2020 Nissan Pathfinder problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 52 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder, or 7.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #15 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 73% lower; against other Midsize SUVs it is 85% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-06-03 and 2026-07-26. Median delay from incident to filing: 19 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 9.8 complaints per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 5 complaints, 91% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (30.8% of complaints), followed by Electrical (19.2%) and Brakes (15.4%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “timing”, “chain”, “engine”, “defect” and “knocking”. 1 reports (1.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 46 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (33% of incidents). In the last 12 months 13 new complaints were filed, versus 9 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.19
- vs. other Nissan models0.27
- vs. other 2020 models0.21
- vs. other Midsize SUVs0.15
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (5)0.09
- #15 of 82 · 2020Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Engine · Common terms in reports
- timing5
- chain4
- engine11
- defect5
- knocking3
- remains3
Electrical · Common terms in reports
- unlock3
- camera4
- door4
- passenger4
- side3
Brakes · Common terms in reports
- abs3
- brake4
- warning3
Problem areas: Engine · Brakes · Electrical · Interior & equipment · Transmission / powertrain · Body & structure
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 0
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 46 months
What owners report
The car stalled three times and died in active traffic. The breakdown was so hazardous that the police department had to intervene and push the car out of the road and had to tow the car more than 3 times and was at the Nissan Dealership for over one week.
After only 110,000 miles, my local Nissan service center (Advantage Nissan, 5101 Auto Center Blvd, Bremerton, WA 98312) states that the timing chain is loose. The repair estimate is in excess of $6000.
A few months after purchase, the power cut off on me. Then it happened again the following year. Then the screen for backing up started going on and off. Then I started feeling like the car was loosing power.
The back-up camera and display settings image is no longer visible and the dashboard indicates that it is off. The camera is black and does not display anything nor does it provides information that you are backing up.
Airbag needs replacing at 60,000 mile due to TSB# NTB19-07-1D
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2020 · Midsize SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Nissan Pathfinder | 52 | 7.8 | 0.19 |
| 2020 Dodge Durango | 73 | 10.9 | 0.26 |
| 2020 Honda Passport | 93 | 13.9 | 0.33 |
| 2020 Kia Sorento | 134 | 20.1 | 0.48 |
| 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe | 206 | 30.9 | 0.73 |
| 2020 Chevrolet Traverse | 223 | 33.4 | 0.79 |
| 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 233 | 34.9 | 0.83 |
| 2020 Ford Edge | 312 | 46.7 | 1.11 |
| 2020 Toyota Highlander | 318 | 47.6 | 1.13 |
| 2020 Honda Pilot | 483 | 72.4 | 1.72 |
| 2020 Hyundai Palisade | 528 | 79.1 | 1.88 |
| 2020 Kia Telluride | 748 | 112.1 | 2.66 |
| 2020 Subaru Outback | 896 | 134.2 | 3.19 |
| 2020 Ford Explorer | 1,203 | 180.2 | 4.28 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder?
52 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder, or about 7.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 30.8% of complaints.
Does the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Is the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 13 new complaints were filed, versus 9 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 52 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder, or 7.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.19, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 82 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #15 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 73% lower; against other Midsize SUVs it is 85% lower.