There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinderin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to immediately restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The dynamic control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Voluntary Recall Campaign: PC068. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Transmission began to fail suddenly, resulting in a situation where the car would not accelerate in busy traffic.
While driving on US 95 in DC, MD and NJ, when the traffic became stop and go, my SUV could not get into 1st gear to go. The engine revved, the car shook and made noises. Several times I came close to being rear-ended. This problem also occurs when starting after a red light, when accelerating on a highway (usually 3rd or 4th gear), and when turning left on a green arrow. Not only has it caused many close calls with being rear-ended, but it has also incited road rage in people who are driving behind me. Now I'm told I need a new transmission and also a new coolant system which leaks due to a fault in the system known by Nissan, and pollutes the transmission. This is a terrible safety threat and Nissan should own up to it and pay for the repairs.
OVER HEATS, COOLENT LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT
STARTED UP DROVE FINE THEN WHEN I STOPPED IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. TURNED OFF WENT THROUGH GEARS COUPLE TIMES AND HAD TO DO THAT 3 TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD ACCELERATE AND SHIFT. I DROVE 50 MILES HOME NEXT DAY IT DID SAME THING AFTER DRIVING 1/2 MILE. GOES INTO REVERSE BUT WILL NOT GO OVER 5 MILES PER HOUR MOVING FORWARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGN WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC AND SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE MAINTENANCE, 4WD, AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFTER SYMBOLS WERE BLANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD A BURNING ODOR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME STUCK IN FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.
RADIATOR INTERNALLY FAILED CAUSING FLUIDS TO MIX. COOLANT WAS RUN THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING IT TO FAIL.
I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE HAVING NO IDEA OF THIS ISSUE, I DIDN'T INVESTIGATE BECAUSE THIS IS OUR 7TH NISSAN AND THEY HAVE BEEN GOOD CARS. I WAS DRIVING 75 MPH TO WORK AT RUSH HOUR AND THE TRANS STARTED LETTING LOOSE AND SHUDDERING SO BAD I HAD TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULD AND THAT'S JUST AS SAFE AS DRIVING THIS THING. PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE IT SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. BUT EVERYONE THAT ASKS WHY I TELL THEM BECAUSE NISSAN DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS. WE INTENDED FOR OUR 14 Y/O TO DRIVE IT BUT NO WAY IN THE WORLD WOULD I LET THAT HAPPEN
COMPLETE LOSS POWER AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SHOP, THE DIAGNOSE WAS A FAILED TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER INTEGRATED INTO THE RADIATOR THAT ALLOWED ENGINE COOLANT TO MIX WITH AND CONTAMINATE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VEHICLE DID NOT REPORT ANY WARNING SIGNS BEFORE THE FAILURES OTHER THAN A SUDDEN LOSS OF ABILITY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. MY PATHFINDER IS 2005 WITH ONLY 81000 BECAUSE I AM IN THE MILITARY AND I DID NOT DRIVE IT, AND I HAVE NO REPORT OF A RECALL.
COOLANT DAMAGE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR LOST POWER IN MOTION
KNOWN TO NISSAN CORP, A DESIGN DEFECT MAKES THE ENGINE RADIATOR RUST AND LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND I JUS TOOK IT TO PERFORM THE 90,000 MILES SERVICE. COOLANT FLUID WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION OIL AND DEALER QUOTED ME $6,884.59. AFTER A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT I JUST LEARNED ABOUT, NISSAN HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY WITH PARTIAL COPAY UP TO 10YEARS/100,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. MY VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS SOMETHING UNACCEPTABLE AND NISSAN SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND FIX IT FOR FREE FOR LIFE.
WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT ON THE WAY TO WORK. LIGHT TURNS GREEN TRIES TO ACCELERATE AND HARDLY ANYTHING HAPPENS BESIDES A WHINING NOISE. RADIATOR FLUID HAS LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING A MILKSHAKE LIKE FLUID MIX. NOW NISSAN DEALER WANTS ME TO REPLACE RADIATOR, AND TRANSMISSION ON MY ON DIME. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE. NOW NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED THIS VEHICLE FOR ANY SAFETY FIXES OF THE NATURE.
IN THE LAST 4 YEARS I'VE REPLACED EMISSIONS SYSTEM BRAKES ROTORS AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM EXHAUST SYSTEM RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION. CAR WAS VIBRATING SHAKING CUTTING OUT LEAKING EXHAUST FUMES AND EMISSIONS SYSTEM FAILED.
TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, RADIATOR FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO REPLACE NOT ONLY THE TRANSMISSION BUT THE RADIATOR, HOSES, ETC.
TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE WITH 2 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE SUV. I HAD ONLY HAD THE SUV FOR 4-6 MONTHS. TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT . SHORTLY AFTER THE RADIATOR NEEDED REPAIR. IT WAS REPAIRED, AND NISSAN HELPED WITH PARTIAL COST. RECENTLY (02/19/2018)TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AGAIN WHILE YIELDING IN A BUSY INTERSECTION TO GO ON THE HIGHWAY. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT A SECOND TIME ON 02/22/2018 AGAIN. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I BEGAN TO PUSH ON THE GAS TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN IN A BUSY INTERSECTION AND ONCE AGAIN, THE SUV ONLY COASTED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT, PAID 110.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS INFORMED ONCE AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. A 6,000.00$ JOB. THE TRANSMISSION HAS ONLY BEEN ABOUT 4-5 YEARS OLD PRESENTLY. I AM OUT OF A VEHICLE.
MY VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY DIAGNOSED STATING THAT THE RADIATOR HAD LEAKED FLUID INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD COST $6,200 TO REPAIR. MY VEHICLE HAS 85,000 MILES. I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN I COULD HAVE HAD IT CHECKED (THE DEALERSHIP DID REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ONCE SO THE ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF THEN WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY). THERE IS A VIBRATION WHEN THE RPMS SETTLE AROUND 1000-1500 AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP. IT IS INTERMITTENT, BUT WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE NISSAN DEALER MECHANIC AS THE ISSUE.
TRAQNSMITTION OIL IN COOLANT HAD TO HAVE SHOP FLUSH OUT RAIADIATOR AND COOLANT SYSTEM AND REPLACE OIL COOLER TRANSMITION SEEMS TO BE SLIPING
THE ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE BEGAN AT 133834 MILES. WHEN DRIVING, AT TIMES IT WOULD VIBRATE OUT OF NOWHERE. AFTER A STOP, IT WOULD SHIFT UP HARD OR FAIL TO DOWNSHIFT AND THEN HIT HARD WHEN IT FINALLY WOULD GO IN TO GEAR. ONCE I TOOK IT IN TO A MECHANIC, THE FOLLOWING CODES CAME UP: P1731 - 1ST GEAR LOGIC ERROR, P0430- CAT EFFICIENCY BANK 2, P0455- EVAP SYSTEM LEAK LARGE. THE RECOMMENDATION WAS "TEAR DOWN". IN THE END, I HAD TO REPLACE MY: TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, TORQUE CONVERTER, VALVE BODY, VALVE BODY SOLENOIDS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER BANK 2, EXHAUST GASKETS, OIL PRESSURE SENSOR, AND OXYGEN SENSOR. WITH A TOTAL COST OF $4,824.65. I WILL UPLOAD THE SERVICES MY NISSAN PATHFINDER HAD TO HAVE.
RADIATOR FLUID HAS LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION, COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE TRANSMISSION. I FEEL A SHUDDER WHEN THE TRANSMISSION HITS 40 MPH - 60 MPH.
CAR HAS EXPERIENCED LEAKAGE FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER RADIATOR TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. WE WILL NEED TO HAVE IT REBUILT, WHICH WILL COST US $4,500+. WE MAY ALSO NEED TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED. NISSAN KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM YEARS AGO. THEY DIDN'T DO A RECALL OR ISSUE A SERVICE BULLETIN TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES, WHICH IS UNCONSCIONABLE BEHAVIOR.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026