2017 Nissan Pathfinder problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (58) · Power Train (24) · Service Brakes (10)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Nissan Pathfinder model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
120 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 2019-11-08 · campaign 19V807000 · 391,479 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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 need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
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 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 2018-09-07 · campaign 18V601000 · 215,124 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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 circuit board.
Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
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 customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not
Service bulletins (226)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2026-04-13 · ITB09-063C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certification label and vin plate replacement service information because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “certification label” or “vin plate/label” may be needed. hint: certification label = fmvss (federal motor vehicle safety standards) label. these items may be availabl
Structure:body 2026-04-13 · NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certification label and vin plate replacement service information because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “certification label” or “vin plate/label” may be needed. hint: certification label = fmvss (federal motor vehicle safety standards) label. these items may be availabl
Structure:body 2026-04-13 · NTB09-131C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certification label and vin plate replacement service information because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “certification label” or “vin plate/label” may be needed. hint: certification label = fmvss (federal motor vehicle safety standards) label. these items may be availabl
Service Brakes 2025-02-20 · NTB19-033G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
intelligent cruise control inoperative and aeb/feb warning light on or radar obstruction message displayed with dtc c1a16 or c2582 if you confirm important: the purpose of action (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. you must closely follow the entire ser
Air Bags 2024-09-19 · NTB19-071D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
dtc b00a0-00 stored this bulletin has been amended. see amendment history on the last page. please discard previous versions of this bulletin. if you confirm dtc b00a0-00 (occupant detection sensor unit) is stored, and ocs zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
Power Train 2024-06-07 · NTB12-103I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
cvt/tcm calibration data “write” procedure this bulletin has been amended. see amendment history on the last page. please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 226 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-22 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 134,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the head gasket was replaced. the contact stated that later, while driving, there was an abnormal fuel odor and fuel droplets inside the cabin of the vehicle. the driver and …”
2026-10-20 · Seat Belts · 115,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the seat belt and air bag warning lights illuminated while the driver’s and passenger’s seats were occupied. the contact stated that the passenger’s air bag light was off. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 16v244000 (air bags); as the cause for the failure; however, the …”
2026-09-06 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“i was involved in a collision, and despite the force of the impact, the vehicle's airbags failed to deploy.following the accident, the main dashboard srs airbag indicator light began flashing. additionally, the passenger airbag light indicates that the passenger airbag remains "off" even when an adult is properly seated in the front passenger seat.…”
2026-08-13 · Engine“sludge in engine- under 100,000 miles we had been keeping up with all recommended services, and it is cosmetically perfect, but the car is now a total loss. a check engine light came on, and we began to notice a tremor/shake and took it to southern team nissan. the nissan dealer diagnosed sludge in the engine and said it would need a total engine r…”
2026-07-27 · Unknown Or Other“my 2017 nissan pathfinder was making noise - i brought it to my mechanic and he said it is not safe to drive that the rear frame assembly has rotted and on one side was not even connected to anything. i have 110,000 miles on it. i asked nissan to stand by there vehicle and was told it’s past warranty so they can’t do anything - this should not have…”
2026-03-14 · Steering“constant whine from under the vehicle while in park or idle. even after having the rack replaced …”
2026-01-07 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems · 100,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving in a parking lot at unknown speeds, the vehicle began jerking and stalled. the battery had become inoperable. the tpms message was displayed. the failure was linked to technical service bulletin: ntb15-015h. the local dealer was called and informed the contact that the…”
2025-12-18 · Power Train“the transmission is failing. the car has about 117,000 miles on it. the transmission issue is a known problem with this vehicle and is causing safety concerns while driving it due to acceleration problems.…”
2025-10-14 · Power Train · 89,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the cvt after identifying a transmission judder. the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. th…”
2025-09-24 · Engine“engine failure in my vehicle equipped with the vq35dd engine, which i believe is the result of a widespread and well-documented design defect involving internal sludge buildup. i have owned this vehicle for over five years and have followed the recommended routine maintenance schedule, including on-time oil changes using high-quality oil. at no poi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.