Power Train. Review the 585 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 290 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 186 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

14 crash reports6 fire reports7 injury reports

Fuel System, Gasoline complaints

186 reports

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83,000 miles · Apr 21, 2008

Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. AFTER PLACING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DIAL IN THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT MOVE. APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES LATER, THE DIAL INCREASED, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE FUEL WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT DIMMED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE FUEL CAP AND REPLACED IT HIMSELF. MOMENTS LATER, HE RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND A REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT AS WELL. HE DID NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE REPAIR COST EXCEEDED $600. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 83,000.

NHTSA ODI #10225290

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2008

Fuel System, Gasoline

A FEW WEEKS AGO AFTER FILLING UP MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER, I NOTICED SEVERAL CONTRA-INDICATED PROBLEMS. FIRST, MY DTE SCREEN SHOWED NO NUMBERS. TWO, MY GAS GAUGE SHOWED MY TANK AS EMPTY, EVEN THOUGH AGAIN, I HAD JUST FILLED IT UP. ALL THIS AFTER ONLY ABOUT 65,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10220086

38,958 miles · Aug 18, 2007

Fuel System, Gasoline

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I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER WITH 38,958 MILES 2 WEEKS AGO WHEN MY 'DTE' (DISTANCE TO EMPTY) INDICATOR BEGAN MESSING UP. THE SUV IS RUNNING FINE LIKE IT ALWAYS HAS. MY DTE INDICATOR SHOWED ------ AND THE GAS GAUGE SHOWED ZERO GAS AND THE LIGHT WAS ON. I KNEW I HAD AT LEAST 1/2 TANK OF GAS. AFTER FILLING UP, EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THURSDAY EVENING, 8/16/07, THE DTE SHOWED -------, BUT THEN CORRECTED ITSELF AND WAS FINE. ON 8/17/07, THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT CAME ON. I REPLACED THE GAS CAP, HAD THE OIL CHANGED, AND IT STILL STAYED ON. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE SUV TO AUTOZONE TO HAVE THE CODES PULLED FROM THE COMPUTER. THE CODE IS P0463: DEFINITION-FUEL SENDING UNIT CONDITION. SHE INDICATED IF THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE, WHICH IT IS, THE FUEL PUMP IS FINE, THERE COULD BE A BAD SPOT ON THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. OF COURSE, WE CANNOT JUST PURCHASE THE 'FUEL LEVEL SENSOR' WITHOUT PURCHASING THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. THIS WILL BE A PRICEY REPAIR AT $420.00 FOR THE PART ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH NISSAN DUE TO THE NEWNESS OF THIS BODY STYLE. IN APRIL OF 2005, I CHOSE TO PURCHASE A BRAND NEW 4X4 SUV FOR DEPENDABILITY AND NO WORRIES TAKING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. A REPAIR OF THIS MAGNITUDE ON A LESS THAN 2 YEAR OLD VEHICLE IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. EVERY MOM PANICS WHEN THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT COMES ON, HOPING YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN MAKE IT TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING SAFELY. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NISSAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING THIS ON ALL NEWER NISSAN PATHFINDERS. THIS IS PART OF THE GAS TANK WE ARE DEALING WITH. I DOUBT I WILL EVER PURCHASE A NISSAN AGAIN. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND NOT DUE TO OPERATOR ERROR, HOWEVER, I WILL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10200004

64,585 miles · Dec 19, 2006

Fuel System, Gasoline

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WITH JUST 64,585 MILES ON MY 2005 PATHFINDER LE I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND A SOMETIMES DIS-FUNCTIONAL GAS GAUGE. WHILE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE WIRING HARNESS RECALL, THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CODE AND DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FUEL SENDING UNIT ASSEMBLY---ESTIMATED PART COST OF $420.00! SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OVER 60,000 MILES THE PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CODE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS THE STATE REQUIRED EMISSIONS TEST UNTIL THE UNIT WAS REPLACED. LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD AND ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10176618

Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2006

Fuel System, Gasoline

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MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE HAS A LOUD SQUEAK/VIBRATION COMING FROM THE UNDERBODY, THE SAME AS DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINT NUMBER 10143438. I TOO, HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE LOUD SQUEAK/VIBRATION IS FROM THE FUEL TANK/FUEL PUMP DESIGN. RECENTLY, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED (AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO) THAT THE TECH PEOPLE OF NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA IN CALIFORNIA HAVE YET TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY UNDER WARRANTY, I HAVE ALSO FOUND DEALING WITH THE NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO BE DIFFICULT AS, UNLIKE LOCAL MECHANICS, THE NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER DOES NOT APPEAR TO WANT TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM LET ALONE PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES TO ITS CONSUMERS. OFTEN TIMES, (SUCH AS RIGHT NOW) THE NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER WON'T CALL ME BACK EVEN THOUGH THEY PROMISED ME THAT THEY WOULD DO SO. THIS VEHICLE IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE AND I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM AND/OR WON'T COMMUNICATE WITH ITS LIFE-LONG CONSUMERS ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS, WHAT THEY ARE DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEM OR WHEN THEY EXPECT TO HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10153963

11,000 miles · Nov 22, 2005

Fuel System, Gasoline

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MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE HAS A LOUD SQUEAK/VIBRATION COMING FROM THE UNDERBODY. DEALER (RAMSEY NISSAN - RAMSEY, NJ) HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE LOUD SQUEAK/VIBRATION IS DUE TO THE CHANGE IN DESIGN FOR THE "FUEL PUMP SPRING ASSEMBLY". APPARENTLY, THE 2004 PATHFINDER HAD A 2 SPRING DESIGN WHICH WAS CHANGED TO A 1 SPRING DESIGN IN 2005. ONCE THE FUEL TANK BECOMES PRESSURIZED (CAR RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES), A LOUD, CONSTANT, AND OBTRUSIVE SQUEAK/VIBRATION COMES FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. TO DATE, NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE SINCE THE VIBRATION IS COMING FROM A CRITICALLY SENSITIVE AREA SUCH AS THE FUEL TANK. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE THAT SHOULD NOT SOUND AND FEEL LIKE IT IS 10 YEARS OLD. IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT NISSAN DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10143438

Official recalls

10V517000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Oct 28, 2010

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECM RELAY INSIDE THE IPDM ASSEMBLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 6, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

08V690000 · Air Bags:frontal

Dec 29, 2008

NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN 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

DP12004 · Transmission Failures

Opened Jun 11, 2012 · Closed Oct 22, 2016

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines; Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter

On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines

Power Train:automatic Transmission

Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter

Power Train