8.1

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,720
Average Mileage:
106,850 miles
Total Complaints:
14 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (5 reports)
  2. rebuild transmission (3 reports)
  3. replace transmission (3 reports)
  4. replace transmission, radiator (3 reports)
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problem #14

Jul 112016

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 109,000 miles

Nissan said that Radiator leaked and called transmission failure. They wanted $6800 for me to get it fixed so I went to a transmission expert and they gave me a new transmission for a little cheaper. I am now reading that many many people are having or had this problem with this car. Why do I need to suffer this? I read Nissan knew about this problem and continued to sell these cars anyway! What can I do now? Can I sue? Is there another class action law suit?

- Chris G., Wood Ridge, US

problem #13

Aug 032016

Xterra S V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 113,000 miles

I am mad as hell.Nissan should be held accountable for its products. Nissan should be held more accountable than VW. Why doesn't the Justice Department do something about it. In the Class action suit, our attorney, the consumer attorney's got paid very well by Nissan. They sold us out.

- tigger, North Port, FL, US

problem #12

Feb 142017

Xterra 4L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,400 miles

I have a 2006 Nissan Xterra and I have had to replace my transmission due to the known issue of cracked radiators radiators leaking coolant into the transmission, when it mixes with the transmission fluid it creates irreversibly damages everything around it. Since the recall ended in 2016 I am out the $3700 for the whole repair of which the replace transmission cost 3200. They installed a separate radiator for the transmission so that if the main one cracked again it would not cause the transmission problems.

I had an extremely scary event when driving in the smokey mountains on an extremely steep hill and my suv died. All I saw on my right side was an extremely steep cliff. Once again the person behind me swerved to miss me. I had no place to go. After many tries my suv finally started. I was petrified the rest of the drive. I luckily did not experience a crash but I came close a few times where other vehicles swerved to avoid my suv when it suddenly just stopped.

- Donna M., Tampa, US

problem #11

Feb 012015

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,000 miles

I spent $2800. for repairs on my Xterra to drive it out of the repair shop to find that the transmission had totally failed. I tried to find a repair shop but I don't have the kind of money to fix it. Basically I have a lovely xterra yard sculpture. The transmission has felt off since I drove it new off the lot. I had maintenance on it and told the dealer and they said nothing was wrong. I paid for an extended warranty when I got it but they said it was void because I couldn't prove maintenance. My son changed the oil regularly. I will never buy another Nissan.

- phxjan, Phoenix, AZ, US

problem #10

Jan 202016

Xterra S 3.2lV6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,000 miles

We bought this car barnd new for my mother-in-law to insure she was safe aand as a replacement for her old car. The car has about 9 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 $4500 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 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 anny nissan product ever!!!

- calvaradousa, Chula Vista, CA, US

problem #9

Nov 252015

Xterra 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,605 miles

I just could not believe that this problem with the coolant and transmission fluid mixing was not a total recall and that it cost the consumer thousands of dollars to fix. Plus they did not even offer us a loaner to use while being fixed at the dealer. This should have been on Nissan to pay for the entire bill since they knew of the problem from the beginning!! It cost us $3,190 and you had no choice but to pay it!! For a retired couple on a fixed income, I was outraged!! They really knew how to take advantage of the people who had no choice but to go to the dealer and have the problem solved. Not only that, but they even charged tax!!! Looking to buy a new car --but not a Nissan now.

- Linda V., Milf, CT, US

problem #8

Jul 202015

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

The reverse never turn on again. Forward still works.

- Kostya K., Cabarete, Dominican Republic

problem #7

Jul 132015

Xterra X

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

Started having transmission problem, not going into 1st gear, this went on for several months, then wouldn't start one day. Took in to the shop, and they checked it and told me the radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission and destroyed some computer sensor inside that controls starting. Transmission is shot, radiator also will need to be replaced. He said it would cost at the minimum several thousand dollars, but probably more. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER NISSAN EVER! And from what I have read, they knew about this problem.

- Tiffany H., Sapulpa, OK, US

problem #6

Aug 012015

Xterra

  • 87,000 miles

I have a 2006 Xterra with 87,000 miles on it, The tranmission went out and Nissan said they will only pay an amount over $3,000.I am a living on my Husband's Social securiy on a month to month bases, and I am also disable and I do not have any extra money. so now thanks to nissan I do not have a car to go to THE Doctor or get the pills I need

WHAT COLD HEARTED PEOPLE.I beleaved in Nissan when I brought the car but now they will not help me.

Update from Oct 9, 2015: Forget having Nissan fix your car for the Transmission problem.

They were nice when I called them and explained that I was having problems with my Transmission,they told me that if I took my Xterra to the Dealer ( tow charge $ 85) and had a Nissan Dealer look at it ($125) they would help to fix it.

After I paid all that money they went back to who there really are, money hungry and a........s.. and told me that they would not help me fix me my Transmission, if I wanted my car fixed I would have to pay it myself.

Nissan only cares about MONEY,they do not care about us at all, and that extended warrenty, they must have got it from someone they know, that is a JOKE

- bettyla, Marrero, LA, US

problem #5

Oct 012014

Xterra EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 86,000 miles

Will never purchase Nissan again... Ever...

- Alexandra N., High Point, NC, US

problem #4

May 092015

Xterra

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,000 miles

On May 8th brought my car to the local Colonial Nissan of Medrod, MA and they diagnosed the car with a fuel issue which cost me $1,200.

The next day the called me to bring the car back, as they had forgotten to tighten up a few things. Went back and left the car there for a few hours.

The next day May 11th, the read light comes and had to bring the car back to the dealer. I was informed that the transmission has failed due to a known fact that the cracked radiator has been letting coolant leak into the transmission. When that coolant mixes with transmission fluid it creates a toxic hell stew that destroys the transmission.

Given the October 2012 class-action lawsuit, Nissan is asking that I pay $3,000 to fix the transmission.

I did pay for another part, which cost $250. So within a week I paid $4,450 to fix my car, while I was never notified of this issue by Nissan and I am the first owner of this car.

- Irgent K., Arlington, MA, US

problem #3

Oct 012014

Xterra SE 4.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 117,000 miles

This is two fold. One, I had my Xterra in for service in 2012 and was never advised by the dealer of the issues with the transmission ( it was a 15 minute fix by routing the coolant line back to the radiator). Second part is that I never received a notification regarding the issues with the coolant line. Nissan failed miserably on this issue. I love the vehicle, sadly I will never purchase a Nissan again. I take that back, if Nissan USA would step up and recall for repairs, my faith would be restored!

- Neil C., Colorado Springs, CO, US

problem #2

Aug 152014

Xterra 4.0L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 167,000 miles

First off, after reading all the other posts, I count myself lucky that I got 167,000 hard miles out of this transmission before this came up.

Went to my local mechanic to give him the business when my transmission started slipping. They told me that my radiator was leaking into the transmission, replaced the radiator, flushed both systems for $800 and told me it should be fine. A week later I was barely able to get through an intersection after a red light. No mention from the local mechanic about this design flaw and I highly doubt they were ignorant of it. They probably are still waiting for me to show up again so they could replace my transmission.

Instead, I take my Xterra to the local Nissan dealer. I had been there before. I trusted them. They are the dealer after all! They told me I had radiator fluid in my transmission which had destroyed it, I needed to replace my transmission and they would be happy to take care of it for $4,500. No mention of any design flaw, engineering error, class action law suit or any indication of the commonality of this issue. I told them I'd think about it...

I went to the local transmission specialist one of my best friends, another mechanic, recommended. This guy gave me an education. He had just the week before replaced the transmission on a Frontier for the same reason. He had replaced transmissions on dozens of Frontiers and Xterras for the same cause. He was $1,000 cheaper than Nissan and gives a 3 year warranty compared to the 1 year warranty Nissan gives on the new transmission. No doubt because Nissan KNOWS about the flaw. My transmission guy PLUGS the radiator so the transmission fluid can't ever mix even if it leaks. I didn't need a new radiator. I could simply have had my old one plugged! You don't need your transmission fluid heated by the radiator unless your driving your Nissan in subzero temperatures and even if you are, your torque converter will heat the transmission fluid plenty fast enough.

So if you replace your transmission, make sure you have the mechanic plug the radiator so it doesn't leak again!

- Ramon V., Sacramento, CA, US

problem #1

Jul 172014

Xterra V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,800 miles

2006 NISSAN XTERRA: I REPLACED THE RADIATOR & HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED LAST AUGUST (COST NEARLY $2K) . A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AFTER GOING ABOUT 60 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ENGAGING TO ACCELERATE. IT WAS A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE. TODAY AFTER ABOUT 20 MILES IT DID NOT ACCELERATE AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I COULD NOT GET IT TO GO OVER 20 MPH BUT WAS REVVING AT 4RPM. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

- mansdcnacw, Springfield, MA, US