The coolant leaked into the transmission, destroying my transmission. The leak was caused by a defect in the radiator. The vehicle started shifting hard and several times the vehicle stalled while I driving down the the highway.
2005 Nissan Pathfinder: engine overheating
66 of the 1,050 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 66
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,149
- typical mileage
- 104,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 6 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
Radiator coolant leaked into the transmission rendering useless. Corroded and destroyed whole interior of transmission .
Radiator coolant leaked into the transmission resulting in transmission failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan pathfinder. The contact stated that the radiator failed and caused coolant to penetrate the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have the manufacturer warranted radiator replacement performed; however, the repair did not correct the failure. The radiator coolant penetrated the transmission and caused the engine to overheat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
The dreaded coolant leakage from a faulty oil cooler causes failure of transmission and radiator.
I purchased a used 2005 with apprx 134,000 miles. I returned the vehicle the following monday for a cracked radiator. The radiator was replaced. The vehicle continued to have shifting issues. 3 weeks later it was given a diagnosis from a certified nissan service shop as "needing transmission replaces as a result of coolant leaking into the transmission from crack radiator" I was estimated over $7000 worth of repairs because of the radiator cracking and leaking coolant.
Transmission was damaged due to coolant leaking in from a cracked radiator
The vehicle does not always go into gear from a starting position, or from one gear to the next. Also, it will suddenly lurch into gear. It's a consistent issue that happens every time the car is driven. I took the vehicle in for an inspection and was told it was an issue with the coolant leaking into the transmission and vice versa. I researched the issue and discovered that it had been reported to the federal safety agency and is under investigation.
Vehicle had trouble picking up speed after stopping which is dangerous when crossing traffic. Vehicle stalled and had to cool off before restarting. Took the vehicle to dealearship and they stated that it was a common flaw in nissans where the radiator coolant leaked into the transmission due to cracked atf line. They recommended either installing a new transmission or having the transmission rebuilt.
Vehicle had trouble picking up speed after stopping which is dangerous when crossing traffic. Vehicle stalled and had to cool off before restarting. Took the vehicle to dealearship and they stated into was a common flaw in nissans where the radiator coolant leaked into the transmission due to cracked atf line. They recommended either installing a new transmission or having the transmission rebuilt. They recommened a place to have the transmission rebuilt. Picked up the vehical after rebuild on july 1, 2015 and began having the same symptoms on july 7, 2015.
I was driving my 2005 nissian pathfinder when the transmission started smoking and I had a puddle of transmission fluid under the truck. It was a tannish color and milky looking. When towed to nissian the service manager verified it was the coolant leaked into the transmission and caused the transmission to fail.
I had the same issue as many others. Coolant leaked into the transmission causing hard shifts, and shuttering while accelerating.
Service bulletins that may apply
- OBD II evap
- Service information
- Buzzing/whining noise from timing chain area
- MIL on with DTC U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Rattle noise from vias power valve actuator / intake manifold collector
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 armada, titan, infiniti qx56 and model year 2005-2006 frontier, pathfinder and xterra vehicles. The intelligent power distribution module (ipdm) assembly contains an engine control module (ECM) relay that has a diode for electrical current noise reduction. The ECM relay may allow silicon vapor to form and, over time, the silicon evaporates from the diode molding which causes silicon oxide to develop on the ECM relay contact due to arcing.
- Risk
- This could cause engine stalling increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ECM relay inside the ipdm assembly. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on december 6, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 10V517000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?
66 of 1,050 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder (6%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
How much does it cost to fix engine overheating on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,149 (median of 21 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?
There is 1 recall and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
Fuel gauge 214Transmission failure 144Check engine light 139Stalling 87Slipping 69Jerking 43Loss of power 34Hesitation 33Won't start 22Won't shift 21Grinding brakes 19Shudder 19Fuel pump 16Harsh shifting 11Airbag light 8Engine failure 8Fire or smoke 6Whining noise 6
VIN decoder
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