Problems · by component

2006 Nissan Pathfinder engine and engine cooling problems

185 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder cite engine and engine cooling, 22% of all 837 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
185
22% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE "OVERHEATED" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE VEHICLE FAILED START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE RADIATOR FAILED AND CAUSED COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TO MIX. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT AND A NEW RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,270.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2018Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 11103071
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE ALHAMBRA NISSAN DEALER IN ALHAMBRA, CA FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED EIGHT DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE ALHAMBRA NISSAN DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND THE RADIATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OLD IN AGE AND OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 19, 2017Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 11006446
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE RADIATOR FLUID ACID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2017Engine and engine cooling, Power train, EngineODI 10946443
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID RESERVOIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 3, 2017Engine and engine coolingODI 10939452
“I PAID OFF MY PATHFINDER LAST YEAR. JUST ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AFTER LEAVING A FRIENDS HOUSE THE TRUCK STARTED TURNING ON ALL THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. I DROVE IT VERY SLOWLY HOME NOT EVEN A MILE AWAY, I TURNED IT OFF AND NEXT DAY..MY SURPRISE IT DIDN'T TURN ON TO TAKE TO THE MECHANIC. I CALLED THE TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT IN TO NISSAN DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID MIXED WITH TRANSMISSION OIL AND MESSED UP THE MODULE TOO. THEY WHERE ORIGINALLY CHARGING ME 7200 DOLLARS TO FIX. I BROUGHT IT BACK HOME AND AFTER WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PAY WITH CREDIT I TOOK IT IN TO FIX. THEY URGED ME TO FIX ALL AT ONCE BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT ON ANY OF THE ABOVE..MOST LIKELY THEY SAID IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 29, 2016Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10938649
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES FAILED, AND THE SLIP, ENGINE, AND EDC INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED WITHOUT HESITATION; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,200. UPDATED 10/18/16*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE CAM SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, UPDATED 10/31/16.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2016Steering, Engine and engine cooling, Service brakesODI 10902937

Showing 6 of 185 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Engine and engine cooling

Free remedy

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.

Engine and engine coolingReported Oct 28, 2010NHTSA 10V517000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 4, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.