There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2007 Nissan Xterrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Oil is getting into the radiator and causing a gray gunk build up in radiator and possibly the engine. I have had the car less than a 1 1/2 years And I've already had to have the same issue fixed 3 × first time. The heater hose blew out caused an air bubble in the radiator which caused us to have to burp the radiator Which is when we found it the first time had sent it to the mechanic. Had it flushed, had it fixed. it was fine or so we thought until about a month ago. Car overheats radiator fluid spews out everywhere. Fix the hose, add radiator fluid and start. The burping process again and out comes the gray gunk. Sent it back to mechanic had it flush had gaskets to the transmission cooler and Oil cooler fixed. Mechanic cannot find how it's getting into radiator. Break pads wear prematurely due to calipers constantly sticking. Rust is everywhere on frame, suspension, shocks undercarriage and body. Vdc/slip light will come on while driving causing the car to stall at any speed. Fixed those sensors 2 times since I bought the car in December 2023 from a used car lot. State I I've in has no laws to protect people buying from used car lots but they do for new cars even though new cars come with warranties. Should be the other way around protect the people who can't afford the 30000 dollar cars. There's a reason we go to used car lots. Paid 4500 after taxes and registration and have put almost 5000 into it. Nissan is aware of the problem just not enough to deem a recall.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN PINK FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR, WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT CALLED NISSAN OF ST. AUGUSTINE (2755 US-1, ST. AUGUSTINE, FL 32086, (904) 447-2960). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 149,000.
THE TRANSMISSION COOLER INSIDE THE RADIATOR FAULTED, CAUSING RADIATOR FLUID GETTING INTO THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGING THE TRANSMISSION INTERNALLY.
RED COLOR IN RADIATOR (SEE PHOTO) . WHEN DRIVING TRANSMISSION WOULD RACE LIKE IN OVERDRIVE. LET OFF GAS TO LIKE CATCH UP.
THE CORNER CUTTING DESIGN FLAW THAT CAUSED THE ISSUE COMMONLY KNOWN AS SMOD (STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE OF DEATH, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE COOLANT MIX IN BOTH THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION) HAS CAUSED THE TCM TO BECOME DAMAGED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER TO THE WHEELS GOING UP A HILL THEN WOULDNT START AFTER TURNING IT OFF, WEVE CHANGED THE FILTER, FLUID AND SOLENOIDS ON THE VALVE BODY, BUT THE TCM STILL ISNT WORKING. WE CAN START THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT AROUND A BIT, ONCE IT GETS TO 3RD GEAR IT RUNS FINE, BUT IN LOWER GEARS (EXCEPT FOR WHEN IN REVERSE) IT STRUGGLES, THEN AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS BECAUSE THE TCM ISNT WORKING PROPERLY, THIS ISSUE PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING AGAIN WITHIN ABOUT 1 HOUR OF TURNING IT OFF. AS STATED EARLIER THIS TCM ISSUE CAME TO LIGHT WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO GO UP A HILL, IF TRAFFIC WERE ANY WORSE THAN IT WAS THIS COULDVE POTENTIALLY LED TO A DISASTER THAT WOULDVE MADE HAVING TO WAIT ABOUT AN HOUR FOR PICKUP SEEM LIKE NOTHING. THIS ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY NISSAN CUTTING CORNERS AND ITS A COMMON ISSUE THATS LED TO MANY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVING TO COVER REPAIRS OR JUST GIVE UP ON THE VEHICLE.
TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN MAKING A LOUD NOISE, A LOUD "CLUNK" PERIODICALLY WHEN IN MOTION AND MORE PREVALENT GOING UPHILL. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACED DUE TO RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING INTO TRANSMISSION AND HAS RUINED TRANSMISSION.HE STAND TRANSMISSION FLUID IS CONTAMINATED.
CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE.ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE MY HOME,PUT VEHICAL IN DRIVE.APPLIED ACCELERATOR,TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HARDLY PULL,PUT IN REVERSE.OPERATES IN REVERSE PROPERLY, PARKED MY VEHICAL.TURNED ENGINE OFF.ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE TO GET MY VEHICAL TO LEVEL GROUND TO CHECK FLUIDS,ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE,ENGINE NOW WILL NOT TURN OVER AT ALL.
ALL THE SUDDEN MY XTERRA WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND SHUT DOWN. TOWED TO GARAGE TO FIND OUT COLLECT LEAKED WITH OIL AND DAMAGED TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR. CALLED DEALERSHIP WHO PROVIDED NO HELP AND QUOTE FOR $5800.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.
PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE JULY 2019 FROM OWNER. AFTER 3 WEEKS TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING WEIRD WHILE ON VACATION TRANSMISSION SEIZED DUE TOO COOLANT LEAKING FROM RADIATOR COOLER INTO TRANSMISSION. TOTAL REPAIRS TOW COSTS AND RENTAL CAR RENTAL EXCEED $5000.00. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR TRANSMISSION AND COOLING SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAD APPROX. 100,000 MILES ON IT WHEN PURCHASED. AND ONLY HAS APPROX. 128,000 ON IT. NOW. CAN I GET ANY TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS PAID OUT OF POCKET???? *TR
RADIATOR DEFECT CAUSED TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
THE RADIATOR HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED RADIATOR FLUID TO MIX WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS RUINED THE TRANSMISSION WHICH WILL COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WE ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF OUR SUV SO WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH THESE PROBLEMS. WE CURRENTLY CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIRS SO WE WILL HAVE AN SUV PARKED AND THAT WE CANNOT DRIVE. WE HAD TO PULL OVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S EXTREMELY HOT TEMPERATURE.
IN MARCH 2019 THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GETTING SLUGGISH WHILE DROPPING MY DAUGHTER AT SCHOOL ONE DAY. EVENTUALLY IT WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS AS I PULLED IN MY DRIVEWAY FROM MY 1.5 MILE TRIP TO/FROM THE SCHOOL. EVENTUALLY IT WOULDN'T EVEN START IN MY DRIVEWAY EVEN WITH GOOD BATTERY. REPLACED A FUSE FOR THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT BLEW THE FUSE. HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED DISCOVERED THAT THE COOLANT MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE EVERYTHING INVOLVED. ALSO, THE MECHANISM THAT OPENS THE TAILGATE/TRUNK DOOR/LIFTGATE WILL NOT STAY OPEN, ESPECIALLY IN COLDER WEATHER. IT HAS HIT SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE HEAD AND IS A DEFINITE HAZARD.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY CITY STREET WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING. THE SPEED OF THE CAR DECREASED AND LEFT ME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. I THAN HAD IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND SAID IT HAS BEEN CROSS CONTAMINATED WITH THE RADIATOR AND WILL BE A $4,800.00 FIX.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO LEAK FROM RADIATOR COOLING SYSTEM FLUID INTERMIXING WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, WENT TO REPAIR SHOP THE CODE P0717 CAME UP. UPON INSPECTION BY THE REPAIR SHOP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, AND ALL HOSES,ETC. THAT INTERCONNECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED.I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE PROBLEM OCCURED IN ARIZONA.
I WAS DRIVING IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN MY GEARS SLIPPED ALMOST CAUSING A MULTI-CAR COLLISION BECAUSE MY CAR WAS SHIFTING CORRECTLY. I WASN'T SURE WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL IT HAPPENED A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES THE SAME DAY. I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON MY AUTOMATIC 2007 NISSAN XTERRA. I'VE HAD NO ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION OR CAR AT ALL UNTIL THEN. THE ENGINE IS STRONG AND SOUND. EVERYTHING WORKS EXCEPT NOW THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. I USE THIS VEHICLE SIMPLY TO DRIVE TO WORK AND STATE TO STATE HIGHWAY TRAVELING. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AFTER THE INCIDENTS AND NOTICING A MILKY BROWN SUBSTANCE LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR. OPENED IT UP AND THE RADIATOR WAS COMPLETELY MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. APPARENTLY, THE HOSES FROM RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE INTERTWINED FROM THE FACTORY MANUFACTURE BUILD. THIS MISTAKE IS NOW GOING TO COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY COSTS HUMAN LIVES IN A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT! AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF XTERRA AND FRONTIER OWNERS. THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED OR ELSE SEVERAL HIGHWAY/SAFETY ISSUES WILL OCCUR. IMAGINE DRIVING AND SUDDENLY YOU HAVE NO POWERTRAIN TO REDIRECT YOUR VEHICLE FROM ONCOMING CARS ON A STREET OR HIGHWAY. OR IN MY CASE WHEN YIELDING AND TURNING IN AN INTERSECTION WHERE VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING TOWARDS YOU AND YOU CANNOT MOVE. LUCKILY SOME CARS SWERVED OUT OF THE WAY. ALSO, THE FINANCIAL COST OF THE VEHICLE IS ABSURD FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED FROM THE MANUFACTURING BUILD ALTOGETHER.
TRANSMISSION/ COOLANT LEAK VEHICLE PARKED AND STARTED TO DRIVE LESS THAN 10 MPH , VEHICLE FAILED HAD TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THE SUDDEN THE SUV STARTED LOOSING SPEED UNTIL IT CAME TO A COMPLETELY STOP IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY 695 WHICH MADE A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME. CARS FLYING BY ON BOTH SIDES OF ME. HAD A POLICE OFFICER STOP TRAFFIC SO THAT I COULD DRIFT IT BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. FOUND OUT IT WAS THE DDEFAULTY RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION THAT NISSAN KNEW ABOUT. IT DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY NOTICE THAT IT WAS ANYTHING WRONG. EXCEPT LEAVING ME STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. IT COSTS ME THOUSANDS TO GET A REPLACEMENT RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION INSTALLED AT THE NISSAN DEALER. MY VEHICLE HAD 105,000 MILES ON IT.
TRANSMISSION FLUID IN RADIATOR IN 2016, HAD TO REBUILD RADIATOR. 2018 GAS GAUGE FUEL SENSOR NOT READING ACCURATELY. ONLY REGISTERS 1/4 TANK EVEN WHEN FILLED.
VEHICLE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AND NOW, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE AT RANDOM TIMES CAUSING POWER LOSS WHILE IN MOTION WHETHER DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS OR CITY STREETS. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT WORSEN OR ALIVIATED BY TURNING OR BREAKING. THE TRANSMISSION WILL EVENTUALY ENGAGE AFTER SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN AND LATER ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A TRAINED MECHANIC WHO FOUND THAT THE COOLANT FLUID WAS ENTERING THE TRANSMISSION AND OIL WAS MIXING WITH THE COOLANT FLUID. A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER TRAINED MECHANIC VERIFIED THE SAME PROBLEM.
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