2009 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
51 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 4/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 36 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 90,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 72,000 and 108,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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 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
87 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 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 2009 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 2009 Nissan Pathfinder drew 51 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 4/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2009 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder are airbags (11 complaints), engine (11), and transmission & drivetrain (8).
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 90,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 72,000 and 108,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.