Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of transmission failure during the gear shifting. The contact stated that the gear shifter would remain in neutral. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,364.
.Transmission failed do to coolant in transmission. .got stuck in traffic and couldn't go anywhere .this is a known problem with these vehicles .vehicle has been inspected by owner who is a mechanic .there were no warning signs
Vehicle (2006 Nissan Pathfinder) going approximately 55mph on interstate began to experience problems after being switched into four-wheel drive. When attempting to switch out of 4 wheel drive the vehicle would not switch back to 2x2. After parking, turning off the vehicle and turning back up, upon switching in to reverse the car thumped and switched, the impact of the thumb caused the vehicle to accelerated in reverse at higher than controllable speed, thus causing the vehicle to crash in the objects behind. The vehicle was towed into an auto dealer. After inspection is was discovered that the coolant tube had leaked, causing transmission/radiator fluid to leak. I was informed that if the complications from the leakage have occurred earlier, it was more than likely, highly feasible, that I would have lost control of the vehicle. …
My vehicle had problems in 2011 when a "warranty notice" was sent regarding a radiator problem. I took the car in and they found that it was a timing belt and did not change my radiator while it was under the extended warranty and had approximatey 70,000 miles. I now have 160,000 miles and my car is acting up again and the dealership advised me the radiator is cracked and leaking coolant into the transmission so I need both repaired or my car will get worse and can cause an accident. To me it appears that this defect with the car was from the inception and it should have been recalled because it was bound to fail and it should be fixed at Nissan's cost. My vehicle is still pretty good looking but I feel it is only a shell that I am driving because of the interior radiator flaw. They indicate that since no recalls were made I have to pay the total out of pocket. …
I have a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder with 91,450 miles. I notice a slight slip in the transmission on the way to work. I work at a auto repair shop. They took it for a test drive and found nothing. Approximately two weeks later, it really started to slip to the point I had to pull over, because it was not shifting correctly. When it was brought in to the shop again it did nothing. I called the local Nissan dealer in stroudsburg pa and was told there was a "silent recall" and to check the fluid if it was a milky color, pretty much I was going to be without a car. I always took care of my car and for this to happen was a real blow. The dealership told me pretty much the repair exceeds the value of the vehicle. I did check the value of my car was approximately $6-7000 for the shape that it was in. That's a lot of money to lose on a vehicle. …
When I had about 87,000 miles on the vehicle, it started vibrating when I reached about 40 miles an hour. From there, the heat wouldn't work when I would stop at intersections or letting the car idle. I then had my coolant levels checked, and discovered my coolant was mixed with radiator fluid. I had the radiator replaced, and the vehicle drives, but only up to about 40 MPH. Trying to accelerate beyond 40 MPH and the engine revs high. Turns out my transmission is slipping as a result of the engine coolant getting into the transmission. The only way to continue to use my vehicle is to have the transmission rebuilt/remanufactured at a tune of $5,000. Well, I've already paid ~$40,000 for the vehicle, alone (excluding other repair items since I've owned it). The fact that I need to replace a major power train component to use such an expensive vehicle is beyond comprehension. …
There is a system design flaw with the 05-10 Nissan trucks; Pathfinder, frontier, xterra. The radiator houses both coolant and transmission fluid. When the radiator fails, it leads to coolant and transmission fluid mixing; resulting in catastrophic failure and premature destruction of the transmission. Our transmission was replaced with a brand new transmission after the original transmission failed at 89K miles. After the new transmission was put in, the transmission was destroyed at 90K miles and the issue was traced back to a cracked/ruptured radiator; leading to mixing of coolant and radiator fluid which in turn ruined the transmission. The cost of the initial transmission replacement was $6000; the estimated cost of replacing the transmission again along with the radiator and flushing the system and replacing the fluids is $8000. …
Just after exiting freeway, vehicle's automatic transmission failed to engage in any forward gears. This caused forward movement to reduce to extremely slow motion. If this occurred while on the freeway, and if a driver panicked, not immediately moving off to the side, it could have caused an accident with potentially serious consequences. This problem is widely known and has been dealt with to a limited extent. Don't see a place on this complaint form to indicate what the problem is. Transmission was contaminated with coolant due to lower trans line in radiator's lower tank being ruptured. Radiator was also cross contaminated with transmission fluid. …
All 4 of my catalytic converters have had to be replaced (or need to be replaced - I've already replaced bank 1. Now bank 2 is bad) in the past 12 months or so and now my radiator is leaking into my transmission. I discovered there was a class-action lawsuit on the radiator/transmission issue, but I'm outside of the warranty period. With respect to the catalytic converters, I occasionally smell exhaust, but the check engine lights stay on. With the transmission, it started out as gear slipping, causing rough driving (which the dealership told me was the catalytic converter). Then, it started running slow out of first gear and hard shifting. I took it to a transmission place that pulled transmission codes and when they dropped the pan, the fluid looked like a milkshake. The rough driving/gears slipping didn't matter - it could be on the highway or in the city. …
I am in the middle of a road trip with my children and suddenly my Pathfinder would not accelerate going uphill. I thankfully made it up the hill and onto a highway on ramp. The grace of god is all that kept me from being struck by a tractor trailer taking the same exit. The Pathfinder shuddered and I pulled into the shoulder (a blessing that there was just enough space for one) and it turned off right there. Not even 85,000 miles on an '06 Pathfinder and I had to have the steering column replaced after something broke it in it 2 yrs ago, now this. I had it towed to the closest Nissan dealer, 35 miles from where it stopped and hundreds of miles from home. The dealer told me it was the known issue with the cheap plastic radiators and transmission. …
NHTSA investigations
Transmission Failures
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject.
Transmission complaints in other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 450 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, 54% of the model year's 837 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.