Transmission Fluid Leaking Problems of Nissan Xterra - part 2

I am writing this in regard to the radiator cracking and leaking coolant into the transmission fluid. This problem completely ruins transmissions and there is no way to tell the problem is occuring. I have had the vehicle inspected regularly and maintained to all manufacturer specifications. I received zero notification from Nissan about this issue. This is my primary vehicle I use to transport my child. I was left stranded on the side of a back road in extreme heat due to this defect. The cost of repairing this issue is well over the worth of the vehicle itself.

See all problems of the 2006 Nissan Xterra 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2007 Nissan Xterra 🔎.

Tl- the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that there was a transmission failure and that there was a component that fractured with no warning associated with fluid leaking from the radiator into the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and the radiator needed to be replaced due to a crack in the atf line that flows through the engine coolant chamber into the radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was not included in NHTSA action number: dp12004 (power train) the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was not available. Dyd.

I was informed by a friend who has the same make and model car that there is a defect in the radiator that causes radiator fluid to leak into the transmission, thus ruining the transmission. Therefore you need to then replace the transmission.

See all problems of the 2005 Nissan Xterra 🔎.

Vehicle abruptly stalled without warning when making a left hand turn. Oncoming traffic was forced to stop. A serious, possibly deadly, accident could have occurred if the oncoming traffic had not stopped. The vehicle had shuddering during acceleration prior to this incident but had never given any indication it would stall unexpectedly. The vehicle had been maintained by Nissan and no issues were brought to my attention during this service. When Nissan diagnosed the vehicle they found that the transmission cooler had leaked and allowed transmission fluid and engine coolant to mix. This lead to transmission damage and unsafe, unexpected failure of the transmission. Nissan also said they had known about this common failure for many years. I was never informed of this dangerous design flaw.

On 3/28/15, parking my 2007 Nissan Xterra (126,0000 miles) in tampa, FL. Before I had the car in "park", there was a loud noise, the engine started smoking and a lot of purple/green/gray fluid leaked out from the bottom of my car. Afraid to move the car, aaa towed it to the Nissan dealership in tampa. When the tow truck driver arrived and saw the color of the fluids, he quickly determined that my car had leaked both transmission and radiator fluid. He said he heard that this was a problem with Nissan Xterras. I was shocked! since purchasing new in December 2006, I have always taken my car to Nissan for all service. Other than a few oil changes, all service has been performed by Nissan dealerships and their certified technicians. Just prior to this incident, my car had been shaking. I had been to Nissan with this complaint in the past, but after repairs were made it seemed to go away. At no time was a transmission problem mentioned as a possibility. I have lived in different areas in florida and used only Nissan dealerships for service and repair, willing to pay more for repairs than an independent repair shops, that Nissan dealerships and service would know my vehicle best & be proactive, alerting to any potential future problems, I felt protected. The last major repair was in July 2014, at 113,000 miles at autonation Nissan, delray, FL. Complaint was severe shaking, and stumbling when accelerating. Repairs were over $1,000; a transmission issue was never mentioned, even after further repairs were needed. I was never informed of transmission problems with Xterras until Saturday at the dealer in tampa, who said he alerts all Xterra owners to be proactive with radiator replacement. After the comment I did research online. I was unaware of the class action suit settled with Nissan; I was never notified of a problem history with Nissan Xterra transmissions and radiators.

I was on my way back from the the mall when I heard my fan/belt start to squeal. Not thinking anything of it I keeped on driving next thing I know I'm pressing harder on my gas peddle just to go faster. My rpms where going to high and I was only going 65. I was on the high when this happen so I didn't notice till I had to go up a bridge and that's when I really notice my engine struggling to get power, it sounded like it was doing a lot when it really wasn't. I knew I had to go to the machanic to get it looked at they told me it was a lose bolt. Next thing ik I'm driving home and my car was doing the same thing again but this time it wasn't going into gear in drive, so I tried 3 gear still nothing so I went to 2 and it stuck. I parked it on a side street in ocean city and called trip a and had it towed to Nissan of atlantic city to see what was wrong. Couple days later they called and told me my raidiator fluid leaked into my transmission and messed all the gears up. After hearing that I looked up that problem on Xterras apparently this is a pretty common accurance on them. I was not notified of such problems by the dealer and apparently Nissan want renberrse me so I'm out 7,500 because my Nissan is sitting in my back yard.

Radiator coolant leaked into transmission fluid and ruined the transmission. Known issue.

I took our 2008 Xterra into a local shop to have the all the fluids except the oil serviced (already had it changed at a Nissan dealer) on Feb 7 2015. When the shop called, they told me there was oil in the radiator and what they suspected and told me I should take it to a dealer. When I looked at the radiator fluid it had what looked like oil and the overflow tank looked like a chocolate shake was in it. I took it to the dealer on Feb 9th 2015 and waited for 1/2 day to find out that it needed the radiator and tranny replaced, but they couldn't do it that day. Having researched the problem online I had seen the stories about the vehicle seizing up on the highways/roads. I expressed my concern and asked that they contact the aftermarket warranty insurance and discuss what Nissan would cover and what maxcare would cover. I was then put into a rental for almost 2 weeks while it got repaired. Now less than 2 weeks after getting it back it has a smell, is leaking from the front right corner under the hood, and has a clanging noise from the same area. Upon popping the hood and I found a dark oily substance in the radiator and foamy 'stuff' on the radiator overflow cap again. It appears the problem is not fixed or bad remanufactured parts were used, or it wasn't completely cleaned out prior to putting it back together. I don't understand how an issue that can make a vehicle seize up on the roads can not be considered a safety issue. All of this after purchasing the Xterra oct 31 2014 at our local carmax facility. Carmax supposedly does a thorough job of checking over the vehicles they sell but they sure dropped the ball on this one. Now just after the 12 month 12000 warranty on the replaced parts, the transmission fails again, 5 days without the Xterra and still waiting for maxcare to approve the repairs. Wondering about keeping it after this repair is done.

See all problems of the 2008 Nissan Xterra 🔎.

I took our 2008 Xterra into a local shop to have the all the fluids except the oil serviced (already had it changed at a Nissan dealer) on Feb 7 2015. When the shop called, they told me there was oil in the radiator and what they suspected and told me I should take it to a dealer. When I looked at the radiator fluid it had what looked like oil and the overflow tank looked like a chocolate shake was in it. I took it to the dealer on Feb 9th 2015 and waited for 1/2 day to find out that it needed the radiator and tranny replaced, but they couldn't do it that day. Having researched the problem online I had seen the stories about the vehicle seizing up on the highways/roads. I expressed my concern and asked that they contact the aftermarket warranty insurance and discuss what Nissan would cover and what maxcare would cover. I was then put into a rental for almost 2 weeks while it got repaired. Now less than 2 weeks after getting it back it has a smell, is leaking from the front right corner under the hood, and has a clanging noise from the same area. Upon popping the hood and I found a dark oily substance in the radiator and foamy 'stuff' on the radiator overflow cap again. It appears the problem is not fixed or bad remanufactured parts were used, or it wasn't completely cleaned out prior to putting it back together. I don't understand how an issue that can make a vehicle seize up on the roads can not be considered a safety issue. All of this after purchasing the Xterra oct 31 2014 at our local carmax facility. Carmax supposedly does a thorough job of checking over the vehicles they sell but they sure dropped the ball on this one. I'm not sure who I am more upset with, Nissan for not taking care of their customers by voluntarily doing a recall, or carmax for selling something that certainly wasn't checked over very well or they would have noticed the fluids.

Defective radiator leaked engine coolant into automatic transmission fluid (atf), causing cross-contamination of fluids that will ruin the re5r05a transmission. The engine coolant water contamination can short-circuit the low current electronic computer located on the valve body. This transmission was used in Xterra; frontier; pathfinder and armada vehicles manufactured between 2005 and 2010. Fixing the radiator and replacing the contaminated fluid with fresh fluid does not alleviate the problem, as the transmission computer has been permanently damaged. The only way to fix a damaged transmission computer is to replace it with a new one, and they are only available from Nissan as part of a new valve body assembly. . Read more...

My radiator broke and leaked radiator fluid into my transmission ruining the whole transmission in the radiator transmission fluid in it and so did the engine result $2600 transmission bought.

Transmission failure due to coolant leak into automatic transmission. Engine overheating was what brought my attention to any issue, the overheating was a result of the transfer of transmission fluid into the coolant system as well. After making attempts to address the overheating issue the transmission began its quick decline, learning about the issue I was able to start attempting to have it repaired but with its high cost I have yet to be able to have it repaired completely.

The radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and ruined the transmission and valve body assembly. The car will not run and stalled out in an intersection.

This problem has been happing to my vehicle for awhile but I was unaware until last week. My truck was overheating and the antifreeze had a white substance in it. My mechanic told me it was mixed with transmission fluid. The radiator cracked and the trans cooler which is inside leaked. The two fluids mixed and has caused transmission problems. My radiator has to be replaced and the trans will be flushed several times. The extent of damage to the trans is undetermined at this time as it is still in the shop. I researched this problem and found it to be a very common problem with Nissan Xterras. The symptom's of others vehicles are exactly the same as mine. Nissan has had a very poor settlement in a class action suit but it is very poor. This shows that they are aware of the poor engineering design and/or parts. This problem is leaving people with several thousand dollars in repairs ($3800 and up) for a problem that Nissan is aware of. Even though you have maintained your vehicle routinely this problem will still occur due to Nissans poor design and parts. This problem should be covered under a recall and if an owner has fixed the problem they should be reimbursed for their expense to repair the problem.

Catastrophic transmission failure as a result of radiator fluid leaking into the transmission allowed by a design defect in the transmission/radiator. Had to pay $5,158 to fix this problem. Manufacturer seems to take no responsibility for this design defect when failure occurs over 100,000 miles. This is wrong.

My 2007 Nissan Xterra came on with a check engine light and over drive indicator light stayed on. Obdii code for check engine light was p0700 transmission control system tcs malfunction. The transmission would no longer use 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gear. Reverse, neutral, and drive could still be selected but when in drive it was in 4th gear only. Took it to the Nissan dealership and they told me that coolant from the radiator was leaking into the transmission and this was a common issue that the service department had seen before many times now. They informed me that I was 1500 miles over warranty and that I would have to contact Nissan customer care. That is when I discovered that there was a class action lawsuit for this problem against Nissan because this was a known defect for 2005-2010 Xterras and they wouldn't do a recall. Now Nissan is telling me there is nothing they can do for me and they will charge me $7500 for parts and labor to replace the transmission, radiator, lines and fluid. That is outrageous as my 2007 Xterra only values at $8000. I was never notified when I bought this SUV in August of 2012 that it was part of a class action lawsuit and in the 2 years I have owned I have never been notified by Nissan of a settlement that could have alerted me to have this checked sooner before transmission failure happened. I also wouldn't have bought the car if I had known there was a known issue with the radiator leaking into the transmission that Nissan is not willing to recall for. Now I am trapped with a loan on a lemon I cant drive and cant afford to fix.

The radiator used in my 2007 nisan Xterra is a faulty product which caused a leak of the radiator fluid into the transmission fluid system. When the transmission heats up during longer periods of driving, the radiator fluid also heats up and effectively ruins the internal transmission parts. This has caused several issues in the shifting of the vehicle, and often times in very dangerous situations where acceleration is key to avoiding accidents.

2005 Nissan Xterra. Consumer writes in regards to transmission and radiator issues. The consumer stated after he dropped the vehicle off at the dealer, he received a call from the service advisor, stating transmission fluid was leaking into the radiator and Nissan was aware of the defect and should cover the cost in replacing the radiator and transmission, because they extended the warranty. When the consumer contacted Nissan to confirm, he was informed the vehicle had over 80,000 miles and he would have to pay $3,000 if he wanted the repairs done.

Luckily I was waiting in a drive thru when the known defect occurred. The radiator is known to crack and leak in to the transmission mixing both the coolant and transmission fluid requiring the replacement of both the radiator and transmission. The failure of the radiator also requires that the engine be flushed multiple times. I received a letter from Nissan a few years ago that this is a rare occurrence. It doesn't appear that they were telling the truth. Nissan settled a class action suit so I will have to pay $2560 to get the problem fixed. Because the parts have to be ordered it takes a week or longer to get the car fixed. This is a known problem that affects multiple Nissan models from 2005 through 2010. Nissan should be required to recall and fix everyone of the affected models.

When my Xterra was idling in park or at a stop light, the car was overheating. Also while accelerating, the car was shuddering when changing gears. Upon taking the vehicle to a repair garage, I was informed that this particular model Nissan is notorious for faulty radiators being installed which caused coolant fluid to leak / mix in with transmission fluid, thus damaging the transmission, possibly to the point of having to be replaced as well as the radiator. My car is sitting at a garage now waiting for the radiator to be replaced and try to run the vehicle to see how bad the damage now is to the transmission.

A defect caused a crack in the transmission radiator which leaked fluid into the transmission causing unexpected catastrophic transmission failure.

Radiator fluid leaked into the transmission causing the tranmission to fail and ruined the radiator. My Xterra had 106,000 miles on it at the time of the failure. The cost to replace the transmission and radiator was nearly $5,000. 00. The cause of the failure is the same factory defect mentioned in previous complaints.

Monday June 2 my husband told me something was wrong with his 05 Xterra. He said it sounded like it was driving on rumble strips in the road. We went online to find that there have been several complaints brought against Nissan for folks experiencing the same issue. We contacted our local Nissan dealer. I spoke with steven jones and he informed me that there is a known issue with 05 Xterra's where the radiator fluid leaks into the transmission which will in turn cause the engine to cease. He then indicated to me that there was a class action law suit that settled back in Jan 2013 that if the vehicle was under 100,000 miles all would be covered all but $3,000. Thats what we would have to pay to have this fixed knowing that this is a defect on the vehicle that Nissan has known about as it effects 2005-2010 Xterra's, pathfinders and frontiers. Yet its us that has to pay out of pocket this astronomical amount of money. Anyone over 100,000 miles would have to pay in full which ranges $7000 - $10,000 depending on the state you live in. You can't tell me that this is how a company stands by their name. This was literally almost a total loss on this vehicle but luckily enough we were 300 miles under the 100,000 mark. How is this ok to charge folks these prices for something that is a defect on the company. To date, we were never notified nor was a recall ever put into place. There are thousands of folks filing complaints on this matter. We should not have to have this worry how we will come up with this amount of money and by all means we should not have to borrow from 401k's to afford what we rightfully did not damage ourselves. I will never, we will never purchase another Nissan again because they did not stand by their name. All we are asking is that something be done to return our money that we so rightfully shouldn'thave had to put out.

Driving on highway and transmission failed. Nearly had accident getting car off of road. Problem exists do to factory defect of radiator leakage into transmission fluid. Requires new radiator and other repairs and new transmission. Estimated repair cost = $6,800.

Transmission failure because of coolant fluid leaking into it. A design flaw which brought a class action suit against Nissan. Nissan lost the suit, but did not recall these vehicles for repair. I was forced to pay $3000. 00 deductible for the repair, but I may be lucky since many with this problem will not be covered at all. Very unfair of Nissan.

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that the gear would not shift into reverse. An independent mechanic noticed that the transmission fluid was mixing with the coolant and the coolant was leaking into the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.

Well I was driving along and the vehicle started chugging and then it stopped moving, when I had a transmission shop look at it they told me the radiator cracked and leaked fluid into the trans and destroyed the trans, now it is going to be replaced or rebuilt. I cannot afford this but need to get it fixed since I borrowed money to buy it. I was told by the trans shop that this was a common problem and it is not supposed to happen since the trans fluid lines and radiator fluid do not come into direct contact with each other, but is a defective radiator and design that caused this problem.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that the transmission failed and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to an authorized mechanic who stated that radiator fluid leaked into the transmission, which caused the transmission to fail. The transmission was replaced. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge failed. The contact did not know if the fuel tank was full or empty. The fuel gauge was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 140,000.

Transmission jerks and shudders at speeds around 40-60 mph when it shifts into overdrive. This occurs under light engine loading and while traveling up hill. Also, have noticed it at lower speeds lately. During the winter, the vehicle failed to heat properly; adding more coolant alleviated this problem, but only for a short period of time. After inspection, it is found that engine coolant is leaking into the transmission cooler and transmission fluid, causing both the engine to run low on coolant (and cause a no-heat situation) and is most likely causing the transmission to fail.

Suddey I found my heat not working. Strange, I was low on coolant and no visible leaks. While researching this I came across all the complaints of transmission failure due to the defective welds on the atf cooler within the radiator. I immediately went to dealer and had everything checked out and pressure tested for leaks. They said all is fine and tested ok, we have no idea why you would be low on coolant. Mind you, at this point there is 79k on the odometer and we all know Nissans lame warranty extension is useless due to the convenient mileage cap completely and obviously is in their best interest. Appalling and 100% a safety issue and complete negligence. In an effort to be pro active I ordered an aftermarket radiator and installed it myself. I also flushed and refilled tranny fluid. I am now about to break 100k. I'm now worried about the timing chain issue Nissan also doesn't want to deal with. Anyone reading this should be pro active and change out your radiator and flush your transmission immediately, it's all you can do right now to prevent a bigger issue. It also cost me $400 to do myself. The quote from the dealer was $1500. Good luck to all, I argued and called and called and Nissan could care less and wouldn't even consider any help whatsoever . This was my wife and I's 5th Nissan. Never again!!!!!!.

The radiator leaked fluid into the transmission and cause a complete and total loss of both. A lawsuit was filed and settled by Nissan without them taking any responsibility for their faulty design. I guess this won't get noticed until people start dying from Nissan's defective design. When that does happen, Nissan will just payoff the families so this whole issue just goes away!.

Problem with radiator fluid leaking into the transmission, which has now damaged the transmission. Since Nissan won't do the right thing and we're beyond the 80,000 miles, we're stuck paying for a new radiator and transmission. Instead of getting away with doing nothing except for extending the warrenty, Nissan should have been required to notify all affected people regarding the exact problem and issued a recall and pay for a new radiator. This obviously is still an issue for alot people and probably many, many more in the future, long after the so-called proposed settlement. Too the NHTSA! please investigate and require Nissan do the right thing!.

I have warranty extension notices sent out by Nissan. They are for a leak in the radiator they may go into the transmission. . My radiator was replaced because the dealer said it had a leak. There was no fluid in my garage or driveway. . Now my transmission had to be replaced 76993 miles. After dealing with customer service they told me it was not a related problem. . There has been a class action in against Nissan for this problem. The cost was $4500. 00. If you need any other question answered please call me at 716-866-5981. . I am looking for reimbursment for the cost of tranny repair. . All work was done by mike barney Nissan 3676 sheridan drive amherst,NY 14226.

Vehicle did not shift smoothly and was overheating. Mechanic determined that the transmission fluid and engine coolant were intermixed due to a leak in the transmission line in the radiator. Both radiator and transmission must be replaced due to the fluid mixing.