IllustrationCar making hissing / humming noise
2015 Nissan Pathfinder
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Pathfinder years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder are substantially higher than the model-year median of 97.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pathfinder years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
560–25K
6825–50K
5550–75K
2275–100K
14100–150K
6150K+
221 reports with mileage · 99 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
79 reportsThe rear hatch door goes up when the lift button is pushed on the tailgate door, it reaches the top, beeps, then immediately comes back down. The hatch door hit my wife on the head. If you push up hard against the tailgate when it starts to immediately come down it is possible to keep it up. But someone not strong enough c…
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The rear hatch door goes up when the lift button is pushed on the tailgate door, it reaches the top, beeps, then immediately comes back down. The hatch door hit my wife on the head. If you push up hard against the tailgate when it starts to immediately come down it is possible to keep it up. But someone not strong enough can be seriously injured by the door. It’s the same situation every time we lift the hatch to open—up, beep, and back down it immediately comes We talked to dealer. They said contact Nissan consumer affairs. So we did. They said our vehicle is out of warranty: nothing we can do. Go back to dealer and pay to have it fixed. Not helpful at all. This isn’t a lightbulb burnt out or physical wear issue— it’s a safety issue and the manufacturer should do a recall and fix it ASAP.
When driving, many times while going uphill, the car starts to jerk if I press the gas it jerks more. I have to let go of the gas and then press to go fast for it to stop. At times, it has caused for other cars to rear end or for me to go into another car. The jerkin is becoming a safety hazard for me and I’ve only had the car s…
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When driving, many times while going uphill, the car starts to jerk if I press the gas it jerks more. I have to let go of the gas and then press to go fast for it to stop. At times, it has caused for other cars to rear end or for me to go into another car. The jerkin is becoming a safety hazard for me and I’ve only had the car since July. This is my first Nissan ever and would have never imagined to experience such issues.
I just got a recall for the hood latch. Although ours hasnt popped open yet, it bounces around like crazy when driving on the highway or if its windy out. We just returned from a 10 hour trip and going down the highway we pulled off to check because it was bouncing so much. Was very nervous going down the highway that it was goi…
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I just got a recall for the hood latch. Although ours hasnt popped open yet, it bounces around like crazy when driving on the highway or if its windy out. We just returned from a 10 hour trip and going down the highway we pulled off to check because it was bouncing so much. Was very nervous going down the highway that it was going to pop open. This def is a safety issue.
Car will not recognize key. It says key ID incorrect therefore I can not start it by the push to start button
I bought my 2015 Pathfinder new in 2016. Love the vehicle but I am disappointed in how quickly it started to "fall apart". I had a Altima with over 200 000 miles without a single part breaking on it. I bought my Pathfinder based on the premise that all Nissan products are as good as my Altima. I have only 52000 miles on my Pathf…
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I bought my 2015 Pathfinder new in 2016. Love the vehicle but I am disappointed in how quickly it started to "fall apart". I had a Altima with over 200 000 miles without a single part breaking on it. I bought my Pathfinder based on the premise that all Nissan products are as good as my Altima. I have only 52000 miles on my Pathfinder now and I have a defective cooling fan making a terrible noise. There is no support for my Pathfinder any longer from Nissan and the cost of replacing the fan is well over $1400. I expected more from Nissan and my new vehicle for next year will be based on my experience with Nissan. I am not sure I will be driving a Nissan next year. Nissan is cheeping out on product that they use for their vehicles now, it's too bad, they used to have very well built products.
CVT Transmission Internal Failure Judder Code P17FO Cost to replace $5000 Broken Radiator Fan cost to replace $938 Total repairs required $6281. Car located at Canon Nissan Dealer. Another repair shop indicated they are seeing failed CVT transmissions on many 2015 Pathfinders and Nissan models which appears to be a manufactu…
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CVT Transmission Internal Failure Judder Code P17FO Cost to replace $5000 Broken Radiator Fan cost to replace $938 Total repairs required $6281. Car located at Canon Nissan Dealer. Another repair shop indicated they are seeing failed CVT transmissions on many 2015 Pathfinders and Nissan models which appears to be a manufacturers defect. No warning lights. started naking noises week or two ago. indicated the fan was dangerous.
We bought our car from Newton Nissan south in 2019 it’s a 2015 and has a CTV transmission well now the CTV transmission will not switch into any other gears it jerks and shakes bucks etc I have read that this is a on going issues with this type of transmission well because the in-service date being 2015 the warranty does not cov…
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We bought our car from Newton Nissan south in 2019 it’s a 2015 and has a CTV transmission well now the CTV transmission will not switch into any other gears it jerks and shakes bucks etc I have read that this is a on going issues with this type of transmission well because the in-service date being 2015 the warranty does not cover the car even thought we didn’t purchase it will 2019 I’m trying to see what can be done about this because it’s not a uncommon issue for this type of transmission
On 8-16-21, while driving at highway speed, the sunroof over the driver/passenger area in the vehicle spontaneously exploded. No evidence of any item hitting it was located. No vehicles or underpasses were near the vehicle when this occurred. From attached photographs, it is clear the glass pushed up from the explosion, not down…
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On 8-16-21, while driving at highway speed, the sunroof over the driver/passenger area in the vehicle spontaneously exploded. No evidence of any item hitting it was located. No vehicles or underpasses were near the vehicle when this occurred. From attached photographs, it is clear the glass pushed up from the explosion, not downward as if something impacted it.
THERE WAS A RECALL FOR A HIGH PITCH SOUND FROM THE RADIATOR. WELL MY CAR IS DOING THIS ISSUE WHERE THE HEAT IS ON AND IT SOUNDS HORRIBLE FROM THAT AREA. COULD IT NOT OF BEEN REPAIRED LIKE IT STATS? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Official recalls
522V420000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Jun 13, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
21V020000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Jan 20, 2021
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
16V244000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Apr 26, 2016
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
15V681000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Oct 20, 2015
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
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.
Consequence: 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.
Air Bags:frontal
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.
Consequence: 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.
15V012000 · Service Brakes
Jan 14, 2015
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE21022 · Hood Latch/bell Crank Assembly
Opened Dec 9, 2021 · Closed Jul 8, 2022
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate consumer complaints alleging hood latch failures occurring on certain model year (MY) 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. Complaints received indicated a sudden and unexpected opening of the hood while the vehicle was in motion, blocking the driver's visibility.During this investigation Nissan collected parts from the field to analyze for root cause of the alleged failures. On June 13, 2022, Nissan submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding a hood bell crank assembly defect in certain MY2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles produced at the Smyrna, TN plant. According to Nissan's DIR, an accumulation of dust and dirt contamination on and around the bell crank lever pivot joint, which actuates the secondary hood latch, can create a condition that can cause the lever to remain in the open position after it has been disengaged. In this condition, the secondary hood latch may not hold the hood closed as designed while the vehicle is in motion obstructing the driver's forward view and increasing the risk of a crash.A remedy plan for all affected vehicles is currently under development. See recall action 22V-420 for further details. Nissan's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation, and therefore, this investigation is closed.The VOQs cited above can be found with ID numbers: 11456378, 11448298, 11436637, 11431131, 11427702, 11423321, 11406574, 11398825, 11389741, 11387952, 11375938, 11349105,11306735, 11302647, 11190468, 11166607.