There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinderin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
A coolant hose leaked in transmission and shorted tcm causing total transmission failure and totaling out vehicle
Crack in defective radiator allowed coolant to mix in with transmission fluid. Coolant caused transmission to fail while driving it. transmission changed gears on its own and would not shift properly and engine just shut down
Bought vehicle I’m second owner it was sold as is from a dealership with airbag lights on after a certain amount miles check engine light came on said I had e -regular voltage to fuel injectors 1 gear started slipping then loss of power when accelerating next revolutionary trans-sensor went and now when I start the vehicle the A/T ECU Fuse keeps blowing out and the radiator coolant has transmission fluid mixing into it.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle downshifted independently. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the transmission fluid needed to be changed. The contact took the vehicle to a second independent mechanic and was informed that the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
WHILE DRIVING, FROM A STOP, A LOUD CLUNK OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR. UPON ARRIVAL AT HOME AND INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE COOLANT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH A DARK FLUID. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ENGAGE ANY GEAR AT THIS TIME AND IS NOT DRIVABLE. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT SUSPECTED CAUSE IS CROSS CONTAMINATION BETWEEN COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID, MOST LIKELY DUE TO RADIATOR DEFICIENCY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON PLACING HER VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT AND HER SON EXITED THE VEHICLE, TO MANUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING BACK AND HITTING A BUILDING. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ENGINE COIL BLOCK HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT AT START-UP. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT UNDISCLOSED SPEEDS, THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHILE THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED A HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED HER THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,500.
JUST BOUGHT AND CHECKED THE ANITFREEZE TO FIND A THICK SLUDGE IN THE RADIATOR AND OVERFLOW. SMELLS LIKE OIL
TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO COOLANT BEING LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION HOUSING CAUSING FAILURE OF TRANSMISSON AND CAUSING MODULE TO BLOW FUSE TO KEEP FROM HARMING ENGINE. THE ENGINE DIED AT SIGNAL LIGHT AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC. THERE I WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED.
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STUMBLE FOR A SECOND, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN FELT LIKE IT HAD ALMOST NO POWER. WOULDNT ACCELERATE WELL, DIDNT SHIFT NORMALLY, AND DIDNT FEEL LIKE IT WAS RUNNING AS WELL AS NORMAL. WHEN WE PARKED THE VEHICLE, I TURNED IT OFF TO HOPEFULLY "RESET" WHATEVER MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT WOULDNT START. THE STARTER WOULDNT EVEN TRY TO START THE MOTOR, LIKE IT WASNT EVEN GETTING POWER. BEING A MECHANIC BY TRADE, I JUMPED OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND HAD MY WIFE TRY TO START IT WHILE I WATCHED & LISTENED... AS SHE TURNED THE KEY TO START IT, I COULD HEAR THE STARTER RELAY CLICK TO SEND VOLTAGE TO THE STARTER, BUT THE STARTER WASNT RESPONDING. AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION, I FOUND A BLOWN FUSE IN THE FUSEBOX UNDER THE HOOD. IT WAS THE "A/T ECU" FUSE. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET BAD. I REPLACED THE FUSE TO GET US HOME, BUT AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, I TRIED IMMEDIATELY TO RESTART IT. AGAIN, NOTHING HAPPENED... NO CRANK, NO START. SAME FUSE WAS BLOWN AGAIN. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT FUSE IS ON THE CIRCUIT TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THIS MODULE HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND NOW BLOWS THE FUSE EVERY TIME IT IS REPLACED. THAT LED ME TO DROP THE TRANSMISSION PAN TO CHECK IT OUT, AND WHAT DID I FIND? TRANSMISSION FLUID ALL CLOUDED UP AND CONTAMINATED WITH RADIATOR COOLANT. HOW DID THAT GET THERE? AFTER INSPECTING THAT, I FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE TRANS FLUID. THIS COOLANT IS ALSO DAMAGING THE CLUTCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION, AS IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO PUT EXTRA STRESS ON THEM DUE TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE SHIFTS NOW. THEN I REALIZED NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH PATHFINDERS, TITANS, AND MANY NISSAN VEHICLES HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. NOW I'M UPSET BECAUSE I HAVE A TRUCK WITH AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM THAT NISSAN SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR, AND SHOULD FIX.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO ANTIFREEZE COOLANT CROSS CONNECTION INTO TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. COST TO REPAIR $4,700.00. 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE 4.0 4WD. TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRAVELING A 4 LANE DIVIDED STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY MOVING STRAIGHT. 03/08/2020
VEHICLE ROUGH SHIFTING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN WENT TO A SAFETY MODE AND WONT START ANYMORE. APPARENTLY IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CAUSED FROM THE RADIATOR OIL COOLER. MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THE SITUATION AS A SAFETY RECALL.
RADIATOR LEAKED AND MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION OIL LOOKS LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE. GEARS NOW GRIND WHEN SHIFTING DURING NORMAL DRIVING.
TAMARA RECALL. VEHICLE IN MOTION 60MPH JUMPED FROM 2WD TO 4WD AUTOMATICALLY. VEHICLE THEN LOCKED IN 5TH GEAR. MECHANIC STATED RADIATOR FLUID MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID, THEN BOTH CONTROL MODULES EXPIRED. VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR CRANK.
TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN FIRST GEAR. HAS WHEN INTO LIMP MODE MANY TIMES. HAVE HAD THE FLUID CHANGE A COUPLE TIMES. ONCE IT WAS SLIPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. HAD IT REMOVE AND REBUILT. ANTIFREEZE WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION. HOW MANY REPORTS BEFORE THEY RECALL THESE VEHICLES.
RADIATOR FLUID AND COOLANT ARE MIXING. RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE BUSTED. CAR BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING.
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING, TOOL TO MTN VIEW NISSAN CHATTANOOGA TEN & THEY REPLACED THE FLUID & ANTI FREEZE FLUID. I MENTIONED THAT I HAD READ OF THIS TYPE VEHICLE HAVING THESE ISSUES WITH THE RADIATOR COOLANT GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID & CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT DESIGNED LIKE THAT & JUST THE FLUID NEEDED CHANGED. I HAD THEM DO THAT & THE NEXT DAY DRIVING IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO EAST RIDGE TRANSMISSION & THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTAINED RADIATOR FLUID & THAT THE TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR & FLUIDS ALL NEEDED REPLACED. I HAD THEM DO THAT & IT DID REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NISSAN KNOWS OF THIS DEFECT & SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO CONFIRMED THAT RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED INTERNALLY INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THEY COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.*DT *DL
I WAS DRIVING MY NISSAN PATHFINDER 2008 ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY 3 CHILDREN'S WHEN I NOTICED HIGH VIBRATION COMING INSIDE THE CAR I WAS NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON I TOOK THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALER I WAS TOLD MY RADIATOR BROKE AND MIXED COOLANT WITH MY TRANSMISSION COST TO REPAIR $5800.
BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED AT 123,000 WAS RUNNING GREAT TILL 6 MONTHS LATER AT 138860 MILES ALL OF A SUDDEN TRUCK DID NOT WANT TO START. NO CRANK NOTHING. HAD BEEN SERVICED ONE MONTH BEFORE AND COME TO FIND OUT RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED INTO TRANSMISSION. BAD RADIATOR BY NISSAN AND TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED/REBUILT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE GEARS WERE SLIPPING AND NOT CHANGING NORMALLY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH PROVIDED A TEMPORARY REMEDY. A SECOND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND INSTALLED A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP12004 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
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 26, 2026