2008 Nissan Pathfinder Power Train

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

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 to 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.

WHILE DRIVING, FROM A STOP, A LOUD CLUNK OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR. UPON ARRIVAL AT HOME AND INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE COOLANT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH A DARK FLUID. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ENGAGE ANY GEAR AT THIS TIME AND IS NOT DRIVABLE. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT SUSPECTED CAUSE IS CROSS CONTAMINATION BETWEEN COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID, MOST LIKELY DUE TO RADIATOR DEFICIENCY.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO COOLANT BEING LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION HOUSING CAUSING FAILURE OF TRANSMISSON AND CAUSING MODULE TO BLOW FUSE TO KEEP FROM HARMING ENGINE. THE ENGINE DIED AT SIGNAL LIGHT AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC. THERE I WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED.

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.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO ANTIFREEZE COOLANT CROSS CONNECTION INTO TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. COST TO REPAIR $4,700.00. 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE 4.0 4WD. TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRAVELING A 4 LANE DIVIDED STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY MOVING STRAIGHT. 03/08/2020

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STUMBLE FOR A SECOND, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN FELT LIKE IT HAD ALMOST NO POWER. WOULDNT ACCELERATE WELL, DIDNT SHIFT NORMALLY, AND DIDNT FEEL LIKE IT WAS RUNNING AS WELL AS NORMAL. WHEN WE PARKED THE VEHICLE, I TURNED IT OFF TO HOPEFULLY "RESET" WHATEVER MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT WOULDNT START. THE STARTER WOULDNT EVEN TRY TO START THE MOTOR, LIKE IT WASNT EVEN GETTING POWER. BEING A MECHANIC BY TRADE, I JUMPED OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND HAD MY WIFE TRY TO START IT WHILE I WATCHED & LISTENED... AS SHE TURNED THE KEY TO START IT, I COULD HEAR THE STARTER RELAY CLICK TO SEND VOLTAGE TO THE STARTER, BUT THE STARTER WASNT RESPONDING. AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION, I FOUND A BLOWN FUSE IN THE FUSEBOX UNDER THE HOOD. IT WAS THE "A/T ECU" FUSE. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET BAD. I REPLACED THE FUSE TO GET US HOME, BUT AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, I TRIED IMMEDIATELY TO RESTART IT. AGAIN, NOTHING HAPPENED... NO CRANK, NO START. SAME FUSE WAS BLOWN AGAIN. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT FUSE IS ON THE CIRCUIT TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THIS MODULE HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND NOW BLOWS THE FUSE EVERY TIME IT IS REPLACED. THAT LED ME TO DROP THE TRANSMISSION PAN TO CHECK IT OUT, AND WHAT DID I FIND? TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL CLOUDED UP AND CONTAMINATED WITH RADIATOR COOLANT. HOW DID THAT GET THERE? AFTER INSPECTING THAT, I FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE TRANS FLUID. THIS COOLANT IS ALSO DAMAGING THE CLUTCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION, AS IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO PUT EXTRA STRESS ON THEM DUE TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE SHIFTS NOW. THEN I REALIZED NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH PATHFINDERS, TITANS, AND MANY NISSAN VEHICLES HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. NOW I'M UPSET BECAUSE I HAVE A TRUCK WITH AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM THAT NISSAN SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR, AND SHOULD FIX.

RADIATOR LEAKED AND MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION OIL LOOKS LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE. GEARS NOW GRIND WHEN SHIFTING DURING NORMAL DRIVING.

TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN FIRST GEAR. HAS WHEN INTO LIMP MODE MANY TIMES. HAVE HAD THE FLUID CHANGE A COUPLE TIMES. ONCE IT WAS SLIPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. HAD IT REMOVE AND REBUILT. ANTIFREEZE WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION. HOW MANY REPORTS BEFORE THEY RECALL THESE VEHICLES.

RADIATOR FLUID AND COOLANT ARE MIXING. RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE BUSTED. CAR BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING.

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.

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.

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE GEARS WERE SLIPPING AND NOT CHANGING NORMALLY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH PROVIDED A TEMPORARY REMEDY. A SECOND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND INSTALLED A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP12004 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

RADIATOR COOLENT LEAKED IN TO TRANSMISSION AT 70000

TURNED A CORNER, DRIVING BELOW SPEED LIMIT ON CITY STREET, ALL LIGHTS WITHIN THE DASHBOARD THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF (4WD, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, ETC.) WENT ON, AND ALL READINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON WENT OFF (ODOMETER, AND SO ON). STOPPED AT RED LIGHT; TURNED OFF VEHICLE HOPING TO RESET BEFORE DRIVING HOME AND IT WOULD NOT TURN ON; LIGHTS, RADIO, A/C WERE STILL ACTIVE SO IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY. ONLY ABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL WITH VEHICLE OFF TO ROLL TO A PARKING SPACE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES OR WARNING PRIOR AS I PERFORM REGULAR MAINTENANCE AS RECOMMENDED BY DEALERSHIP - HAPPENED SUDDENLY. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING DAY AS IT WAS ALREADY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS FOLLOWED TWO ATTEMPTS CALLING MY WARRANTY COMPANY AND BEING DISCONNECTED; ULTIMATELY CALLED FAMILY IN THE AREA TO ASSIST WHO HELPED ME ROLLED THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET. AFTER TOW AND DIAGNOSIS, DEALER FOUND FAILURE IN THE RADIATOR (LEAKED COOLANT INTO TRANSMISSION) AND THERE FOR FAILURE OF TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE). DEALER CLAIMS NO RECALL PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT YET THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THIS EXACT RECALL AND MODEL IN THE NATIONAL DATABASE WHEN I RESEARCHED FURTHER AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ADJUSTER DENIED MY CLAIM FOR COVERAGE. THIS PROCESS ALONE TOOK 7-9 BUSINESS DAYS; I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR 3 WEEKS.

ON 17 JANUARY 2018, I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND ON I-20, I WAS TAKING MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS TO SCHOOL, THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT A FEW MILES AHEAD, SO TRAFFIC WAS CRAWLING LUCKILY. IT STARTED WHEN WITH THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RESPOND WHEN I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR THE VEHICLE TO GAIN SPEED. THEN I STARTED SMELLING OIL COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS, SO I TURNED OFF THE HEATER AND TRIED TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAD TO TURN THE HEATER ON AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE AND I HAD THE KIDS IN THE CAR. AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, ALL TRAFFIC STOPPED, AND I SMELLED THE OIL AGAIN AND SAW SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE CAR AND POPPED THE HOOD TO CHECK WHAT WAS SMOKING OR WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. AS I WAS LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD, I HEARD FLUID LEAKING, SO I STARTED LOOKING AROUND, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR, THERE WAS A HUGE OIL SPILL. LATER I FOUND OUT IT WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID AND IT WAS MILKY WHITE ATTACHED ARE THE PICTURES OF THE OIL SPILL AND WHEN I PULLED THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK AND SAW IT WAS MILKY WHITE ALSO. UPON DOING MY RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR OF VEHICLE. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, AND ALL THEY DID WAS EXTEND THE WARRANTY, THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL, PEOPLE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE ISSUE REPAIR COSTS ARE NEARLY $6000.00

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.

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.

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

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE-LIKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR INFILTRATED THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING CATATROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS PROBLEM WAS WIDELY PUBLICIZED IN OTHER STATES BUT NOT CALIFORNIA. I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE CAR'S FAILURE TO ACCELERATE WHILE ENTERING ONTO THE FREEWAY. SHAME ON NISSAN NOT TO EXTEND WARNINGS NATIONWIDE.

THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND THE RADIATOR FLUID IS MIXING WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE, AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.

VEHICLE BEGAN LURCHING AND SHUDDERING DRIVING A LOW SPEEDS ~40 MPH IN TOWN, UNTIL GEAR SHIFT OCCURRED THEN SPORADICALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AT FIRST THE SHUDDERING/JERKING WAS PERIODIC AND STARTED TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN AT RANDOM AT THAT SPEED. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 108,000 MILES IN FALL OF 2014. THIS OCCURRED OVER A PERIOD OF 6-8 MONTHS AND THEN PROGRESSED TO ISSUES WITH CABIN HEATER BLOWING COOLER AIR WHEN THERMOSTAT SET TO 90 DEGREES. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS ISSUE WITH HEATER AND UPON TEST DRIVE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ISSUE WAS DUE TO THE RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE FLUIDS TO MIX. REPLACED BOTH RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF $5000.

I AM ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE INDIVIDUALS WHO RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE WHICH WAS IN GREAT SHAPE AND MAINTAINED WELL WITH AN ALMOST IMPECCABLE CARFAX REPORT. JUST AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE GOT STUCK IN 4TH GEAR LOOSING ALL ACCESS TO OTHER GEARS AND NEARLY CAUSING ME TO HAVE A COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE FLUID FROM THE RADIATOR IN THE TRANSMISSION AND WILL COST SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX.