2005 Nissan Pathfinder Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER 92,000 , VEHICLE WON'T START AND HAD IT TOWED, WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO THE RADIATOR LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER HAVING SPENT $800 @ VADAN NISSAN, BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD JERKS AND STOP WHILST DRIVING, WAS TOLD IT WAS A COIL PROBLEM, AND A SENSOR ISSUE, NOTHING WAS EVER SAID TO ME ABOUT THIS HUGE PROBLEM THE 2005 TO 2010 PATHFINDERS ARE HAVING, TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH NISSAN.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON INTERSTATE HAD TO BE TOWED HOME 50 MILES
DRIVING AND CAME TO A LIGHT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR REVERSE.
PURCHASED A USED 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. HAD THE VEHICLE ABOUT 2 YEARS. DRIVING HOME ONE DAY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AS THE RPM'S STARTED TO SPIKE. WE HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD IN A VERY UNSAFE SPOT BECAUSE THE CAR COULD NO LONGER MOVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILING. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. WITH A QUICK GLANCE INTO THE COOLANT TANK, SEEMS TO HAVE A MIXTURE OF COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. REPAIR COST ARE ESTIMATED FROM 2500 - 5,000+. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.
WATER IN TRANSMISSION OIL DUE TO BAD TRANS COOLER WICH IS A KNOWN PROBLEM W/ THESE VEHICLES BY NISSAN BUT WAS NEVER RECALLED.
8/31/2016 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DURING NORMAL DRIVING, I BROUGHT IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHICH SHOWED THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THIS IS DUE TO THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION INTERMIX PROBLEM IS HOW NISSAN NOTES IT AND VALIDATED BY MY CALL TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALER. THE CAR IS OUTSIDE THE NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH IS 10 YEARS BUT WELL UNDER THE 100,000 MILES AS IT HAS 80K MILES AT TIME OF EVENT. NISSAN IS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SO THE OUT OF POCKET COST TO REPAIR ($5-$6K) MAKES IT NOT WORTH THE REPAIR SO I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THAT TO DATE I HAVE MAINTAINED VERY WELL. THERE WAS NOT WARNING SIGNS AND I AM SURE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME AS IT DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT NISSAN DOES NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED HUNDREDS OF NISSAN PATHFINDER OWNERS.
RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
WHEN OPERATING MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIP AT SPEEDS OF 40-50 MPH IN MOTION ON STREET'S AND HIGHWAYS.
COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID ARE MIXING! THE TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SKIP AND THE COOLANT IS MILKY/ CREAMY LOOKING AND I ADDED 3 QUARTS TRANSMISSION FLUID 7DAYS AGO AND NOW HAVE TO ADD MORE. THE COOLANT IS BEING PUSHED OUT OF THE OVERFLOW DO TO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND COOLANT MIXING TOGETHER.
THE DREADED COOLANT LEAKAGE FROM A FAULTY OIL COOLER CAUSES FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR.
2005 PATHFINDER DRIVES GREAT AT LOWER SPEEDS, BUT OCCASIONALLY SOUNDS AND FEELS LIKE I'M GOING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 40 MPH. TOOK IT TO NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT WE HAVE THE WELL KNOWN ISSUE WHERE THE RADIATOR CRACKS AND LEAKS INTO THE TRANSMISSION, RUINING BOTH. THE CAR HAS 95,000 MILES ON IT AND NISSAN WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP WANTED $6,500 TO FIX. NOW I'M READING THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH A WORK AROUND. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, INFORMATION GIVEN ABOUT THE WORK AROUND TO FIX PRIOR TO THE TRANS GOING OUT.
VEHICLE HAS SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND OCCUR SPORADICALLY. DIAGNOSTIC CODE REVEALED P1754 A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ROUGHLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.
OUR 2005 PATHFINDER LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY IN OUR TOWN TO TAKE OUR DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. IT HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WOULD NOT CHANGE OUT OF FIRST GEAR. WE LIVE UP ON A SLIGHT HILL, AND IT HONESTLY FELT LIKE I WAS PULLING A SEMI BEHIND MY VEHICLE JUST TO GET IT BACK HOME WITHOUT REQUIRING A TOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE HAD TO KEEP BOTH OF OUR CHILDREN HOME FROM SCHOOL THAT DAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE WE OWN. IT ANGERS ME THAT NISSAN REFUSES TO MAKE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE!! THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE HAS CAUSED US TO BE WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A MONTH NOW!! IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO HELP YOU OUT LONG TERM!! THIS IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE TO OUR FAMILY, & WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET THIS FIXED. A LOCAL MECHANIC NEAR WHERE WE LIVE SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE TONS OF TIMES, AND HAS FIXED NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF NISSAN VEHICLES DUE TO THE CRACK THAT CAUSES THE ANTIFREEZE & TRANSMISSION FLUIDS TO COMBINE AND MESS UP EVERYTHING IN THE TRANSMISSION OVER TIME. WITH THIS BEING AN ISSUE ON NISSAN'S PART, I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD PAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED!!! MY HUSBAND IS OUT OF WORK DUE TO AN INJURY AND WILL BE OUT FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME. I WORK PART TIME AT A LOCAL BBQ RESTAURANT IN OUR TOWN, AND DON'T BRING HOME VERY MUCH EACH WEEK. I PRAY THE CORPORATION WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND FINALLY RECALL ALL THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS. $3500 DOLLARS IS THE BEST WE CAN FIND & WHEN IT GETS FIXED, THE PERSON WE HAVE SPOKE WITH SAID THEY WILL BYPASS THE RADIATOR WHEN THE TRANSMISSION GETS REINSTALLED MAKING SURE WE NEVER HAVE THIS PROBLEM EVER AGAIN!!!! SADLY WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS OR I WOULD NOT BE MAKING THIS COMPLAINT. IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY INFORMATION THAT I DON'T KNOW OF PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I AM DESPERATE TO GET MY VEHICLE BACK!!! WE HAVE NO ONE TO HELP. THX
TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED. DESIGN ALSO CAUSED NEED FOR NEW RADIATOR.
TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING IN FROM A CRACKED RADIATOR
THE COOLANT FROM THE RADIATOR LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION IN TURNED DESTROYING THE TRANSMISSION. SHORTED THE SAFETY FEATURE IN THE TRANSMISSION TO WHERE IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE VECHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NISSAN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A 100K AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. I RUINED MY CREDIT AND 2 YEARS LATER I AM STILL HAVING MY CHECK GARNISHED FOR THIS HORRIBLE RECALL.. THEY REPOED THE VEHICLE AND SOLD IT FOR SCRAP AND LEFT ME HOLDING THE BILL BECAUSE I COULD AFFORD A $7000 FIX!!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HORRIBLE RECALL
APPROX. 1 YEAR AGO I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE COOLANT HAD TRANS FLUID IN IT SO I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I THEN TOOK THE PATHFINDER INTO HAMILTON NISSAN IN HAGERSTOWN MD. THEY REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND INSTALLED A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THAT THE PATHFINDER WAS NOT SHIFTING INTO OVERDRIVE. NOW THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE AND NOW SLIPS IN AND OUT OF 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED THIS MORNING BECAUSE THE PATHFINDER WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR WHILE THE TRANS WAS IN DRIVE, WHICH IS WHY I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE JUST BOUGHT TRUCK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS FOR DAUGHTER NEVER DROVE IT FIRST PUTTING ON THE HIGHWAY TRUCK STOP MOVING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC IN THE FAST LANE CAUSE TWO ACCIDENT GET IT PULL HOME THEN FOUND OUT ITS THE TRANSMISSION AN ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ONCE IT COOLS OFF IT WILL DRIVE TILL THE TRANSMISSION GETS HOT THEN IT STOPS WORKING AGAIN
TRANSMISSION RADIATOR RUPTURED. COOLANT FLOODED TRANSMISSION AND DESTROYED TRANSMISSION. THIS RUPTURED OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE.
APPARENTLY THERE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE REGARDING A RADIATOR LEAKING FLUID INTO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE A YEAR AGO WITH 117K MILES AND NO ONE BOTHERED TO MENTION THE ISSUE TO ME. I DID BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT ACCORDING TO THEM, I'M OUT OF LUCK BECAUSE THE WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER THE RADIATOR AND THE WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER "CORROSION". I AM DISGUSTED BY THE WAY I'VE BEEN TREATED AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN SCAMMED
THE VEHICLE WILL AT TIMES NOT ACCELERATE FROM A STOP LIGHT, OR WILL FEEL LIKE IT IS LABORING AND BARELY MOVE. THE SHOP RETRIEVED CODES P1754 AND P0744, AND CLEARED CODES, WHICH RETURNED IN SHORT ORDER. THIS CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, OR WHERE WE LIVE, STRAND THE CAR ON A RAILROAD CROSSING (WE HAVE HAD 2 YOUNG LADIES KILLED AT RAIL CROSSINGS IN THE LAST 2 YEARS HERE). WHEN A DRIVER EXPECTS THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE, AND INSTEAD IT FLOUNDERS, THE RESULTS CAN ABSOLUTELY BE DEADLY. THE CAR HAS HAD THE RADIATOR REPLACED (A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART CAUSING COSTLY DAMAGE), BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOW BEING FINGERED AS THE CULPRIT AFTER CROSS CONTAMINATION OF COOLANT AND TRANS FLUID ALTERS THE TRANSMISSION FUNCTION TO BE ERRATIC. OURS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY TYPICAL FOR A MANUFACTURER TO COVER-UP KNOWN DEFECTS EVEN WHEN LIFE AND DEATH SAFETY CONCERNS ARE OBVIOUS. THE SUGGESTED REMEDY IS A VERY EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, COSTING THOUSANDS MORE THAN ON OTHER VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. PLEASE HELP.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT AN IDLE POSITION, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT WAS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COOLANT THAT SEEPED THROUGH A CRACKED AT THE LINE AND CONTAMINATED THE RADIATOR. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,741. UPDATED 02/12/16*LJ *JS
TRANSMISSION FAILED. SLIPPING.
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Quick Summary
The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder has 250 Power Train complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.