FaultScore

Worst years for a Nissan Pathfinder

Owners have filed 10,298 complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA across model years 1986 to 2026. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.

Avoid

2014 Nissan Pathfinder

750 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

2026 Nissan Pathfinder

10 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Nissan Pathfinder year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 A 10 0 0 Electrical System
2025 C 82 3 0 7,000 Other & Unspecified
2024 B 123 3 0 13,500 Brakes
2023 C 156 7 0 14,700 Other & Unspecified
2022 C 196 7 3 11,500 Brakes
2020 B 72 2 0 7,000 Engine & Cooling
2019 C 122 6 3 40,000 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2018 B 124 5 0 19,000 Brakes
2017 C 255 13 2 44,000 Engine & Cooling
2016 C 130 14 0 49,000 Engine & Cooling
2015 C 434 19 3 44,000 Other & Unspecified
2014 D 750 33 3 47,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2013 D 1,209 26 1 14,500 Transmission & Drivetrain
2012 A 35 2 1 111,000 Engine & Cooling
2011 A 59 0 1 45,500 Airbags
2010 A 61 3 0 115,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2009 A 51 2 0 90,000 Engine & Cooling
2008 C 458 10 0 107,310 Transmission & Drivetrain
2007 C 846 16 3 101,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2006 C 1,224 16 0 96,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2005 C 1,560 21 11 93,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2004 B 86 3 0 76,684 Brakes
2003 C 147 16 4 107,000 Engine & Cooling
2002 C 206 19 1 96,540 Suspension
2001 C 299 21 2 100,000 Suspension
2000 B 166 13 2 130,000 Suspension
1999 C 144 29 2 130,000 Suspension
1998 C 194 31 1 114,000 Suspension
1997 C 293 20 2 118,000 Suspension
1996 C 214 24 0 120,500 Suspension
1995 C 218 13 7 130,000 Body & Structure
1994 B 108 9 2 127,500 Engine & Cooling
1993 B 67 2 9 141,500 Engine & Cooling
1992 38 2 2 Transmission & Drivetrain
1991 49 3 3 Transmission & Drivetrain
1990 44 1 2 Engine & Cooling
1989 19 3 0 Engine & Cooling
1988 17 0 0 Seat Belts
1987 31 0 1 Seat Belts
1986 1 0 0 Tires

What breaks on a Nissan Pathfinder

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 2005

Engine & Cooling 1,921 18.7%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2013

Airbags 604 5.9%

Worst in 2013

Suspension 570 5.5%

Worst in 1997

Brakes 484 4.7%

Worst in 2013

Body & Structure 475 4.6%

Worst in 2013

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2013

Steering 307 3.0%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2014

Tires 135 1.3%

Worst in 1997

Worst in 2019

Exactly what failed on a Nissan Pathfinder

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Automatic Transmission 287 23.0%
Body 242 19.4%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 109 8.7%
Front 109 8.7%
Frame AND Members 97 7.8%
Radiator Assembly 93 7.5%
Cooling System 89 7.1%
Rear 87 7.0%
Exhaust System 73 5.9%
Auxillary Tank 61 4.9%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Nissan Pathfinder, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 113 Aug 2026

Nissan Pathfinder problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Nissan Pathfinder

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.