FaultScore

FaultScore report

2023 Nissan Pathfinder problems

Owners have filed 156 complaints about the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA between 2022 and 2026. The largest single group is the other & unspecified. Across this model's run it ranks 20 of 33 worst.

C

FaultScore 42/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Nissan Pathfinder.

How this is worked out

The numbers

156

Complaints

7

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

2

Injuries reported

14,700 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

100%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

NHTSA overall crash rating

From the agency's own crash tests

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 25 vs 50 Severity 30 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 25
Against the median year of the Nissan Pathfinder. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 30
5.8% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
100% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2023 compares with every other Nissan Pathfinder

Click any bar 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

What breaks on a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

2 crashes, 0 fires

1 crashes, 0 fires

Median failure at 16,900 miles

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 10,080 mi

Brakes 20 12.8%

Median failure at 21,000 miles

Median failure at 10,315 miles

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 14,700 mi

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 6 3.8%
Seats 3 1.9%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Acceleration & Cruise Control 3 1.9%
Seat Belts 2 1.3%
Airbags 2 1.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires · median 10,080 mi

Lights 1 0.6%

Exactly what failed

NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.

Warnings 4 20.0%
Rearview System Braking 3 15.0%
Warnings 3 15.0%
Adaptive Cruise Control 3 15.0%
Blind Spot Detection 3 15.0%
Automatic Emergency Braking 2 10.0%
Mass AIR Flow (Maf) Sensor 1 5.0%
Camera 1 5.0%

NHTSA crash tests

The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own photographs and star ratings.

Frontal crash test of a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD

Frontal crash test

Side barrier crash test of a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD

Side barrier crash test

Side pole crash test of a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD

Side pole crash test

Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration Overall Front Side Rollover
2023 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD
15.5% risk
2023 Nissan Pathfinder SUV FWD

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Oct 2022 peak 14 Aug 2026

Recalls on the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

United States — NHTSA

23V268000

SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 Rogue, Pathfinder, and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The driver's powered seat may not be fully secured to the seat frame, causing the seat frame welds to detach from the rear inboard seat bracket.

Risk: An unsecured seat with broken welds may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2023223 455 units in Canada

Seats And Restraints

Issue: On certain vehicles, the driver's seat frame may not have been properly welded. As a result, the seat frame could break in a crash. Safety Risk: A seat frame that breaks in a crash could create an increased risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Nissan will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver's seat cushion frame.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Colorado Springs, CO Crash

SEATS

Passenger side captain seat frame has too much play causing shaking and noise in the seat when passenger is in seat. Frame was replaced 05/2024 and same issue has occurred less than a year later. After accident on 10/17/2025, sound has gotten worse in seat and inspection shows frame to be critical. At time of accident passenger was in seat. Accident involved a deer on front passenger side bumper and side panel. Insurance did not cover seat claiming accident could not cause seat malfunction.

NHTSA complaint #11697450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,080 miles Eureka, CA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

The contact owned a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 17 MPH at night, he failed to see a trailer ahead on the road and rear-ended the trailer. The air bag warning light was illuminated before the collision. The contact stated that the trailer’s brake lights were not illuminated. The Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to alert the driver that there was a vehicle ahead on the road. The front driver’s side air bag deployed, injuring the contact’s right wrist and arm. The contact stated that there were rips along the sides of the front driver’s side air bags. Medical attention was received for the injuries. The police arrived on the scene, but no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to have the air bags inspected by a Nissan-certified specialist however the contact was unable to locate a certified specialist, and the manufacturer denied further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 10,080.

NHTSA complaint #11653672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,080 miles Eureka, CA Crash 1 injured

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

The contact owned a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 17 MPH at night, he failed to see a trailer ahead on the road and rear-ended the trailer. The air bag warning light was illuminated before the collision. The contact stated that the trailer’s brake lights were not illuminated. The Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to alert the driver that there was a vehicle ahead on the road. The front driver’s side air bag deployed, injuring the contact’s right wrist and arm. The contact stated that there were rips along the sides of the front driver’s side air bags. Medical attention was received for the injuries. The police arrived on the scene, but no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to have the air bags inspected by a Nissan-certified specialist however the contact was unable to locate a certified specialist, and the manufacturer denied further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 10,080.

NHTSA complaint #11653672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stoneham, MA Crash

POWER TRAIN

I engage the Parking Botton on shifter, & the vehicle still rolled away from me after I got out of Vehicle

NHTSA complaint #11614012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stoneham, MA Crash

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I engage the Parking Botton on shifter, & the vehicle still rolled away from me after I got out of Vehicle

NHTSA complaint #11614012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stoneham, MA Crash

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I engage the Parking Botton on shifter, & the vehicle still rolled away from me after I got out of Vehicle

NHTSA complaint #11614012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Tuba City, AZ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Rear camera and camera functionality just stopped working. The OVM is functioning with everything else just not the camera! Yet, diagnostics state that it is an OVM issue and cost $2,500.00 to fix. Safety concerns of no camera and unable to view pedestrians.

NHTSA complaint #11755308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tuba City, AZ

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Rear camera and camera functionality just stopped working. The OVM is functioning with everything else just not the camera! Yet, diagnostics state that it is an OVM issue and cost $2,500.00 to fix. Safety concerns of no camera and unable to view pedestrians.

NHTSA complaint #11755308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tuba City, AZ

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

Rear camera and camera functionality just stopped working. The OVM is functioning with everything else just not the camera! Yet, diagnostics state that it is an OVM issue and cost $2,500.00 to fix. Safety concerns of no camera and unable to view pedestrians.

NHTSA complaint #11755308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dracut, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On July 20, 2026, my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder failed to accelerate after stopping at a red light. The engine did not rev, and the vehicle barely moved despite accelerator input. After 40 seconds the car start moving normally. I got the car towed to the dealership. The dealer could not reproduce the condition and reprogrammed the ECM under TSB NTB25-012. They mentioned they performed a software update and they said the issue should not returned. On July 22, 2026, the same failure occurred again at a red light. The vehicle had almost no acceleration for approximately 30–40 seconds, then suddenly accelerated and nearly struck the vehicle ahead. No collision or injury occurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and is considered unsafe to drive.

NHTSA complaint #11752173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Midland, VA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ON 6/10/2026 THE AVM/BACK UP CAMERA SYSTEM SUDENLY STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #11749691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Midland, VA

SERVICE BRAKES

PREMATURE WEAR ON REAR BRAKES

NHTSA complaint #11749689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Zurich, IL

POWER TRAIN

While driving the vehicle at approximately 25 miles per hour, on its own, the vehicle put itself into neutral and a warning light to exit the vehicle appeared. Thankfully we safely pulled the car over to the side of the road. Upon restarting the vehicle, it operated normally. Had this incident occurred at a higher rate of speed or on a busy road, there could have been very different consequences.

NHTSA complaint #11748180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Zurich, IL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving the vehicle at approximately 25 miles per hour, on its own, the vehicle put itself into neutral and a warning light to exit the vehicle appeared. Thankfully we safely pulled the car over to the side of the road. Upon restarting the vehicle, it operated normally. Had this incident occurred at a higher rate of speed or on a busy road, there could have been very different consequences.

NHTSA complaint #11748180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Zurich, IL

ENGINE

While driving the vehicle at approximately 25 miles per hour, on its own, the vehicle put itself into neutral and a warning light to exit the vehicle appeared. Thankfully we safely pulled the car over to the side of the road. Upon restarting the vehicle, it operated normally. Had this incident occurred at a higher rate of speed or on a busy road, there could have been very different consequences.

NHTSA complaint #11748180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sevierville, TN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle's around view camera control unit has failed. None of the vehicle's cameras are working. The Nissan dealership has confirmed the issue and has suggested replacement of the part. The vehicle is just out of the original warranty period.

NHTSA complaint #11746928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Metuchen, NJ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After a hard rain water started pouring into cabin from a Pilar’s, headliner, sun visor lights, vanity eye glass holder, dome light…. There is a leak from sunroof and dealers say it’s a known issue but not a warranty item. First happened last week while driving kids to school and second time two days later. Both after or during heavy rains. This caused a major distraction and almost caused me to crash. See link - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11746833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mount Airy, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The Around View Monitor (AVM) system failed. The rear backup camera image no longer functions properly due to a failed AVM control unit. The vehicle is a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum equipped with Nissan’s camera-based surround view and backup camera system. The vehicle has been diagnosed by an authorized Nissan dealership, and the failed component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The failure disabled the vehicle’s backup camera and related camera-based visibility systems. This significantly reduces rearward visibility while backing up and increases the risk of striking pedestrians, children, pets, vehicles, or objects that may not be visible through mirrors alone. Drivers have come to rely on the backup camera system as an important safety feature, and its sudden failure creates a safety hazard during parking and low-speed maneuvers. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Nissan dealership. The dealership determined that the Around View Monitor (AVM) control unit had failed and advised that the module requires replacement. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. Nissan corporate has not yet physically inspected the vehicle to my knowledge. The backup camera system functioned normally until it suddenly stopped working. There were no warning lights, messages, prior malfunctions, collisions, or damage that would have indicated a problem. The failure occurred without warning. I purchased this 2023 Nissan Pathfinder only one month ago, and the AVM system suddenly failed after just a few weeks of ownership. The dealership diagnosed a failed AVM control unit and quoted approximately $3,400 ($2800 parts and $600 labor) for repair. A critical rear-visibility safety system should not fail unexpectedly in a vehicle this new. The repair cost is prohibitive, leaving us owners without an important safety feature. Nissan should investigate and assist affected owners.

NHTSA complaint #11743693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mount Airy, GA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Around View Monitor (AVM) system failed. The rear backup camera image no longer functions properly due to a failed AVM control unit. The vehicle is a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum equipped with Nissan’s camera-based surround view and backup camera system. The vehicle has been diagnosed by an authorized Nissan dealership, and the failed component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The failure disabled the vehicle’s backup camera and related camera-based visibility systems. This significantly reduces rearward visibility while backing up and increases the risk of striking pedestrians, children, pets, vehicles, or objects that may not be visible through mirrors alone. Drivers have come to rely on the backup camera system as an important safety feature, and its sudden failure creates a safety hazard during parking and low-speed maneuvers. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Nissan dealership. The dealership determined that the Around View Monitor (AVM) control unit had failed and advised that the module requires replacement. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. Nissan corporate has not yet physically inspected the vehicle to my knowledge. The backup camera system functioned normally until it suddenly stopped working. There were no warning lights, messages, prior malfunctions, collisions, or damage that would have indicated a problem. The failure occurred without warning. I purchased this 2023 Nissan Pathfinder only one month ago, and the AVM system suddenly failed after just a few weeks of ownership. The dealership diagnosed a failed AVM control unit and quoted approximately $3,400 ($2800 parts and $600 labor) for repair. A critical rear-visibility safety system should not fail unexpectedly in a vehicle this new. The repair cost is prohibitive, leaving us owners without an important safety feature. Nissan should investigate and assist affected owners.

NHTSA complaint #11743693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kings Mountain, NC

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

My car only has 64000 miles on it and the back up camera module went out, I have had same issue with a 2019 model I had, and I have seen online where others have had the same issues.

NHTSA complaint #11738292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lithonia, GA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car going into neutral while driving several times on the interstate

NHTSA complaint #11731422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saucier, MS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am reporting a recurring defect involving the sunroof drain system in my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum that has caused multiple interior flooding incidents. The vehicle has flooded three separate times due to failure of the sunroof drainage system. Water enters the cabin during rain events and accumulates inside the vehicle, causing damage to the interior and raising concerns about potential electrical system exposure and safety hazards. This issue has been addressed by a Nissan dealership on multiple occasions; however, the defect has not been permanently resolved and continues to reoccur. The repeated failure of the drainage system indicates a potential design or manufacturing defect rather than normal wear or maintenance-related issues. Water intrusion into the cabin creates safety concerns including: Potential damage to electrical components Risk of mold and air quality issues inside the vehicle Driver distraction and reduced vehicle reliability Despite multiple repair attempts, the issue persists. Nissan has declined further assistance due to the vehicle being outside of the warranty period, even though the defect is ongoing and unresolved. I am submitting this complaint to document a potential systemic issue with the sunroof drainage system that may affect other vehicles of the same model.

NHTSA complaint #11730013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Plano, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

Premature wear (29k miles) of rear brake pads. I have a report from NTB aka Mavis Took it in today and found 1mm left on back brakes, front standard wear. No alerts or singals were seen in the car

NHTSA complaint #11727654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bloomington, IN

SEAT BELTS

TWO SEATBELT LOCKING MECHANISMS HAVE FAILED TO LOCK THE SEATBELT BUCKLES IN PLACE; THE THIRD SEATBELT LOCKING MEACHANISM FAILED TO RELEASE THE BUCKLE. ALL LOCATED IN THE SECOND ROW OF MY VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT LOCKING MECANISM ON THE THIRD BECAUSE WE DROPPED AND LOST THE BUCKLE, THIS FAILURE PUT MY CHILD IN DANGER AND WE HAD TO CUT THE SEATBELT. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2023.

NHTSA complaint #11724692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Killeen, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My vehicle has the idle stop feature. When at a red light, the vehicle shut off and went into idle mode. However, when the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas, nothing happened. The vehicle had shut off entirely and when I turned it back on, it was in neutral. I had to put the vehicle in drive. I had 2 children in the car with me and it was very nerve racking to have a plethora of vehicles stuck behind me honking their horns because I was not moving for a green light. Now mind you, the speed limit on this road is 45 mph. If traffic was flowing, we could of been rear ended. I think we got really lucky on this day. I purchased this vehicle 8 days ago. I researched this issue and it is a common issue, however, there is no recall for it. https://www.reddit.com/r/nissanpathfinder/comments/14ov95d/2023_pathfinder_auto_start_issue_shifts_to/

NHTSA complaint #11722912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Killeen, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My vehicle has the idle stop feature. When at a red light, the vehicle shut off and went into idle mode. However, when the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas, nothing happened. The vehicle had shut off entirely and when I turned it back on, it was in neutral. I had to put the vehicle in drive. I had 2 children in the car with me and it was very nerve racking to have a plethora of vehicles stuck behind me honking their horns because I was not moving for a green light. Now mind you, the speed limit on this road is 45 mph. If traffic was flowing, we could of been rear ended. I think we got really lucky on this day. I purchased this vehicle 8 days ago. I researched this issue and it is a common issue, however, there is no recall for it. https://www.reddit.com/r/nissanpathfinder/comments/14ov95d/2023_pathfinder_auto_start_issue_shifts_to/

NHTSA complaint #11722912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Killeen, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My vehicle has the idle stop feature. When at a red light, the vehicle shut off and went into idle mode. However, when the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas, nothing happened. The vehicle had shut off entirely and when I turned it back on, it was in neutral. I had to put the vehicle in drive. I had 2 children in the car with me and it was very nerve racking to have a plethora of vehicles stuck behind me honking their horns because I was not moving for a green light. Now mind you, the speed limit on this road is 45 mph. If traffic was flowing, we could of been rear ended. I think we got really lucky on this day. I purchased this vehicle 8 days ago. I researched this issue and it is a common issue, however, there is no recall for it. https://www.reddit.com/r/nissanpathfinder/comments/14ov95d/2023_pathfinder_auto_start_issue_shifts_to/

NHTSA complaint #11722912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Leavenworth, KS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Went out to my car and shut the door. Heard a cracking sound after I shut the door. Then the back window fell in. It completely shattered the back window from shut the driver side front door.

NHTSA complaint #11721344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Leavenworth, KS

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Went out to my car and shut the door. Heard a cracking sound after I shut the door. Then the back window fell in. It completely shattered the back window from shut the driver side front door.

NHTSA complaint #11721344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grand Prairie, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

On my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder I have approximately 25000 miles on it. When I step on the brakes, there is a noticable vibration as if the rotors are warped and pads worn. The brakes and rotors should not be an issue this soon.

NHTSA complaint #11716505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

St. Cloud, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am reporting a failure of the Around View Monitor / camera system on my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder. The system stopped functioning completely without warning. Pressing the camera button does nothing, the camera cannot be activated through vehicle settings, and no camera views (rear, front, or surround) are available. Parking sensors and the infotainment screen continue to work, indicating a system-level electronic failure rather than user error or a single camera issue. This vehicle relies on the camera system for rear visibility and low-speed maneuvering. The loss of this system reduces driver visibility and increases the risk of collision, especially when reversing or parking. The failure occurred despite normal use and maintenance, with no prior warnings or messages to the driver. The vehicle is only a few years old, yet the repair involves replacement of a major electronic control module at significant cost. This appears to be a premature failure of a safety-related electronic system. I am concerned this may affect other vehicles of the same model year and configuration.

NHTSA complaint #11713250 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.