What breaks most · 1990 to 2018 model years
Nissan Pathfinder problems by year
Owners have filed 5,661 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Pathfinder across model years 1990 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2005 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2006 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2013 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2009 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2009, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 56611990 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 20051025 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 24540 fires · 225 injuries · 15 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 85kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 122Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 1 | 2 | Engine and cooling (14) | |
| 39 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (14) | |
| 30 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 49 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 91 | 8 | 2 | Engine and cooling (35) | |
| 169 | 11 | 0 | Body and structure (57) | |
| 159 | 20 | 5 | Suspension (64) | |
| 215 | 18 | 4 | Suspension (104) | |
| 149 | 21 | 4 | Suspension (47) | |
| 101 | 15 | 5 | Suspension (34) | |
| 110 | 9 | 6 | Suspension (41) | |
| 222 | 18 | 7 | Suspension (66) | |
| 147 | 15 | 9 | Suspension (39) | |
| 97 | 9 | 7 | Engine and cooling (25) | |
| 60 | 2 | 7 | Brakes (hydraulic) (12) | |
| 1025 | 13 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (575) | |
| 809 | 9 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (438) | |
| 530 | 11 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (326) | |
| 286 | 9 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (137) | |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | Air bags (8) | |
| 28 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 33 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (9) | |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | Air bags (3) | |
| 660 | 13 | 11 | Powertrain and transmission (288) | |
| 313 | 15 | 11 | Powertrain and transmission (96) | |
| 171 | 6 | 5 | Air bags (41) | |
| 43 | 7 | 2 | Engine (11) | |
| 43 | 4 | 2 | Unknown or other (14) | |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 56% |
575 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 28% |
290 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 18% |
186 | 2 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 13% |
137 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
63 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder |
| Fuel System, Other | 6% |
61 | 0 | — |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
37 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
29 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Transmission started slipping. When i took my vehicle to the dealership, radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission causing me to have to replace not only the transmission but the radiator, hoses, etc.
-
Transmission is failing quickly. I had to replace my radiator a few months ago because it cracked. That event left my wife and children stranded on the interstate.
-
My 2013 nissan pathfinder gear shift gets stuck in the park position. It happens when the car is stationary and need to turn off the car and restart the car multiple times to get the gear shift out of park.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006, 2013 carry the most filings on the Nissan Pathfinder. The 2005 alone has 1025 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Nissan Pathfinder problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 575 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Pathfinder problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Pathfinder complaints that include mileage is about 85,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.