Bought vehicle from used from private owner a year ago and noticed less then two weeks later while driving including on the freeway the engine just turns off with no steering control, almost no brake control, and sometimes takes a few minutes to start up again just to get out of the way of other vehicles. Now it’s overheating and leaking coolant on front passenger side floor along with the ground now shutting off more frequently . Also shortly after I bought the vehicle I could hear squeaking noises from under vehicle while driving over the smallest bump and every turn and is so loud it’s heard from 2 small streets away and feels like any second the body might separate from the wheels. I’m not sure about the rest.
2005 Nissan Xterra: engine overheating
28 of the 845 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Xterra describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,500
- typical mileage
- 105,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Engine overheating by model year
What owners say
I was driving home when I stopped at my driveway and my car had sprung a leak from under my passenger side. My car was not overheating, I received no warning that according to my mechanic- my transmission cooler had failed and mixed in with my radiator. Hopefully my transmission isn't shot, with a new radiator and flushing all the lines is almost $1000. This all could have been avoided if I had some warning. My car had been driving just fine prior to this incident.
Coolant leak causing transmission to fail. Nissan is aware of issue and fails to take responsibilty
Transmission failure due to coolant leak into automatic transmission. Engine overheating was what brought my attention to any issue, the overheating was a result of the transfer of transmission fluid into the coolant system as well. After making attempts to address the overheating issue the transmission began its quick decline, learning about the issue I was able to start attempting to have it repaired but with its high cost I have yet to be able to have it repaired completely.
Radiator coolant leaking into automatic transmission causing transmission failure. Started noticing issue around 136k at highway speed. I hear there was a class action lawsuit but the settlement is unacceptable. Nissan needs to step up and take responsibility for their design failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road to a complete stop. The vehicle was driven home. The following day, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that radiator coolant leaked into the transmission fluid chamber and the transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 10/18/16*lj
Transmission issue! Being told it's from coolant leaking into transmission.
We have a 2005 nissan xterra and were never told about the trouble with this models trouble with the radiator coolant leaking into the transmission and causing damage. Nissan extended their warranty with a deductible up to 100,000 miles and ours leaked at 106,000 miles causing $5600 in damages that nissan refused to acknowledge. Had there been a recall this never would have happened.
The class action lawsuit that is going on, this is what happened to my vehicle. My coolant leaked into my transmission, now my transmission is now destroyed as well as my radiator, and the estimates are $5500 to fix. I almost crashed and got hit by an 18 wheeler when this happened, I need to report this because I hope nissan steps up and fixes this once and for all, instead of letting there customers hang out to dry.
The engine started to overheat and the vehicle transmission started to shift irratically. There was an oily substance in the coolant reservoir. I contacted the dealership and was told that this is a known condition requiring replacement of the radiator and rebuilding of the transmission. I was told that since there was 101000 miles on the vehicle, that the entire $3800 for repair would have to be borne by me . I tried driiving the vehicle several times afterwards with the same result. It has been parked in front of my house for 6 months now as I don't have the money to repair.
I took my car into the shop because of a rumbling noise and shake that was happening while driving. It feels like hitting the safety strips on the edge of the road by the shoulder. The mechanics pulled things apart and identified that there was radiator fluid and engine coolant leaking into my transmission. There were also metal shavings mixed in with the fluids.
Engine coolant leaked into the transmission, causing transmission failure. Replacement transmission is required.
Service bulletins that may apply
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 Xterra overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2005 Nissan Xterra?
28 of 845 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Xterra (3%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
How much does it cost to fix engine overheating on the 2005 Nissan Xterra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,500 (median of 8 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 Xterra?
There is 1 recall and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Nissan Xterra
Fuel gauge 262Check engine light 143Transmission failure 115Stalling 48Slipping 28Jerking 23Loss of power 21Won't shift 17Won't start 16Fuel pump 13Shudder 13Airbag light 11Hesitation 10Grinding brakes 8Engine failure 8Knocking 7Whining noise 6Water leak 5
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