| Issue ID | 1030169 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10557511 |
| Manufacurer | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| Brand | NISSAN |
| Model | PATHFINDER |
| Model Year | 2006 |
| File date | 19/08/13 |
| Component | POWER TRAIN |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | On august 19th while traveling on the highway when i noticed what appeared to smoke coming from my engine and noticed my temperature gauge reading that it was overheating. I pulled over on the shoulder and observed, what i now know was, coolant vaporizing from my engine. At this time all the mechanics i called where wrapping up for the day, so i had it towed and taken to a local nissan service the next morning. After paying $49. 95 for the inspection the service center informed me that the radiator failed mixed coolant in the transmission fluid killing my transmission as well. They gave me an estimate of $5,901, $6,373. 08 after taxes, to fix the damages. I remembered being sent a notice of a radiator recall, that i was told didn't concern my vehicle when i brought it in, so i asked about it. I was told that there was a class action suit against nissan for this issue and they extended the years/mileage on the warranty and i should call their 800 number. I called the number and was told that the recall didn't effect my vin# and that my mileage was outside of the extension. I wasn't prepared for $6k in additional expenses so i started looking around for a more affordable price. I ended up finding a shop that was able to do the work for $2,784, and during the price shopping and repairs i spent $495. 72 on a rental to get around. During this ordeal i both asked the mechanic who assessed my vehicle and google the issue on the internet. Both showed that i was experiencing the same issue that my vin wasn't supposed to be effected by, and that it was a common issue for my model. Both sources also informed me that the situation was a ticking time bomb that nothing short of coolant system work around or replacing nissan's defective radiator would stop it from occurring. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 134546 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | SAN DIEGO, CA |
| VIN pattern | 5N1AR18W56CXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Drive train type | AWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 65 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |