Power Train. Review the 222 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Power Train complaints

222 reports

Clear category filter

2,000 miles · Sep 25, 2008

Power Train

Read full complaint

WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING MY 2007 NISSAN FRONTIER, I NOTICED A DISTURBING GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND MY DASH BOARD. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF MY DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED ME THAT IF THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THIS NOISE AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. AFTERWARDS, THE NOISE WAS ONLY MORE NOTICEABLE. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND THE DASHBOARD WAS BEING PRODUCED BY A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH. I SAW AT LEAST 5 TO 10 OF THE SAME EXACT COMPLAINTS AND THEIR DEALINGS WITH SERVICE THAT DETERMINED THE CLUTCH PROBLEM. AT THIS TIME, I WAS QUITE WORRIED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH ON ANY CAR, LET ALONE A 2 PLUS TON TRUCK. THE RAMIFICATIONS ARE ENDLESS: GETTING STUCK ON RAILROAD TRACKS, AT AN INTERSECTION, CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE... THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CONTINUE TO MISDIAGNOSE OR NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. I PROVIDED THEM WITH EVIDENCE THAT THE VEHICLE DID HAVE A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH AND EVEN DROVE A TECHNICIAN AROUND IN THE VEHICLE TO REPRODUCE THE NOISE THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BY A SERVICE ADVISOR. WHILE THEY HAD THE VEHICLE, A DIFFERENT PERSON INFORMED ME 2 DAYS LATER THAT THEY INSPECTED THE CLUTCH, FOUND IT TO BE WORN, AND THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. I WAS ABLE TO DO NOTHING EXCEPT PAY FOR THE REPAIR TO GET MY TRUCK BACK. NISSAN INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD SUE, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IN CONCLUSION, A DEFECT THAT WAS NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 MILES ENDED UP COSTING ME OVER $2,000.00 AND POTENTIALLY MY LIFE WHILE THE DEFECT WAS DISMISSED AND MISDIAGNOSED. BEING THAT THERE ARE DOZENS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED WITHOUT THIS MUCH TURMOIL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10243390

4,315 miles · Sep 25, 2008

Power Train

Read full complaint

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW WITH 6SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION. AT ROUGHLY 4K MILES AN INTERMITTENT NOISE WAS NOTICED AND PERCEIVED TO BE COMING FROM THE DASH CLUSTER. AT 7.8K MILES TRUCK WAS SERVICED AS NOISE BECAME MORE PREVALENT. DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO DASH CLUSTER BY INSPECTING AND SOUND PROOFING AREA. AT 9K MILES NOISE HAD RETURNED AND WAS SENT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THEY TOO TROUBLESHOOT AND INSULATED THE CLUSTER. NOISE CONTINUED OFF AND ON UNTIL A RETURN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS AT 14.5K MILES. DEALER AT THIS TIME COULDN'T REPLICATE ISSUE. AFTER OWNER OF TRUCK PERFORMED THEIR OWN EXTENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH THE DETERMINED THE NOISE TO BE COMING FROM THE CLUTCH AND TRANSFERRING TO THE PEDAL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. DRIVER RETURNED TO DEALER WITH NEW DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AND SUGGESTING OF THROW OUT BEARING INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE WAS ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF CLUTCH MATERIAL ON TOP OF THROWOUT BEARING AND WAS FROM THE DRIVER'S DRIVING HABIT. THEY WANT $1000 JUST TO DROP TRANSMISSION AND INSPECT CLUTCH THEN MORE $ TO REPLACE CLUTCH. FROM RESEARCHING ONLINE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR NISSAN 6SPD TRANSMISSION ON THE 05+ FRONTIERS AND XTERRAS. NISSAN WON'T WARRANT THE ITEM BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERED A "WEAR" ITEM. MANY CONSUMER HAVE NOTICED THE NOISE FROM THE DAY THEY PURCHASED VEHICLE AND OTHERS HAVE HAD COMPLETE CLUTCH FAILURE AT LESS THAN 15K, SOMETIMES AS LITTLE AS 5K MILES. HOW, OTHER THAN FACTORY DEFECT, COULD THIS HAPPEN? NOISE WAS NOTICED AT 4K MILES ORIGINALLY. OWNER IS CONCERNED FOR SAFETY WHERE IF THE TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH FAILS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THE VEHICLE WILL BE RENDERED USELESS PUTTING THE DRIVING INTO HARMS WAY. I.E. TRAIN TRACKS, ONCOMING TRAFFIC, EMERGENCY VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM COULD LEAVE THE DRIVER DEFENSELESS AND UNABLE TO MANEUVER OUT OF DEADLY SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10243386

Official recalls

08V690000 · Air Bags:frontal

Dec 29, 2008

NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP12004 · Transmission Failures

Opened Jun 11, 2012 · Closed Oct 22, 2016

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines; Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter

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. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines

Power Train:automatic Transmission

Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter

Power Train