2008 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
458 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 29/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 113,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
“Transmission fluid mixed in with radiator fluid. Leaking out of truck. Know issue with nissan trucks.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Pathfinder
“The vehicle was shifting hard.the nissan dealership says my transmission cooler failed, causing my coolant and radiator fluid to mix. Because of this i have to replace the transmission, and radiator.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Pathfinder
“Trouble code p0463, ses light came on. Its the same trouble code that certain nissan models fuel gages read 1/4 of a tank when empty. I was told that there is no problem with mine or recalls it is a 08 le v8 pathfinder.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Pathfinder
“Airbag light started flashing about a year and a half now and now the horn has stop working because of the air bag.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Pathfinder
“Radiator failure.... Causing radiator fluid to leak into the transmission. Ruining the transmission and computer board. I was driving it and it was acting weird, so i parked it turned the car off went to turn it back on and it wouldn't start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Pathfinder
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 379 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 108,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 83,000 and 136,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS A MODIFIED FLOAT ARM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS.…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
96 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Pathfinder TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Pathfinder drew 458 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 29/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder are transmission & drivetrain (155 complaints), engine (84), and fuel system (83).
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 108,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 83,000 and 136,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.