9.3
really awfulTypical Repair Cost:
$3,876.00
Average Mileage:
97,967 miles
Total Complaints:
88 complaints
Most common solutions:
- new radiator and transmission rebuild (55 reports)
- replace transmission (17 reports)
- not sure (11 reports)
- so far a new radiator and transmission flush (3 reports)
- buy new car (1 reports)
- external trans fluid raidator (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Nissan dealer.
« Read the previous 50 complaints
2011Feb 07
Xterra ES 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 88,000 miles
On February 07, 2011 I was driving my 2005 Nissan Xterra at 55 mph on a two lane highway when it began to shake violently as if I had ran over spilled lumber or rumble strips. I braked hard as I thought I had ran over something. I hadn't, so after pulling over and checking for loose tires or driveline I continue on perplexed as to what happened. A few miles later it did it again. Come to find out there is a known defect on 2005 thru 2010 Nissan Xterra's, Pathfinders, and Frontier's in which the radiators internally leak water into the automatic transmissions and causes the violent shaking at high speeds. Nissan is aware of the issue and has only chosen to extend the warrantee on the radiators and not recall the vehicles. In fact the letter sent to the consumers doesn't even reference the transmission (in which it destroys). While my family and I were not hurt, it was a close call and could have easily been worse at the speed I was going and the effect the failure has on the vehicle.
Nissan Corporation after 2 weeks of waiting has informed me that they have opted not to assist in the repair of the vehicle. I would encourage anyone that has experienced the same issue as I have to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigations https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm and there local states district attorney, and there local news investigative team. I am doing so and would encourage anyone that feels they have been put at risk due to the issue or has been dealt an injustice due to the defective equipment and lack of notification.
Update from May 26, 2011: Just an update. After being told they would not cover it, Nissan finally called back after I filed complaints and has since fixed the vehicle.
2011Apr 26
Xterra 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 109,000 miles
radiator took a crap, shot radiator fluid into transmission.. transmission is shot still owe $6,000 as we all know nissan knew of the defective radiators in the 2005 xterra but said nothing. vehicle is out of warranty(of course) in a real jam, don't know what I'm going to do.....
2010Nov 20
Xterra SE 6.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 170,000 miles
I have had exactly the same problems that the other bloggers are reporting with the rumble strip vibration episodes and have replaced the rear differential and drive shaft trying to rectify the problem. Because the car has such high miles, it is not worth bringing it to the dealer when I know they will lie about the problem and take my hard earned money. Funny thing is, before I read these blogs I brought the truck to the dealer for a minor recall item and asked them about this "vibration/rumble" situation and they acted as if they had never heard of such a thing but they would take $90 to "take a look". I can't thank all of you bloggers enough for expressing your frustration and helping to bring to light what the real problem is. Hopefully, my independent mechanic will be able to take care of the problem before it's too late.
2011Apr 13
Xterra S V6
- Automatic transmission
- 74,874 miles
I've known for some time now that this year and model is a piece of crap just by reading all of the complaints online. They appear to be exactly the same thing I have gone through with my car. Yesterday however, was the worst yet. I'm pulling out of a shopping center and as I switch from reverse to drive I hear a loud clunk - as I give it gas the car barely moves forward and I knew at that point it was my transmission. Took it to the dealer and they confirmed that I need a new transmission. Only by the grace of God did I make it within the extended warranty mileage! My car had 74,874 miles at the moment this happened. My extended warranty is covered up to 75,000 miles. One more day or two and I would have had to pay up the yin-yang for this repair. I sent the Nissan Service Advisor an email after reading about the radiator causing the trans to blow and she confirmed that was the case. They are replacing my radiator and transmission. They're paying for my rental car ($30 per day) and all the repairs - I have an out of pocket deductible of $50 (chump change compared to the total cost) but still, I'm upset about this. What about all of the other common folk who don't have extended warranty or whom have exceeded it? I was a couple of days at best away from having to bite the bullet on this one. Nissan has the nerve to try and send a warranty extension on the radiator to 80k miles but do nothing for the transmissions that are damaged because of the faulty radiator! I will never buy another Nissan again, EVER! I'm sticking with American cars next time around. >=/
Update from Apr 21, 2011: I found out that not only did I need a new transmission but also a new radiator. I assumed I'd have to pay the $50 deductible for my extended warranty but the service advisor said that because it was due to the radiator that was covered by extension on the original warranty I didn't have to pay anything. Overall the total repair was $6056.00 I paid $0.00 THANK GOD! Anyone experiencing this same issue, try going to the dealer before you hit 80k!! I'd do it even if I wasn't experiencing any problem just to make sure that the cycle of destruction hadn't begun.
2011Apr 01
Xterra SE V6.4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 114,000 miles
WOW, I have been quoted $4000 for rebuild of the transmission. Have to pay out of my own pocket. Still deciding what to do...Trade in? Fix? Still owe $10K on it. Thanks Nissan for standing by your product.
2011Feb 03
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 87,000 miles
I'm having the same exact problem. My 05 xterra would blow cool air when idling, and soon after it began making the rumbling noise around 40-50 mph. 87,000 miles. Should have hurried up and traded it in, and never think twice about Nissan again. Oh yeah just had my ECM reimbursed after paying for it to get fixed a month prior, and the dealer didn't mention that it was a problem with there vehicle
2009Nov 28
Xterra SE V6-241 4.0L Dohc
- Automatic transmission
- 77,529 miles
When getting to a speed of 55 MPH and above I would start to hear a rumbling sound. I had my local Nissan dealership take a look at it and they told me it was the front right U-joint. I had them replace the U-joint and when I picked it up and was on my way home the same rumbling sound was still occuring. I took it back to the dealership and they kept it a two days and then told me the rear axial was causing the noise the it needed to be replaced. I had them replace it which cost me $2000.00. Again, when I picked it up and was on my way home the rumbling noise was still occuring. I went back to the dealership got the sevice manager to go for a ride with me so he could here the noise because no one at the dealership ever took the car out to hear the noise. He said they would have to keep it again to see if they could figure out the problem. They called me 2 days later and told me that a crack in the hose that runs through the radiator to the transmission was allowing antifreeze to get into the transmission and the transmission was causing the rumbling noise. They told me I needed to have the readiator and transmission replaced and it was going to cost me $4200.00. Needless to say I was not convinced they knew what was wrong with the car since they were wrong the first two times, so I took it to a local transmission repair shop and had them look at it. They said it was the radiator and transmission so I had them replace both at a cost of $3900.00.
2011Mar 17
Xterra V6
- Automatic transmission
- 115,000 miles
Obviously, after reading numerous blogs, I'm not the only consumer having this problem. Filed a complaint with Nissan USA and took to the dealer to verify that the transmission was fouled with coolant from the radiator. Nissan USA called and said they could offer no assistance. Nissan is aware of this problem and issued a "extended" warranty to 80,000 miles. The symptons are sporatic and continues to show other symptons that doesn't seem related until you can FINALLY get a diagnosis.
Took the car to Nissan on 3/31/11 and was told Nissan USA would call on 4/4/11..which they did. Left mesaage they would call again on 4/7/11-didn't leave call back number.
NISSAN USA knew of this problem and instead of issuing recall just waiting for you to put new transvillsion in at the cost of $4700....I can only sell this car for $9000 before having transmission problem.(If I'm lucky), so this car is basically worth $4300!
I see where their is a class action suit against Nissan for this problem. I hope everyone with the same problem will join and make NIssan pay, I know only the lawyers make the most money from this but since Nissan won't take care of their customer that bought their cars in good faith, maybe the customers will realize some benefit from a class action suit.
I hope it doesn't take senseless deaths by transmission failure to make Nissan stand up and take responsibility for their faulty product.
2011Jan 01
Xterra Off Road 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 107,000 miles
This is exactly what happened to my 2005 Nissan Xterra Off-Road just over 107,000 miles. I first noticed that the Xterra would shake and vibrate at about 1800 RPMs, which would only last a few seconds. The next thing I noticed was that the heater started producing less and less heat, although this was not consistent. At times the heater would seem to work normally and at other times it would blow cold air at random. I found that the coolant system had to be completely flushed and that the radiator had cracked, leaking coolant into the transmission. I just received a letter in the mail from Nissan today of the extension of the coverage of the radiator assembly to 80,000 miles. However, my vehicle is outside this coverage and the damage to the transmission is already done because of the coolant that leaked in.
2011Mar 03
Xterra 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 156,000 miles
I can't believe everyone is having the same problem I am with my 2005 xterra. you would think nissan would have told their customers of it. I went to 4 different auto shops to see what was wrong, 3 of them said same thing -- the transmission. I cant afford a new one because i'm still paying for the dang thing.
I am calling Nissan to see what lies they tell me, I am so glad I googled this and this site came up -- carcomplaints.com is very helpful. Everyone explained the sounds that happened just like mine, just like you are driving over bumps at around 40 to 60 mile an hour is when it starts. one time it totally missed 1st gear and went into 2nd. I hope nissan gets what toyota got.
2011Mar 16
Xterra 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
I had a 2005 Nissan Xterra Off Road. Loved my car for the longest time. Had some minor issues here and there that were covered under warranty. For instance, replaced a U joint twice. Cat went out right before the warranty expired, so I got lucky.
Late winter, started the truck up, and it didn't want to move. After warming it up a bit, went into drive without an issue. Then the tranny would slip a bit. Then the shaking started between 30-50 mph. Thought nothing about it, and figured, probably should flush the transmission. Flushed it, and the fluid looked very dirty, figured, fine it has 90 k on it, no big deal. Replaced the fluid, and drove it for a week, then the shaking continued. I knew my exhaust wasn't the best, and figured it may have something to do with this. Was at work, and tried to drive home, but the truck wouldn't start. Checked the battery, all connections, nothing. I even replaced the starter in the parking garage, nothing. All the lights would come on, but the engine wouldn't turn. I spent a week trying to figure out what was going on.
Had it towed to Nissan, well first had to have it extracted out of the parking garage. Nissan worked on it for 8 hrs, and couldn't figure out what was wrong. They even brought in their 'master technician', who ever this may be, and he couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, someone checked the fuse to the ECM, and found this was blown. They replaced it, and it blew again. The short was traced back to the trans. When they checked the trans, they found radiator fluid, when they checked the radiator, they found trans fluid. I was quoted that this would be a $6000 repair. Would require a new trans, and a new radiator, with labor and all would come out to probably more than $6000. I passed, and then they slapped me with a $400 diagnostic bill, and a bill to replace the battery terminal on the truck.
Great thing was that Nissan offered me $1000 (as is) for the car as a trade in for a new Nissan, you can figure where I told them to stick their new Nissan. I ended up having it towed away from the dealership. Had it purchased by a national used car superstore (name undisclosed) for much more than Nissan offered me. I'm still depressed about it, as it happened yesterday, and I loved my car.
Anyways, I was on the phone with multiple Nissan reps. My service tech was very sorry when I discovered this is a problem common to this year, and has been happening all over. The funny thing is that I was cleaning out my car, and found the letter from Nissan about the radiator problems, too bad my car surpassed the mileage requirement.
There should be a recall for this! They find all kinds of recalls for this or that, I think this is a much more serious problem. I've spent 2 weeks of my life stressing about this, trying to figure out how to get to work, and having Nissan to look at it for 2 days, only to tell me, we're sorry, but charge me $400.
Never buying another Nissan - I'm going with the 2011 4runner! Screw Nissan.
2011Feb 01
Xterra SE 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 86,000 miles
My Xterra was just diagnosed with the same radiator issue that seems to be reported more and more. As well as mine there was a Pathfinder and Frontier in the dealer service shop with the same problem. I am at 86000 miles and my extended warranty expired at 81000. As of today they are not sure if I will need a new transmission. If that turns out to be the case all told this could cost 5000 - 7000. I tried going through Nissan but they said they would not cover the defective radiator or the damaged transmission and they felt they did enough by extending the warranty to 80000, which I was over anyway.
I am in the process of calling the NY state consumer protection agency and the NY State district attorney. Nissan knew about this problem and only added a small amount of mileage onto their warranty covering people up to 80k miles. They never contacted my or the dealership to issue a notice to have the radiator checked either. This issue seems to occur anytime between 60+. On another note the radiator's where on back order due to this problem so this first stage of the repair is taking longer then expected, 5 days so far.
This will be my last Nissan purchase ever and I will be sure to pass on my experience to other people considering buying a car or truck.
2010Nov 15
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
In summer 2010 my 2005 Nissan Xterra (purchased new) began occasional shuddering, as if driving over rumble strips, while driving. The problem increased somewhat over time but no other problems were present until November of 2010 when car began overheating on the freeway. The car was immediately taken to mechanic who was unable to diagnose the problem.
The next day car was taken to Mossy Nissan Oceanside who told me that the transmission was destroyed and would have the be replaced along with the radiator. When I asked why they replied that a break in the radiator had allowed fluid to leak into the transmission destroying the transmission. To repair the damage it would cost me over $5,000.
After some thought I decided not to have them replace the transmission and instead did some research into the problem and found that this is a VERY common problem with the 05 Nissan Xterra. Nissan knows about this problem but is doing nothing to fix it and will not even warn their customers about it so that they can catch the problem in time. What they have done is extend the Powertrain warranty to 80K miles instead of 60K but still with no admission as to why. The problem is that this can happen at 90K or more miles (as with mine and many others) so there is no covereage then and, unless you somehow heard about it from someone else, no way to know until it happens to you.
The worst problem however is this: the problem cannot be fixed by simply replacing the parts as the parts and design were faulty to begin with. Had I done the repair it would have (and has according to consumer reports) occurred again.
Nissan is aware of this problem and the dealerships are making these repairs for $5k knowing that the problem will occur again. There have been reports of people having the problem fixed under warranty and then the same thing occuring again out of warranty and having to pay out of pocket to fix it.
Someone needs to make Nissan do the right thing here!
2010Jan 01
Xterra SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
In Jan. 2010, I knew there was a problem with my Xterra. Shuddering noise, and feeling like it was being kicked from behind. Took it to my Nissan dealer and they diagnosed the problem: Cracked radiator causing coolant to leak into my tranny causing damage. I didn't have the money to fix such a pricey problem, so I borrowed 704.00 to have my radiator replaced and my transmission flushed, and continued to drive it. Had tranny flushed again a few months later, then received the extended warranty that same week. I was over the warranty mileage by 8,000 miles, but because it was documented with my Nissan dealer that this occurred at 72, 000 miles...Nissan reimbursed me for the radiator and flushes, but are refusing to FIX my transmission, because I didn't have it replaced at the same time my radiator was replaced! Are you kidding me??? It's not MY responsibility to have my damaged tranny replaced due to a defective part that was placed in my vehicle during manufacturing! I have PROOF that the radiator coolant leaking damaged my tranny, and I have PROOF that it occurred BEFORE the extended warranty expired. I spoke to someone in the Consumer Affairs Department at Nissan, had it out over the phone with a few choice words, ending my conversation with "I'll see you in court!" I will NEVER EVER purchase another Nissan as long as I live. I've had nothing but problems with this PIECE OF CRAP since I purchased it! Timing chain, ECM unit, fuel sensor, Now radiator and transmission?! I've tapped out my savings trying to pay for this tin can! Is there anything we can do????? Has anyone out there spoken to an attorney or gotten any advice???
2011Jan 03
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
I started to have the same issues with my transmission. At about 40-60mph the transmission would shudder just like going over rumble strips. When the car was sitting and running the heat would not warm up. So I searched Xterra Transmission and found this site and others where owners were describing the same issues. After reading the posts I was worried. Who can afford $3-$6k worth of repairs for a tranny? I only had 3 more payments left.
I called the Nissan dealership and described the symptoms to the service tech on the phone. He stated that yes they would be happy to look at it but, if there was no guarantee that Nissan would pay for the repairs. In other words, Nissan is going to look for any reason not to pay for the repairs. It seemed that at least two times a year, I was getting recall notices in the mail. I decided that I had enough of Nissan.
Thanks to this web site and others who reported the symptoms, I was able to dump that pos off and trade it in. When we were looking for a replacement vehicle, the salesman showed me several Nissan's...not a chance. That was the last Nissan I will buy. They way they handled all of the other issues and after reading the stories on this post I am done. I love my new Honda! Good luck to everyone that is still stuck in their Xterra. Make sure that if you are going to replace the transmission, run a bypass otherwise you will be right back in the same position.
2009Apr 01
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 66,000 miles
The short story: I'm waiting on Nissan customer service to reimburse the money it cost me to fix a problem their faulty design and/or parts in my Xterra caused. They have a chance to keep a customer, to keep a customer who can still say to others that he would buy from their company again.
The longer story:
2005 Xterra's radiator, like apparently many others in not just Xterra's, cracked and leaked coolant into the transmission. This occurred at 67K miles. The service department's invoice stated:
"Inspected vehicle and found radiator cracked internally allowing fluids to mix-replace radiator assembly and flushed fluids as needed. (Flushed transmission 2 times due to water in fluid)"
"I should not have any more problems." I still remember hearing those words from the Nissan mechanic.
A year later the vehicle was shuddering, exactly as had happened after the radiator had spilled into the transmission. This time, and apparently my mistake, I took it to a nationally recognized transmission repair shop, not Nissan service (the same guys who had no qualms with sending me back on the road with a vehicle that could leave me who knows where). I was told there it would have to be rebuilt, and that there was even a technical service bulletin out that said the if the computer inside the transmission is exposed to water, it must be replaced. They even showed me the rust-covered computer. The cost for the rebuild was $3700.
Six months later I receive the letter about reimbursing for the radiator and for other parts affected by the cracked radiator. To date, I have been reimbursed for the radiator and for the two flushes that were supposed to fix the problem.
The more expensive issue, the transmission, was denied for reimbursement because A) it was done by an independent mechanic and B) I had it rebuilt outside the special extended warranty of 80K miles.
At this time, a regional specialist and regional manager are reviewing the documents for possible reimbursement. I was asked by the regional specialist as to whether or not I took the vehicle to Nissan before I took it to the transmission specialist to have it rebuilt. I did not. Nor did I know that when the issue was outside of the warranty, that I must take it to Nissan to have all mechanical issues taken care of since should there be a reimbursement program as there now exists, that would be a requirement to have them give me my money back.
I understand they are a company concerned about profits. But long-term thinking, say beyond next quarter's earnings, might be in order here.
2009Apr 01
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 66,000 miles
The short story: I'm waiting on Nissan customer service to reimburse the money it cost me to fix a problem their faulty design and/or parts in my Xterra caused. They have a chance to keep a customer, to keep a customer who can still say to others that he would buy from their company again.
The longer story:
2005 Xterra's radiator, like apparently many others in not just Xterra's, cracked and leaked coolant into the transmission. This occurred at 67K miles. The service department's invoice stated:
"Inspected vehicle and found radiator cracked internally allowing fluids to mix-replace radiator assembly and flushed fluids as needed. (Flushed transmission 2 times due to water in fluid)"
"I should not have any more problems." I still remember hearing those words from the Nissan mechanic.
A year later the vehicle was shuddering, exactly as had happened after the radiator had spilled into the transmission. This time, and apparently my mistake, I took it to a nationally recognized transmission repair shop, not Nissan service (the same guys who had no qualms with sending me back on the road with a vehicle that could leave me who knows where). I was told there it would have to be rebuilt, and that there was even a technical service bulletin out that said the if the computer inside the transmission is exposed to water, it must be replaced. They even showed me the rust-covered computer. The cost for the rebuild was $3700.
Six months later I receive the letter about reimbursing for the radiator and for other parts affected by the cracked radiator. To date, I have been reimbursed for the radiator and for the two flushes that were supposed to fix the problem.
The more expensive issue, the transmission, was denied for reimbursement because A) it was done by an independent mechanic and B) I had it rebuilt outside the special extended warranty of 80K miles.
At this time, a regional specialist and regional manager are reviewing the documents for possible reimbursement. I was asked by the regional specialist as to whether or not I took the vehicle to Nissan before I took it to the transmission specialist to have it rebuilt. I did not. Nor did I know that when the issue was outside of the warranty, that I must take it to Nissan to have all mechanical issues taken care of since should there be a reimbursement program as there now exists, that would be a requirement to have them give me my money back.
I understand they are a company concerned about profits. But long-term thinking, say beyond next quarter's earnings, might be in order here.
2011Feb 27
Xterra 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
NEVER will I purchase a nissan again. Nissans are the only cars my husband and I have ever owned...and then we made the decision to purchase the 2005 Xterra. In jan 2010 at a little under 90,000 miles a rumbling noise started occurring when I would reach about 40-60 mph that felt like I was driving over the rumble strips on the side of the highway, not knowing a lot about cars I asked my friend who is a mechanic what the problem might be and he thought it might be the bearings, but took it for a test drive. After driving it he no longer thought the problem was the bearings and called his friend who works for nissan who told him what the problem was- NISSAN WAS EVERY BIT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. yet when i called the dealership and told them one of their employees told me this the mechanic I spoke to claimed he had never heard of it in his shop. LIAR. We replace the radiator and flushed the transmission thinking our problem went away. A year later we are back at square one, only to have received a letter from nissan telling us that there may be a problem and our warranty has been extended...yet we are already over that extension. Now I'm told by nissan i didn't have a proper work order so I can't be reimbursed for the repairs and I'm stuck with a crappy car and can't afford to replace the transmission or the car!
2011Feb 07
Xterra SE 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 83,000 miles
I am going to start out with saying that I really liked my 2005 X-terra and that it was the perfect vehicle for me.This last year has really broken my love affair with Nissan.
At over 83 thousand miles, a vehicle should not be having radiator and transmission problems at the tune of over $3,000. This is my story. After taking a vacation to New Orleans, I backed my X out to drive to work when after I went to drive out of the driveway I heard a strange noise and had a no go with the vehicle. I had a hunch as to the problem because it had been making a shuddering noise for awhile and I had already been told what might happen. I took the vehicle to my mechanic who in turn sent it to their transmission expert. When he dropped the pan on the tranny, he informed me that it had antifreeze in the fluid and that a rebuild was required.The X is presently on the rack being worked on and when I get the total bill I will update.
In my searching of the internet, I know that Nissan does not care about the high rate of radiator failures and not issuing a recall for this and other product failures. This is the beginning of the bad press unless they fess up and say that they know they have a problem and they would like to make up with their customers. I have friends who work for the company, but I am sorry I will not buy another Nissan until they apologize to their customers and fix the problem.
The honeymoon with Nissan is over and I now am thinking of a divorce. This is not the only problem that has shown up in the last year and it is going to cost me even more to repair the other things. I am not a happy camper right now.
Update from Mar 11, 2011: After 4 weeks in the shop, I have my Xterra back in it's own bed now. Rebuilt the transmission and replaced the radiator at a cost of $3,000 and some change. All in all I feel like I came out on the less expensive side of this repair; I am still of the opinion that this repair should not have occurred at such a fairly low mileage because of the faulty radiator leaking into the tranny cooler.
2010Oct 28
Xterra 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 82,300 miles
We own a 2005 Xterra and it is my wifes car she explained that the transmission felt
like it had shifted funny. the next day I took it for a short drive I noticed a hart shift condition between 1st and 2nd gear I checked the fluid levels and found dark fluid in the coolant recovery bottle I removed the bolt for the transmission dipstick and found the fluid to be about half a quart low. Not a good sign at this point I called the local Nissan
dealer to see if they have had any related type issues and of course they said no what
a bunch of liars the best thing to do is go on the internet and research things for your self. I've been a mechanic for 32 years and it's amazing what people will tell you when they think you are just Joe Blow customer so after no help from the dealer I replaced
the radiator and flushed the cooling system and the recovery bottle I had to replace the
radiator cap also the trans fluid ruined the rubber on the cap. Then I drained the transmission and of course filled it with Nissan fluid. I then took my car to Nissan to have the transmission system flushed to the tune of 220.00$ it seemed like that may have done the trick but about two weeks later I was driving home and the transmission
shifted like a rock it hit so hard I thought I hit a pot hole but it did it 4 more times before we got home. I had already researched the trans problem and found a good transmission shop to have the trans done I was informed the tcm and related solenoids are one unit which added a 1000.00 to the rebuild you have got to love that. after having the transmission done we recieved the extended warranty for 80,000 miles funny that it's 96 month and only 80,000 mi I have filed a complaint with consumer affairs Nissan North America we will see what they will do. Total cost around 3800.00 dollars loss of a customer priceless word of mouth from unhappy customer well------------- you know.
2010Dec 30
Xterra SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 91,000 miles
Late December 2010 while my Xterra (91,000 Miles) was idling, I noticed that the heater was not working properly. I also noticed that the temp gauge was climbing slowly. As I was slammed at work, and it seemed to be a short term livable situation, I worked out a date later in January when I could take it in to Nissan and have the water pump replaced.
Silly me, thinking it was only the water pump....
The Advisor at Nissan agreed that it was probably the water pump, and said he would call me after they investigated. He came back with a quote of $6,000.00. You have got to be kidding me. $6,000.00? Apparently my radiator cracked and was leaking coolant into my transmission, which in turn was pumping transmission fluid through my radiator (doesn't conduct heat, that explained the heater problem).
Nissan's belief was "Cause of failure is corrosion on the cooler inside radiator from lack of coolant replacement". Lie No. 1. I keep up on my maintenance and had the fluid replaced at its 60K mark.
Their "minimum" recommended solution was to replace the radiator and transmission. Again, I say $6,000.00. Me, "Have you ever seen this happen before?" Advisor, "No, I have never seen this before". Liars they are.
I am a hard working mother of 2 toddlers. I still owe 10K on this vehicle, that now needs 6K in repairs. Is it worth saving?
I bailed the Xterra out of Nissan ($160.00) and took it to an independent mechanic for a second opinion on the recommended repairs. He decided that we would try to save the transmission, as I caught the problem fairly early. He replaced the radiator, and then flushed the transmission out with 22 qts of fluid ($1,100.00).
About a week after getting my Xterra out of the shop, I received the letter from Nissan stating they were extending the warranty to 80K miles because of this issue. I am so mad at this point I could spit nails. "Never seen this before" they lied to me. I found this website and lo and behold, it seems to be a common problem with this year Xterra, Pathfinder and Frontier.
Yesterday I went back to have it flushed again as it was not shifting quite right ($250.00).
Nissan was aware of the problem. They are aware that it happens at higher miles, yet they put limits on the warranty. Most people will be well outside of the terms before the radiator cracks and destroys your transmission. If it was simply an issue of a bad radiator, whatever, no big deal, it happens. This "issue" caused/causes major mechanical failures in your transmission.
Three months ago I had nothing but good things to say about my Xterra. That is being too simple, I LOVED the Xterra. Now I am looking to get rid of it as fast as possible. I simply cannot afford to put that kind of money into it.
Nissan should be sued.
2011Feb 02
Xterra SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 89,000 miles
the problems all started off when i noticed a vibration when driving between 35-50mph when my foot was on the gas pedal just enough to maintain speed i would feel a strong vibration coming from underneath the vehicle. i took it to my mechanic and he had said the u-joints needed to be replaced and that should take care of my vibration issue. WRONG!!! after the u-joints were replaced the vibration was still there, so i took it back to my mechanic. after a few hours of inspection the mechanic had noticed that the transmission fluid had mixed with the radiator fluid causing transmission failure. once i had found that out i had tried to get a hold of Nissan to see if there was any warranty coverage with this specific problem with the vehicle. the extended warranty they issued was valid up to 2013/80000/mi. i had called the 1800nissan1 number and had talked to a few Nissan reps about this, Nissan told me they "may be able to help with goodwill coverage with the problem," since my vehicle was out of warranty. nissan advised me i had to take it to my local nissan dealership to have my vehicle inspected so they could confirm the problem. $70 later the dealership had confirmed what i already knew. so i called 1800nissan1 to file a claim with them, after a week of waiting around for someone to call me back, i finally received the call that nissan would not help me with this repair. so now i am out an extra $70 on top of the repair costs. i promise i will never let my friends family or even my worst enemy purchase a nissan as long as i live. this specific problem with the transmission and radiator is strictly a manufacturing/engineering defect and nissan refuses to man up and handle the situation. if you are a person out there shopping for a new vehicle whatever you do, do not go with nissan.
2010Dec 01
Xterra
- Automatic transmission
- 69,600 miles
Hi, I'm very recently a former owner of a 2005 Nissan Xterra. I Had the vehicle for nearly 5 years, until a week ago when I discovered the reason for the horrible noises I was hearing while driving it. First of all, I'd like to thank this site, and all of the people who described the exact same symptoms I was having, tipping me off to the problem early enough to do something about it before having to endure costly repairs.
Aside from the years of multiple issues I had to deal with, sometime in December I began hearing an awful rumbling noise (like driving over rumble strips) while driving 30 mph and over, along with a shaking sensation in pretty much the entire vehicle. the rumbling lasted anywhere from a couple seconds to 15 seconds long, then would stop and resume periodically with no consistency. It worsened very quickly over the next few weeks, so I had it checked out by a mechanic who said I had a bad Universal joint (which would explain the wretched metallic clinking in the wheel while turning). I had that replaced, but the rumbling noise showed no sign of stopping. my next option was to have it looked over to ensure the bearings were good.. did that, and they appeared to be all fine, along with everything else that was easily accessible underneath the vehicle.
Another symptom I was having was a severe lack of heat when first starting the vehicle to let it warm up.. it would sit running for up to 20 minutes and blow nothing but cold air, along with an awful smell as if something died in my car. However, as soon as I'd start driving, it would immediately start blowing warm air, and the smell would go away.
Upon finding nothing visibly wrong, my wife and I began searching on the internet for solutions, and found this site. As stated above, many seemed to be describing the same problems I was having, so I spoke with Nissan service the next day to confirm the extended Warranty on the radiator. Although they did confirm Nissan had indeed extended the warranty to 80,000 miles to cover a defective radiator, the management of the service dept. seemed less than concerned about spending the time necessary to find and confirm the problem so it could be fixed, making weak statements such as "well are you going to pay my mechanic for the time it takes to drive the vehicle until he hears the noise you're describing?" I made an appointment for the next day to drop it off, yet I left with another feeling of disgust, as I had so many times before for so many reasons. All in all, I'm extremely unimpressed with not only The service department of Nissan, but Nissan overall.
With this being said, I then decided "enough is enough", and chose to take my business elsewhere. I took the Xterra to another Dealership (American made this time), and much to my fortune, during the test drive there were no warning lights currently on, and the test drive wasn't long or fast enough to instigate the rumbling noises. Therefore the vehicle seemed to be in great condition and I was offered just above blue book value for it on a trade in. After all was said and done, I left in a brand new 2011 SUV of another make and model, and was very happy to be free of the Immense burden Nissan had potentially laid upon me. My purpose in writing all of this was not to bore you, but to describe what I'd experienced, so anyone with a situation similar to mine has something to compare notes with.
Again, i'd like to say thank you to all of you who posted regarding this issue, and I'm truly sorry you had to go through this nightmare.. I can't even begin to think of what I'd have done if the transmission / radiator completely failed on me, I certainly am in no position to come up with the money necessary to replace these parts, and to be honest I wouldn't wanna keep the vehicle afterwards even if I had. My advice to any Nissan owners out there, regardless of whether you're having issues similar to this... get out of it before it's too late!! And Nissan.. you're in business because people buy your vehicles.. I'd suggest doing the right thing and announce a recall for this. Fix these problems or you're gonna lose many more customers. (Does Toyota in the past few years ring any bells)?
Sorry for this being so long, thanks and good luck!
2011Jan 17
Xterra 4L
- Automatic transmission
- 74,565 miles
At Nissan now...I hope its not too bad yet!
This Truck has had way too many issues! Back to Ford for this guy!
Update from Oct 27, 2011: Well it turned out the last time i went in it was U-JOINTS. This time its my Transmission and Radiator. Nissan even told me not to worrie about it and that it wouldnt be and issue....Guess what...ITS AN ISSUE NOW!!!
2010Dec 18
Xterra SE 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 91,000 miles
On 12/18/2010 my 2005 Xterra with 90k miles started vibrating badly when accelerating over 50mph. It felt like I was driving over rumble strips. Took it to the dealer on 12/20/2010 and was told my radiator had failed, leaked into the transmission and totally destroyed it. My only option was a $4600 replacement of the radiator and transmission. The service guy then told me that Nissan knew about the problem, but instead of issuing a recall, they simply extended the warranty from 60k to 72k miles (this was an error on his part, because the extension was actually to 80k miles). Regardless, it didn't apply to me because I was at 90k miles.
I called my usual shop to ask for a second opinion and was told that they recently replaced a tranny and radiator on a 2005 Frontier. Same problem. Googling the issue turned up this site as well as many others. The problem is widespread and affects apparently all 2005 mid-sized trucks and SUVs Nissan built. Nissan never made any effort to warn me about this potential problem and are burying their heads now that it's ruining hundreds of their customers' vehicles. Even the statement the released with the warranty extension excludes any language that would imply major damage may be looming for '05 owners. I read that several people caught the problem early and replaced or bypassed their transmission intercoolers. Wish someone would have told me!
2010Sep 20
Xterra S 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 69,500 miles
2005 Nissan Xterra, 69,000 miles. Car had defective radiator from the beginning. The radiator failed and filled the transmission full of engine coolant (antifreeze) which fried the transmission. I took it to the local repair shop (non-Nissan dealer) and they said it's the transmission. I couldn't believe it so I called a transmission shop and they said Nissan has a problem with this and it's common. I called another transmission shop and they said the same thing. I took it to the Nissan dealer and they verified the failure as described. ALL the local independent shops are immediately aware of this problem but the folks at Nissan are saying it's not common. I think not. The cost of repairing this problem is about $5,200. I was expecting to replace the transmission at 200,000 miles, not 69,000.
There is no TSB (technical service bulletin) on this problem because Nissan is trying to keep it quiet for fear of having to do a recall which should have been done in the first place. They didn't even have the sense to reach out and inform the Xterra / Pathfinder owners that they may have a problem with their radiator.
2010Oct 22
Xterra
- 85,000 miles
I'm extremely annoyed with Nissan at the moment...I was driving to work when all of the sudden my 2005 Nissan Xterra would not accelerate. I took it to get looked at when they told me that the scanner found a problem in the transmission(part number was P1764) and that I would need a complete overhaul. So before I jumped the gun I also took it to 2 other locations where I found out that I had a crack in the radiator which was now leaking fluid into my transmission. Therefore this was going to cost me upwards of $3000. So I decided to take my truck to the Nissan Dealership since all the other places said this was happening a lot in Nissan's. When I arrived I refused to pay any more money to get it looked at so the guys were nice and quickly determined that indeed the radiator was cracked and leaking. So I asked the guys if this was an ongoing problem with this truck and of course they said yes. I found out that Nissan extended the warranty to 80,000 to cover this repair but didn't inform any owner. Now they are wanting me to pay for the repair because my truck is at 85,000 miles. I'm refusing, since if they notified the owners this could have been prevented! I called Nissan and had the same reaction as other people. The gentleman told me that a regional would have to call me back. I'm waiting to hear from them as I type but I am refusing to make another payment on this damn truck if they do not rectify the situation! It is completely unacceptable to me that Nissan knew of a problem and didn't inform the owners!!
I have also had a problem with the fuel sensor sending unit and had to pay out $500 in repair cost for that as well!
2010Aug 27
Xterra 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 82,000 miles
Nissan has sold these cars and knowing they have this problem .. did nothing to help, or even warn us of this.. they could have at least sent a letter informing people what is going on.. transmission shops in the area have repaired MANY!!!! NISSAN MAN UP AND DO SOMETHING!
2010Sep 09
Xterra SE 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 154,000 miles
Xterra transmission goes into safe mode at first stop after starting. Took ride to dealer dealer says radiator anti freeze has leaked into transmission and transmission is or will be toast soon. The dealer quoted me $5300 to fix. I have bought 5 nissans from this dealer. Never had issues with nissan rides untill now. The front clip was damaged about 4 months prior so Radiator ,tran lines etc. are new. I take excellent care of my rides because of occupation and always have service done. This month wifes Honda transmission went , got pink slip from job and now bam this happens. Need full body rain gear with rubber boots.
Update from Jan 15, 2011: I just received a extended warranty letter from Nissan about the radiator failure. .The letter says that Nissan is committed to providing the highest level of product quality and customer satisfaction. Which is a total smoke up my bum. I took my Xterra to the dealership for another part that Nissan had a recall on (ECM) I brought the letter with me and showed it to the service Manager ,provided Nissan with a couple of years worth of maintenance records including transmission service intervals. I provided proof that I maintain the ride. The dealership was supportive of my problem and gave me a new Rouge to drive Which I thought that if my Xterra was fixed I was going to buy the rouge for my wife. On the ride home I received a call from Corp. Nissan Stating that they will not do anything to fix their poor workmanship. I told the shallow Nissan Rep that I was in a Nissan taking it home and possibly purchasing it for my wife and that I had purchase 5 New Nissans off the lot. Did not get even a thank you or a offer to pay for half or anything. With that I said kiss my _ss and you will in court. No more Nissans.... ever!!!!.
2010Jan 03
Xterra 4.0L 6 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 59,236 miles
2005 NISSAN XTERRA Transmission A.T., (4.0L, 6 cyl, 5 spd), 4x4 .This vehicle was brought to a repair shop, when my wife went to depress the accelerator at a red light the car took off like it was stuck in 3rd gear. When diagnosed, the radiator line had a hair line crack in it causing coolant to leak into the transmission turning the transmission fluid into a strawberry milk shake color. The radiator had to be replaced and all the fluids were flushed. A week later the fluids had to be replaced because the transmission was doing the same thing. A week later the transmission was flushed again and was running fine for two month then the same thing started again, now it's sitting at the repair shop and was told it's stuck in 3rd gear and needs a transmission.
I have called many transmission places and no one but AAMCO will touch this. Nissan has a rebuilt for $3100 and will only warranty it for 12 Mo 12,000 Mil. AAMCO can rebuild it for $3800 with a bypass for the coolant so the issue does not happen again. When I asked AAMCO if they see a lot of these cars they said yes and it's for the same issue. I asked the Ken why they can notify Nissan "the consumer's needs to complain they can't because of legalities" I did some research and found that It's a widespread issue with all the 2005 Nissan vehicles, from carcomplaints.com. 2005 Pathfinder 48 complaints 2005 XTerra 11 complaints "Houston We Have a Problem" Because the radiator is part of the transmission and can fail this should be covered, if this was true it would have been covered under the 60,000 mile warranty this is what the dealer told me from Nissan. Thanks for nothing, No thanks for the $7058 its going to cost me to get it fixed with a 3 yr or 100,000 mil warranty. According to the NADA my car is worth $9,975 with this issue without the issue its 15,050 "that's wonderful."
2010Jul 11
Xterra S
- Automatic transmission
- 165,000 miles
Driving on the Highway when the engine light, 4WD lights suddenly came on. When I finally slowed down and began to apply the gas I wasn't going anywhere. Just smelled burning. Very odd for someone who has serviced the vehicle regularly, replaced catalytic converters, brakes, & more ($6,000 in repairs between 2009-10). This could be the end of a great relationship with Nissan. I loved this car and took good care of it. How could the transmission just go like that on me?? It's at Aamco undergoing a diagnostic report now:(
2010May 21
Xterra SE 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 63,200 miles
Not sure how they flushed my system for the 60,000 miles fluid maintenance but when it when it, it ran great. Came out running like crap. Thanks god it was still under warranty.
2010Jan 01
Xterra SE 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
nissan should own up to the transmission problem caused by the defective radiator
but I doubt that they will from what research I have done.They will lose in the end.
2010Apr 09
Xterra Off Road 6 Cyk
- Automatic transmission
- 88,500 miles
Kept all normal service intervals on coolant and transmission. The radiator has a built in transmission oil cooler. Radiator failed internally, mixed trans fluid with anti freeze.
Transmission was toast on the spot. Dealer said it is possible to install an after market transmission cooler and bypass the factory radiator. It went from running fine to 5 grand shot in the ass with out warning.
2010Apr 09
Xterra SE V6
- Automatic transmission
- 50,000 miles
omg, we have a 2005, Xterra the same deal as others radiator leaking into trans. but here is the deal it only has 50k miles on it and its still under warranty and the local dealership said Nissan wont fix it what should we do this is b.s. were still under drive train warranty for another 10k miles and they wont evey pay for trand and me pay for radiator this is wrong please someone send help
2010Apr 16
Xterra Offroad
- Automatic transmission
- 105,000 miles
faulty radiator damaged, transmission. Radiator had oil in it. Engine running hot, not shifting normally. over $5,000 fix. Can't trade vehicle with these problems. Never will we buy another Nissan.
2009Aug 01
Xterra 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 77,620 miles
I am writing this short summary to express my disappointment and utter disgust with my 2005 Nissan Xterra 4X4 Off-road edition. Nissan NA case no. 6716689. Below is a time series of events:
March 2009
I noticed a vibration in the vehicles power train at 77,620 miles. I took it to the dealer for diagnoses at a cost of $60.20. The dealer technician test drove the vehicle and said that he did not notice the vibration. I had the dealer flush and refill the transmission as a preventative measure at a cost of $218.37.
Sub-total: $278.57
July 2009
The vehicle would run warmer than usual during normal driving conditions and the cooling fan was running more often than usual. I checked all fluids and they were normal. I drained and refilled the radiator with fresh 50/50 antifreeze-water as recommended by the manual. I also replaced the radiator cap to rule out the possibility of the seal not allowing pressure to release. The problem still occurred. I suspected that the thermostat was not working properly so, I replaced the thermostat with an OEM from the dealer. The problem was less severe, but still not solved.
One afternoon I was driving the vehicle on level ground when I felt the transmission slip. I immediately pulled over and inspected the vehicle. Fluids were leaking from underneath the vehicle. It was red and seemed as though it was transmission fluid. I checked the fluid level and it showed to be overfilled. None of this made sense. I immediately took the vehicle back to the dealer and asked that they look it over thinking maybe they overfilled the transmission. This occurred at 82,477 miles.
I received a phone call from the service manager an hour later stating that my radiator was leaking and that I needed to have it replaced at a cost of $794.90 including labor/parts/coolant. For some unknown reason I was also charged for a coolant flush at $101.77. The dealer stated that the transmission fluid was milky indicating that the radiator had ruptured internally and allowed the coolant to mix with the transmission fluid. They also said that they just had ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE DEALER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. They proceeded to flush the transmission twice to remove the coolant contaminants. They then refilled it all at a cost of $366.09. They stated that they had it all removed, refilled the transmission with new fluid and installed a new radiator. The dealer tech test drove the vehicle and said that it shifted properly and that I caught the problem early enough that there would be no further problems.
Sub-total: $1263.04
August 2009
The vehicles transmission slipped again under normal driving conditions and progressively got worse. I researched the problem on the internet where I realized my worst fear. It seemed that the coolant from the faulty radiator had done more damage than I was lead to believe by the dealer. I read about 15 similar cases involving Xterra and Pathfinder models. I immediately called the dealer where they stated that they wanted $165.00 to diagnose the problem. I felt that I had already been robbed by them so I took it to AAMCO where they would diagnose it for free. They told me exactly what I had read in so many other cases on the internet. I needed to have my transmission rebuilt. This occurred at 85,676 miles. AAMCO said it would cost 4,134.84 to rebuild the transmission. I then called the dealer once again for estimate where they stated that they do not rebuild transmissions. They replace them and it would cost an estimated $6,000. I went with AAMCO since there was no guarantee Nissan would assist me with the costs.
On a side note, a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder was sitting in the AAMCO parking lot with the same exact problem that I was having only the owner refused to pay the repair costs.
Sub-Total:$4,134.84
Total Costs: $5,676.45
September 2009
I called Nissan Consumer Affairs and expressed that I thought Nissan should recall the faulty radiators that caused my transmission failure and that I should be fully reimbursed, especially since I knew it was not an isolated case. Again and again the only response I would get was that they could not provide financial assistance because I was out of warranty. I asked to speak to the customer service agent’s manager and he asked, “why?” And then he said that I couldn’t and that the manager would have to call me back.
I then called Nissan North America to speak with someone else. I spoke to a woman who said she did not have the power to provide financial assistance, but she had a regional representative contact me. I explained my concerns and he said that he could not do anything for me, but would contact the dealer to see if they would provide assistance. I never heard back from the regional representative.
Conclusion
To add insult to injury, my tailgate and bumper are rusting(garage kept) and my fuel gauge sending unit stopped working right after this incident.
My Nissan Xterra was my first Japanese automobile. I had high hopes of reliability and durability when I bought I left the dealer with keys in hand, but, needless to say, I am extremely disappointed with my Nissan. If Nissan does not take full responsibility for the bad batch of radiators in their Pathfinders and Xterra model vehicles I will never again own a Nissan or Infinity automobile for the rest of my life. Furthermore, I will see to it that no one in my family or friends does either.
2011May 10
Xterra
After numerous other problems with our 2005 Nissan Xterra over the past two years or so, we just found out today that our radiator is cracked and we will need a new transmission!!! I just found this site and am reading that this is a common problem with this make and model vehicle and that Nissan knows about it!!! I am so upset over this!!!! We have spent so much time and money on this crappy car already and now this!!! Our mechanic said it would cost about $5000 to fix!!! What a disgrace Nissan is!!! I am going to make a complaint with headquarters and our local dealership, hoping they will offer to pay for it!! But I am sure they will deny it and make up an independant cause of the problem!! I am wondering if there is any thoughts on a class action suit about this. Thanks and good luck everyone!!!
Tracy S.
Woolwich Twp, NJ, USA
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