FaultScore

1991 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems

15 of the 49 complaints about the 1991 Nissan Pathfinder are about the transmission — 31% of everything reported for this model year.

F

15

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Transmission 12 80.0%
Manual Transmission 2 13.3%
Torque Converter 1 6.7%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Nissan Pathfinder year

1990 13 0.5%
1991 15 0.6%
1992 10 0.4%
1994 10 0.4%
1995 21 0.9%
1996 13 0.5%
1997 20 0.8%
1998 23 1.0%
2002 11 0.5%
2005 591 24.4%
2006 451 18.7%
2007 337 13.9%
2008 155 6.4%
2010 11 0.5%
2013 371 15.3%
2014 215 8.9%
2015 76 3.1%
2017 34 1.4%
2018 12 0.5%
2022 17 0.7%
2023 12 0.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Huntington Beach, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNKNOWN TO ME AS EXPLAINED TO ME BY TRANSMISSION MECHANIC THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS DISINTEGRATING OVER TIME PUTTING DEBRIS INTO TRANSMISSION COOLER LOCATED INSIDE THE RADIATOR. THIS CLOGGED UP THE RADIATOR THUS PREVENTING COOLING OF TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION GEARS THUS WORE OUT DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE MECHANIC WHOSE SPECIALTY IS TRANSMISSIONS HAS RECEIVED BULLETINS FROM HIS TRADE ASSOCIATION AND NISSAN ON THIS MATTER BUT AT THE TIME COULD ONLY SHOW ME BULLETIN FROM THE "INFINITY Q45 "MODEL WHO HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND PROBLEMS. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT NISSAN ADVICE WAS TO ADD AN EXTERNAL TRANSMISSION COOLER WHICH WOULD ALLOW A LITTLE LONGER LIFE, BUT EVENTUALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER WILL GO. I HAD ONLY 62K MILES AND CONSIDER THIS NOT ENOUGH TO WARRANT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS THUS WILL NOT HELP OUT ON EXPENSES. I FEEL THEY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING SINCE THEY KNOWINGLY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH WAS A POORLY MANUFACTURED TORQUE CONVERTER.

NHTSA complaint #724127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Huntington Beach, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

UNKNOWN TO ME AS EXPLAINED TO ME BY TRANSMISSION MECHANIC THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS DISINTEGRATING OVER TIME PUTTING DEBRIS INTO TRANSMISSION COOLER LOCATED INSIDE THE RADIATOR. THIS CLOGGED UP THE RADIATOR THUS PREVENTING COOLING OF TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION GEARS THUS WORE OUT DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE MECHANIC WHOSE SPECIALTY IS TRANSMISSIONS HAS RECEIVED BULLETINS FROM HIS TRADE ASSOCIATION AND NISSAN ON THIS MATTER BUT AT THE TIME COULD ONLY SHOW ME BULLETIN FROM THE "INFINITY Q45 "MODEL WHO HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION AND PROBLEMS. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT NISSAN ADVICE WAS TO ADD AN EXTERNAL TRANSMISSION COOLER WHICH WOULD ALLOW A LITTLE LONGER LIFE, BUT EVENTUALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER WILL GO. I HAD ONLY 62K MILES AND CONSIDER THIS NOT ENOUGH TO WARRANT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS THUS WILL NOT HELP OUT ON EXPENSES. I FEEL THEY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING SINCE THEY KNOWINGLY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH WAS A POORLY MANUFACTURED TORQUE CONVERTER.

NHTSA complaint #724127 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Everett, WA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA complaint #711575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gainesville, GA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #524481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Idaho City, ID

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP UNTIL VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR REVERSE. TRANSMISSION IS BEING REBUILT BY AAMCO. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint #703594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Payson, AZ

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #533627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly Hills, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #515600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly Hills, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #515296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly Hills, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UPON ACCELERATING AFTER MAKING A STOP, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. REPLACED TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA complaint #808272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly HI, CA

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #546769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly HI, CA

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #546766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Hiawa, NJ

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION IS DESIGNED WITH POOR COOLING SYSTEM, CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION. *SKD

NHTSA complaint #482960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Jose, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM 1ST GEAR INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. *SKD

NHTSA complaint #489374 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Frederick, MD Crash 1 injured

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

DEFECTIVE ALUMINUM PLANETARY HOUSING AND GEAR, CAUSED TRANSMISSION FAILURE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SKD

NHTSA complaint #480190 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Antolope, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTO TRANSMISSION BEING REPLACED TWICE AFTER 92K MILES. TT

NHTSA complaint #959326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

← Full 1991 Nissan Pathfinder report