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 2008 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
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.
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
Car would not accelerate from a stop it was as if it was not shifting to first gear from a stop. Also while driving the car would begin to shudder violently and would not stop until the vehicle came to a complete stop. As it turns out, a line inside radiator coming from the transmission broke and caused contamination. Coolant mixed with transmission fluid created a sludge that contaminated both coolant system and transmission. Radiator was replaced and coolant system flushed as well as transmission flushed. A week later the car was parked and would not start. As it turns out the transmission blew a fuse and was not registering that the vehicle was in park. This is all related to the same problem the transmission control module (TCM) was burned out from the sludge created by coolant and transmission fluid. …
My wife was driving Pathfinder with my children in it on interstate highway. Few minutes after she was on the highway, the vehicle (Pathfinder) was not responding to her when she pressed on gas pedal. It accelerated slowly, while she was on highway & driving at 50+ MPH. Sensing danger, she took an exit and came off interstate highway and the engine stopped on her completely - as she exited from highway. Before stopping, the car slowed down and when my wife gave gas, it wasn't getting required speed on the interstate highway. Luckily for her car stopped on the middle of the road as she entered a small lane after exiting the interstate. We got it towed to aaa service center. The Nissan dealer is now saying that coolant got mixed with the transmission fluid and thus spoiled the computer that connects to engine. …
On 17 January 2018, I was driving westbound on I-20, I was taking my niece and nephews to school, there was an accident a few miles ahead, so traffic was crawling luckily. It started when with the vehicle wouldn't respond when I pushed on the gas pedal. It would take a while for the vehicle to gain speed. Then I started smelling oil coming from the air vents, so I turned off the heater and tried to make my way to the shoulder of the highway but was unable to do so because of the heavy traffic. I had to turn the heater on again because it was cold outside and I had the kids in the car. As I was trying to make it to the side of the highway, all traffic stopped, and I smelled the oil again and saw smoke. I immediately turned off the car and popped the hood to check what was smoking or where it was coming from. …
Turned a corner, driving below speed limit on city street, all lights within the dashboard that should have been off (4wd, service engine soon, etc.) went on, and all readings that should have been on went off (odometer, and so on). Stopped at red light; turned off vehicle hoping to reset before driving home and it would not turn on; lights, radio, A/C were still active so it was not the battery. Only able to shift to neutral with vehicle off to roll to a parking space on the side of the road. No previous issues or warning prior as I perform regular maintenance as recommended by dealership - happened suddenly. Had to have it towed to dealership the following day as it was already after midnight. …
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. …
On November 6, 2015 around or about 7:00 pm my v6 2008 Nissan Pathfinder service engine light turned on while in first gear in mostion; the SUV engine and transmission turned off had no brakes and had a fender bender while in motion , had the SUV towed home and checked the code on the OBD and it read code: u1000 controller area network (can) communcation line sigal malfunction.did a visual check inside radiator filler port, electrical fuse (10amp fuse to the transmission blew which atomcticly told me a communication harness is open or shorted; or a faulty engine control module(ECM))and also checked the resivor filler port, found red transmission fluid and green engine coolent fluid incorporated in radiator (contamination) ,also checked transmission dip stick to see if transmisson fluids low but instead found rust at the end part of the dipstick inside the transmisson indicating engine …
Catastrophic cooling/transmission failure. Traveling east on a heavily traveled single lane highway with no breakdown lane. Sudden noise from the engine compartment, sounding like liquids being expelled. Check engine light comes on. Engine temperature gauge pegs to high. Limped along the highway until I could reach a safe point to pull the overheating vehicle off road. Arranged for a tow and had the vehicle inspected. The inspection revealed failure of the radiator. After further inspection and with some research, it was discovered that Nissan has a known design flaw that contributes to the eventual failure, in a catastrophic event, of the cooling and transmission components. My vehicle was mixing engine coolant and transmission fluid together. The sudden failure of the radiator, expelled engine cooling and transmission fluid in a sudden and rapid event. …
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 2008 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 155 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, 47% of the model year's 328 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, though it has 4 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 2008 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 113,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 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.