2011 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
59 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 4/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 91,200 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2011 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 38 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,000 and 92,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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 MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Technical service bulletins
104 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 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 2011 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder drew 59 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 2011 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder are airbags (12 complaints), engine (10), and transmission & drivetrain (7).
At what mileage do 2011 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 45,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,000 and 92,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 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.