2018 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability

124 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 9/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Other leads the reports, typically around 20,000 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

124Complaints
9/100Trouble index
3Recalls
20,000Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2018 sits among all Pathfinder years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Other 25 complaints (20%) · typically ~20,000 miles
“I have a 2019 pathfinder. Nissan has a known issue with the aeb system. I get a message constantly that the front radar is unavaiable due to obstruction. If the front obstruction isn't working and the aeb is disabled, this is a safely item. Why has there not been any recalls?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Pathfinder
Brakes & stability 21 complaints (17%) · typically ~20,000 miles
Engine 14 complaints (11%)
Electrical 14 complaints (11%)
Transmission & drivetrain 12 complaints (10%)
Driver assistance 12 complaints (10%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 53 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 20,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,000 and 29,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (3)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 19V807000 2019 Park outside

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer…

BACK OVER PREVENTION 19V654000 2019

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 18V601000 2018 Park outside

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan…

Technical service bulletins

185 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2018 Pathfinder TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2018peak 44 in 20192026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder drew 124 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 9/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).

What are the most common 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems?

The top reported problems for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder are other (25 complaints), brakes & stability (21), and engine (14).

At what mileage do 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?

Owners most often report 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 20,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,000 and 29,000 miles.

Does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?

3 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

← 2017 Pathfinder All Pathfinder years 2019 Pathfinder →
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.