general problems of the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder - part 1

A coolant hose leaked in transmission and shorted tcm causing total transmission failure and totaling out vehicle.

Crack in defective radiator allowed coolant to mix in with transmission fluid. Coolant caused transmission to fail while driving it. Transmission changed gears on its own and would not shift properly and engine just shut down.

Bought vehicle I’m second owner it was sold as is from a dealership with airbag lights on after a certain amount miles check engine light came on said I had e -regular voltage to fuel injectors 1 gear started slipping then loss of power when accelerating next revolutionary trans-sensor went and now when I start the vehicle the a/t ecu fuse keeps blowing out and the radiator coolant has transmission fluid mixing into it.

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle downshifted independently. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the transmission fluid needed to be changed. The contact took the vehicle to a second independent mechanic and was informed that the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that upon placing her vehicle into reverse, the vehicle shut-off without warning. The vehicle started rolling backwards. The contact and her son exited the vehicle, to manually stop the vehicle from rolling back and hitting a building. The contact then had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where the mechanic replaced the engine coil block however, the vehicle started to overheat at start-up. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was white smoke coming from the engine while the temperature gauge showed a high engine temperature. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,500.

Just bought and checked the anitfreeze to find a thick sludge in the radiator and overflow. Smells like oil.

Vehicle rough shifting and all of the sudden went to a safety mode and wont start anymore. Apparently is a transmission problem caused from the radiator oil cooler. Mechanic identified the situation as a safety recall.

Radiator leaked and mixed with transmission. Transmission oil looks like strawberry milkshake. Gears now grind when shifting during normal driving.

Tamara recall. Vehicle in motion 60mph jumped from 2wd to 4wd automatically. Vehicle then locked in 5th gear. Mechanic stated radiator fluid mixed with transmission fluid, then both control modules expired. Vehicle will not start or crank.

Radiator fluid and coolant are mixing. Radiator and transmission are busted. Car broke down while driving.

Transmission overheating, tool to mtn view Nissan chattanooga ten & they replaced the fluid & anti freeze fluid. I mentioned that I had read of this type vehicle having these issues with the radiator coolant getting into the transmission fluid & causing this problem. The service rep told me that my vehicle was not designed like that & just the fluid needed changed. I had them do that & the next day driving it overheated again. I took the vehicle to east ridge transmission & they told me that the transmission fluid contained radiator fluid & that the transmission, radiator & fluids all needed replaced. I had them do that & it did repair the problem. Nissan knows of this defect & should reimburse me for it.

I was driving my Nissan Pathfinder 2008 on the highway with my 3 children's when I noticed high vibration coming inside the car I was not sure what's going on I took the car to Nissan dealer I was told my radiator broke and mixed coolant with my transmission cost to repair $5800.

Experiencing jerking at or above 40 mph, changed transmission fluid, fluid was contaminated appeared pink and milky at draining,hard shifting.

Car begin having issues while shifting, made clunking sounds while driving, not shifting correctly both on highway and city driving. We took it to a repair shop where they discovered coolant from the radiator had leaked into the transmission and caused it to fail. Repair shop quoted us for radiator replacement and transmission service but warned if the transmission was too contaminated it could need a whole replacement of that as well. Upon searching online for this issue we found it is a known problem for Nissan Pathfinders of this age and with this radiator type. It can cause the transmission to seize up while driving and render the car unable to be controlled.

On Monday may 7,2018 my car went into reverse as I was leaving my drive way but was very hesitant on moving. So I put my Pathfinder back in drive and it started hoping back into the driveway. I tried to reverse again but the car would not move. I contacted the dealer and took the vehicle in. After being there all day they told me that the radiator had leaked into the transmission and both parts needed to be replaced. My vehicle had 139,627 miles on it so there was no warranty on it. I came home researched the problem and found out that there was a lawsuit against Nissan for the issue back in 2013 but I cannot file to get any money from this lawsuit so I called the corporate number for Nissan. When I spoke to the lady on the phone she informed me that there was nothing they could do to help with the cost of fixing both parts to my vehicle. She said because I wan't the original owner (mind you that I bought the car certified used from mossy Nissan with 30,000 miles on it) that there was no record of me owning the vehicle. I sent her a copy of my title to show I was the owner of the vehicle but yet she said since I had gone over mileage and the time frame for any warranty that there was nothing that could be done. I ended up having to pay the full amount of $4697. 18 for my Pathfinder to be fixed. What makes me upset is I always have my vehicle serviced at Nissan and yet no one in the last 8 years has told me to replace the radiator for this issue. When I asked the service representative about this he said they aren't allowed to mention this issue unless that vehicle has a code. Absolutely ridiculous Nissan is the worst! I honestly would have changed the radiator at my own cost if I would have known this was an issue. Instead I ended up having to open up a credit card for their company to pay for the repairs that could have been completely avoided.

Coolant is in my sons transmission . We went to get it it fixed and we were told don�t. To drain and flush it we will kill the transmission!! that Nissan new that this was happening and they had a recall. We called them today but they said they won't fix it to bad. How sad. Not right and I'm not happy.

This particular year and make of vehicle has a known manufacturers defect that causes the transmission fluid to mix in with the radiator, which in turn ruins your vehicle and causes about $5,000+ in repairs. A class action lawsuit was settled regarding this, and all Nissan did was extend their warranty. Unfortunately, this defect doesn't always breakdown prior to the warranty ending, in my case, it happened shortly after the warranty was up. So now I'm stuck with a vehicle I purchased 2 years ago, that doesn't work, and I still owe money on it, all because of this known defect.

At about 94000 miles the radioator cracked causing the antifreeze to mix with transmission fluid. Which is a know problem with these vechiles. So took to dealership and had to have transmission replaced and radiator as well. Now at 128000 the Pathfinder is doing the same thing again. The radiator is fill of the milky fluid that is the result of the two fluids mixing. So with in two years do to the same problem I have to have the transmission replaced but this time I have to pay the whole thing cause the Pathfinder is over the 100000 mile marker. Last time I had to pay the first 3000 dollars of the bill. How is this problem not being recalled on these Pathfinders.

Radiator coolent leaked in to transmission at 70000.

While driving vehicle at about 40mph, the vehicle would shutter when changing gears and lose power. Vehicle was taken to the dealer and we found out that coolant had leaked into the transmission through the radiator. Nissan has extended the warranty for this issue, but with a whopping $3000 deductible. I was surprised to hear this is a known failure but Nissan will not take full responsibility for their product.

We bought a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, with 97,000 miles. Zero issues at the time of purchase. At about 123,000 miles we noticed the transmission began to stuffer. Upon further investigation we discovered that the transmission fluid and coolant fluid have mixed together. The transmission will need to be replaced. We are currently financing this vehicle, making monthly payments, and now among millions of other Nissan consumers are in a horrible spot. Nissan should have issued a recall for cracked radiators. I work 12 hour swing shifts, live in a small town, and have 4 children. Nissan needs to make this issue right with consumers due to the shear volume of defective vehicles and the immense cost and unfortunate position it's putting hard working american in.

The internal radiator has small cracks that leak coolant and damage the transmission. It started developing issues when shifting into 2nd gear and then would not drive at all.

Ill just be added to the list im sure, but my transmission suffered a total failure due to the radiator issue that leaks into the transmission. Apparently its a well known problem and Nissan looked the other way. Cost me $4000 to rebuild the transmission and replace the radiator. Im at a loss for words the way Nissan handled this. But Nissan could have been in much more trouble. My wife got stuck with the truck on the parkway on the side with oncoming traffic whizzing past her at over 55 mph with my 10 year old son and 8 year old son in the truck. She called me in panic. Nobody thinks that such a failure could pose such a danger like this!! whats it going to take for a recall? a terrible accident???? luckily she was able to get the truck moving slowly off the parkway and make it home. How there is no recall on this is beyond me. . . . . Never again buying another Nissan!!.

Low power when going uphill. Difficulty and "hard clunking" when changing gears such as going from drive to / from reverse, decreased power when driving. When gears are shifting, transition is not smooth and car is sluggish with each shift. In addition clunking with deceleration. When stationary and shifting into reverse heavy clunking.

My raditor leaked and had to be replaced. They flushed the transmission and a week later I need a new transmission.

In the middle of a heavy storm from the wake of an f3 tornado that swepted through, my wife and I were stuck in heavy wind and rain in an open area unable to start our 2008 Pathfinder after pulling over. Just prior, our transmission started shifting hard and slamming into gear. I got out in the wind and rain and after looking over the vehicle after it cooled down, thats when I noticed oil and water were mixed in the radiator. The Pathfinder now sits because the vehicle will not start. It went from parked and running to dead on thie side of the road.

My transmission and radiator seeped into each other and apparently caused internal irreparable failure. My buyer's shield warranty is refusing to cover it. I purchased the 5 year/100000 mile power and train warranty as well. Nissan's factory warranty will not cover it neither will my extended.

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. The 2008 Nissan Pathfinder had to be towed to the repair shop since it would not start. The Pathfinder had 113k miles. It cost me $2841. 27 to repair.

Wow, I am amazed that my story is so similar to the ones I'm reading here. I also purchased a 2008 Pathfinder brand new. And I experienced the same issue with the radiator leaking into my transmission. And Nissan has turned their back on me as well. After doing some digging, I found out that Nissan knew about this issue in 2007. And yet when I bought my vehicle that had 13 miles on it from the dealership, never was this issue brought to my attention. I believe they issued extended warranties in 2010 and 2012. But never contacted us. If I had known it was a possibility of an issue, I would have had the correct repair done in advance to prevent this. But now I find myself with a destroyed transmission and nowhere to go. I can not currently pay out for this repair. I also am leading with Nissan to fix this problem. But they keep telling me " Nissan is not in a position to help me right now". The funny thing is that my family has bought 5 Nissan vehicles in the last 17 years. Some loyalty to a member of their family. I urge you people to do what I did. Issue a formal complaint with the better business bureau and most important the attorney generals office. Eventually we will have to be heard. I have also made it my mission to print out all the documents I have read regarding this issue and hand it to every person I I see driving a Nissan. And if it's parked, I leave it under the wiper. I drive everyday and go from manhattan to montauk. So far I have spoken with or left information for over 200 Nissan vehicles. And I'm not going to stop until there is enough complaints that we can get this thing fixed. Frank o.

The SUV began shuddering when shifting into gear, and hard shifting in low gears. Brought to dealership, and they said coolant had contaminated the transmission case by leaking from the radiator. Repair needed: replace radiator and transmission. SUV has 131,000 miles, and was other wise in good condition. Repair center said to replace both, cost would be $5800. 00.

While driving my 2008 Nissan Pathfinder there was a hard shift when I put it in reverse, then noticed the check engine light was lit and steady, I then switched gears into drive which had a violent jerking motion & slight hesitation to accelerate. As I proceeded to drive on the county road the check engine light began flashing constantly & the vehicle had little power to accelerate & constantly hesitating causing me to immediately pull over. I believe the problem was created due to the entermix coolant in transmission as stated by the techician in the report I provided. This was a safety risk because at the time of incident I was driving across the road.

May, 2016 - started noticing my Pathfinder would slip when I hit the gas. The vehicle hesitated. I took into a Nissan dealer which diagnosed that the radiator had leaked coolant into the transmission, resulting in the need to replace the transmission, radiator and do a full flush. The transmission needed for my truck is not available from Nissan until July 3, 2016. Nissan dealer can get aftermarket transmission with 3-year warranty and install for $5,600. Mileage at 130,000. Nissan had an extended warranty until 100,000 miles. This isn't right. Issue is known by Nissan and they have not yet instituted a full recall.

Transmission went out. I've been without a vehicle for over a month as parts are on back order. This is a known issue. Why is Nissan not prepared with replacement parts. Why was warranty only extended for certain time period as they were aware of the problem. Vehicle stopped running in my driveway. Could have been hazardous had it stopped running on the highway.

My wife was driving Pathfinder with my children in it on interstate highway. Few minutes after she was on the highway, the vehicle (pathfinder) was not responding to her when she pressed on gas pedal. It accelerated slowly, while she was on highway & driving at 50+ mph. Sensing danger, she took an exit and came off interstate highway and the engine stopped on her completely - as she exited from highway. Before stopping, the car slowed down and when my wife gave gas, it wasn't getting required speed on the interstate highway. Luckily for her car stopped on the middle of the road as she entered a small lane after exiting the interstate. We got it towed to aaa service center. The Nissan dealer is now saying that coolant got mixed with the transmission fluid and thus spoiled the computer that connects to engine. And it requires a complete overhaul of transmission, radiator etc and costing me $5,600. As this car is regularly serviced by Nissan dealer, and this damage is not caused by driving. Appears to have been caused by manufacturing design/deficiencies. When I researched on web, noticed many people having suffered with the same problem. Hence wanted to report this issue so that necessary action could be taken. My fear is if the vehicle suddenly stops on an interstate - it would've certainly led to an accident.

Transmisson inner cooler tank in radiator leaks , getting water in transmisson. Ruining transmission /computer etc. Had to be rebuit. Nissan wanted over $5,ooo. Got it repaired at other shop over $3,000 with still having to get it programmed at Nissan. Poor design and faulty tanks in radiator. I had shop place external transmisson radiator and new radiator to never let this happen again. Nissan was trying to buy my vehicle for $800 and was worth over $6,800 at the time. Happened while driving vehicle normal city driving 15-70 miles a day at the time. Per Nissan and the other repair shops this is a known issue and have many repairs due to this issue. Approx on date.