1991
3
1990
2

What owners say

Filed Jul 12, 2020 · 110,000 miles · FL · fire

Vehicle started to smoke, then caught on fire. Total loss 7/12/2020. Not an accident. Vehicle just caught on fire while driving.

Filed Jul 16, 2014 · Transmission · 82,700 miles · VA

Vehicle began to shudder and shift hard. Then it lost almost all power. Limped home in the dark not knowing if I could get home. Very scary situation. I was lucky that the weather was not severe (excessive heat or cold) as this could have been very dangerous. With children in the car, in a remote area and from what I now understand , the transmission could have actually caught fire, this has the potential to be a real disaster! Please review this situation, nissan needs to be held accountable before someone gets killed!

Filed Nov 20, 2012 · Electrical, Transmission · GA · fire

2005 nissan pathfinder. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire that was caused by a defect. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle caught on fire while his wife was driving. His wife felt a jerking motion when she pushed down on the accelerator. His wife pulled over, when suddenly another motorist informed her the vehicle was on fire. Once she exited the vehicle, there was a loud boom noise, which was believed to be the battery exploding. Within in seconds, the uncontrollable flames literally engulfed the entire vehicle. An investigator believed the cause of the fire was a failure in the transmission.

Filed Jan 10, 2012 · Fuel system, Transmission · 89,000 miles · WA

8-9-2010 I began having difficulty getting my car to shift into reverse. Within 2 weeks, while driving down a crowded highway, my car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th, and I could smell something burning. When I finally found a spot to pull over and park, a large puddle of fluid leaked all over the ground. I was alone, in an area I didn't know, and nearly got rear-ended several times when it wouldn't shift gears. I took it to several shops, and the transmissions was ruined. It would have to be rebuilt or replaced, both totaling thousands of $ I don't have. I borrowed money to have it rebuilt. Within 2 weeks, I started having the same issues. When I took it back to the shop, the technician said radiator coolant had leaked into the transmission and it would have to be rebuilt or replaced again. After looking online, I see hundreds of complaints for the exact same issue. For the fuel system, approximately 5/2010, the fuel gauge will drop to empty, even though there will still be fuel in the tank. Sometimes it will stick to mid-full when there is no fuel. Adaptive equipment, when I start the vehicle and try to warm it up, it will only blow cold air, never warm no matter how long it runs.

Filed Jul 9, 2011 · Transmission · 93,000 miles · NC · fire

2005 nissan pathfinder with 93,000 miles. Had original issue with transmission in 2009 a slight shimmy and once the transmission slipped, as soon as it slipped I took it to the dealership. The service manager at the dealership told me coolant had leaked into transmission and would have to replace: radiator, and transmission at ~$6,500. I asked for options the dealer said I could try replacing radiator, flush transmission and add new transmission fluid for ~2,500, he said it may make it 5 more miles or 500k miles, but expected the transmission would at some point fail. I took the vehicle to local trusted repair shop and had radiator replaced and transmission flushed with nissan transmission fluid and filled with nissan transmission fluid for less than $1k. Had no issues since. On june 6th out of the blue as I was driving home from the lake, I felt the shimmy again, immediately backed off the accelerator and then slowly got back into the gas, as I did I felt the transmission slip a little. Less than 1,000 feet down the road I noticed smoke in the rearview mirror and immediately pulled the vehicle to the side of the road within 1,000' as I came to a stop thick black smoke came from beneath the vehicle and shut the car off, and I realized the car was on fire. I opened the door to get out and flames were coming from under the running boards. Within 3 minutes the car and all it's contents were completely destroyed by the fire. It was obvious from my vantage point and the pictures I took during the fire that the fire originated from the transmission overheating and the catastrophic failure resulting in a thermal event. The vehicle was totally destroyed, thank god I was alone.and the dealership could care less.

Filed Jul 1, 2010 · Engine · 101,000 miles · PA

Transmission problem I had noticed the transmission slipping on my 2005 nissan pathfinder. Took it to my local mechanic who did not think it was a serious problem. It gets worse the longer you drive it, but agreed it was not right and told me to take it to a transmission specialist. I took it immediately, he put the car on the on computer and got error codes back, car is fine.... I explained my problem again and he decided to take it for a test drive. He wasn't gone 10 min when he pulls in to his garage with tran fluid pouring out from under my car. He needs to use the fire extinguisher as the fluid is so hot it is catching on fire. Now after all has settled down he does get errors on the computer but nothing specific about the problem. He has yet to tell me what caused it except that it is internal. There are so many problems with the transmission on this model and make someone has to do something. What if I was driving my children on the highway when this happened. Would we have all gotten out!