Four problems related to automatic transmission control module have been reported for the 2007 Nissan Xterra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2007 Nissan Xterra based on all problems reported for the 2007 Xterra.
The corner cutting design flaw that caused the issue commonly known as smod (strawberry milkshake of death, the transmission fluid and the coolant mix in both the radiator and the transmission) has caused the tcm to become damaged, the vehicle lost power to the wheels going up a hill then wouldnt start after turning it off, weve changed the filter, fluid and solenoids on the valve body, but the tcm still isnt working. We can start the vehicle and drive it around a bit, once it gets to 3rd gear it runs fine, but in lower gears (except for when in reverse) it struggles, then after shutting the vehicle off the transmission overheats because the tcm isnt working properly, this issue prevents the vehicle from starting again within about 1 hour of turning it off. As stated earlier this tcm issue came to light when the vehicle failed to go up a hill, if traffic were any worse than it was this couldve potentially led to a disaster that wouldve made having to wait about an hour for pickup seem like nothing. This issue was caused by Nissan cutting corners and its a common issue thats led to many owners of this vehicle having to cover repairs or just give up on the vehicle.
In March 2019 the transmission started getting sluggish while dropping my daughter at school one day. Eventually it would not switch gears as I pulled in my driveway from my 1. 5 mile trip to/from the school. Eventually it wouldn't even start in my driveway even with good battery. Replaced a fuse for the transmission control module and was able to start the vehicle but it blew the fuse. Had my vehicle towed to our mechanic and he discovered discovered that the coolant mixed with transmission fluid and now I have to replace everything involved. Also, the mechanism that opens the tailgate/trunk door/liftgate will not stay open, especially in colder weather. It has hit several people in the head and is a definite hazard.
External transmission cooler/radiator assembly leak has caused the transmission on my vehicle to become inoperable. The mixing of the vehicle coolant and the transmission fluid caused the transmission control module/transmission body assembly to malfunction. Thus the vehicle refuses to start as the transmission will not operate. I am now required to replace the radiator and transmission control module at more than $2k out of pocketpin addition to towing and rental vehicle expenses. The vehicle ran fine and no slipping was detected prior to the malfunction even after multiple transmission fluid changes. The vehicle was parked in my garage requiring a tow to a mechanic after running without any issues the previous day. Apparently this is a widespread issue that Nissan has known about for years in the Xterra, pathfinder, titan, and armada models. Nissan failed to notify vehicle owners of steps to avoid costly repairs by simply using a different noncorrsive automatic transmission fluid and to replace the faulty radiator and external transmission cooler assembly. I am now left in a greater undue hardship thnks to Nissan's gross negligence regarding an all too common issue that Nissan failed to address with thousands of complaints and documented examples. The extension of the warranty does adequately cover vehicle owners who all seem to fall victim outside of the warranty coverage period that Nissan specifically increased due to the faulty equipment and fluids that Nissan recommended and even required.
Vehicle had total failure on highway. Nissian dealer says it is from transmission contamination. Tcm totally failed, no power.