Transmission Failure problems of the 2006 Nissan Frontier

2006 Nissan Frontier transmission failing due to engine coolant and transmission fluid mixing. Truck started jerking at times just cruising usually between 40 and 50 mph then worse. Coolant reservoir and radiator was noticed in components. Took it to dealership and gave me a price of 5300 to replace radiator and transmission and flush all systems. I had been reading reviews on these models and was hoping this wasn't the issue on mine. As soon as I noticed the fluid contamination I was sick. Had no idea of this problem. Alot of reviews say steer clear of these vehicles. This Frontier is my 3rd owned Nissan vehicle. Never again!!!!!!!!.

I was driving on the highway and suddenly lost power and almost crashed. Mechanic said the radiator and transmission failed. Radiator fluid mixed into transmission fluid. Vehicle only has 85000 miles on it.

The problem stems from an acknowledged defect inside the radiator assembly. The metal tubes that separate engine coolant from transmission fluid crack over time. Coolant and transmission fluid mixes through these cracks and subsequently cause transmission failure. Vehicle was in motion when this happened. Vehicle was stopped at a traffic light but when the light turned green vehicle had no power when trying to accelerate. Vehicle was towed to the nearest dealer where they told me the problem was with the transmission as described above. This problem has been document many times before and Nissan is aware of it. A manufacture recall has never been issued. Repairs have been allowed under warranty but this vehicle is past the time limit and number of miles defined in the warranty and Nissan will not take any responsibility for this defect.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the radiator cracked, which caused transmission fluid and radiator coolant to mix together. The failure eventually caused the transmission to fail. The vehicle was towed to banister Nissan of norfolk (1250 n military hwy, norfolk, va 23502) where it was determined that the vehicle was not included in any recalls and the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,967.

On 11/10/2018 while driving on the freeway with no warning light my 2006 Nissan starts to lose power!!! I was able to get off the freeway and pull into a gas station to call aaa to tow it to a mechanic. The mechanic told me the transmission has coolent in it and the transmission will need I be rebuilt or replaced with a rebuilt transmission. He said there was a crack in the coolent hose that was a manufacture defect. I never got any warning light until after the transmission failed.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. While the vehicle was idling, the transmission failed and the vehicle could not be moved. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Radiator/coolant has mixed into transmission fluid causing transmission failure.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate without warning. In addition, the vehicle slowed down and the contact was able to drive back home. The local dealer was not contacted or made aware of the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the radiator fluid spilled into the transmission. The radiator was replaced; however, the radiator fluid contaminated the transmission and fluid, which caused the transmission to fail. The vehicle was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall and did not offer any additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

In February, 2017, the radiator on my Nissan Frontier failed. Due to a design flaw, coolant got into the transmission which ruined it. The radiator had to be replaced and the transmission rebuilt at considerable expense (approximately $6k). The radiator failure occurred on the road and I was able to limp to a service station. Fortunately, the transmission failure did not occur on the road but could have causing a very dangerous situation.

The truck hesitated to move at a stop. (it dragged really hard and it was slow) per my son described, not sure if he was on the freeway or the street when this happened. I took the truck to my mechanic. On tue October 25, 2016. After diagnosed, he told me the transmission was failed. It needs to be rebuilt or buy a new one. The cost for a rebuilt one is $2,800 and a new one from Nissan dealership is $5,000. I decided to go for a rebuilt one. This happened on tue October 25, 2016. This truck I bought used in March 2016 at 114,674 miles for $10,000. I went on line to search for something related to Nissan Frontier 2006 transmission and I found out the website relating to the class action lawsuit. I did contact Nissan of north America on Wednesday October 26, 2016 and they told me to send in the invoice after the repair for reimbursement. Until the reimbursement takes place, I am still nervously waiting.

I purchased a used 2006 Frontier. The dealer told me they do not check for recalls on non Ford vehicles. After 5 months and five miles, the radiator apparently caused my transmission to fail. When it failed I was making a left turn in front of traffic and lost control of the vehicle and was almost collided into. The Nissan dealership says this is a recall that since the previous owner didn't have it performed, and the dealer didn't do anything that I'm liable for $5500 in repair.

Transmission failure: atf contamination. Radiator fluid mixed into transmission, therefore ruining both transmission and radiator.

While driving down the highway at 60 mph, my 2006 Nissan Frontier suddenly was running very rough, it decelerated and I only had low gear enough to barely make it off the hwy and out of the way of high speed traffic. No dash/idiot lights came on identifying any problems, there was no warning at all. Truck was towed to Nissan dealership who said the transmission, and radiator, and thermostat all needed to be replaced!! they charged us $5,500. This truck only had 135,000 miles, and was kept in great condition, at time of it's failure. Nissan should be ashamed of making the consumer bear the cost of Nissan's faulty parts!! they are flat out lucky if no one's been injured, or killed due to this failure! had I been on the interstate as planned the very next day, in this truck, I wonder if I'd be here today. There should be no question or hesitation that this "transmission failure" is a safety issue and needs to be a full fledged recall. And we should not have to foot the bill for Nissan's screw-ups with our hard earned money. It is simply wrong.

Transmission failure due to a defective radiator. Warning signs of failure. Truck stalls out while driving at normal speeds. The day it went out I was crossing a bridge and came hair of getting rear ended. By the time I got close to home it was just slipping so bad I had to park it. Nissan will not take any responsibility for this and thousands of people are stuck with a $5000. 00 repair bill which the average person like me can't afford. This problem should be a full blown recall on all affected vehicles.

In February 2015 I started having transmission shutter/shake at 35 to 40 mph. Transmission continued to get worse with the transmission banging into gear at approx 65 mph. Took vehicle to my mechanic who informed me of the ongoing cracked radiator leaking water into transmission problem. Within 4 weeks of first problem, transmission failed completely and I was forced to have it replaced at a cost of $4535. 47.

I was driving along at highway speeds when suddenly my transmission completely failed with no warning. Thankfully it completely disengaged and did not damage any other systems. When taking it to the dealer for repairs, I was told that there was a crack in the coolant system and transmission fluid and coolant mixed together, thus ruining the transmission. After some research, I learned that this was a known issue and that Nissan did very little in the way of recalls/informing their customers of this potentially dangerous issue.

Issue started as a no start condition. Upon investigation, the truck had a blown fuse and continuously blew fuses. The mechanic determined the fault was with the tpcm contained internally in the transmission caused by the radiator leaking antifreeze into the transmission via the transmission cooler, thus causing transmission failure. Vver upon contacting Nissan customer service, they immediately requested that it be taken to the dealership for determination of failure that I was responsible for the expense. There was no further assistance offered and they stated they would escalate the issue once the dealer diagnosed the problem. Let it be known, Nissan has issued a recall on this vehicle due to the exact problem noted here. My concerns are 1. ) why should I encounter a second cost for diagnosis (especially since this is a known issue from Nissan) and 2. ) what is my liability and reimbursement once determined the cause of the failure since my mileage exceeds their allocated amount. Prior recalls state that >90,000 miles was $3000 deductible whereas my mechanic could repair the vehicle for approximately $3000. At 117,000 miles, average mileage yearly is less than 15,000 / year. I requested that the regional service adviser contact me (via social network) and telephone but have no contact with Nissan as of this writing. This is clearly a manufacturers defective part which failed prematurely,.

Tl - the contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 45 mph the transmission had failed. The contact mentioned there was no warning lights. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The diagnosis was the faulty radiator contaminated the transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 112,000. Bt.

Was driving fine up to the point where we seemed to have lost all ability to accelerate. When we pressed the gas, it appeared to be in neutral, although it wasn't. This happened as we drove down the middle of the road. We ended up coasting to the side and put the truck into park, then reengaged the gear shift into drive, it then took off and we slowly drove to a parking lot before it failed again. No warning signs on the dash indicated a problem (still no indication) or any sign of trouble before the transmission just fails. This is a known issue with this year and style of truck and no one made us aware. We have had this truck since we bought it new, never received any notification of the known defect from Nissan. It would have been nice to know the radiator leaks into the transmission and causes transmission failure. We would have had this replaced prior to the failure.

I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier that is having complete transmission failure due to the known issue of radiator fluid contaminating the lines to the transmission and causing internal failure. I have been quoted $5,000 in repairs for the radiator and transmission. There is a class action lawsuit against Nissan for this very issue for several models. The dealership acknowledged the lawsuit, however, said a settlement or recall has not been issued at this point and they could not discuss it any further with me. They suggested I trade the car in and buy another from them, even suggesting another Frontier.

I was driving on the freeway and notice smoke coming from near (it turns out it was coming from underneath) about few seconds later the check engine light is flashing, my Nissan pickup engine lost some speed and it appears to have lost power as well because it was not accelerating. I took it for inspection to 2 different auto shops locally and have gotten the same reports from both shops. I have a bad transmission and radiator coolant leaks seems to have caused the transmission failure. I have taken my pickup to Nissan after learning about the extended warrenty to roseville future Nissan and they seems have agreed about this known issue. They said Nissan has extended the warranty up to 100k mikes (so technical it should be covered), however they are asking for 3000k for deductible. I have contacted Nissan consumer affairs and they said they are waiting for court to decide on this known issue and will not be able to help until it's resolved. I did some research online and found out I was not the only one having this issue. Please help and advise if I need to take action against Nissan as this is clearly a known issue and they should not be asking for 3k. . Read more...

As I began to enter the highway and increase speed to about 65 mph, I noticed what felt to be a slip in gears. Each time I decreased by speed and increased over 50 mph, I could feel the same type of slip. Although I drive my vehicle daily, it is usually for very short distances, as I am in town driving. I have only noticed this slip of gears while on the interstate. Today I took my vehicle to the Nissan dealership for diagnosis. I was informed that I was no longer under warranty and would have a $2500 deductible for the replacement of the radiator & transmission. My vehicle is properly maintained at recommended intervals, with low mileage. I came home to do some research and learned about the reported radiator/transmission problems for some 2005-2010 Nissan truck and SUV models. I do not remember ever receiving any information from Nissan regarding the potential transmission failure for my make and model and I am disappointed to know that a recall was not issued, as this is a serious safety issue. The service manager also did not mention any of this to me. The only thing that clued me in to an issue was that he mentioned "deductible" and that I was just about 3,000 miles over the warranty. Knowing that a power-train warranty is usually 36/36000, I started thinking, how could I only be 3,000 miles outside of the warranty? Nissan should be held accountable as numerous reports have been made. Extending a warranty to 8/80,000 is also a joke, since most of the reported issues, have not occurred until after 80,000, as in my case. I should not be stuck with this maintenance bill; this is Nissan's responsibility. Sometimes doing the right thing as opposed to doing the most profitable is in order. Too bad Nissan does not care enough to keep their customers satisfied, but most importantly, safe!.

Had a bad vibration in the drive line at a low speed. Thought it might be a u-joint. Began a search on line and found an article on the Frontier's anti-freeze mixing with the transmission fluid and coolant entering the transmission causing failure. I checked the overflow tank and it had trans fluid on top of the coolant and the radiator had a red foam coming out. Took it to the Nissan dealer and it was confirmed.

Hasn't happened yet, but from all the complaints from 2005-2010 Nissan pathfinder, xterra and Frontier owners concerning major transmission failures while driving due to cross contamination from a failed transmission fluid line running through the radiator, it's only a matter of time. This defect has been known by Nissan for years and as a band-aid solution offered extended warranty coverage for these specific components to 8 years/80,000 miles, knowing full well most problems have a record of occurring just after 100,000 miles. Class action law suits against Nissan for this defect are now pending in the state of new york. This defect and Nissan's lack of concern for preventative action placed this in the 2nd worst problem on carcomplaints. Com top vehicle problem trends of 2012 list. As more and more of these model years approach 100,000 miles, more and more catastrophic failures with potential for injury and loss of life will occur. Repair after the failure is quite expensive; enough to warrant scrapping the vehicle for those that can't afford the repair bill. Time to hold Nissan accountable for the problem they have created and allowed the public to bear responsibility for. A recall of all affected models to install an improved automatic transmission line in the oil cooler or rerouting the line to a different add-on oil cooler is needed.

My 5-speed automatic 2006 Nissan Frontier's radiator cooler tank ruptured forcing coolant into the transmission through the transmission cooler lines causing "catastrophic failure" at 92000 miles on the odometer (12000 miles outside the extended warranty on the faulty radiator). This is apparently an "uncommon", but known problem with Nissan truck and SUV models. I was traveling at 65 mph on interstate 70 near frederick, maryland when the transmission failure occurred. I lost all forward momentum but was able to maneuver the truck to the shoulder before causing an accident. I had it checked by an independent shop in mount airy, maryland and they quoted the replacement of the radiator and transmission at $4350. After making inquires with the Nissan dealership where I bought the car new in 2006, their initial estimate was between roughly $6000 - $10000 for replacement of the radiator and transmission! they were able to negotiate down with Nissan corporate and the final cost of replacement of the radiator and transmission was $3000. My transmission failed without any sign or warning at 65 mph on a 3 lane interstate - the financial burden to fix the problem hurts, but it could have gone much worse.

Transmission cooler failed causing coolant to mix with transmission fluid. Transmission subsequently failed. Nissan would not cover the repair even though the problem is a known defect. ~$4000 cost of repair and an independent transmission shop.

2006 Nissan Frontier. Consumer writes in regards to catastrophic transmission failure. The consumer stated while traveling at approximately 45 mph from home, the vehicle completely stalled in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop, where an inspection revealed radiator fluid and transmission fluid mixed together.

The truck began to vibrate and shudder intermittently while in overdrive at highway speeds (55-65mph). A couple weeks later transmission starting shifting really hard, with corresponding clunking sound every time it shifted between gears. I took it to my regular local mechanic who found coolant mixed in transmission fluid due to a ruptured atf line inside the radiator. He stated that he had inspected numerous trucks of same vintage that also had transmission failure due to the same radiator defect causing contamination of transmission fluid. He advised me that my radiator and transmission would need to be rebuilt or replaced at this point. He recommended I contact Nissan dealer regarding this common defect and information about warranty coverage. I spoke to 2 local Nissan dealers on the phone and was told warranty on radiator only had been extended to 80000 miles. At this time my truck has 86000 miles and parts and service to repair this problem would not be covered by Nissan.

Coolant fron radiator entered transmission causing shuttering. Vehicle was brought to Nissan for repair. Engine coolant had entered the transmission causing failure to transmission. Coolant system was replaced and transmission was flushed. After 5000 miles the transmission had completely failed. The failure occured while attempting to accelerate from a stop sign in a dangerous intersection. The vehicle was stuck in 4'th gear. I accelerated from the stop sign but the vehicle would barely move leaving me exposed in a dangerous situation. A vehicle almost t-boned me as it came around the blind corner. Nissan has known about this defect for a long time. If I had known I could have replaced the coolant system before it entered the transmission. Now I am stuck with a bill of more than $5000 after already spending $2000 on a new coolant system and numerous transmission flushes. In my opinion Nissans neglect in notifying and remedying this defect is placing its custumers at great risk of injury and death due to this sudden loss of power.

Transmission failure due to a leaky radiator. The transmission just failed pulling out of a busy intersection. I did not receive a letter of warranty extension until after I was over 80,000 miles. Nissan is willing to give me $1000 credit towards a new transmission and radiator if I have the work done at a Nissan dealer for $6000. I only have 87,000 miles on this almost $30k death trap. This is my second complaint to the NHTSA. The first was on the fuel sending unit, which I fought tooth and nail to have Nissan replace. My truck was 2 month out of the manufacturing date issued in the recall. Nissan did eventually did add my truck to the recall list about 2 month later. What a shame.

Faulty radiator causing transmission failure. I never received any info about warranty extension.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission failed and the check coolant level warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis where the contact was advised that coolant was leaking into the transmission. As a result, the transmission and the radiator would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage 99,700.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated the valve box that controls the shifting within the automatic transmission failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the repairs but they were awaiting manufacturer approval before proceeding with repairs. The manufacturer was contacted but did not offer any assistance. The failure and current mileages were 70,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that after receiving a recall notice in reference to NHTSA campaign id number (10v075000-fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxiliary tank). The vehicle was taken into the dealer to be repaired; however, immediately after leaving the dealer the failure recurred. He also stated that the tire pressure sensor gauge had malfunctioned since the day that the vehicle was purchased. The warning light illuminated on the instrumental panel. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The transmission also failed when the vehicle staled and he was unable to get it restarted. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who replaced the transmission. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.