Engine Cooling System problems of the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder - part 2

The coolant line in the radiator got a leak and mixed transmission fluid with the coolant causing me to have to replace the radiator. Not sure if this is what causes a miss fire in cylinder # 2 but now there is a problem with that as well. Hopefully it was caught in time as not to damage the transmission. I hope Nissan will own up to this problem and make the necessary repairs and restitution to Pathfinder owners.

Had a vibration in my vehicle. Took it to the shop as it was getting worse. Long story short. . A known defect with the radiator. Caused my antifreeze to enter into the transmission fluid and transmission fluid in my radiator. Mechanic said its a known issue with the vehicle, and we need to replace the radiator, and flush everything out. Total cost ~$1500. 2005 Nissan Pathfinder ~ 85,000 miles.

I was on a family trip and had realized that when I was at stop my coolant temperature would rise and I would get a slip. Waited for my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder to cool down and then I checked on my radiator fluid. To my surprise it was gunky, like oil was all in it mixed with the anti-freeze. Come to realize that it was transmission fluid. So much of it that it had even clogged up the passage way to the thermostat. After doing some research, I had found out that there are many many others that have experienced that same ordeal. There is a flaw in the radiators that were used by Nissan on 2005 and up Pathfinders, x-terras, and frontiers with the 4. 0 v6 engines. These radiators, in which anti-freeze and automatic transmission fluid, would both pass through are somehow cracking and mixing the 2 fluids together. When this mixture occurs, the radiator and tranny oil would need to be flushed. The transmission will then also need to be replaced because of damage already done. This will ad up to about 5k-8k. Nissan does not take responsibility of this damage. If you google "2005+ Nissan Pathfinder transmission", you will see that there are many complains about it.

Nissan Pathfinder 2005, 59k miles - experienced vibration and shuttering of the vehicle during acceleration, took it into Nissan dealership and they said that the coolant line cracked causing the fluid to mix with the transmission creating replacement of both radiator and transmission. This seems to be a common complaint by the consumer! hopefully Nissan will issue a recall before someone is injured or worse, it would be pretty sad if it had to come to that. Extended warranty covered the transmission but I have to pay for the radiator $950. 00.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder with approximately 78,000 miles developed a vibration and shaking when driving at a constant speed on any road, however; when driving with overdrive off the vibration and shaking is no longer present. When vehicle was brought to Nissan dealership they discovered that the transmission fluid was mixing with the engine coolant and vice versa. Upon diagnosis of this problem the dealership said it would be about $6,000 to replace transmission and radiator and fluids. Luckily my extended warranty covered this. I am not the first person to have this problem. . Read more...

Radiator/transmission fluid mix the trans started shifting in and out of o/d at just over 40mph (vibrating) at about 99,000 miles. Took it to the shop and found the radiator busted and mixed with trans fluid. Had the radiator replaced and the transmission flushed twice. At a cost of $1,058. 00 it worked fine until 103,000 miles. It just made a thump noise and the transmission started slipping so bad it barely got me home.

Nissan corporation has a manufacture defect in their radiator which causes coolant to leak into the transmission. This action need a nationwide recall on both parts (radiator and transmission). Just like Toyota corporation had nationwide attention, Nissan need the same ordeal. The vehicle in question is a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. This vehicle has extended warranty which was not honor. Quoted when purchasing the extended warranty, "everything is cover from bumper to bumper, even down to the bolts". This is a misleading statement from the warranty department. Warranty department would not honor the warranty due to coolant was in the transmission. Money was paid for this purpose, now they say the warranty does not cover this mishap. After researching and talking with skills mechanics, it was discovered that the coolant came from a defective (busted) radiator. The mechanics stated this is becoming a common problem.

It all started with the radiator and the only reason I even knew something was wrong was that my gears were switching weird. I took the car into the dealership, they told me that I needed to get a new radiator and transmission b/c my radiator fluid was leaking into my transmission. They quoted me at $6000. I then took my car to get a new radiator and transmission flush, it helped a little. My car finally gave out 2 weeks ago. While driving down a side street, thenall of a sudden the transmission wouldn't switch gears. I tried pressing the gas to go and the transmission would not go. The car was still running, however I couldn't grab any gears to go. I got it towed to a transmission shop, they told me that my radiator fluid is leaking into my transmission which made my transmission lock up. They took my transmission apart to look at parts and apparently everything is rusty together, not to mention the "computer" in the transmission is fried. You would think that Nissan would recognize an issue when they see that same part is on backorder b/c I am waiting on a part. While reading others with the same issue, some have been on the highway and the transmission went out. This is definitely a safety issue seeing as if driving at high speeds you could possibly get rear ended badly. I almost got rearended while only going 45mph.

I have taken my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder to my dealer ,because of a rumbling sound;the mechanic said that the radiator has a internal damage and cause the antifreeze to leak to the transmission. I do have a extended warranty that the dealer also refuse to take because the radiator is not cover but the transmission it is,but they still will not repair the transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated when driving at 40 mph in overdrive, the vehicle would abnormally vibrate excessively as if driving over an extremely uneven road surface. The failure would correct itself when the accelerator pedal was depressed but would return momentarily. The failure became progressively worse and on one occasion, while driving at 70 mph, the failure occurred and the contact was under the impression that he had a blown tire. The vehicle was taken to the contact's personal mechanic where he was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where he was advised the radiator fluid was leaking into transmission and causing the failure. The dealer advised replacing both the radiator and transmission at the contact's expense. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was awaiting a response to determine if they would assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000 and the current mileage was 75,432.

Tl - the contact owns 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle transmission and radiator went out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the transmission coolant leak into the radiator and the radiator fluid leak into the transmission as a result both the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 150,000. Pm.

Vehicle shutters and shakes in overdrive at @ 40/45 mph and does not properly engage gears during operation of vehicle. The transmission fails during normal navigation through traffic. Confirmed factory defective radiator leaked coolant into transmission causing ruined transmission.

After transmission flush, transmission failed shortly thereafter. Replaced transmission June 2009. March 2010 had vibration problem and returned for transmission repair again. Second torque converter replaced. Within 1 week vibration issue returned. Dealer review confirmed that coolant from radiator had leaked into transmission and that radiator and transmission need to be replaced. This would be my second transmission, and third torque converter in less than a year, due to a faulty radiator used by Nissan in '05 & '06 models.

My 2005 Nissan Pathfinder has a faulty radiator which leaks back into the transmission. The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles and the dealer says Nissan will not cover the transmission damage. On emonds. Com there are hundreds of complaints for the same exact complaint from other owners. The problem causes the vehicle to shake at highway speeds.

Vehicle hesitates during overdrive at speed of @ 40-50mph. Vibration occurs and gears do not properly engage. Failure is due to defective radiator leaking fluids into transmission. Nissan installed defective radiator in 2005 Pathfinder. They refuse to correct the problem leading to damaged transmission!.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder started having shifting problems, had 60k service done at dealer, started again, flushed again at 72 had problems again at 80 and at 87k the radiator core failed and leaked into the transmission causing the transmission to fail and seize total cost for repairs 4400. 00 after hearing about this I did a little search and found this is a big problem with this car, as the shifting is a precurser to the failure, I wanted the dealer to cover since they assured me it was ok. .

2005 Nissan Pathfinder transmission slipping out of gear while driving. I called Nissan and they claims that they know nothing about, however there are several others with exactly the same problems online at car space automotive forums.

Regular driving minimal to hardly any towing. Transmission and coolant flushed religiously at 30k since taken ownership. Current mileage 80k. Failure of radiator cross contaminates atf and coolant, eventually destroying transmission costing $5000 to repair aside from disabling the vehicle. This is an issue on many 2005 Pathfinder, xterra and frontiers equipped with 4. 0l v6 coupled with 5 speed automatic transmission. Vehicle is currently at the dealership. Nissan must take responsibility.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder with 74,500 miles needs transmission replacement and radiator due to leaking of radiator coolant into transmission, mixing up with transmission oil damaging transmission. Looking at customer complaints online, it looks as every Pathfinder with above 60,000 miles suffers the same problem.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder has problems with antifreeze leaking into the transmission because of some design flaw. After researching this problem I see that there are many complaints of this occurring with this same particular model. The transmission starts to make a grinding noise and then will start slipping. Nissan is aware of the problem because they are the one that has diagnosed it over and over again, but have refused to issue a TSB or recall. This is a very serious defect and is costing people 5 to 10 thousand dollars to fix. My 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is at the dealership awaiting repair. This will cost me $5500 to fix and Nissan will not assist. Nissan should consider the problems that Toyota is having right now and issue a recall for this defect.

Faulty radiator leak antifreeze into transmission.

My 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is having the same transmission problems that so many others are having. It seems that Nissan had a defective batch of radiators that has let coolant leak into the transmission causing vibrations, hesitation and eventually failure. We have three foster children and one of them is an infant with a feeding tube and track I do not want to get a call from my wife saying she has broken down on the road on her way to visitation with the biological parents or to doctor appointments. Nissan is clearly avoiding this problem! I expect they will start taking action when lawsuits start rolling in on them. Mr. Ceo of Nissan may find this thing parked in his living room if something happens to my foster children because of breaking down. Just kidding, but I will be pissed. Someone please do something about this!!!.

I own a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. I have come to find that the transmission is failing due to a defective radiator letting radiator fluid into the transmission. My car, which has 88k miles is now out of the 60k mi. Nissan warranty. From doing research online I see that this is a very,common problem and seems to affect all 2005 Pathfinders. As this has been a known problem for some time Nissan could have warned about the issue (replacing the radiator before it failed and failed the transmission) as well it most likely started failing before the warranty expired. Nissan will not fix the issue. I feel that Nissan should be compelled to fix this issue for all 2005 Pathfinder owners.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder has problems with antifreeze leaking into the transmission because of some design flaw. After researching this problem I see that there are many complaints of this occurring with this same particular model. The transmission starts to make a grinding noise and then will start slipping. Nissan is aware of the problem because they are the one that has diagnosed it over and over again, but have refused to issue a TSB or recall. This is a very serious defect and is costing people 5 to 10 thousand dollars to fix. My 2005 Nissan Pathfinder has just begun the tell tale symptoms of this costly problem. Nissan should consider the problems that Toyota is having right now and issue a recall for this defect.

I don't understand that 3 Nissan 2005 Pathfinder recalls have recently been announced within the past 6 months but I don't qualify for 2 of them because of the year/mileage cap. So people who actually use their vehicles are at a disadvantage even though a design flaw has been acknowledged. My wife and I have owned 6 different Nissans (pathfinder, sentra, ultima, murano) since 1998 and disappointed with the handling of the year/mileage cap on the Pathfinder recalls. This makes us seriously think about looking elsewhere for our next vehicles.

In Dec. '09, noticed rear end vibration and clinking sound. Thought it might be transmission problem. Pure coincidence-brought it to dealer for coolant flush was told that there was trans fluid in my radiator. Called my trans repair people (not Nissan). They were aware of problem. Told me that radiators in Pathfinder 2005's were defective. Coolant leaked through one of radiator trans coolers, into trans. And trans fluid leaked back into radiator, rendering both irreparable. Needed new trans and radiator. Told dealer and Nissan. Through several phone calls/negotiations,, Nissan agreed to do the $5,000-7000 repair for dealer labor charge of $450. Told me I would get money back if there was a recall. Dealer did repair. The problem is also a safety issue, because radiator and/or trans can fail while on the road. Countless Pathfinder owners have reported the problem to no avail. Nissan getting away with a major defect that could prove dangerous.

2005 Nissan Pathfinder 4wd SUV suddenly down shifted out of 2wd driving mode with a sudden deceleration into 4wd mode. 4wd warning light and service engine lights came on. Diagnostic test found transmission cooler in radiator failed and leaked fluid into transmission damaging transmission control module. .

Service engine lamp lit. Transmission fluid's radiator cooler failed allowing coolant to enter into transmission ruining transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact attempted to accelerate and noticed that the vehicle would not respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that radiator coolant had leaked into the transmission . There were no prior warnings of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000. Updated 07/30/10. Updated 08/24/10 updated 10/22/10 updated 10/26/10.

I have a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder se. I have had an issue with it and it could of been a safety issue. In June '09 the radiator had a cooling line that broke which has become a transmission problem. And anytime that a drivetrain is in issue it could cause a safety issue. I replaced the radiator for $600 and the transmission went out with violent stuttering and engaging in and out while in heavy traffic which could of caused a major accident especially at highway speeds. I have replaced the transmission with no help from Nissan. This is a major problem that has been documented by several hundred consumers all with the same problem. The total I spent was $3197. 09 which should be reimbursed by Nissan corp for this problem is well known by the yet no recall has been issued.

I have a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder se-or and the radiator fluid into the transmission. I had to replace the radiator and have both systems flushed 2x each. The rpms were hestating when excelling over 45mph. The Nissan dealer tried ripping me off saying I needed a new transmission-so I went to a reputable garage.

Noticed rough shifts in transmission, eventually failed to engage 5th gear. Took to dealer, transmission lines inside radiator had ruptured. Replaced transmission, radiator and lines at a cost of over $8000 and 4 weeks time. This occurred at 67k miles. At 87k miles, radiator fluid is milky and shows symptoms of another rupture of coolant lines inside transmission. Dealer and Nissan USA do not recognize this as a safety issue or inherent defect in engineering. However, a simple search will show an extremely large number of people with similar issues caused by faulty cooling lines in the radiator rupturing causing transmission abrupt behavior and the danger for loss of vehicle control due to the failure.

I have a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder that the oil cooler leaked radiator fluid into the transmission.

I own a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder and at 81,500 miles began experiencing transmission vibration while traveling between 40-45 mph. During this vibration, my acceleration abilities were limited. The transmission vibration was the result of defective radiator which caused radiator fluid and transmission fluid to mix. I received a letter from Nissan informing me that the warranty on the radiator assembly of my 2005 Pathfinder is being extended because “a crack in the radiator assembly might occur at higher mileages leading to internal leakage of engine coolant. €� the radiator and transmission have since been repaired and Nissan is unwilling to reimburse the cost of the repairs. As the radiator failure and affected transmission is a well know issue by Nissan and the Nissan consumer community, Nissan should be responsible for all costs to repair the radiator and affected components. Nissan being responsible is ever more evident by the fact that the transmission is affected, which causes intermittent acceleration issues.