Nissan Pathfinder Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 581 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Nissan Pathfinder. For the Nissan Pathfinder, that's 0.51 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2020 and 2022 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2013, 2008 and 2017.

Engine complaints

581

Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.51

2015–2020 and 2022 cohorts

Share of all complaints

18.8%

of 3,089 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

1

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Nissan Pathfinder engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Nissan Pathfinder engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
2008WORST84—25.6%0—13
200911—29.7%0—9
20108—20%0—9
201110—22.2%011V5920008
20126—26.1%011V5920009
2013WORST110—12.4%3—35
201468—11.7%3—34
2015750.9123.6%1—43
2016280.3426.7%1—30
2017WORST831.0245.4%3—21
2018120.1815.8%0—17
2019150.2320.5%1—17
2020140.2928%0—8
2022180.3113.5%1—16
202315—15.5%0—0
202418—26.5%0—0
20256—14.3%0—1
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • No row for 2021: NHTSA's complaints data returned no records for that year under this model's names.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Nissan Pathfinder engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 581 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Overheating or coolant loss167 · 28.7%
Stalling or shutting off while driving81 · 13.9%
Misfire or check-engine light59 · 10.2%
Engine failure, seizure or replacement46 · 7.9%
Knocking, ticking or rattling40 · 6.9%
Loss of power or limp mode34 · 5.9%
Smoke, burning smell or fire28 · 4.8%
Oil consumption or oil leaks16 · 2.8%
Timing chain or belt16 · 2.8%

Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid for the engine

2013 Nissan Pathfinder

110 engine complaints (12.4% of the year's 889). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.

2008 Nissan Pathfinder

84 engine complaints (25.6% of the year's 328). Most often described: overheating or coolant loss.

2017 Nissan Pathfinder

83 engine complaints (45.4% of the year's 183), 1.02 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: overheating or coolant loss.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid.

Nissan Pathfinder engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Nissan Pathfinder model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 11V592000 · 2011-12-19 · 2011–2012 models

    NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS…

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Frequently asked questions

Does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 110 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, 12.4% of all 889 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (20 complaints). 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 84 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, 25.6% of all 328 complaints for that year. The most common description is "overheating or coolant loss" (71 complaints).

Does the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 83 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 45.4% of all 183 complaints for that year, or 1.02 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "overheating or coolant loss" (29 complaints). 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Nissan Pathfinder years have the most engine complaints?

2013 (110), 2008 (84) and 2017 (83), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Nissan Pathfinder engine problems?

In the 581 engine complaints, owners most often describe overheating or coolant loss (28.7%), stalling or shutting off while driving (13.9%) and misfire or check-engine light (10.2%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Nissan Pathfinder model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration