The 2013 JX35 shares Nissan's VQ35DE V6 and CVT platform with known transmission cooler failures and catastrophic CVT issues. When the CVT goes, it often takes the engine with it due to coolant cross-contamination into the transmission and vice versa.
CVT Transmission Failure with Engine Contamination
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: Shuddering or jerking during acceleration, especially 15-40 mph, Whining or grinding noise from transmission, Coolant mixing with CVT fluid (strawberry milkshake appearance), Check engine light with transmission temp codes (P0868, P17F0), Engine overheating or coolant loss with no external leaks
Fix: CVT replacement required, often with engine internal damage from coolant intrusion through failed radiator cooler. Full job: remove CVT (8-12 hrs), flush cooling system, inspect engine for coolant contamination damage. If coolant entered engine oil via cooler failure, expect piston/bearing damage requiring short block or full rebuild (add 25-35 hrs). External CVT cooler bypass strongly recommended to prevent recurrence (2 hrs).
Symptoms: Transmission fluid in coolant or coolant in transmission (cross-contamination), Transmission slipping or erratic shifting, Engine overheating, Pink or red tint in coolant reservoir, Sudden CVT failure after coolant system work
Fix: Radiator replacement with integrated cooler (4-6 hrs), complete cooling system flush, CVT fluid flush or replacement depending on contamination level. This is the root cause of most CVT failures on this platform. Install external CVT cooler during repair to prevent future failure (adds 2 hrs). If caught early before major CVT damage, just radiator and fluids.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,800
Transmission Mounts Collapse
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, Vibration at idle in Drive, Excessive engine movement visible when accelerating, Banging noise over bumps from engine bay
Fix: Front and rear transmission mounts fail due to weight of CVT assembly. Both mounts typically replaced together (3-4 hrs). Requires raising powertrain and support from below. OEM Nissan parts recommended as aftermarket mounts fail quickly.
Estimated cost: $600-1,000
Timing Chain Stretch and Guide Wear
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Rattling noise on cold starts from front of engine, Check engine light with cam/crank correlation codes (P0011, P0021), Rough idle or hesitation, Noise disappears after engine warms up initially, then becomes constant
Fix: VQ35 engine requires timing chain, guides, tensioners, and both cam phasers replacement. Front engine work requiring removal of front covers, valve covers (18-24 hrs). Often discovered too late after chain skips and causes valve/piston contact requiring head work (add 15-20 hrs). Preventive replacement recommended around 100k miles on high-mileage oil change intervals.
Estimated cost: $2,200-5,500
Front Strut Mount Bearing Failure
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking or knocking over bumps from front suspension, Steering wheel pops or clicks when turning at low speed, Uneven tire wear on front tires inside edges, Wandering or loose steering feel
Fix: Upper strut mount bearings wear out, requiring strut mount replacement. Often both sides done simultaneously (2.5-3.5 hrs total). Alignment required after replacement (1 hr). Premium mounts with better bearings recommended over budget parts.
Estimated cost: $500-800
Fuel Pump and Sender Unit Failure
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Fuel gauge reading erratically or stuck at one position, Hard starting after sitting overnight, Engine stumbling or dying when fuel level below 1/4 tank, Whining noise from rear of vehicle during acceleration, Check engine light with fuel system lean codes
Fix: Fuel pump assembly replacement requires dropping fuel tank (3-4 hrs). Common for both pump motor and level sender to fail on this chassis. Tank must be near empty for safe removal. OEM Nissan pump assembly recommended as aftermarket units have high failure rate.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400
Owner tips
Install an external CVT cooler and bypass the internal radiator cooler immediately on purchase - this single mod prevents the catastrophic transmission-engine contamination failure
Change CVT fluid every 30-40k miles with OEM Nissan NS-3 fluid only, despite 'lifetime fill' claims - extends CVT life significantly
Monitor coolant and CVT fluid color religiously - any pink in coolant or milky appearance means immediate shutdown and tow
Replace timing chain components preventively at 100k miles if planning to keep long-term - waiting for noise often means engine damage
Use synthetic 0W-20 oil and 5k mile change intervals to minimize timing chain stretch on the VQ35
Buy only if under 60k miles with full service records and budget $2k immediately for external CVT cooler install plus future CVT replacement - otherwise the transmission cooler failure will grenade both the CVT and engine.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
Be the first to unlock repairs for the 2013 Infiniti JX35
Procedures haven't been generated for this vehicle yet. Become the founding sponsor and we'll generate expert-grade, step-by-step repair walkthroughs for every common job on it — free for every mechanic and DIYer who looks it up after, forever.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION · 16V244000
2016-04-26 · EA15004
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 15V681000
2015-10-20 · EA15004
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS · 15V033000
2015-01-26
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured November 29, 2011, to June 14, 2013, and 2014 QX60 vehicles manufactured May 16, 2013, to November 18, 2013, and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013. In the affected vehicles the hood release cable assembly may have been installed incorrectly preventing the latching claw from fully engaging. The secondary latch may remain in the open position when the hood is closed.
Consequence: If the primary hood latch is released and the secondary latch fails during operation of the vehicle, it could cause the hood to open during vehicle operation impairing the driver's vision, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the angle of the hood release mechanism to provide additional length to the release cable, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE · 14V138000
2014-03-25
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · 13V445000
2013-10-17
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2013, through September 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles, during light braking on rough roads, the antilock brake system (ABS) brake pressure output software may lead to an increase in stopping distance.
Consequence: The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ABS, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS · 13V069000
2013-03-01
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
Consequence: If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured from February 15, 2012, through June 22, 2012. Due to an assembly issue, the fuel transfer tube may be misrouted inside the fuel tank. As a result, the fuel level float may be prevented from dropping as the fuel is consumed and the fuel guage may read a fuel level higher than actually exists.
Consequence: If the fuel guage does not accurately show when the tank is becoming empty, the vehicle may run out of gas unexpectedly, stalling, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and re-route the fuel transfer tube and install a new O-ring, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Building an app?
Free API access to all this data — 50 requests/day, no card required.