2006 Nissan Pathfinder Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR FLUIDS ARE INTERMINGLING AND HAS CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. IT HAS RUINED THE TRANSMISSION. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL.
THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR FLUID MIXING AND CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I SEE THAT YOU HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO HELP THE CONSUMERS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CONTINUING PROBLEM AND AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISN'T FAIR TO THE CONSUMER BECAUSE THIS IS A FAULTY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL TRANSMISSION/RADIATOR.
THIS SUB HAS A PROBLEM WHEN SPEED AFTER 35 MPH. THE ENGINE HAS TO GO HIGH REVOLUTION 4500 OR 5000 RPM WICH IS NOT NORMAL. TO KEEP AT 50MPH .THE TRAMISION DOESN'T GEAR PROPERLY. I TOOK TO NISSAN DEALER THEY SAID IS THE TRAMISION HAS WATER FRON THE RADIATOR. THE COOLANT MAJESTIC THE TRAMISION FAIL. IT COST OVER 5000.00 FOR RAPAIR .IT NEED NEW RADIATOR.
I'M A OWNER OF A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THIS VEHICLE HAS MAJOR TRANSMISSION ISSUES. VEHICLE SHUTTERS AND JERKS WHILE DRIVING 20 TO 30 MPH!!
WHILE ACCELERATING TO GET ONTO AN ENTRANCE TO I-95 MY CAR BEGAN TO VIBRATE AT ABOUT 40 MPH AND MAKE A ROARING NOISE. THE NOISE WENT AWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC HE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS AN KNOWN ISSUE THAT NISSAN HAD INVOLVING THE TRANSMISSION COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND RUINING IT. HE EXPLAINED THAT NISSAN HAD OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UP TO 80,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 98,000. NISSAN HAS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR DEFECTIVE RADIATORS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSIONS SINCE 2013 AND DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL. I FEEL LIKE IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TRADE THE CAR IN NO ONE WANTED IT IN TRADE BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN ISSUES. I AM ON A FIXED INCOME AND CAN NOT AFFORD THIS COSTLY REPAIR OR A NEW VEHICLE. NISSAN HAD LEFT US HIGH AND DRY AND PLAN TO DO NOTHING TO HELP FIX A PROBLEM THAT THEY KNEW EXISTED. THIS IS CRIMINAL! THEY HAVE CHEATED US AND IGNORED NISSAN OWNERS DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM. I WANT MY CAR FIXED BEFORE IT GETS TO 100,000 MILES IN CASE THEY CALL A CUT OFF AT THAT MILEAGE AGAIN! THEY ARE TOTALLY AT FAULT AND RESPONSIBLE FOR CHEATING PEOPLE OUT OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DOLLARS AND THE ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT. MY CAR IS PARKED AND I CAN'T DRIVE IT FOR FEAR OF GOING OVER 100,000 MILES OR BREAKING DOWN COMPLETELY ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAVING A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE HAD TO BORROW MY SON'S CAR TO GO ANY WHERE I NEED TO GO. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND TOTALLY UNFAIR THAT I EVEN HAVE TO WRITE THIS COMPLAINT SINCE NISSAN ADMITS THAT THOUSANDS OF THEIR VEHICLES ARE KNOWN LEMONS! THEY SHOULD PAY UP OR BE PROSECUTED AS ANY OTHER CRIMINAL WOULD BE FOR CHEATING/STEALING FROM A CONSUMER.
NISSAN HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE RADIATOR LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION,CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUTTER WHILE DRIVING.THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO EVENTUALLY!! NISSAN IS TOTALLY AWARE OF THE ISSUE,AND IF YOU HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE POWERTRAIN IT IS NOT COVERED,BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CONSIDER THE RADIATOR,PART OF THE POWERTRAIN!!I IT WILL JUST BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT LEAVES ME SITTING ALONG THE ROAD! I HOPE I CAN GET OFF THE ROAD AND NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! NISSAN REALLY NEED TO FIX THIS!! THANKFULLY NO INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED,BUT I THOUGHT THIS SHOULD BE TOLD!
ON HIGHWAY DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED, CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MYSELF AND FELLOW DRIVERS. IT WAS A VERY HARROWING EXPERIENCE, TO SAY THE LEAST. IT NOW SITS WITH THE MECHANIC, WHO INFORMS ME THAT THE DREADED ENGINE COOLANT/TRANSMISSION CONTAMINATION ISSUE HAS OCCURRED...UNFORTUNATELY, MY VEHICLE IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD AND OVER 145,000 MILES, SO THE RECALL NOTICE DOES NOT APPLY...I NOW HAVE TO COME UP WITH $5,000 FOR REPAIRS...HOW CAN NISSAN IGNORE THIS ISSUE AND NEGLECT THEIR CUSTOMERS?
WHEN I HAD ABOUT 87,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED VIBRATING WHEN I REACHED ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. FROM THERE, THE HEAT WOULDN'T WORK WHEN I WOULD STOP AT INTERSECTIONS OR LETTING THE CAR IDLE. I THEN HAD MY COOLANT LEVELS CHECKED, AND DISCOVERED MY COOLANT WAS MIXED WITH RADIATOR FLUID. I HAD THE RADIATOR REPLACED, AND THE VEHICLE DRIVES, BUT ONLY UP TO ABOUT 40 MPH. TRYING TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 40 MPH AND THE ENGINE REVS HIGH. TURNS OUT MY TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINE COOLANT GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY WAY TO CONTINUE TO USE MY VEHICLE IS TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT/REMANUFACTURED AT A TUNE OF $5,000. WELL, I'VE ALREADY PAID ~$40,000 FOR THE VEHICLE, ALONE (EXCLUDING OTHER REPAIR ITEMS SINCE I'VE OWNED IT). THE FACT THAT I NEED TO REPLACE A MAJOR POWER TRAIN COMPONENT TO USE SUCH AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. UNTIL THE MANUFACTURER (NISSAN/INFINITI USA) TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR MAJOR MISHAP, I DISCOURAGE EVERYONE I KNOW FROM PURCHASING THEIR VEHICLES. I BOUGHT A VEHICLE... ONE THAT SHOULD TRANSPORT ME FROM A POINT OF ORIGIN TO A POINT OF DESTINATION (WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO). I DIDN'T PAY $40,000 FOR A HUNK OF PLASTIC AND METAL TO TAKE UP SPACE IN MY DRIVEWAY. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MAJOR MALFUNCTION AS EXPEDIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO TAKE PLACE IN THE MODERN USA THAT WE LIVE IN. OTHERWISE, WHAT PURPOSE DOES FEDERAL COMMISSIONS SERVE IF THE CITIZENS AREN'T PROTECTED FROM SUCH FRAUD?
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE SLOWLY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, ROLLING INTO THE SPACE. AS I BRAKED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ORDER TO COME TO A STOP (I NEVER TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE), THE CAR SUDDENLY REVVED UP,ACCELERATED, AND CRASHED RIGHT THROUGH A FENCE. I WAS ABLE TO SLAM IT INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP.
RADIATOR COOLANT LEAK INTO TRANSMISSION CAUSED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON A 6 LANE HIGHWAY. ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED CEASED WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL. COASTED ON SLIGHT DOWNWARD HILL FOR 1/4 OF A MILE OR A LITTLE MORE ALLOWING TIME TO TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET WHERE VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY.
COOLANT IN TRANSMISSION.! BECAUSE OF BAD RADIATOR.
DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION COOLANT SYSTEM CAUSED TRANSMISSION TO "SLIP" MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE RECURRED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH CAUSED INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.
DRIVING HOME AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN WARMED UP FOR QUITE SOME TIME IT STARTED JERKING SHUTTERING VIOLENTLY AND WHINING EXTREMELY LOUD UPON ACCELERATION IT CONTINUED TO WORSEN WE CHECKED RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS THERE WAS ATF FLUID IN THE RADIATOR AND IN THE RESERVOIR OF RADIATOR FLUID IT WAS THICK FROTHY AND ALMOST A TANNISH COLOR THAT LIKE OF STRAWBERRY MILK. WE WERE ONLY ABOUT A HALF A BLOCK FROM HOME WHEN THIS OCCURRED AND IT FRIGHTENED OUR CHILDREN IN THE BACKSEAT THANKFUL WE WERE NOT ON THE INTERSTATE THE SHUTTERING WAS EXTREMELY BAD
THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED BECAUSE THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE RADIATOR. THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE 112,781 MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH NISSAN PATHFINDERS. NISSAN EXTENDED COVERAGE UP TO 100,000 MILES. THE RADIATOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND ALL OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.
ON THE SECOND DAY OF OWNING MY PATHFINDER I NOTICED A VIBRATION WHEN I WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MPH. I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP LESS THAN A WEEK LATER TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND TO DISCONNECT THE RADIATOR FROM THE TRANSMISSION (DID THIS DUE TO RESEARCH WE FOUND ON THE INTERNET). THE MECHANIC DID SEE THAT MY TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CLOUDY MEANING THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. MY VEHICLE WAS WORKING GREAT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS UNTIL ONE DAY I NOTICED A JERKY FEELING WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON A CITY STREET. THAT JERKY FEELING SHORTLY TURNED INTO THE VEHICLE SHAKING WHEN SHIFTING, WHICH TURNED INTO NOT SHIFTING AT ALL AFTER STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WOULD BARELY ACCELERATE, MOSTLY ENGINE REVVING, LUCKILY I WAS ON A HILL WHERE I COULD COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN 5-10 MINUTES, VERY QUICK, LITTLE WARNING. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COULD HAVE ENDED WORSE THAN IT DID!!!
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND QUITE PULLING IN TRAFFIC AND WAS ALMOST HIT FROM REAR ON THE INTERSTATE. FOUND OUT RADIATOR FAILED AND FILLED TRANSMISSION FULL OF COOLANT AND CAUSED COMPLETE FAILURE OF BOTH SYSTEMS.
COOLANT LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION CAUSING CAR TO NOT START AND NOT USABLE.
TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO COOLANT FROM THE RADIATOR LEAKING INTO TRANSMISSION.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY HEATER WAS THE PROBLEM. I TOOK MY TRUCK DOWN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND A MIXTURE OF COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS NOTICED. THE DEALER TOLD ME I WAS GOING TO NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, AND HOSES. THEY SAID ALL OF THAT WOULD COST ME $8,000.
COOLANT FROM A FAULTY RADIATOR LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION. RUINING THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRING A TOTAL REPLACEMENT.
TOTAL TRANSMISSION & RADIATOR FAILURE DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONSTANTLY REMAINING STUCK IN FIRST GEAR AND IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE AND THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED BY MORE THAN ONE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANICS ALL INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE RADIATOR HAVING AN INTERNAL PREMATURE FRACTURE, WHICH CAUSED THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,320.
KNOWN PROBLEM BY NISSAN WHERE RADIATOR FLUID LEAKS INTO TRANSMISSION AND RUINS TRANSMISSION. REPAIR COST OF $3900.00. NO RECALL.
RADIATOR FAILURE 1/7/2011 AT 73,958 MILES, CAUSING TRANSMISSION FAILURE, REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN DEALER, THEN AGAIN FAILURE AT 1/15/2016 150,500 MILES - SAME PROBLEM.
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Quick Summary
The 2006 Nissan Pathfinder has 169 Power Train complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.