While driving on the highway at about 60 MPH, my car shifted out of gear and the RPM's shot up causing my car to pretty much stop moving on the highway. I was able to pull over to the side of the road and call for a tow. We had the car towed to a transmission specialist who told us that the transmission was fried. By looking at the fluid in the transmission just on a quick look, he deduced that the radiator had most likely leaked coolant, causing the transmission to fail. Upon researching this issue, I learned that this has happened to many nissan vehicles and could be a huge problem for many people. Luckily I was able to get to safety and was not hit by another car or sustained any injuries. Finally, I had to trade the car in for a gigantic loss! Very upset.
2005 Nissan Xterra transmission complaints
Page 7 of 15: complaints 161 to 190 of 412, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2005 nissan xterra with 75600 miles jerks when it shifts. After doing my own online research and bringing to the dealership, it was discovered that the radiator was leaking coolant and mixing into the transmission fluid. There is an extended warranty for this defect to 80,000 or 96months. I qualified for the mileage but not the service duration (6 months overdue). The dealership said it would be a $2500 copay to replace my radiator and repair my transmission. I talked to nissan consumer affairs but they refused to help and said $2500 is my only option. This radiator is a known issue and should be a recall for all the damage it caused. I've owned many nissans before and had great loyalty to them. Nissan should be held accountable for knowing about their faulty radiator and not fixing them before they caused further damage!
My 2005 nissan xterra have this common problem where the radiator leaks into transmission and cause the transmission to stop working. And since I was over 100,000 nissan dealers want to charge me a copay of $3000.
I began to have vibration in my vehicle when I reached speeds of 45 MPH and got worse around 65 MPH. I took my car to nissan twice in aug. 2013 and was told it was road vibration. In early nov. I took my car to my local mechanic for this problem and was told the vibration wasn't road vibration and that it was either my drive shafts or transmission. On nov. 17th I drove from altoona pa to upper marlboro md and arrived around 2 am. I went to drive my car into dc on the morning of the 18th and when I put it in reverse it backed up, but when I put it in drive it wouldn't drive forward. After shifting through the gears for a few minutes my car drove forward so I parked it in my driveway. My car hasn't been able to be driven since. When I put it in gear and press the gas the engine just revs. When I start my car I can hear the engine and transmission making a whining noise. My radiator also broke in late august of 2013 and needed to be replaced.
I had a complete loss of motive power and needing to be towed to a shop. The shop diagnosed the problem as a failed transmission fluid cooler located in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged internal transmission components and a damaged internal transmission computer. There were no warning signs leading up to or just prior to the failures. The transmission and radiator now need to be replaced.
My 2005 xterra s-v6 4x2 had loss of power and had to be towed to a dealership. They diagnosed the problem as a failed transmission fluid cooler located in the radiator assembly that allowed coolant to mix with and contaminate the automatic transmission fluid, resulting in damaged to the radiator that had to be replaced and the transmission is now damaged. There were no warning signs leading up to the failures. When I spoke to nissan they stated there was no recall. After I did some research, I found out there is a extended warranty. When I called nissan back they stated it was only up to 80,000. So repairs are on me.
Transmission started slipping in high gear, because of a leak from a known faulty radiator letting coolant into transmission.
Transmission kept slipping from 4th gear to 3rd, then back to 4th. It was brought in for transmission service and learned the radiator was leaking fluid into the transmission. The radiator needs to be replaced and the transmission rebuilt. Nissan is aware of the issue occurring in 2005-2007 models, but have done nothing to correct it, nor have they notified owners of this serious problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan model xterra. The contact stated that he replaced the radiator as a precaution to avoid radiator fluid from mixing with the transmission fluid. The contact had not experienced a failure. The current mileage was 83,000.
I was slowing down at an intersection to prepare to stop when I heard a clunking sound from under my car and then service light came on. When I pressed the gas pedal to go, I heard my engine rev but only got very little acceleration before it moved forward. It happened again at another intersection so I drove home carefully. Speculating that it had to do with the transmission, my husband and I did the research and found that there was a class action lawsuit regarding to engine coolant in the transmission. We were surprised that I was never alerted to this serious problem by nissan. We called the dealership to see what could be done. At first they lied about the problem but when confronted with the knowledge that we knew about the lawsuit, then they acknowledged there was problem. Then they weren't going to help us because they claimed that my VIN was not part of the recall. My husband told them that the class action lawsuit, did not say it was for select VIN numbers. We were told to bring it in, which we did and then they informed us we still had to pay $2500. If I had been informed of the problem, I would have had it fixed before it became serious. This website gives the best info to what happened: http://www.ncconsumer.org/nissan%20frontier%20pathfinder%20xterra%20oil%20cooler%20transmission%20defect.html. We were never told about this issue even when we had the dealership do the oil change previously. The worst part is that they knew about the issue but did nothing to help fix the problem before it became a serious issue. This type of negligent practice should be investigated and nissan should be held accountable and the victims should not have to pay at all since it was preventable and is dangerous for the driver, passengers and all vehicles on the road should it stall in traffic. Thank you for your time and consideration.
We have learned that sometime in late 2007 nissan motor corporation issued a warranty extension for the transmission oil cooler / radiator assembly for the subject vehicles to 8 years, 80000 miles ? Up from the standard 3 year, 36000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Nissan motor corporation, to our knowledge, has not been conducting any preventative inspections of the subject vehicles to help consumers prevent catastrophic transmission failure. Consumers report that nissan motor corporation is denying their warranty claims and as a 'courtesy measure' will offer to replace the failed oil cooler at a discount. The additional two years or 20,000 miles with a $3000 deductible is, at most, a sad joke at the expense of consumers. Nissan has been aware of this problem since 2007 and has undertaken no preventive measures to protect consumers from failure.
Just bought auto from used car dealer day before. Drove it 30 miles pulled in visited then went out to start auto. Would not start traced back to blown fuse, changed fuse tried starting again, blew fuse again, one more time then when auto started smoke came out from under hood. After 3 months of replacing electrical wiring from frying narrowed down to radiator and transmission (fuse that blew) the coolant had backed up and tore up transmission. If it had been on the road there would have been a full blown fire on a highway with possibility of human damages.
This is a common problem where the radiator leaks into transmission and destroys transmission. I just learned of this issue last week, and have an appointment with nissan dealer tomorrow. My xterra is starting to shift erratically. I fear it has been compromised. I don't see how they can get away with not recalling this. It is irresponsible and unethical. Please help.
The car began to vibrate at 40 MPH. I took it to two mechanics who could not figure out the problem. I tried regular maintenance and tire rotation and balance but the vibration continued. Finally, while I was out of town, a mechanic dropped the transmission pan and discovered the engine coolant had entered the transmission system. He discovered that this is a problem with the nissan xterra 2005 - 2010. Nissan even has a bypass part to be installed. This piece was installed and the transmission flushed and new transmission fluid put in. The radiator appears to be fine, no cracks as often reported with this problem. Now, three months later, I have serious transmission problems. The car jerks violently at 40mph on acceleration and deceleration. The mixing of engine coolant with the transmission has obviously caused serious damage to my transmission. I am devastated. I love this car but have no financial means to fix this problem.
Was driving while my transmission went out. Dealer said the transmission and radiator fluid were mixed. My vehicle had 99,000 on it. Had it fixed then at 140,000 it happened again. Nissan wants me to pay 5500.00 but I refuse. This vehicle needs to be recalled.
My transmission just stuttered and stopped working while in traffic.turns out the radiator leaked coolant into the transmission causing it to fail. This is a known issue from nissan, however the cost of the repair fell to me. Luckily, I did not incur any injury when the vehicle just stopped working during 5pm rush hour on a friday.
While turning back into traffic my 2005 nissan xterra jerked as I began to accelerate over 20 MPH. Once I got the vehicle to the speed of traffic it began to have troubles shifting gears and accelerating. While the vehicle was at a steady speed I didn't notice any other issues. As I slowed to an exit the vehicle started to jerk and not shift properly. It also had trouble accelerating. After having these issues I checked my fluids and found a milky like substance was in my transmission and my coolant. I researched the problems I was having with my xterra and found that it was very common and realized that their is a crack in my radiator which is causing the contamination of my transmission and coolant. I have had this vehicle for just about two months and it is very upsetting to know that I may have to pay for a new transmission and radiator which is more then what I paid for the vehicle.
Car was not running as it should. We thought it was tires and had the tires looked at. Then the service engine soon light came on but then went off. Cruise control stopped working. Then service engine soon light came back. Monday made appt for nissan dealer (scheduled for wednesday). By tuesday morning, could only use 3rd gear so dropped off to dealer on that tuesday. Nissan diagnosed: radiator and transmission mixed and contaminated which damaged the tmc. Recommendation: replacing transmission and radiator assembly (est $6600). We took to a transmission place who was well aware of the defect of this model and indicated that nissan would be fixing the problem but they are just repeating the issue and the problem could occur again. A flaw in nissan's design is what we have heard and read about. We didn't want to risk it with nissan so we had repaired elsewhere. We only had 117,000 miles.
Suddenly the car (automatic) was revving high and not shifting into next gear and starting making ahigher pitched noise and the service engine light then came on. I drove to a gas station and before fully pulling in, my car would not go into drive, revved high and started smoking. I had to get towed and my car is now going to need a complete transmission and radiator. Nissan is saying since I am passed the extended 10 year warranty or 100,000 miles, there is nothing more they will do about it. Currently am being transferred to see if someone else cares enough about nissans image as well as their drivers to do something about this. I have been quoted it will cost $5100 to repair this nissan known issue.
I was informed by the dealership service department that radiator fluid had contaminated transmission fluid in my 2005 nissan xterra. This defect in the radiator was known to occur in high mileage vehicles such as mine and was known to nissan as they extended a service warranty to 100,000 miles. Unfortunately, my vehicle's mileage is over the extended warranty and I am now responsible for the cost of the repairs. This is a huge safety issue as the transmission plays a vital role in the ability for the vehicle to accelerate into and across traffic on busy highways and roads. The inability to do so properly with a defective transmission may lead to accidents. Not to mention that the contaminated radiator coolant may not accomplish the intended goal of cooling engine components leading to over heating and engine dysfunction. I feel strongly that nissan new about the defect and did not take appropriate action to notify consumers to have the radiators replaced prior to having complications from the defective parts.
Driving xterra on highway when SUV started to hesitate when moving forward in traffic....SUV would hesitate, rev...and not shift out of gear easily upon acceleration. Took SUV to mechanic and found out the radiators engine coolant was leaking into the transmission fluid causing the problem. I lucked out and did not damage the transmission, however; I am having to replace the radiator due to the nissan known defect. I was never given any letters or notified about this mechanical problem and now will be paying under a $900 for fluid flush, new radiator and new fluids. This is not ok for nissan to not notify the vehicle owners!!!! I expect repayment from nissan on their faulty mechanical equipment.
When I drove it to work, there were a few delays while shifting gears. After half hour driving it, I heard water splashing sounds. I turned off the radio and I heard the splashing sounds even more clear. In the same time, I smelled electronic burnt like smells. Since I was on the express way, I couldn't stop right away. Then, 15 minutes later or a total of 45 minutes driving it, there were smokes from the front. I was so shock and worry if the car was going to blow up. I felt panic because I couldn't just stop in the middle of the driving lanes. Thankfully, other cars slowed down for me and let me passed. I pulled up in the nearby dairy depot's parking lot, but I was 20 minutes away from my workplace's city. It was so cold and windy, but since I was worry if the car would blow up, I got out and stood in the cold. Also, the tow truck was delayed for 2 hours and I had to missed work. The car shop told me that the radiator causes the transmission issues and all fluids are mixed together. When I researched this issue, I came across many others who had the same issue. I am shocked that it's very common. I feel so discourage to ever trust nissan again. This car was my investment as I have $7000 loan remaining on it and I just fixed all four shafts for $1000. I have always done comprehensive maintenance to it. So, where did I go wrong? How can nissan does this? Why there was no recall that would have regained customers' trust that it is safe to drive nissan??? Why nissan has to wait for a mountain of complaints before agreed to extend the warranty and even that was only for those under 100k mileage? Does it mean that nissan can't make a car that last more than 100k??? Not only nissan jeopardizes my safety and others, now my investment in nissan has turned into a chunk of debt for me. This is so wrong!!!
Due to a faulty design by the manufacturer, transmission fluid leaked into the radiator and caused complete failure of the radiator and transmission. Because my vehicle had over 100,000 miles it is not covered in any way by warranty and there was no recall issued. I am now facing a car that is worth $7000 or so and needs more than that in repairs. My vehicle is totaled thanks to a faulty design that has been well documented by the manufacturer, but they will do absolutely nothing to help. If they had simply issued a recall on the radiator when the problem first became known, this would have been and easy $500 fix, instead I am left with a worthless vehicle and insufficient funds to repair it or get a new one. I could not be more angry and disappointed with nissan and their handling of this situation. Needless to say I will never be buying from them again and I will suggest the same to anyone who will listen.
Our radiator and transmission broke,causing our car to stall, on vacation, in the middle of utah. Apparently nissan is aware of this problem but the warranty is too limited to cover nissan xterras suffering from the exact same problem! It's not just us!!! We use our xterra for off roading (as its intended for!) and a busted transmission put all of us at risk! We did not do anything crazy but you need a safe transmission on hills. After over $1000 in towing expenses we got to a nissan dealership where we were informed that there is nothing we could have done to prevent this. Later we researched and found out it is a common defect in cars like ours.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. The contact stated that, while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, he was advised that the radiator fluid entered the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000 and current mileage was 95,000. Updated 9/24/13*cn updated 09/25/2013
I took my 2005 nissan xterra to dealer to get serviced. The service department person told me my transmission fluid was leaking into radiator. They told me do to my miles on car at that time I had 94000 miles it would be a 3000 dollars co pay due to the extended warranty nissan had authorized. I ask why wasn't I told when nissan was aware of problem to do prevented maintenance. The service rep. Said since it was no recall he was not obligated to tell me. I don't know about most people but I don't have 3000 dollars laying around to use I live paycheck to paycheck. I take my car to dealer only for service thinking its getting the right service but I found out I was wrong. If I was advised early I may of found this problem earlier and got it replace free. Now what do I do?
Driving my 2005 nissan xterra I purchased 8 months ago in january 2013, my air conditioner worked intermittently. Eventually in july of 2013, my car was not drive able. Had it towed to dealership I purchased it at, and they verified that my radiator was leaking coolant, which mixed with my transmission fluid. The resulted in the need to repair the radiator and transmission.
Check engine light came up in my 2005 nissan xterra at 85,000 miles. Took it to the repair shop where I make oil changes, I was told transmission broke and radiator fluid contamination. Took it to the dealer, they confirm that the transmission failure, but they flat out refused the contamination, instead offer to replace both transmission and radiator for $5,500 to avoid future problems. I was not convinced. Immediately, another guy in the dealership offers to trade in for a new car. I took the car out and went to another transmission shop. Sure enough, they noticed radiation fluid contaminating the transmission fluid. Cost was around $3,750. Because, the deadline was early june'2013 and now is early july, they are telling me I cannot submit the claim. I hope the court does not approve the final settlement. Nissan should recall and pay for the repairs of defective transmission/ radiator.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission failed as the vehicle shifted to neutral with the illumination of the check engine and slit warning lights. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was stated that the transmission needed to replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
While driving my 2005 xterra se noticed loud noise coming from front end - found out transmission fluid had become mixed with coolant from radiator. (I have a sample of the cloudy looking fluid). The problem rendered the SUV undrivable so was towed to dealer where spent $5,400 to have both transmission and radiator replaced, but do not know for sure if this a permanent fix or not.
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