Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Nissan Pathfinder - part 1

My 202 Pathfinder started misfiring with sever knocking, Nissan said there is metal saving in my oil which is caused because of the long block engine failure and timing chain loosening. I had my oil changes done every 4k, and I also had the fluids flushed twice in 5 years because of excessive build up. How does this happen.

See all problems of the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Check engine light came in. Took into repair shop to change oil and diagnose issue. It was about 7,000 miles since previous oil change with full synthetic oil. Drained oil was full of metal shavings. Refilled oil and ran engine. Metal shavings was again observed in oil immediately. Mechanic stated vehicle needed a new engine. Noticed another complaint (#11674909) built around same time with exact same issue. Vehicle has ~160k miles with regular maintenace and only synthetic oil. There should not be engine damage at this point that would lead to a failure as this. Cost of repair is currently being worked up by repair shop but likely in $3-7k range.

See all problems of the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

While driving at normal speed, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted itself into neutral twice without any driver input. During both incidents, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion in traffic, creating a safety risk for the occupants and surrounding vehicles. Prior to and after these events, the vehicle displayed a “service a/t” message and a check engine warning light. The vehicle has been inspected by a dealership. They identified an engine-related concern (including a failed mass air flow sensor) and an electrical concern requiring attention. However, the dealership reported that they were unable to duplicate or diagnose the unintended shift into neutral, and the cause of the neutral engagement remains unknown. This issue has occurred more than once shortly after purchase of the vehicle. The warning lights and messages have been reproduced by the dealer, but the loss-of-drive event has not. The unresolved transmission or powertrain malfunction poses an ongoing safety concern.

See all problems of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Buying a used vehicle checking on issues.

See all problems of the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Around 160,000 miles my cvt transmission went out. I almost got into a wreck no warning lights just stopped on me. When I took it to my local dealership in waco, texas they told me I'll be good to wait over the weekend that they first opening wasn't until Tuesday. I came by on a Thursday. The car was making noises I was concerned and it wasn't accelerating like normal. I slowly drove it to Nissan dealership in temple TX 30 mins away. The tech there immediately drove it to see if it was apressing concern or not. He immediately stated it wasn't safe and they gave me a loaner. My vehicle was in the shop for three weeks I had to get a $14,000 loan to repair it because my extended warranty didn't cover specifically cvt transmissions because of Nissan history with the other vehicles with that transmission type. I contacted Nissan corporate they said they would give me a warranty but since the Pathfinder wasn't on their recall list they couldn't assist me in that manner. Since the cvt transmission repair I've had engine issues and now my catalytic converter isn't working properly. I've given Nissan money on repairs that normally doesn't happen until the vehicles is over 200,000 miles. I went to some Nissan Pathfinder forums and found out this is to be true that many Pathfinder owners are buying new transmissions or vehicles all together because of this defect in the Nissan cvt transmissions. I hope to get my money back since I'm a disabled afghanistan navy veteran on a limited income. If it's happening to me it's happening to others and should be investigated.

See all problems of the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

The engine failed due to coolant infiltration, which caused catastrophic damage and required a full engine replacement. The failed engine remains at conyers Nissan and is available for inspection upon request. When the vehicle finally started, thick white smoke poured from the exhaust while it was in my garage with the garage door raised. I immediately removed my child from the vehicle and moved it outside to avoid potential fire or toxic fume exposure. The sudden failure created a serious safety risk to both myself and my child. . After failed multiple phone check-ins then finally going to conyers Nissan, the shop foreman confirmed the problem on October 13, 2025, and determined that the engine must be replaced. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by Nissan corporate, insurance representatives, or law enforcement. There were no dashboard warning lamps, error messages, or prior symptoms before the failure. The vehicle had been operating normally until October 9, 2025, when it suddenly became difficult to start and then emitted smoke. All maintenance has been completed according to Nissan guidelines. The incident occurred on October 9, 2025, when the vehicle had 35,855 miles. It has remained at the dealership since that date. Despite the proposed engine replacement and any other associated component, I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle, particularly with my child onboard, due to the severity and suddenness of the failure. I sent an email to Nissan consumer affairs (case# 55923865) requesting that Nissan repurchase the vehicle due to this serious safety concern. The dealership stated they cannot give me an inspection report until the repairs are done. However on the status link that is sent via text to check on the vehicle, the inspection shows complete.

See all problems of the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Airbag light just came on today 10/2/25 electronic emissions control will turn on and off the same day every few months.

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.

See all problems of the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that after stopping at a gas station, the vehicle was restarted but stalled. There several unknown warning lights flashing on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was towed to a local dealer. The contact stated during the failure the transmission was in drive(d) and could not be shifted to park(p) or neutral(n). The dealer recharged the 12-volt battery and had difficulty diagnosing the failure. The dealer determined that the transmission control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle was losing motive power while driving. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was stopped, turned off and restarted to regain normal operation. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The failure recently recurred with several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle was towed to the same dealer. The contact became aware that in March 2024 another dealer replaced the fuel pump for a previous vehicle owner. The dealer had not yet diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,607.

As I was driving my 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high rate of speed and the gas pedal became stuck. I tried to press on the brake as much as possible but the vehicle was not successfully able to be stopped which caused a terrible motor vehicle accident.

See all problems of the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Timing chain failure at 88,000 miles on well maintained vehicle. Could cause catastrophic engine failure. No leading indicator.

1. ) the engine makes extremely loud running noise after pressing gas pedal. It is available for inspection. 2. ) no noticeable safety of occupants was place at risk. We will say the deafening sound of the engine when accelerating is unsettling. 2a) the vehicle struggles to accelerate fast after pressing acceleration pedal. 2b. ) it’s not shifting automatically at all. 3. ) the problem have not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, only reported to dealer. 4. ) the vehicle or component havr not been inspected by police, manufacturer, insurance representatives or others. 5. ) there weren’t any warning ?? lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The sudden occurrence was observed three-days ago, when the loud engine sputtering noise began after running quietly earlier in the day. 5a) it simply sounded like the header pipe (s) to the engine became disconnected from the engine, or the equivalent of the header/engine exhaust pipe(s).

Car caught fire when off and parked.

My 2018 Nissan Pathfinder sl has had to have the engine replaced once due to the cvp issues with the transmission causes in the engine to fail. It was replaced not even two years ago and now the issue has presented itself yet again and the engine has failed once again. I believe that this vehicle should be issued for recall because this is an issue that has happened twice engine has failed twice car will not run. Will not turn over vehicle is at a standstill. I want somebody to contact me regarding this because this is not acceptable.

See all problems of the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

Idle needle jumping when turning the car on. Delay in shifting gears and throttle response. Forward collision warning goes off at random times even when no cars are present.

Complete engine failure. I did regular oil changes about every 4000 miles and the last one I did early at around 3200 miles the oil was sludge and after the engine knocked and low oil pressure light came on and the engine blew all within 2 miles of the light coming on and me trying to find a safe place to pull over. These engines have a defect somewhere and I know it didn't happen from improper maintenance.

Electrical issues with my car including ac. Timing belt chain went and gasket covers. Continuous issue with this vehicle.

My 2013 Pathfinder keeps shuddering and jerking and swerving while driving.

See all problems of the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

While driving on the interstate with my family, my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder suddenly began to fail (limp mode), forcing me to pull onto the shoulder in a dangerous situation. I was in the farthest lane to the left, with no shoulder available. I had to cruise all the way across two lanes with no acceleration, but my flashers and the grace of god. The issue appears related to the mass airflow sensor, which was already replaced six months ago. I’ve had repeated issues, and neither the dealership nor Nissan has resolved it. The dealership manager even told me rudely that he would unplug the mass air flow sensor and leave it up front for me to come pick it up, because of my attitude. I told him at the beginning of the call that I was frustrated, and it was nothing personally against him. I even asked what did I say to have you make a comment like that. This vehicle is unsafe and unreliable, and I fear for my family's safety the next time I drive it.

See all problems of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder 🔎.

I bought my 2014 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 sv a couple months ago and it’s always had when starting where the rpms will constantly jump while driving, I took the car in to Nissan dealership in tridelphia wv multiple times, after buying to have recalls done that needed to be done and they said it was fine no previous codes or anything. Then driving home from work [xxx] the check engine light came on and codes were cvt judder, bank 1 low catalytic converter, driver tpms sensors bad. And then after couple days the check engine light went off. Car has a loud humming noise prior to light coming on and still. Rpms still jump but now the speedometer does it as well. This can’t be safe and there’s been multiple accidents/complaints about the cvt death judder in these suvs and for what we pay for them it should be fixed before someone dies. They need to be recalled ASAP!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My car is saying hybrid battery overheating theres a recall for it but not for my VIN and they won't fix it.

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that soon after starting the vehicle, the engine started to overheat with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(h). The contact also stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

On may 7th at 1:22 pm, the engine in my 2018 Nissan Pathfinder catastrophically failed for the second time while my family was driving. The engine completely lost power in the middle of a very busy highway intersection, going over an overpass, where there was no shoulder. I had no ability to pull off the road. My wife had to push the disabled vehicle off the highway to avoid causing a major accident. This was an incredibly dangerous situation where my entire family’s life was at risk. My wife could have been struck by oncoming traffic while we were pushing the vehicle to safety. There was no protection or space to safely move out of traffic. This is the second catastrophic engine failure on this vehicle. The first engine failed just over two years prior and was replaced by the dealership. Despite the replacement, the second engine also failed, repeating the same critical failure that Nissan Pathfinders from this model year are widely known to experience. There were no prior warning lamps or engine codes during this incident. The engine immediately lost power and locked up while in motion. This vehicle was properly maintained, and all scheduled services were performed by licensed service providers. Additional supporting evidence: •incident date: may 7th at 1:22 pm •photos of the disabled vehicle on the side of the highway provided. •screenshot of text message conversation at the time of the incident (attached). •this failure is consistent with multiple NHTSA complaints, owner reports, class-action lawsuits, and technical service bulletins regarding systemic engine failures in the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder.

Fast burning oil white smoke regular oil changes 3000k after 2k oil is extremely low 88k miles sludge oil after 2 oil changes.

Since we purchased the vehicle we noticed that power outlet would not work. We have taken this vehicle back to the dealership and even though they "fix it" as soon as we drive it out within in one or two hours it will give out again. The last time we took it they said not to use "off the market" cellphone chargers because that is what is making it not work. Then the ac has also stopped working a couple of times. All of sudden the truck will blow out hot instead of cold air. We have to stop the vehicle, turn it off and let it rest and then the ac will be back up. They have supposedly looked into it. Lastly, this vehicle has on several occasions not accelerated while we are on the road. Even though the speed limit is 75mph it will not move faster than 40mph. At the same time the service lights on the dashboard begin to turn on/off. It has been very difficult because the last time we took the vehicle to the shop it was in there for more than 30 days. I am very concerned that although they say the "fix it" the vehicle can stop running on me and I can have a serious accident with my family in inside.

The engine would shift out of drive into neutral while driving on the road. It one time shifted into park while pulling out of my driveway and left me stuck in the middle of the road for several seconds before it would allow me to shift back to drive. This has been continuous throughout. I reported to Nissan with no action from them. Sunroof leaks at 93,000 miles and regular maintenance (at home) the engine seized and they are saying sludge. I know it has been maintained so there has to be a separate cause. We had routine maintenance, the report from Nissan all along provided no engine issues or no oil pressure issues.

Vehicle shut down mid intersection turn. Had to be towed away to the dealership. 5 days later after having "issues" with diagnosing they said it has oil sludge and the engine seized due to this. The vehicle has been maintained and has less than 100,000 miles. I find this very concerning and believe there is an issue with the quality of the engine.

The auto stop/start function. When enabled sometimes it shuts off engine and does not restart as the system should. Stopping at a red light, almost completely but light turns green and you go to accelerate but auto/stop shuts engine off and car dies in middle of intersection. You have to put in park restart engine and put in drive. Has happened to us 4 times with only 14k on car. Shop can’t seem to see what wrong. Car dies set faults but as soon as you restart car faults go away and Nissan says they can’t see any stored faults. They changed fuel pump put it did. It did not fix the issue. Happens again.

Since purchasing this vehicle new I have had several issues : - while driving on the highway the engine will switch into neutral -one time while pulling out of my drive way I got stuck in the middle of the road because it placed me in park for no known reason. - sunroof leaks, - most recently at 93,000 miles my engine failed and I needed a full engine replacement. They didnt cover this replacement and left it in me to pay for the full replacement. (over $10k) - the breaks needed to be fully replaced before $20,000.

Car started jerking multiple times and then rpm went down to zero and stopped driving while in traffic.

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the abs, traction control, and check engine warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument cluster had gone black. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had been a reoccurring failure for several months. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that brake fluid was leaking onto the circuit board and causing a short circuit. The dealer advised the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 19v807000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

The disabled vehicle when delivered by flatbed car hauler unit to the nearest dealership, petro Nissan, 47 miles from the breakdown site would not move at highway speed but only jerked/bucked and crept along at little more than a fast walk. This condition was last experienced when the vehicle had been on a remote undulating interstate for about 2 hours. The check engine light had reappeared after being recently reset and the engine revving and loss of ground speed started causally then increased in frequency and intensity until totally failing to the point of forcing me to creep with emergency flashers in mode on the shoulder to reach an exit two miles ahead. The high rpm revving coupled with the ground speed loss condition initial stages occurred each of the two prior days. Two Nissan na dealerships in those two days had performed diagnostics and service. On each prior day the check engine light, the high revving engine rpm, and the ground speed loss occurred. On each day a potentially serious safety issue arose. Initially an attempt to match speed and merge with traffic at an onramp and again when (using cruise control) during which the vehicle system attempted an automatic acceleration to maintain speed on rolling hills. Both conditions forced me to the shoulder to avoid a potential accident from immediate and drastic ground speed loss and engine revving at or above 4500 rpm after each of these incidents a Nissan na dealership was consulted and services were performed. In each case I postulated to the service advisors that the transmission sounded/felt like it was slipping on acceleration when the vehicle/ transmission had heated up from extended driving. Both days service advisors checked for diagnostic codes of transmission issues but never mentioned emission issues aside from mass air flow sensor or abs sensors apparently either not seeing or not looking beyond transmission related codes. The first dealer, illini Nissan, ran diagnostics on 1/6/25,.

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer for a tune up where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. There was previously an unknown transmission issue. The transmission was replaced after eight months the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted where a complaint was registered. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

I purchased a brand-new 2024 Nissan Pathfinder on December 18, 2024. Just seven days later, at only 1,198 miles, the transmission completely failed while driving, causing the vehicle to come to an unexpected stop and then shift into reverse without warning. This created a serious safety hazard for my family and other road users. The vehicle was out of service for 28 days due to delays in repairs. Even after the transmission was replaced, ongoing issues persist, including poor fuel economy. Nissan has denied my request for a replacement or refund, despite the severity of the failure and continued safety concerns. This vehicle poses a serious safety risk, and I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue further.

The check engine light turned on and took it to dealership on 12/14/24 and they stated that throttle chamber may have issues. Used scanner and code p0101- mass air flow sensor circuit was read on scanner. Vehicle struggles to get air flow into engine causes speed to struggle when trying to accelerate.