125k much like several other customers the transmission started slipping and have been informed that the vehicles contains a defective radiator cooler tank that ruptures and forces coolant into the transmission through the cooler lines. When the coolant mixes with transmission fluid it creates a frothy liquid that eats valves, erodes seals and causes corrosion. Waiting to see what cost would be to replace system but have been told its around 5k and the car is not even worth that!!
2005 Nissan Xterra: transmission slipping
28 of the 845 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Xterra describe transmission slipping.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 105,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 8 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Transmission slipping by model year
What owners say
Transmission has been slipping . I heard of a recall on this problem and I called nissan and was told I missed extended warranty buy 8 days ,they admitted that they did have problems with this vehicles transmission.but refuse to do anything about it, also very hard to put gas in,
My daughter was driving and the engine started to rev high. The transmission felt like it was slipping, the car would barely move. She was able to get it into a parking lot. The vehicle started smoking and fluid poured out of the bottom of the vehicle. We had it towed. The mechanic said the radiator leaked fluid into the transmission. He said he sees this all the time with nissan vehicles, it is a know flaw. It will cost almost $4000 to repair, it is still in the shop. Update 9/15/15*cw
Driving at 65 miles per hour when my car began to act like the gear was slipping. Then it began to slow down from 40 miles per hour and no matter how hard I pushed on the gas petal, it would not speed up. Then it just would not move after that. Had to call a tow truck to move my car from the road and take it to a transmission specialist who said that the radiator had gone bad and leaked into the transmission.
Driving at 40 miles per hour when my car began to act like the gear was slipping. Then it began to slow down from 40 miles per hour and no matter how hard I pushed on the gas petal, it would not speed up. Then it just would not move after that. Had to call a tow truck to move my car from the road and take it to a transmission specialist who said that the radiator had gone bad and leaked into the transmission.
I noticed the transmission 'slipping' when I pulled into work, especially in traffic on my commute. When I got back in my car 2 hours later, I could barely make it up a 2% grade in the parking lot. I immediately went to a reputable transmission shop who said I was lucky to make it there and not pay the towing charges (he pointed to another xterra that came in the day before). My vehicle was past the (wimpy) extended warranty (mileage) for the class action lawsuit and the age was well past it. It cost me $3750 out of pocket with no hope of financial relief from nissan. The transmission repair store owner said this whole situation (design and lawsuit) was terrible and could have been avoided. Lucky I wasn't on the interstate!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan xterra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the transmission began to slip gears before becoming inoperative. The engine was turned off and upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission fluid had turned into a dark brow, almost black color. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
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.
The transmission went out at an intersection. Exit #407 in tennessee. 250miles away from home. The transmission never hesitated or slipped....just got to the intersection and it wouldn't go. It finally caught after almost causing an accident and I got to a parking spot but the transmission wouldn't go into gear after the fact. I towed the car home to bob richards nissan in north augusta and was told that the radiator cracked causing a mixture of radiator and transmission fluid.
The transmission went out at an intersection on exit#407 in tn. 250 miles away from home. The transmission never hesitated or slipped..no warnings at all. Just got to the intersection and it wouldn't go. It finally caught after causing other vehicles to stop and I got it to a parking spot thank god. I towed the car home to bob richards nissan in north augusta sc and was told the radiator cracked causing my radiator and transmission fluids to mix. Nissan covers it 100% under 80k miles and would not help me at all since I am at 84,900....I can only hope to get reimbursed the $2500 co-pay. Nisan never mentioned this defect and its a $100 fix. My 2008 frontier is also effected by the radiator. I will never buy another nissan.
Driving on freeway and transmission began to slip and within a matter of seconds had absolutely no power to wheels. Have researched and found issues with this vehicle regarding coolant line for transmission failing and leaking anti-freeze into transmission. Was wondering why it is that there is not a recall by nissan for this issue as it is undetectable, unpreventable, and expensive.
Service bulletins that may apply
- IF YOU CONFIRM: A remanufactured automatic transmission supplied by ATC Drivetrain is installed in an...
- Service information
- Service information
- Power train: automatic transmission
- Nissan: ECM replacement procedures with consult III plus
- Nissan: oil leaking from transfer case. oil is leaking from one or a combination of three bolts at the...
- Nissan; special automatic transmission fluid requirement. 2004 to current nissan vehicles. nj
- Rear final drive breather
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2005 Nissan Xterra slipping
Is transmission slipping a common problem on the 2005 Nissan Xterra?
28 of 845 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Xterra (3%) mention transmission slipping. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
How much does it cost to fix transmission slipping on the 2005 Nissan Xterra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 9 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 are 0 recalls and 8 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 48Overheating 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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