Nissan Pathfinder Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Nissan Pathfinder model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 10,230 federal complaints, 54 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 2005–2006, 2013. These years top the Pathfinder's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1990–1995, 1999–2000, 2002–2004, 2009–2012, 2016–2020, 2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Pathfinder's own worst year — full methodology.

Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have 2 open defect investigations on the Nissan Pathfinder.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2002, 2003, 2004

Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA15001 opened February 24, 2015 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their…

Model years named: 2003, 2004

An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

10,230Complaints on file
54Recall campaigns
37Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Transmission & drivetrain tops the Nissan Pathfinder file with 2,495 complaints, concentrated in the 2005–2007, 2013 model years, most often reported around 87,653 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2026 Few reports 10 0 — 1
2025 Too early to call 82 1 Other 7
2024 Too early to call 123 2 Brakes & stability 8
2023 Typical 156 1 Other 11
2022 Better year 196 5 Brakes & stability 14
2020 Better year 72 0 Engine 5
2019 Better year 122 2 Other 9
2018 Better year 124 3 Other 9
2017 Better year 255 2 Engine 19
2016 Better year 130 2 Engine 10
2015 Typical 434 5 Other 31
2014 Below average 750 11 Transmission & drivetrain 54
2013 Avoid 1,209 11 Transmission & drivetrain 79
2012 Better year 35 2 — 3
2011 Better year 59 2 Airbags 4
2010 Better year 61 5 Transmission & drivetrain 5
2009 Better year 51 4 Airbags 4
2008 Typical 458 5 Transmission & drivetrain 29
2007 Below average 846 2 Transmission & drivetrain 54
2006 Avoid 1,224 5 Transmission & drivetrain 78
2005 Avoid 1,560 4 Transmission & drivetrain 100
2004 Better year 86 7 Brakes & stability 6
2003 Better year 147 7 Engine 13
2002 Better year 206 9 Suspension 16
2001 Typical 299 7 Suspension 24
2000 Better year 166 6 Suspension 15
1999 Better year 144 5 Suspension 18
1998 Typical 194 4 Suspension 21
1997 Typical 293 4 Suspension 24
1996 Typical 214 5 Suspension 22
1995 Better year 218 0 Body & structure 19
1994 Better year 108 2 Engine 8
1993 Better year 67 0 Engine 6
1992 Better year 38 0 Transmission & drivetrain 5
1991 Better year 49 1 Transmission & drivetrain 4
1990 Better year 44 2 Engine 3

Technical service bulletins

Beyond complaints and recalls, 3,503 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

Browse the Nissan Pathfinder TSB list by year →

Questions buyers ask

What Nissan Pathfinder years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 2005–2006, 2013 as the Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Nissan Pathfinder problem?

Transmission & drivetrain tops the Nissan Pathfinder file with 2,495 complaints, concentrated in the 2005–2007, 2013 model years, most often reported around 87,653 miles.

What are the best Nissan Pathfinder years to buy used?

The quietest Nissan Pathfinder years in federal records are 1990–1995, 1999–2000, 2002–2004, 2009–2012, 2016–2020, 2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Nissan Pathfinder only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.