2016 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
130 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 50,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2016 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
“Engine cooling fan broke at <60k miles-rattling so much nearly punctured radiator”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Pathfinder
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 74 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 49,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,000 and 62,000 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 2013-2016 Pathfinder vehicles. On certain Pathfinder vehicles, the secondary hood latch may malfunction and remain in the unlatched, unsecured, position when the hood is closed.
Fix: Dealers will replace the bell crank assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 26, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this…
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and…
Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V420000.
Technical service bulletins
202 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 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 2016 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 2016 Nissan Pathfinder drew 130 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2016 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder are engine (28 complaints), other (24), and airbags (18).
At what mileage do 2016 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 49,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,000 and 62,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.