2013 Nissan Pathfinder Reliability
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder has 891 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about powertrain / transmission and air bags. Compared with other Pathfinder model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Pathfinder's typical year, while the 2012 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
891
NHTSA owner complaints
11
Recall campaigns
16
Complaints citing a crash
1
Complaints citing a fire
2013 Nissan Pathfinder complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 model year, filed between 2012 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Powertrain / transmission | 371 | 42% |
| Air bags | 177 | 20% |
| Unknown or other | 110 | 12% |
| Engine | 105 | 12% |
| Body structure | 83 | 9% |
| Service brakes | 67 | 8% |
| Visibility / wipers | 54 | 6% |
| Electrical system | 50 | 6% |
2013 Nissan Pathfinder recalls
11 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2013 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13V069000 | Mar 1, 2013 | Air bags | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction… |
| 13V139000 | Apr 12, 2013 | Service brakes | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013. The front brake torque member was improperly cast resulting in structural weakness. This can lead to premature failure and… |
| 13V445000 | Oct 17, 2013 | Service brakes — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti… |
| 14V138000 | Mar 25, 2014 | Electrical system — software | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant… |
| 14V142000 | Mar 26, 2014 | Powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission / cooling unit and lines | Nissan North America (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through October 3, 2012, and equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). In the affected vehicles, the internal oil cooler (ITOC)… |
| 15V033000 | Jan 26, 2015 | Body structure — body / hood / hinge and attachments | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti… |
| 15V681000 | Oct 20, 2015 | Air bags — frontal | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected… |
| 16V244000 | Apr 26, 2016 | Air bags — sensor / occupant classification | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and… |
| 16V380000 | May 31, 2016 | Exterior lighting — brake lights / switch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to June 13, 2013. The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and… |
| 21V020000 | Jan 20, 2021 | Exterior lighting — brake lights / switch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. The location of the brake light switch may cause the brake light switch relay to repeatedly open and close. Overtime, this can cause the relay to stick in the "ON"… |
| 22V420000 | Jun 13, 2022 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Pathfinder vehicles. On certain Pathfinder vehicles, the secondary hood latch may malfunction and remain in the unlatched, unsecured, position when the hood is closed. |
How the 2013 compares with nearby Pathfinder years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Pathfinder analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 45 | 2 | Air bags | Better year |
| 2012 | 23 | 2 | Suspension | Better year |
| 2013 (this page) | 891 | 11 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2014 | 585 | 12 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2015 | 321 | 5 | Unknown or other | Avoid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder on the used market
- 24 of 358 2013 Nissan Pathfinder listings in CarWhere's lifespan study showed 200,000 miles or more.
What to check on a used 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Body: look under the car for rust or damaged subframe and rocker areas, and check panel gaps for signs of repair.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 11 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2013 Nissan Pathfinder can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2013 Nissan Pathfinder reliability FAQ
Is the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder has 891 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about powertrain / transmission and air bags. Compared with other Pathfinder model years, it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Pathfinder's typical year, while the 2012 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2013 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder are powertrain / transmission (371), air bags (177), unknown or other (110), engine (105). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, including 13V069000 (air bags) and 13V139000 (service brakes). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder compare with the 2012 and 2014 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2012 has 23 complaints and 2 recalls (better year); the 2014 has 585 complaints and 12 recalls (avoid). The 2013 has 891 complaints and 11 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Nissan Pathfinder research
Other Nissan Pathfinder model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2013 Pathfinder, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.