2014 Nissan Pathfinder

Above average

Owners filed 574 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 11 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
47,500 milesMedian miles at failure

353 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 010,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train173
311
Air Bags90
509
Unknown or Other66
011
Visibility/Wiper46
001
Engine42
000
Service Brakes34
6012
Structure › Body29
103
Electrical System20
205
Suspension10
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch7
000

11 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch22V420000
Filed Jun 13, 2022322,671 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. 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.

Risk. An unsecured hood could unexpectedly open while driving, obstructing the driver's view, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. 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 recall are R22A2 R22A3 and R24B7.

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch21V020000
Filed Jan 20, 2021264,431 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. The location of the brake light switch may cause the brake light switch relay to repeatedly open and close. Overtime, this can cause the relay to stick in the "ON" position, with the brake lights remaining illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. Additionally, this may interfere with the brake-shift interlock, allowing the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "Park" position, without depressing the brake pedal.

Risk. Continual illumination of the brake lights can prevent other drivers from realizing the vehicle is actually slowing down, increasing the risk of a crash. With the brake override activated, the driver will not be able to accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash. The driver can shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, allowing the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, either re-install the brake light switch or swap positions with the Automatic Speed Control Device (ASCD) switch; depending on the model year vehicle. In addition, the brake light relay will be replaced with a new one. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall PC786. Note: this recall supersedes 16V-380.

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch16V380000
Filed May 31, 201679,853 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to June 13, 2013. The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and repeatedly cycle. This may result in the relay remaining in the "ON" position, causing the brake lights to remain illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. Additionally, the brake light switch may interfere with the brake-shift interlock, allowing the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "Park" position, without depressing the brake pedal.

Risk. If the brake override is activated, the driver will not be accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash. If the brake lights remain illuminated, other drivers may fail to stop when the vehicle actually brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. If the driver inadvertently shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, the vehicle may rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake light switch and, as necessary, replace the relay, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification16V244000
Filed Apr 26, 20163,296,947 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. 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 Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Risk. If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy. 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 Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification15V681000
Filed Oct 20, 2015919 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

Risk. If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and Attachments15V033000
Filed Jan 26, 2015170,665 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured November 29, 2011, to June 14, 2013, and 2014 QX60 vehicles manufactured May 16, 2013, to November 18, 2013, and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013. In the affected vehicles the hood release cable assembly may have been installed incorrectly preventing the latching claw from fully engaging. The secondary latch may remain in the open position when the hood is closed.

Risk. If the primary hood latch is released and the secondary latch fails during operation of the vehicle, it could cause the hood to open during vehicle operation impairing the driver's vision, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the angle of the hood release mechanism to provide additional length to the release cable, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Service Brakes15V012000
Filed Jan 14, 2015893 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to November 5, 2014, and 2014-2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to November 15, 2014. During the assembly process, the front wheel hub assembly fasteners may not have been properly torqued.

Risk. The under-torqued fasteners may result in a brake caliper separating from the wheel assembly causing a reduction in braking performance or reduced steering control. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and tighten any loose bolts to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs14V229000
Filed May 2, 2014334 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Pathfinder and Rogue vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The right side wheels of the affected vehicles may have one lug nut each that was not properly tightened.

Risk. If the lug nut becomes loose from not being properly tightened, it may fall off, allowing the other lug nuts to become loose, possibly resulting in a wheel separation, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten any loose lug nuts to the correct specification, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by the end of June 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Electrical System › Software14V138000
Filed Mar 25, 2014989,701 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

Risk. If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Electrical System › Software13V445000
Filed Oct 17, 2013151,695 vehiclesNissan North America, Inc.

Defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2013, through September 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles, during light braking on rough roads, the antilock brake system (ABS) brake pressure output software may lead to an increase in stopping distance.

Risk. The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ABS, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Showing 10 of 11 campaigns, newest first.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Jul 14, 2026LA

2014 Nissan Parhfinder FWD Premium: this vehicles CVT joint failed that shirt the engine down to about 10 miles an hour immediately. Which caused me the driver to find a place to pull it off the road quickly. If a person or myself could not have a point to pull off the road or someone was behind then could have been rear ended the vehicle and major damage to the vehicle or person driving. Which there was and they were about to go around the pathfinder. The vehicle also may have blown the transmission. Unknown damage right now. But the pathfinder stalled out two times while driving it before it shut totally down on the hwy. I had contacted Nissan and we never got together on a date and time for a phone call with an Arbitration specialist. I had called them back several times and never could connect with them.

Structure
Filed Jun 29, 2026139,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that it had rained heavily for two days, and the contact became aware that there was a significant amount of water accumulated on the front passenger's and driver's side floorboards and underneath the seats. Additionally, the contact stated that upon removing the mats, the brake pedal was corroded and made an abnormally squeaky sound. The contact confirmed that the leak was not coming from the roof. The dealer and the manufacturer were not yet contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Engine
Filed Jun 29, 2026MD

I purchased the car July 2024 by November 2024 the transmission failed and had to be replaced. Replaced, not repaired. By October 2025 it failed again. The car sputtered and then would not drive. This time the dealer said other repairs had to be done first before they would officially say the transmission failed. Then I found that Nissan had a manufacturer's defect with the transmission. So they should have it replaced it in 2024 for free. Since I refused to make any more repairs on the car they would not replace the transmission and so the car became dangerous to drive. I have reached out to Nissan Corporate several times. I have filed complaints with my county and state Consumer Protection Agencies. I have contacted my senators as well. I am a senior citizen and I need a car. I would like for Nissan to reimburse for the expenses for the transmission replacement and what I owe on the car. Or they can provide me with another car. Thank you.

Power Train
Filed Jun 23, 2026AL

Rear Door / lift gate will not go all the way up or stay up without manual assistance, causing 2 head injuries and 2 arm injuries on recent occasions. We have confirmed with the dealer & one Nissan Certified Mechanic that this is a common problem. The dealer & 2 mechanics have said they do not know how to fix this without replacing the entire lifting assembly. We did not ask for estimates. We should not have to, but we can live with the problem now that we are aware of it. Transmission was replaced with new Nisson equipment by the previous owner, costing $5,000+. The problems we are having are the same they were having. The vehicle runs rough, hesitates, vibrates & shakes a lot. It is not very safe in traffic. There is a place for a dipstick to check transmission fluid. We have confirmed with 3 parts stores, 2 mechanics & finally with Nissan, they did not make a dipstick for this car or several other models. One way to check the transmission fluid is to jack up the car, remove a port on the transmission & fill it until if overflows (Cost is approximately $1,100.00, vs a dipstick costing less than $30.00 retail for comparable cars) Another way to check is to jack up the car, drain the transmission fluid, change the filter, replace the seal & cover, then pour in the exact correct amount of transmission fluid through the dipstick hole. However, the only way to know it is actually full is to leave the above-mentioned port out until the fluid overflows. (Our 3 cost estimates range

Power Train
Filed Jun 6, 2026NY

I bought this vehicle and it has about 5,000 miles on it, I added about 60,000 more miles on it and I have to replaced the automatic transmission paid from my pocket since the manufacturer warranty does not cover all that much miles.

Power Train
Filed Jun 4, 2026TX

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed with an unknown transmission failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under a transmission recall; however, the VIN was not currently included in a transmission recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

Power Train
Filed May 19, 2026NJ

Vehicle has known CVT judder issue. Now they (Nissan) claim the only way to remedy is a complete transmission replacement. The car is my wife’s vehicle and can be very touchy often causing distracted driving in reality. Occuring nearly since purchase in Oct. 2013.

Suspension
Filed Apr 23, 2026MA

Driver's side (left) rear trailing arm broke away from the rear subframe mount due to excessive rust and corrosion. In addition to the failed trailing arm mount location, the mount to the body in the same location also rusted through.

Power Train
Filed Mar 27, 2026183,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle failed to shift into gear, and the vehicle was stuck in traffic. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the transmission fluid was black, and there were metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.

Power Train
Filed Mar 7, 2026FL

I was sold this car by Edwin Giraudo at Thundercars dealer without being notified of a safety recall. He did not offer to fix the issue at all or notify us of the issue. On the way home the same day we noticed that the hood started to slightly come up and after my own investigation I found that it was a recall and it's affecting the transmission due to all the debris and dust.

Power Train
Filed Feb 25, 2026150,000 milesOR

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate after a stop, the vehicle jolted while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Power Train
Filed Feb 7, 2026NC

I was traveling posted speed limit of 65 suddenly the tac was rising and speed was decreasing i stopped on shoulder and the car would not move in drive or reverse then after I stopped the check engine light came on no issues prior to this purchased car 4 days prior to this incident the codes that auto zone pulled were po776 po965 p2813 p0841all related to the cvt transmission which I have now seen this has been a reoccurring problem I see they did a recall for 2013 models and also where they replaced 67 that were still on dealership property looks like their needed to be a recall in 2014 as well guess they didn't want to have a loss two years back to back let the consumers pay the price for them not to look bad

Power Train
Filed Jan 26, 2026MO

When you are driving down the road, the transmission does not want to shift into any gears. There is a major slip when it is supposed to be shifting.

Engine
Filed Jan 24, 2026FL

I purchased a 2014 Nissan PathFinder SUV from Dominguez Pro Advisory LLC located at 19200 SW 106th Avenue, Miami, Fl. 33157-Bay- # 22-23 on [XXX] and the transmission is bad. I replace two parts one called motor mount and the other air intake. I called and spoke with the owner Ceaser Dominguez on January 24, 2026 at 3:03 pm and he stated that he could not do anything when this vehicle only has 12 days of purchase. I took the vehicle to a transmission place called American INT Transmission and spoke with Carlos Martinez and he ran the computer and the code that came up was P17F0 which is CVT Judder (T/M INSPECTION ) TRANSMISSION PROBLEM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Power Train1 injured
Filed Oct 27, 2025PA

Car has extreme CVT shudder on acceleration. Know issue with Nissan (service bulletin NTB17-039K). Confirmed by dealer. Nissan won't fix this issue because of ever changing excuses. Issues caused traffic issue close call accident and driver hit head on side glass due to shudder.

Suspension
Filed Oct 23, 2025OH

Rear subframe failure due to rust.

Engine
Filed Oct 6, 2025CO

As I am accelerating once the car reaches 30-60 mph there is a very distant shuddering that occurs that cause the engine to lose some power and turns the check engine light on. This appears to be a common problem as I have found many complaints on forums describing very similar symptoms.

Power Train
Filed Sep 19, 2025MI

Cvt judder I was driving and then all of a sudden the car just stopped driving in the middle of the intersection. I was lucky enough to coast off the road into a parking lot safely but still a scary moment

Suspension
Filed Aug 21, 2025PA

The car started making a very annoying squeak from the left rear when going over bumps or entering and exiting the car. I took it to my local mechanic to investigate the problem. He discovered the rear suspension sub-frame was rusted out where it attaches to the car body. I was advised that the car was unsafe and should not be driven. I am awaiting more information from my mechanic about the repairs. There were no accidents or injuries caused by this but there could have been if I continued to drive the car. I will retain the rusted sub-frame once the repairs are made. I read three other similar complaints ( all 2014 Pathfinders ) on this web site. I think Nissan should be made aware of this situation.

Suspension
Filed Aug 18, 2025OH

Heard loud clunk from passenger rear of vehicle, then started hearing binding clunk noise from rear when going over bumps or turning at certain points. Inspection of rear suspension area on rear passenger side revealed a sub-frame that had rusted to the point a suspension part had broken from the frame and was sitting in a hole in the sub frame instead. Surrounding areas of undercarriage not rusted like the sub frame was.... The frame of a vehicle rusting to point of breakage at only 11 years old is a safety hazard suspension wise.....Suspension parts bolted to the sub-frame at multiple points.

20 of 574 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20269000Routine
202549100Routine
202477200Routine
2023103100Routine
2022135510Routine
202047000Routine
201976210Routine
201877300Routine
2017186220Routine
2016105200Routine
2015320510Above average
2014 — this page5741130Above average
20138901110Above average
201223210Routine
201145210Routine
201040500Routine
200937400Routine
2008328500Above average
2007561220Above average
2006837500Above average
20051,050461Fatalities reported
200467700Routine
2003110710Routine
2002156910Routine
2001230721Fatalities reported
2000112621Fatalities reported
1999104520Routine
1998149412Fatalities reported
1997217421Fatalities reported
1996159503Fatalities reported
1995170066Fatalities reported
199491220Routine
199349030Routine
199230020Routine
199139130Routine
199038220Routine

Compare every Pathfinder year →

Reading this record

Complaint volume is well above typical for a single model year.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jun 13, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.