334 of the
10,298 complaints filed about the Nissan Pathfinder
are about the throttle and cruise control —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2013.
334
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
37
Crashes
2
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
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.
First Incident- volume kept rising on its own. Would turn it down, it would go right back up. Would turn the radio off, it would turn on by itself and would keep rising until full blast. Vehicle was parked, came back from work, turned vehicle on and the volume was fine on it. Second Incident- (this has happened twice) about a month after the volume incident. This time the vehicle would accelerate by itself. No cruise control was on, vehicle would keep going faster and faster. First time this happened the vehicle needed to be towed, cops were involved. I finally was able to stop the vehicle at a red light (where it eventually broke down and would not start). Extended warranty covered the tow. There was no check engine light on. Replaced the battery as I was told the errors were pointing back to low voltage. After battery was replaced, maybe three weeks later the vehicle did the same thing on the highway again. Car speed kept increasing on its own, no cruise control or pedal input. Vehicle kept speeding. I took this vehicle to Moon Township, PA Nissan Cochran dealership and they could not replicate the issue. I have video proof the first time this happened where the vehicle kept increasing in speed without pedal input. I have two kids under the age of [XXX] , This is an unsafe vehicle and it has lost my trust completely. The extended warranty company for this vehicle said they can’t do anything since the dealership says no check engine light is on. Third incident- got into vehicle, turned the vehicle on and the parking brake would not release. The parking brake was never applied in the first place so I have no clue how or why it was on when I turned the vehicle on. I just recently called the dealership on this issue now (Moon Township, Nissan Cochran) and will see what they say. Again, no check engine light is present. I am at a loss on this vehicle. 2022 with only 45k miles on it and have never experienced this many issues with a vehicle before! It is unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INF
NHTSA complaint #11733786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving, the vehicle experienced sudden and complete loss of throttle response, resulting in little to no acceleration. This occurred in active traffic and created a dangerous situation where the vehicle could not maintain speed or safely move out of traffic. The vehicle has been serviced multiple times by Nissan of Kenosha, including a full transmission replacement under warranty. Despite these repairs, the same throttle failure has occurred repeatedly, including within hours of being returned as “repaired.” Most recently, the throttle failed again while driving on a public street, and I was only able to move the vehicle into a driveway with minimal acceleration. The vehicle is currently not drivable and remains unsafe to operate. The dealership has not resolved the issue and has released the vehicle multiple times in an unsafe condition. This is an ongoing safety defect involving loss of acceleration and vehicle control.
NHTSA complaint #11727812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The accelerator pedal has gotten stuck at full throttle 3 times under the all weather rock creek floor mat. The mat appears to be properly placed in its molded position, but it allows the pedal to go behind the mat and get stuck. 3 separate times this has happened.
NHTSA complaint #11724376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle stalled on highway during extremely low outside temperatures and snow covered roadway. Engine malfuction, reduced power error code briefly appeared followed by a complete engine stall. Vechicle had no power and immediately needed to be steered to safety. Near whiteout conditions lead to an extremely dangerous situation, nearly causing a nearly collision. Prior to this incident, the vehicle had been at the dealership for a similar issue without complete engine stall. Dealer could not diagnose issue as no OBD codes remain after engine failure. This is an extremely dangerous vehicle. Immediate action is required.
NHTSA complaint #11713218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
As I am accelerating once the car reaches 30-60 mph there is a very distant shuddering that occurs that cause the engine to lose some power and turns the check engine light on. This appears to be a common problem as I have found many complaints on forums describing very similar symptoms.
NHTSA complaint #11691582 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A malfunction warning light appeared on the dashboard, indicating the cruise control was no longer working and front crash indicator lights showed sensors were not working and/or turned off due to the malfunction. I believe my emergency breaking Blindspot warning, adaptive cruise control are not working at this time. The malfunction light is inconsistent and may go off and on. Town Center Nissan was able to duplicate the issue but had no fix available on 9/25/25. They agreed to communicate with the manufacturer and get back to me in a few days. They did not caution me regarding driving the vehicle and returned the keys after connecting to the Nissan diagnostic computer which pulled codes stating a front crash sensor malfunction. They stated their database included 5 other similar Nissan vehicles with similar issues.
NHTSA complaint #11689818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Information •Make: Nissan •Model: Pathfinder •Year: 2025 •Mileage at Incident: Less than 2,800 miles •Purchase Date: May 2025 Summary of Problem: Since purchase, the vehicle has had repeated brake failures, unintended acceleration, lighting malfunctions, and electronic system defects. Problems are intermittent but worsening, creating a serious safety risk. Details of Incidents: 1.Steering / Handling: •Since day one, steering feels loose and “floating” at highway speeds. 2.Parking Assist & Braking: •Parking assist randomly activates upon startup with all sensors lit and beeping, requiring a restart to clear. •In garage, parking assist sometimes locks brakes, then suddenly accelerates toward wall. 3.Braking / Acceleration Failures (Sept. 3-4 2025): •While driving brakes did not slow vehicle despite increased pedal pressure; required slamming pedal to lock brakes. •On highway 65–70 mph, while pressing brake to slow for exit, vehicle accelerated past 73 mph before decelerating. 4. Lighting Failure: •Twice, headlights failed to activate in Auto mode. First incident resulted in driver being pulled over; restarting car restored lights. Second incident at dusk—only high beams worked; no low beams despite Auto mode being on. 5. Other Electrical / Mechanical Defects: •Passenger mirror sometimes stuck in folded position; driver mirror opens slowly. •Front windows occasionally fail to open/close or move very slowly. •Apple CarPlay forces return to CarPlay screen, won’t allow switching to other apps; defaults to AM/FM radio at startup.•Clicking sound from dashboard when AC is running. •AC intermittently blows hot air instead of cold.•Auto start/stop feature reactivates itself after being manually turned off. •Vehicle shakes noticeably when idling or starting, worsening. Frequency: since vehicle purchase in May 2025. Braking/acceleration failures happened multiple times. Safety Risk: Loss of braking, unintended acceleration, &lighting failures present a serious risk.
NHTSA complaint #11685534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
As I was driving my 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high rate of speed and the gas pedal became stuck. I tried to press on the brake as much as possible but the vehicle was not successfully able to be stopped which caused a terrible motor vehicle accident.
NHTSA complaint #11684133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at highway speeds, when attempting to accelerate when passing another vehicle or changing lanes, the vehicle has lost acceleration on more than 1 occasion. I could not accelerate even with the gas pedal all the way down. The car just rolled slowly for about 10 seconds before it began accelerating and jerked forward. Nissan not providing a solution because they “cannot duplicate the issue”
NHTSA complaint #11674856 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Since we purchased the vehicle we noticed that power outlet would not work. We have taken this vehicle back to the dealership and even though they "fix it" as soon as we drive it out within in one or two hours it will give out again. The last time we took it they said not to use "off the market" cellphone chargers because that is what is making it not work. Then the AC has also stopped working a couple of times. All of sudden the truck will blow out hot instead of cold air. We have to stop the vehicle, turn it off and let it rest and then the AC will be back up. They have supposedly looked into it. Lastly, this vehicle has on several occasions not accelerated while we are on the road. Even though the speed limit is 75mph it will not move faster than 40mph. At the same time the service lights on the dashboard begin to turn on/off. It has been very difficult because the last time we took the vehicle to the shop it was in there for more than 30 days. I am very concerned that although they say the "fix it" the vehicle can stop running on me and I can have a serious accident with my family in inside.
NHTSA complaint #11673779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the interstate with my family, my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder suddenly began to fail (limp Mode), forcing me to pull onto the shoulder in a dangerous situation.I was in the farthest lane to the left, with no shoulder available. I had to cruise all the way across two lanes with NO acceleration, but my flashers and the grace of god. The issue appears related to the mass airflow sensor, which was already replaced six months ago. I’ve had repeated issues, and neither the dealership nor Nissan has resolved it. The dealership manager even told me rudely that he would unplug the mass air flow sensor and leave it up front for me to come pick it up, because of my attitude. I told him at the beginning of the call that I was frustrated, and it was nothing personally against him. I even asked what did I say to have you make a comment like that. This vehicle is unsafe and unreliable, and I fear for my family's safety the next time I drive it.
NHTSA complaint #11672729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Since purchasing this vehicle new i have had several issues : - While driving on the highway the engine will switch into neutral -One time while pulling out of my drive way I got stuck in the middle of the road because it placed me in park for no known reason. - Sunroof Leaks, - Most recently at 93,000 miles my engine failed and I needed a full engine replacement. They didnt cover this replacement and left it in me to pay for the full replacement. (over $10K) - The Breaks needed to be fully replaced before $20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11671017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car powers off as I am driving it. The brakes work but nothing else. The dials go crazy and all the warning lights on my car turn on with all the other lights remaining off. I’m not sure what component stopped working when it shuts off but I would be okay with it being inspected. My safety was put at risk because I could no longer drive the car and the gas pedal doesn’t work so I don’t gain any speed leaving me stranded on the street having to pull over which could lead to an accident. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service dealer. The first sign I know the problem is gonna happen when driving is when I turn on the car and the emergency brake light turns on and the battery light.
NHTSA complaint #11667849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
i purchased 2024 pathfinder within days the car stopped while driving i had to pull over to restart VERY FRIGHTING!!! I called the dealer service department they said i had hit the gear shifter and told me be careful?? INSULTING!!! The car goes into first gear by itself and it is showing its in DRIVE??This must be investigated if i blow the engine cause it will not get out of 1st gear who is responsible ?? If there are so many complaints and this is very important why isnt nissan doing something to solve this problem? I actually thought I had a LEMON!! Please help the dealership will not do anything and honestly, I am afraid to drive the car for it is not happening more frequent Yesterday i was driving out of my driveway and the car stalled in the middle of driveway !!! Please i want to live!
NHTSA complaint #11661769 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Gas Pedal broke completely off while accelerating to merge. Took it to the dealership and they ordered a new gas pedal and made the repair. There was no prior warning of anything wrong. This could have caused us to have a wreck when we were accelerating to merge and all of the sudden the gas pedal just busted off and the car dramatically slows down. Definitely a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11653779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Transmission malfunction/failure caused loss of all power and had to coast over 3 lanes to the only available shoulder on the left side of the express lanes. This in and of itself could have been catastrophic due to the speed of the vehicles on the express lanes. Turns out there's a failure point on the flexplate and nissan techs are aware of the issue. Nissan as a whole should replace them if this is the result.
NHTSA complaint #11645414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving vehicle and was at light to enter freeway went to accelerate and nothing happened but car would rev normal in park pulled over in traffic and almost got in a wreck with family in side is very unsafe
NHTSA complaint #11627393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car started to shutter, doing 55 mph and stop pulling..all lights were flashing then shut down, was able to coast into some business parking lot. Had to get towed to shop where was told needed alternator, replaced that and replaced battery…car would start but put in gear and same thing happened shut down and didn’t get but a couple of miles from shop..still no fix. Contacted a Nissan dealership was told maybe transmission. Told no recalls, which it should be.
NHTSA complaint #11620942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.