9.1

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,950
Average Mileage:
112,600 miles
Total Complaints:
159 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace radiator and transmission (62 reports)
  2. replace transmission (51 reports)
  3. not sure (30 reports)
  4. flushed trans and replaced radiator (8 reports)
  5. replace radiator and transmission fluid (3 reports)
  6. fixed it myself (2 reports)
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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #139

Jun 262016

Xterra S 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,000 miles

2006 nissan xterra, coolant leaked into transmission, havent gotten it into the shop just yet (its sunday) and can't wait for them to tell me how much this is going to cost. next time, I plan to do way more research about the car I'm interested in than I did for the xterra.

- Chad K., East Setauket, NY, US

problem #138

Feb 242016

Xterra S 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,000 miles

206 xterra, ran great for the first 3 years I owned it (bought second hand with roughly 70k miles on it, and now has 119k). Then about 4 months ago the rumbling shimmy (that the rest of the internet knew about) started to happen. And from what the internet has provided regarding what is most likely the problem, this sounds like its going to cost me a sh*t-ton of f*cking money I dont have. also the fact that nissan offered an extended warantee up to 80k miles is down right negligent because it seems that the problem doesnt surface at least until 100k miles. So after I get this fixed and squeeze (hopefully) 5 more years outta this thing (which I have loved up until today) NISSAN CAN GO... you get the idea. -_-

- Chad K., East Setauket, NY, US

problem #137

May 262016

Xterra X V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

Just like the others, had the transmission/radiator leakage issue. I was driving on the interstate when it felt like the transmission slipped. When I pulled off and came to a stoplight it seemed like it didn't want to shift into gear and the engine revved up to 4000 rpm before finally catching and moving ahead slowly. Long story short, after taking it to a shop and the dealer it was going to be around $7000 to replace the transmission, radiator and the timing chain. The dealership offered to give me $5000 to trade it and as much as I hated to give up my baby, I just could not afford to have it fixed. Sucks too as I had just paid it off 3 months before.

- Brian H., Johnson City, TN, US

problem #136

Jan 012016

Xterra 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 106,000 miles

Transmission started to slip so I had my mechanic check it out. After researching, he read about the known transmission/radiator leak issue. He manually flushed transmission and bypassed the radiator as shown here http://www.thenewx.org/forum/15-how-tos/25955-how-bypass-radiator-transmission-cooler.html.

It was obvious the coolant had mixed with the transmission fluid when he drained it.He did that in February and so far I haven't had further issues.

- lisa.nicole802, Nashville, TN, US

problem #135

Feb 222016

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 117,000 miles

Looking for transmission now. After reading carcomplaints wonder if it is worth fixing.

- Sarah D., Asheboro, NC, US

problem #134

Aug 152014

Xterra SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 96,000 miles

My transmission started slipping and when I took the vehicle to the dealership they recommended that I replace the radiator and transmission. The warranty had expired so I had to pay almost $6,000 to get the vehicle fixed. I was not aware of the problem at the time with the transmission failing as a result of the radiator. The dealer never informed me of the problem. Later I found out that this is a recurring problem because Nissan changed the design of the radiator. This pissed me off because they should have been a recall on the vehicles.

- David T., Chesapeake, VA, US

problem #133

Feb 102016

Xterra S V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

I bought my XTerra brand new in 2006. I never received any notification that Nissan was having recurring transmission failures due to the radiator manufacturing error. In February my car started making noises when I would go over 40 mph. It sounded like I was on the rumble strip on the side of the highway. I noticed the needle on the RPM didn't seem right, it wasn't shifting properly. I took it to my mechanic who said my radiator had cracked and leaked the coolant into my transmission. He said this is an ongoing problem with Nissan vehicles. He replaced the radiator and flushed the transmission in an attempt to save it. I went online and searched this issue. It's unreal the amount of us in this position. I read about a class action law suit that I had never heard about. It was settled as a win win for Nissan. They extended the warranty to 100,000 miles (many of us have this happen after we have reached this) AND you still have to pay a $3000 copay! I called Nissan to complain. They said for the case to move forward I would have to take it to a Nissan dealership so they could diagnose that it was in fact the transmission. I was told I couldn't speak to anyone higher up in a regional office until I did this step. Fine, I shelled out over $150 for them to tell me what I already knew. I called Nissan back and was told somebody would get in touch with me. The next day I got a phone call and the woman said they had already settled the issue, I had an extended warranty and 'sorry ma'am' but there is nothing further. I am furious. This is a safety issue. I was driving with my child in the car and we almost got hit because the car wouldn't go over 10mph when the gas was pressed to the floor. I was in oncoming traffic. Nissan should have done a recall on the radiators. It would have been a simple fix to move the external coolant. Instead, they don't care about their customers. If I had gone with Nissan to replace the transmission it would have been more money than the shop I found to do it and my mechanic offers a 3 year warranty. Nissan? A ONE year warranty. Shame on this company. I bought the car BRAND new and before I left the lot it was faulty. I am going to let everyone I know about this and warn them not to purchase from a company that leaves their consumers high and dry.

- Heather M., Gloucester, MA, US

problem #132

May 032016

Xterra SE 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 195,000 miles

Stage 1: My transmission seemed sluggish during stop & go's. So I took it to my guy. He said your transmission fluid was low so he took care of that. It drove fine.

Stage 2: A few days later I noticed the "milkshake" leaking from the area of my radiator. This was visible on the driveway and anywhere else I happened to park it...i.e., the gym, etc. I took it back to my guy at the shop, not dealer, and he called me back stating that I should not drive it. He recommended radiator and transmission enema. I had already been looking here online and read all the horror stories so I knew the "milkshake" was bad and the likelihood of being able to drive my 06 Xterra again was slipping away quickly. I mentioned the widespread issue and that if this worked would it behoove me to get them to do the "bypass" trick. He felt very confident that this would work and he would not "tamper" with bypassing any engineering (I'm still on the fence with this and may still do it). The Xterra drove fine all the way to this point, after the initial re-filling of the transmission fluid a week earlier. He stated that there was no sign of the "milkshake" when I brought it in initially and that the radiator and all other fluids "checked out".

Stage 3: Total charge for radiator, transmission cleanse and such came out to 980.00 bucks. I told my guy to drive it as much as he wanted for 1 full day...i.e., take it home, get groceries, hit the interstate, whatev. He did and said everything seemed great. I'm only on day 1 and it has driven great. Both my normal shop guy and the transmission guy stated that I should be fine and that I had caught it right when it happened that no permanent damage had been done yet. We will see I guess....more to come if this fails!

- jerrclark, Williamsburg, VA, US

problem #131

May 032016

Xterra S V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 127,000 miles

This is bad Customer Service and a safety concern. A faulty radiator problem that is causing an expensive repair bill for the transmission is something Nissan should take accountability for. I am not happy about this at all.

- Andres P., Charlotte, NC, US

problem #130

Apr 052016

Xterra ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 134,000 miles

I purchased my car a little over a year ago from a dealership. I was given Carfax, the car had all documentations on any fixes, oil changes etc...what was conveniently left out was the recall. This is on me though because I did not do enough homework and am kicking myself now.

This week my car completely crapped out. The catalytic converted needed to be changed so my check engine light was one. In the 3 weeks from getting the codes ran several others popped up that I didn't know about since I thought my check engine light was on because of the cat. I was SO wrong. Coming home from work my car started screaming at me and completely stopped.

I had it towed to a mechanic thinking it had to do with the cat and would be about $500-800.... $3800 (before tax) later I need me transmission rebuilt and a new radiator. Since I am at 134k miles I am outside the extended warranty and Nissan basically said "So sad, we can fix for $6k"...if I could afford EITHER repair I wouldn't owe $7500 on the car :( This is a royal pain in the butt and now I am completely upside down on the vehicle. The car is currently being worked on while I figure out how to pay for it.

- Ashley C., Raleigh, NC, US

problem #129

Apr 012016

Xterra SE 4L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 136,115 miles

My local transmission shop told of this problem with Nissan vehicles and the class action lawsuit that resulted. Of course, my vehicle was over the mileage for Nissan help but I was determined to give Nissan the ability to do the right thing.

I called Nissan USA and told them the problem and they started a case number. I had to take my 2006 Xterra to the dealer for them to charge me $135 to tell me the same thing my local shop told me for $68. The dealer confirmed the issue was coolant in the transmission fluid. I relayed the info to Nissan USA and they told me they would call back in a day.

I received a call the following day telling me Nissan USA would not help monetarily with the repairs. I explained the issue was due to a commonly known radiator design defect. They declined to help with the repairs. Nissan USA does not back their product even when a design flaw causes major repairs and expense to their customers. As I was leaving the dealer, a service department employee talked with me about this problem. He said they always change the radiator on these models when they get them as trade-ins. He also said Nissan could have recalled radiators early on and headed off these problems for consumers.

I guess Nissan would rather just let customers pay for their design error. i have come to find that this is a well known issue with Xterra's and other similar models.

- darendale, Hixson, TN, US

problem #128

Mar 092016

Xterra LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 130,000 miles

I don't have anything horrible to say I am just disappointed. I love love love love my truck and I am even more upset that Nissan stopped making Xterras this year! I want so badly to get it up and running and pay the money but after investigation I found out it is a known issue. I take very good care of my car and always take it to get oil changes every 3k and never wanted it to die I am so sad and not in a spot to pay to fix my favorite car ever owned. My family is a Nissan fan and always will be but after reading the recall. Why was I never notified??? I would of took it right away like I always do....Looking for help and if anything can be done by our favorite Nissan! Thanks for the time!

- Christina V., Marlton, NJ, US

problem #127

Feb 022016

Xterra SE 4.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 165,000 miles

Have not yet had the problem fixed. Was going to turn it into a hunting vehicle (according to my wife I don't really need it). Don't want to pay $4700 tranny fix for a car that's only worth $4800 according to KBB. Still debating on what to do about it. Would be nice if Nissan took a bit more pride in their products. "Innovation that excites"...not so sure about that anymore.

- asilvani, Crestview, FL, US

problem #126

Dec 232015

Xterra ES 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 195,000 miles

I was just driving and my transmission just stop working. It costed me close to $3000 to get the problem fixed and from research this is a common problem with most nissan.

- James F., Memphis, TN, US

problem #125

Feb 032016

Xterra SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 129,500 miles

I started having transmission problems with my 2006 Nissan Xterra and took it in to the shop for a diagnostic. I also did an internet search on the symptoms my vehicle was exhibiting and was disheartened to learn that the problem I was experiencing was an extremely common problem and would likely require a new transmission and radiator. Sure enough, the the repair cost came back at a quote of just over $6,000 and a diagnosis of radiator fluid leaking into the transmission fluid. I really loved my Nissan and now I'm pretty angry to learn that their design flaw has destroyed my vehicle.

- Jennifer S., Alexandria, VA, US

problem #124

Dec 142015

Xterra S

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

Coolant leaked into transmission, ruined transmission and extended warranty sold to me at the Nissan dealer doesn't cover this!

- lierlaky, Coos Bay, US

problem #123

Jan 202016

Xterra S 3.2lV6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,000 miles

We bought this car brand new for my mother-in-law to insure she was safe and as a replacement for her old car. The car has about nine years and about 75,000 and garage kept. When I noticed the noise, as I do not drive the car, I could not believe the awful noise coming from inside the car. We took the car to my mechanic to find out we need a new transmission and the cost was about $4,500 and $200 for replacing the radiator and radiating coolant lines plus tax. Total cost will be about $5,000!!! Car looks new but transmission is screw up for not using other worlds. What the F..., What a piece of crap!!!. Reading from many reviews I cannot believe that anyone accepted such awful settlement. How NISSAN got away with murder in this one. I will never buy any Nissan product ever!!!

- calvaradousa, Chula Vista, CA, US

problem #122

Oct 162015

Xterra Sport Utility 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 111,642 miles

Nothing new to report by reading other rants, car with around 111,000 with repairs over $3500+ and apparently will not be covered due to being out of the time and mileage range. Never own another nissan.

- Rick G., Indianapolis, IN, US

problem #121

Nov 302015

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 123,802 miles

Bought this car used in June 2013 from Love Nissan, St. Albans. No mention that this could occur. BEFORE RESELLING CAR THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE SHOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW. Money hungry little pieces of sh*t, knowing that they just added $5,000 to the selling price. I will find every consumer complaint website on the internet. Never buy Nissan!

- lewiswv, cross lanes, WV, US

problem #120

Dec 182015

Xterra V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 94,818 miles

In March of 2014, I brought my x-terra to Lee Nissan in Topsham, Maine because it was running a little rough and wasn't heating up when idle. ONly when it was in motion. I had 79,000 miles on it then. I brought in today, 12/18/2015 (after a 2 week wait) and they confirmed that I had co-mingling of fluids and needed to provide a co-payment of $3000 to fix it. I asked them to pull up my record, to see what the March 2014 service report was, and they had no indication of even checking the fluids when I complained about my radiator not heating up while in idyle. They just flushed it, and evidently fixed the problem temporarily. Of course. I called the Nissan headquarters and they said that this was already settled in court and can't make any more complaints.

I take care of my disabled uncle who is a vietnam veteran. He is in need of medical attention on a regular basis, and have to travel over 60 miles (which I had to cancel today), because I was advised not to drive this vehicle far. I don't have extended family to help. His medical needs are not being met as it is the weekend, and I can't make arrangements with the VA to get help with rides.

I am shocked that they treated me like this, especially, when I brought it in just under 80,000 miles when this could have been resolved.

I have already complained to the BBB and will not stop there.

- Rebecca B., Brunswick, ME, US

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