Nissan Pathfinder Years to Avoid
Avoid: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024 · Best: 2011, 2012, 2020 — based on 3,079 NHTSA complaints across 18 model years (2008–2025), severity-weighted and adjusted for time on the road; 2015–2022 average: 1.78 complaints per 1,000 sold.
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 3,079 NHTSA complaints, the Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid are 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 — the worst logged up to 6.7× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by transmission failures. Updated November 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of November 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict | Problems & recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 328 | 272 | 5 | AVOID | — |
| 2009 | 37 | 22 | 4 | SOLID | — |
| 2010 | 40 | 23 | 5 | SOLID | — |
| 2011 | 45 | 23 | 2 | BEST | — |
| 2012 | 23 | 12 | 2 | BEST | — |
| 2013 | 889 | 497 | 11 | AVOID | — |
| 2014 | 572 | 306 | 11 | AVOID | — |
| 2015 | 318 | 165 | 5 | AVOID | 2015 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2016 | 105 | 52 | 2 | SOLID | 2016 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2017 | 183 | 130 | 2 | AVOID | 2017 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2018 | 76 | 44 | 3 | CAUTION | 2018 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2019 | 73 | 40 | 2 | SOLID | 2019 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2020 | 50 | 30 | 0 | BEST | 2020 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 2021 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2022 | 133 | 69 | 5 | AVOID | 2022 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2023 | 97 | 57 | 1 | AVOID | 2023 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2024 | 68 | 42 | 2 | AVOID | 2024 Pathfinder problems → |
| 2025 | 42 | 17 | 1 | SOLID | — |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Nissan Pathfinder. Full methodology.
Pathfinder problems by model year
Each year has its own page with the complaint components, NHTSA recall campaigns, service-bulletin count, a comparison with the year before and after, and what to check on a used one.
Common Nissan Pathfinder problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Nissan Pathfinder are transmission, engine, fuel. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
CVT transmission failure and judder
· Nissan Pathfinder 2013–2017Corroborated by 36 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 699 transmission complaints across 2013–2017, typically 69–183,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $5,000–$14,000.
Engine metal shavings and sludge buildup
· Nissan Pathfinder 2017–2020Corroborated by 9 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 124 engine complaints across 2017–2020, typically 70,000–160,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,000–$7,000.
Fuel gauge sensor recurrence
· Nissan Pathfinder 2008Corroborated by 1 owner account of this failure, within a federal cluster of 81 fuel complaints across 2008.
Why these years stand out
2008 Nissan Pathfinder: 328 owner complaints on federal record, 272 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2013 Nissan Pathfinder: 889 owner complaints on federal record, 497 of them severe, plus 11 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2014 Nissan Pathfinder: 572 owner complaints on federal record, 306 of them severe, plus 11 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2015 Nissan Pathfinder: 318 owner complaints on federal record, 165 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2017 Nissan Pathfinder: 183 owner complaints on federal record, 130 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder: 133 owner complaints on federal record, 69 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2023 Nissan Pathfinder: 97 owner complaints on federal record, 57 of them severe, plus 1 recall campaign — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
2024 Nissan Pathfinder: 68 owner complaints on federal record, 42 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Nissan Pathfinder.
Know what to pay for the right Nissan Pathfinder — then negotiate it
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FAQ
What years of the Nissan Pathfinder should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid are 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by transmission issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture.
What are the best years for the Nissan Pathfinder?
The 2011, 2012 and 2020 Nissan Pathfinder show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Nissan Pathfinder verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Nissan Pathfinder's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Nissan Pathfinder before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The Nissan Pathfinder's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 3,079 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 rate "avoid", while 2011, 2012 and 2020 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above.
What are the most common problems with the Nissan Pathfinder?
The most-reported problem area for the Nissan Pathfinder is transmission, followed by engine and fuel. Confirmed failures include cvt transmission failure and judder, engine metal shavings and sludge buildup, fuel gauge sensor recurrence. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Nissan Pathfinder across every model year on record. Retrieved November 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered (the per-1,000-sold figure above divides 2015–2022 complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales); a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Nissan Pathfinder, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.