Carrier/rack problems of the 2007 Nissan Xterra

At over 189000 miles the radiator hose cracked and leaked fluid into the transmission causing transmission and tcm failure.

A hesitation in the vehicle's acceleration began occurring frequently upon depressing the accelerator after a full stop at a stop sign or red light, but not at any other time in driving the vehicle. The problem was first noted when departing the dealership after which a new timing chain had been replaced. When reviewed by the dealership upon return to the service area (another appointment had been made at later time), a loss of over one quart of transmission fluid was detected (over what time period was unclear), but no known source of external leakage was found. This led to the conclusion that internal leakage was very likely occurring. Due to the many instances of radiator cracks and toxic mixing of fluids among similar year models (mid-2000 model years of Nissan Xterra), the dealership recommended that the radiator be replaced and the transmission thoroughly flushed, which might prevent the transmission from requiring a complete overhaul in the future - although there are no guarantees. This work was completed for a total of $1500 including discount; the incident occurred well after the extended warranty provided by the manufacturer for resolving issues that had been experienced by others, hence the dealership's charges. A request was nonetheless made to get reimbursed by the manufacturer (Nissan), currently under review. It is possible that this issue was dealt with at a very early stage and might therefore result in a lower probability of transmission problems in the future, which could cost several thousand dollars ($6-7,000 or more). Other drivers/owners have typically experienced more severe issues, such as shaking/stalling vehicles and/or illuminated dashboard lights indicating engine problems.

We just discovered our 2007 Nissan Xterra (117,000 miles) is one of the many Nissans to have the radiator crack and leak coolant into the transmission and transmission fluid into the cooling system. The car now needs around $6,000 in repairs to fix the transmission, radiator, etc. We bought a warranty from the dealer when we bought the car in 2010. The warranty covers the the transmission up to 120,000 miles. We have taken the car to the dealership for the last five years for regular service and was never informed about this design defect. The dealer will not fix the transmission as covered in the warranty.

Radiator cracked leaking coolant into the transmission.

Nissan sent a warranty notification letter that the radiator could crack and leak into the transmission. The letter stated the warranty ran out at 80k miles. They would not replace the radiator and transmission until there was an actual problem. I didn't start having problems until about 96k miles. When I brought it in to the dealer, I was told it would cost me $3000 my part to fix it and they would cover the rest. I have not been able to afford to make the repair at this time. Nissan knew the part was bad and still did nothing to correct the problem.

On Friday, August 2, 2013, approximately 5:40pm, the car started to have difficulty shifting (automatic), speed became erratic, slowed rapidly. I was on a service road next to a freeway during rush hour traffic in a busy area of scottsdale. I was near pinnacle Nissan and decided to drive there. I had a couple very busy intersections to go through to drive the 1 mi to pinnacle. The car would not accelerate more than 10 miles an hour and was not shifting out of low gear. I was very concerned I would stall or the car would cease driving in these intersections. Pinnacle Nissan service diagnosed the issue (8/3/13) as a cracked radiator cooling tube that caused coolant to mix with transmission fluid ruining components in the transmission. A complete new transmission and radiator is required to fix this now. This issue is not related to abusive driving, I do very little off road and no towing, and is not a lack of or improper maintenance. This is a know design flaw by Nissan. It appears there is a high number of Nissan problem SUV's, 2005 to 2010, that experience this same problem after roughly 80,000 miles. Based on my experience, this is a potentially dangerous safety issue especially if someone would be driving at higher speeds on a busy freeway.

My transmission starting slipping. The problem was that the radiator cracked and allowed anti-freeze to leak into the transmission. Our winters are very snowy,icy and cold leaving me without heat and in a dangerous situation in wintery conditions.