Nissan Pathfinder Engine problems
103 of the 566 complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder (18.2%) concern Engine, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 0.8× the Engine share across all tracked vehicles.
Analysis
By model year, Engine complaints peak with the 2022 model (18, 13% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (7). 35 Engine complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 24 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
Owners most often describe: “engine”, “neutral”, “sludge”, “oil” and “timing”. 2 of these reports (1.9%) describe a crash or fire, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
No recall campaign addresses Engine for the tracked model years.
By model year
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 35 · Previous 12 months: 24
Common terms in reports
- engine64
- neutral20
- sludge7
- oil23
- timing8
- light33
What owners report
Our renter states that the vehicle was great up until the incident. States that they filled the vehicle up with gas around 4pm before parking it just out in front of where they were staying.
There was built up sludge in my engine that caused it to fail, and I was charged to replace it
Component/system failure. Engine shut off while driving @ 70 mph. The car first shifted into neutral all on its own, system shows AT MALFUNCTION. Vehicle was towed to nearest dealership so it is available for inspection.
The vehicle veers towards the right, even though a wheel alignment was completed on 7/1/26. On 7/28/26 when driving the vehicle, it wouldn’t accelerate properly, it felt sluggish and although the gas pedal was depressed it was struggling to pick up speed.
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.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
No recall campaign addresses Engine for the tracked model years.
Problem areas · Nissan Pathfinder
- Engine103
- Brakes99
- Electrical92
- Interior & equipment61
- Transmission / powertrain51
- Body & structure47
Nissan Pathfinder problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›
Related reading
- Why modern engines burn oil, and what owner complaints revealThe design choices that make many recent engines consume oil, the warning signs owners describe, what counts as normal, and which tracked models draw the most engine complaints right now.
Frequently asked questions
How common are Engine problems on the Nissan Pathfinder?
103 of the 566 complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder (18.2%) concern Engine, making it the model's largest problem area. That share is 0.8× the Engine share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Nissan Pathfinder model years have the most Engine complaints?
By model year, Engine complaints peak with the 2022 model (18, 13% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2025 model (7).
Is there a recall for Nissan Pathfinder Engine problems?
No recall campaign addresses Engine for the tracked model years.