2008 Nissan Pathfinder Powertrain (other) Problems

A coolant hose leaked in transmission and shorted tcm causing total transmission failure and totaling out vehicle

NHTSA ID

11552425

Incident

Jan 23, 2023

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

NHTSA ID

11491867

Incident

Oct 20, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11486041

Incident

Jun 15, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11426093

Incident

Jul 16, 2021

Mileage

116,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11415237

Incident

Oct 1, 2020

Mileage

93,500 mi

AIRBAG LIGHT HAD COME ON INDICATING AN ISSUE, BUT ALSO LIGHT AND CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL ARE FAILING. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS FAILURE. ABS BRAKES ACTIVATE RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING PREVENTING AND CAUSING THE INABILITY TO STOP. ABS CAN NOT BE STOPPED UNLESS I STOP AND TURN OFF MY VEHICLE AND START AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS. CANT STOP WHEN I NEED TO. DURING CITY DRIVING ON A DRY SURFACE AND APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT MY BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE ABS ACTIVATING AND MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP. RANDOM AND WITHOUT WARNING. FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY WARNINGS, PINION SEAL LEAK APPEARED LESS THAN TWO YEARS. IN ADDITION VEHICLE WAS IN SERVICE FOR EVAP SYSTEM 11 TIMES IN THE FIRST YEAR WITHOUT RESOLVE. GAD CONSUMPTIONS WAS HORRIBLE AND BELOW ANY SUGGESTED MPG. TIRE SENSORS HAVE NEVER WORKED AND FAILED TO ALERT LOW PRESSURE IN TIRES. TIRE PRESSURE HAS BEEN UNSTABLE NO MATER WHAT TIRES ARE INSTALLED OR HOW MANY SENSORS ARE PUT ON. STABILITY IN STEERING IS SLOPPY WHEN GOING OVER ANY KIND OF BUMP IN THE ROAD. UNSTABLE WHEN DRIVING. SPEED CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING CURVES. ROLLOVERS ARE DEFINITELY POSSIBLE WITHOUT MUCH SPEED WHEN ON RAMPS AND CURVES. USE EXTREME CAUTION.

NHTSA ID

11407169

Incident

Apr 3, 2018

Mileage

168,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11377058

Incident

Nov 23, 2020

Mileage

146,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11376682

Incident

Sep 3, 2020

Mileage

172,000 mi

JUST BOUGHT AND CHECKED THE ANITFREEZE TO FIND A THICK SLUDGE IN THE RADIATOR AND OVERFLOW. SMELLS LIKE OIL

NHTSA ID

11362650

Incident

Sep 27, 2020

Mileage

168,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11350381

Incident

May 10, 2019

Mileage

163,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11340525

Incident

Jul 15, 2020

Mileage

183,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11316852

Incident

Mar 6, 2020

Mileage

179,500 mi

RADIATOR LEAKED AND MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION OIL LOOKS LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE. GEARS NOW GRIND WHEN SHIFTING DURING NORMAL DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11290320

Incident

Nov 12, 2019

Mileage

107,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11290035

Incident

Aug 20, 2019

Mileage

135,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11286495

Incident

Nov 27, 2019

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.

NHTSA ID

11256219

Incident

Sep 3, 2019

Mileage

170,194 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11256123

Incident

Apr 1, 2019

Mileage

122,000 mi

RADIATOR FLUID AND COOLANT ARE MIXING. RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION ARE BUSTED. CAR BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11222214

Incident

Jun 11, 2019

Mileage

139,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11192003

Incident

Mar 8, 2019

Mileage

150,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND DAMAGED THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11181191

Incident

Feb 14, 2019

Mileage

160,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11180202

Incident

Dec 18, 2018

Mileage

138,800 mi

EXPERIENCING JERKING AT OR ABOVE 40 MPH, CHANGED TRANSMISSION FLUID, FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED APPEARED PINK AND MILKY AT DRAINING,HARD SHIFTING.

NHTSA ID

11170290

Incident

Aug 17, 2018

Mileage

148,000 mi

TRANSMISSON INNER COOLER TANK IN RADIATOR LEAKS , GETTING WATER IN TRANSMISSON. RUINING TRANSMISSION /COMPUTER ETC. HAD TO BE REBUIT. NISSAN WANTED OVER $5,OOO. GOT IT REPAIRED AT OTHER SHOP OVER $3,000 WITH STILL HAVING TO GET IT PROGRAMMED AT NISSAN. POOR DESIGN AND FAULTY TANKS IN RADIATOR. I HAD SHOP PLACE EXTERNAL TRANSMISSON RADIATOR AND NEW RADIATOR TO NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. NISSAN WAS TRYING TO BUY MY VEHICLE FOR $800 AND WAS WORTH OVER $6,800 AT THE TIME. HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE NORMAL CITY DRIVING 15-70 MILES A DAY AT THE TIME. PER NISSAN AND THE OTHER REPAIR SHOPS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND HAVE MANY REPAIRS DUE TO THIS ISSUE. APPROX ON DATE

NHTSA ID

11164108

Incident

Apr 1, 2016

Mileage

108,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11162266

Incident

Sep 5, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED OIL IN THE RADIATOR FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT WATER WAS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MOSSY NISSAN NATIONAL CITY, 2700 NATIONAL CITY BLVD, NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950, 619-474-7011) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,697.

NHTSA ID

11123549

Incident

Jul 14, 2018

Mileage

97,697 mi