Nissan Pathfinder

Where it stands out against its peers

• Power train: more complaints than 95% of 2013 cars — 42% of its 890 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 12%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• POWER TRAIN — 250 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• AIR BAGS — 119 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• STRUCTURE — 56 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 40 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 31 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• SERVICE BRAKES — 31 owners reported this, 6 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 30 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• SUSPENSION — 13 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

27% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 11V592000

  IF THERE IS AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

  NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

• 12V462000

  If the vehicle is driven in this condition, the wheel hub may break, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on October 22, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 13V069000

  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.

  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.

• 13V139000

  If the brake torque member fails, the brake caliper may move and contact the inside of the road wheel, resulting in reduced braking, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the manufacturing date of the torque members and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 13V445000

  The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.

  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.

• 13V456000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the improper air bag deployment may increase the risk of personal injury.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected instrument panel assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 14V138000

  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.

  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.

• 14V142000

  The loss of transmission fluid could cause the transmission to function improperly and the vehicle to stop accelerating, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install an oil hose repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on May 12, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

16 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Hood Latch/Bell Crank Assembly

  Preliminary evaluation, opened December 2021, closed July 2022.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Occupant Classification System Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened August 2015, closed May 2017.

• Occupant Classification System Failure

  Recall query, opened March 2015, closed September 2015.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.

• Transmission cooler hose separation

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2013, closed March 2014.

  Became recall 14V142000.

• Transmission Failures

  Defect petition, opened June 2012, closed October 2016.

• Frame/Body Structure Corrosion

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2011, closed June 2011.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Nissan filed 5 bulletins about the 2026 Pathfinder.

• Structure: 4
• Wheels: 1

• QUALITY ACTION CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Spare Tire Label Campaign ID : PD194 *****Dea ler An n ou ncem e nt ***** To ensure continued customer satisfaction and confidence, Nissan is conducting a Dealer… · May 2026
• CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT:… · April 2026
• CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT:… · April 2026
• CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT:… · April 2026
• METAL TICKING NOISE AT B-PILLAR IF YOU CONFIRM A metallic ticking noise is coming from the driver (LH) side and/or passenger (RH) side B-Pillar when driving the vehicle on various road surfaces.… · February 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.