The Lemon Index
Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
What owners describe
Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.
Transmission and power train recalls
- 2013 2014
In the affected vehicles, the internal oil cooler (ITOC) hose may detach from the cooler due to inadequate clamping force, allowing transmission fluid to leak.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
In owners' words
2005 nissan pathfinder...radiator cracked leaked coolant into transmission. Common problem nissan will do nothing about.
2005 Nissan Pathfinder owner · NHTSA complaint
My radiator cracked internally and leaked into my transmission, which destroyed the parts and caused significant damage.
2005 Nissan Pathfinder owner · NHTSA complaint
Quick answers
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have transmission problems?
By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Nissan Pathfinder years are 2005, 2006, 2007.
What are common Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems?
Owners most often describe shudder, lost power while driving, hard or jerky shifting.
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have the fewest transmission complaints?
Since 2010, the Nissan Pathfinder years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2025, 2012, 2016.
See every problem, not just the transmission: Nissan Pathfinder reliability by year. How we count