I was driving my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder on August 11th, 2012 with my entire family inside the vehicle. We were rolling in traffic at about 40 TO45 mph when the vehicle all of a sudden stopped accelerating. I was able to safely pull over to the side of the road. While inside the vehicle trying to figure out what was going on, a passerby told me he saw a fire under the vehicle. I immediately got my family out and called 911 to have the fire department come out and look at it. By the time the fire department got on scene, the fire had died out. I had my vehicle towed to a transmission shop because a fireman suggested it was an issue with my transmission. The repair shop told me a cooler under the radiator busted causing coolant to get inside my transmission, which caused transmission fluid to get on my catalytic converter which started the fire. They quoted me $4900 in repairs, telling me I needed to have my transmission and radiator replaced. I am extremely upset because for one, my entire family could have been killed or injured including myself, my wife, and 3 sons ages 3 9 & 13. Secondly, I've only had the car for 5 and half months at the time and still making payments on it. In fact, I owe just about $1000 more on the loan for the vehicle verses the cost of repairs. So now I am left with no vehicle, no way to take my kids to school, and the ugly fact that I am not the only person who has experienced the same issue with this vehicle. After a little research via the internet, it looks like this is a normal occurrence with this model. In closing, I am just looking for any sort of help I can get to help give me and my family some relief of this tragic and dangerous situation. Things could have ended up much worse and I really feel this vehicle presents a safety hazard to our roadways.

- Arlington, TX, USA

While driving on the way to pick up my kids, my check engine lighted on. Then at a traffic stop light, when the lights turn green for go, I did release my foot on the brake but no movement on the car. I press on the accelerator but hesitant and jerking. After a while it moves gradually. I straight away went to the dealer to have it check. They did put a small instrument to check and I heard him ask another guy what 1754 is. After a while he came to me and said that he had the check engine lighted off and if it lights on again, it might be a costly repair. I asked him what might be the problem. He said most probably the transmission. Then a week later, the check engine lights on again, and I tried a second opinion, so I went to a non dealer transmission shop. He asked me what's wrong. I told him I had a check engine light on and there is hesitation on the vehicle after a stop. He asked for the year of the vehicle. The moment I said 2005, he knows already the problem. He had previous cases of the same year and model of my car. He still did some checking and he was not wrong. He told me its a transmission problem. He said coolant from the radiator is leaking to the transmission. This is causing damaged to the transmission. He said he had to rebuilt the transmission to the tune of 4500. Its a huge amount for repair. Its the only vehicle we use for work and for kids going to school. With an unsafe vehicle like this, you are putting yourself and your family in grave danger.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

Per Nissan dealership diagnosis: Technician found anti-freeze/transmission fluid mix in both radiator and transmission (failure in radiator cooler) trans (tcm); no communication with other vehicle ecms catastrophic transmission failure. Dealer recommendation: Replace transmission and radiator. Full transmission fluid and radiator flush of systems.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would jerk and the transmission would slip. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the transmission was contaminated with engine coolant and as a result, the radiator and the thermostat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

- Martinsburg, WV, USA

The transmission started slipping/not responding/hesitation/car 'shaking' when shifting, etc so we took it to a Nissan dealer to ask what happened. They said the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission and pretty much destroyed it. I asked if they had seen this before or if there was a recall for it and they said they had not seen it nor was there a recall. I then called another non-dealer transmission center and they knew what the issue was before I even finished explaining. They said they get 2005 Pathfinders about 1 per week and currently had two on the lot -- all with the exact same issue. I called the dealership back with this info and they tried to act surprised but I could tell they knew exactly what was going on here. Here is a full (and better) description from a pending lawsuit on this problem with the vehicles like we (and so many others) experienced: "transmission failure caused by cracked radiators - faulty radiators are causing coolant to leak into and destroy the transmission. An alarming number of Nissan xterra, Pathfinder and frontier owners are stepping forward with stories about their cracked radiators which are causing coolant to leak into the transmission. Once mixed with the transmission fluid this lethal combination kills the valves, seals and torque converter -- rendering your entire transmission useless. This issue is currently contained to the 2005 model year, but we're keeping our eyes open for reports from other years. What's even more troubling is owners who have already had their transmissions "repaired" by an authorized Nissan dealer are still reporting catastrophic transmission failure. Through no fault of their own, Nissan owners who are out of warranty are left to cover the hefty repair bill, which can be over $4,500 when all is said and done."

- Apollo, PA, USA

Experienced problems with the engine, the check light was on and the gears seemed to be shifting hard and engine running rough as it was in second gear. The recommendation was to first flush the transmission and apply an exterior coolant on to the radiator because of known issues with the radiator leaking into the transmission. This was a temporary band aid because the next time I was going on a long trip, the vehicle shifted hard while driving, jerked and when into 4WD automatically without me touching anything and the check engine light is on again. When you drive over 60 miles an hour the rpms tack up super high and the engine runs with a roar. Had the transmission diagnosed again and the fault codes show a P1754, P1759, P1764,01731, P0102....basically they are telling me I need a new transmission or a rebuilt one to the tune of 4-5000 dollars, the source of the issue is the faulty radiator which leaked water into the transmission. This is a catastrophic issue to me both safety wise and financially wise and I'm not alone--there are pages and pages of complaints for this same problem you can find all over the internet. I wish I would have known before buying the vehicle but that's water under the bridge. Nissan extending a warranty upto 80,000 miles is a mute point when most of these issues happens after that mileage, to me it's just ridiculous to have such a huge design/component flaw that can cause such a high dollar damage to the vehicle and not have it recognized by Nissan as a recall.

- Aberdeen, NC, USA

2005 Nissan Pathfinder...radiator cracked leaked coolant into transmission. Common problem Nissan will do nothing about.

- Canfield, OH, USA

My 2005 Pathfinder was running fine until it started developing a case of thermostat fluctuation; it would almost go into the red and then drop all the way back down to the normal level. I took it to precision tune and they replaced the radiator hose assembly. A few weeks after that, the tranny started slipping. As I had already read from other consumers, I knew what was happening to my truck, and because the truck already had 120K + miles on it, I knew what Nissan would likely say. Sure enough, one afternoon, I got in the truck and it wouldn't accelerate forward. I immediately had it towed to Nissan in April and began the fight to get it fixed; they quoted me $5100 to replace the tranny and radiator due to coolant leaking into the transmission case and transmission fluid leaking into the radiator. I contacted their Consumer Affairs, and not only did they tell me they wouldn't cover it, but referred me to the BBB (a very brazen move in my mind, to have a company refer you to them about them). They already knew the BBB wouldn't help because it was outside of the warranty. Nearly four months later, it still sits at the dealer, because I can't afford to pay the repair cost (I still owe for two years on the vehicle), and Nissan refuses to fix it, although they know the problem exists. Someone has to die, I guess, before they pull their vehicles off the road and fix the problem.

- Columbia, SC, USA

Coolant leaked from the radiator into the transmission causing the transmission to go out (not an uncommon problem from what I have heard from my mechanic and have seen online after researching the problem).

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking and hesitating when accelerating. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the radiator was cracked. The failure caused the radiator and transmission fluids to mix together erroneously, damaging the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 87,151.

- Riverside, CA, USA

I noticed a consistent vibration when the automatic transmission shifted around 40 mph. An initial flush of the fluid temporarily corrected the problem, but it reappeared several months later and progressively worsened. The transmission is now erratic at almost every shifting juncture and is pronounced at high speeds. An inspection at a Nissan service center confirmed that the problem is due to radiator fluid leaking into the transmission. This is a well documented Nissan design flaw that Nissan will not take responsibility for. The vehicle is to the point where it is unsafe to drive, especially at highway speeds.

- Springboro, OH, USA

My wife was driving along one day and our Nissan Pathfinder transmission broke down. This happened in fast traffic and with my baby in the back, not exactly the safest situation. This is a known issue, seemingly a crack happens in the radiator that spills into the transmission fluid rendering the transmission useless. So Nissan extended the drivetrain warranty to 80,000 miles, problem is my Pathfinder has 90,000 miles. Call me crazy but why does a known design flaw become my problem ever? wear and tear is one thing, design flaws are another. I'm going from one of Nissan's biggest fans to never wanting to buy a Nissan again. Nissan is failing to recall this known problem or at the very least help me not become a hater. What a lost opportunity. Nissan failed. Here's the kicker, I was about to buy a second Nissan, obviously their reaction won't allow me to do that now. I called Nissan to see what they can do and I have received nothing but juniors who are not allowed to deviate from a script. The supervisor is not interested in connecting with me, it's so obvious they are taking a head in the sand approach. Is this really happening, especially after the Toyota pedal recall implications.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. The dealer stated that the coolant was leaking into the transmission and the radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

- Arlington , WA, USA

Going up a street with a low hill and the transmission didn't engage to gear making the vehicle to lose power and the was traffic in back of me, I was lucky enough to get room to pull to the side of the road.

- Riverside, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder le. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate over 20 mph despite the accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 96,769 and the current mileage was 148,113.

- Daly City, CA, USA

Car either stalls out, turns off, or rapidly decelerates at random times. Transmission not shifting or staying in gear properly causing near collisions on several accounts, stalling in the middle of intersections, etc... mechanic said coolant in transmission and transmission fluid in coolant system. Seems to be triggering multiple mechanical failures codes from transmission, to misfires, to O2 sensors. Afraid to drive. It's been sitting parked for multiple months very dangerous!

- Buda, TX, USA

At 60,000 miles my engine, catalytic converter failed. Nissan replaced these components. Shortly after... winter 2010-2011 car would not heat while idle. Had coolant replaced. Summer 2011 acceleration power issues/shaking. Took car to dealership (North point Nissan in little rock). Replaced recalled part (relay switch) but refused to examine power/slippage/heating issues because the diagnostics reported I had a bad battery. Did not place one of their batteries into my Pathfinder to find problem but sent me on my way to get a new battery. Also telling me that bad batteries cause cars to do crazy things at O'reilly's auto store they tested my new battery and it tested fine. Unbeknownst to me all of the signs my car was exhibiting were the tell tell signs of the radiator/transmission defect. I am still unsure why they did not pick up the symptoms and properly diagnose my automobile. Problems persisted... the next winter same issue... more coolant. In June 2012 my Pathfinder would not start...diagnosed with transmission radiator issue that thousands have experienced. Nissan sent a warranty extension to most owners of Pathfinders. My Pathfinder was not included in this extension..."??" for whatever reason they believed this defect did not apply to certain batches. Had Nissan sent me a warranty extension I would have immediately taken my car to be repaired. As it stands now my Pathfinder sits waiting.. please hold Nissan accountable.

- Maumelle, AR, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that she was unable to shift the transmission into gear and the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that radiator fluid leaked into the transmissions and as a result, both components needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

- Munelle, AR, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle jerked and decelerated. The vehicle would not accelerate so the contact maneuvered to the shoulder. The vehicle was then safely driven home at very low speeds. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the failure was due to the transmission and radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,804.

- Lanham, MD, USA

In 2009, at 74,000 miles, I noticed the car "bucking" when driving. Started doing research and found that the radiator coolant leaks into the transmission cooler destroying the transmission. Nissan offered no help or recalls despite the fact that hundreds of the same vehicle were experiencing the same thing. Shortly after my vehicle passed 80,000 miles, Nissan issued a recall on only the radiator which doesn't help me. I immediately flushed the transmission and radiator to try to avoid complete failure of the transmission, bypassing the transmission cooler part of the radiator. The vehicle drove but the transmission constantly slipped in and out of gear at random times throughout the next 30,000 miles. Last week, the transmission finally quit in the middle of a busy intersection. I had to push the car into the nearest parking lot. Now the car is sitting in my driveway because it will cost me $6,000 to repair the transmission and radiator. Nissan needs to step up and admit that this should be a recall. I love Nissan (this is my 3rd) but after this problem I may never buy another one.

- Wrentham, MA, USA