What 105 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder

My 2024 Nissan Frontier has experienced repeated complete power loss more than three times. The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly while on the street and cannot be restarted. During some incidents, even the emergency hazard lights did not work. I had to use jump cables to restart the vehicle. I first reported this issue to Nissan in January 2025. The dealer kept the truck for about one week but stated they could not find anything wrong. The problem continues, including incidents on 04/20/2026 and 04/23/2026. This creates a serious safety hazard because the vehicle can lose power in traffic and increase the risk of a crash or injury.

NHTSA ODI 11733497

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and sputtered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where DTC: P17F1 (Internal CVT failure was retrieved). The contact was informed that the CVT transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance could not be provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11704677

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.

NHTSA ODI 11702225

The rear subframe has completely rusted out from the inside, and is broke off on the right side and almost broken off on the left side. The car is now unsafe to drive. There were no warning lights, messages or problems before this. The car is only 9 years old and is always kept in a garage.

NHTSA ODI 11677442

VIBRATION AND NOISE WHEN MAKING LOW SPEED TURNS ABNORMAL NOISE, VIBRATION AND BINDING FEELING FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL

NHTSA ODI 11663891

There is a recall for replacement of the hood latch. the recall ID is R24B7. I have taken my car to the dealer twice. All they do is inspect and clean the part. They do not replace the part. It was my understanding the hood latch should be replaced. However Gunn NIssan refuses to replace the latch. Can you help me. The hood still vibrates as if it is not closed.

NHTSA ODI 11647114

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the mechanic was unable to securely close the hood of the vehicle. The mechanic lubricated the hood latch and was able to close the hood. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and the recall repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair stated that the latch would be lubricated, and not replaced, and only the same remedy could be provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 173,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641624

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the cooling fan became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cooling fan system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,400.

NHTSA ODI 11634350

Car was functioning fine and then suddenly stopped one day as I was entering expressway, car just stopped and had to tow to Nissan dealer. I was told alternator is not functioning and when doing systems check CVT/transmission alert was noted and said I need new transmission. In my search I see 2016 Pathfinders were included in a lawsuit. This was not brought to my attention and I am wondering if my CVT should be replaced by Nissan at no cost to me. My care has less than 120k miles and is less than 10yrs old. Link to Nissan dealers report: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11624350

The middle passenger and middle seat seatbelt latch came disconnected from the vehicle. My son who is 9 was sitting behind the passenger seat when his entire seatbelt came off from where it connects to the car. I had him switch to the middle seat and when I got home i investigated it and the middle seat was about to come disconnected also.

NHTSA ODI 11615764

This vehicle had a cvt transmission recall but I was never notified even though I have own this car for the past 7years please help

NHTSA ODI 11609175

After taking my Nissan Pathfinder to Nissan 112 for a safety recall on February 10, 2024, they improperly completed the recall, leaving the hood stuck closed. Despite multiple appointments and 23 calls with consumer affairs, the issue remains unresolved. The recall I brought my vehicle in for was R22A3, a safety recall having to do with the hood opening during vehicle operation. The procedures state to inspect the lock assembly and secondary latch. If all is well, then clean and lubricate it and your done. If it fails inspection, then replace the Hood Lock Assembly, the Secondary Latch, and the Hood Lock Release Cable. Even in the parts section it states “All three listed parts should be replaced together.” The key here is that it states to replace all three, neither the repair overview or service procedure give you leeway to replace the parts individually. But, that’s what was done. As verified on my receipt from February 10, 2024, and when talking to the service manager on April 4, 2024, they only replaced the hood lock assembly. According to the service manager, this is how they always do it and what he’s always done. Even when reading the recall beside me, he fails to recognize that he has improperly followed the procedures to complete a safety recall. This complaint is less about a new safety issue, and is more related to Nissan 112's improper completion of an existing safety recall. Based on the information I have, this seems like normal business to them, so who knows how often they sign-off recalls without properly executing them.

NHTSA ODI 11594545

Occupant Air bag sensor is on constantly and Air bag light on dashboard. My vehicle has never been in an accident. There was a recall issued for my vehicle in 2016. I purchased my car in 2017 new and it was overstock vehicle. The recall was cleared in August 2016 by dealer and I just found this out when vehicle was taken to Nissan dealership for different recall on 4/6/24. Since the vehicle is out of warranty now dealership will not clear recall again but state it is the exact same code. Advised me to contact Nissan USA but they denied my claim for repair. This is an extreme safety hazard and Nissan should honor there safety recall repairs in and out of warranty. Please review my claim because I have seen more complaints online.

NHTSA ODI 11582778

The engine in this vehicle has shut off two times while we were driving it. We were forced to make emergency exits off of the roadway in order to prevent injury to ourselves and others. This is a life-threatening situation when the vehicle loses engine power while it is being driven. Additionally, we have experienced multiple instances of the vehicle not starting after it had been parked. We have researched this on the internet and have found that other Nissan owners are experiencing this same issue. When the vehicle stops running while driving or when it will not start after being parked, we get these symptoms: everything lit up on the dash TPMS light, I-Key error, no speedometer, no tachometer the engine cooling fan is running vehicle will not start back up When you push the start button the dash lights come back on the cooling fan would kick on engine will not start

NHTSA ODI 11578577

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the trunk latch was inoperable and not closing securely. The contact stated the failure had been recurring for approximately two years. The contact stated had received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under the recall repair. The contact stated the dealer verbally informed her that the recall repair was completed however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA ODI 11555027

Every year when it warms up, the brakes fade. I've had new pads, rotors, new fluid. Still have brake fade. Took it to mechanic, he tried a new master cylinder. Still have brake fade. This is a known issue for these vehicles. Something needs to be done. Nissan needs to be held liable for their faulty brake systems. Someone can get hurt or killed. Nissan should be forced to open a safety recall! Sitting at red light or stop signs, pedal sinks to floor and vehicle starts moving. How many complaints is it going to take???? I've seen a lot of owners complaining about this exact issue!

NHTSA ODI 11519943

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH and coming to a stop light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact pumped the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped; however, the braking distance was extended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled into the nearest gas station where the vehicle started jerking for a minute after coming to a stop. The contact stated that the brake pedal was making an abnormal suction sound while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the abnormal suction sound was most likely due to the brake booster and brake master cylinder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,175.

NHTSA ODI 11518210

Passenger Airbag sensor not showing that airbag is on for front passenger seat even though passenger sitting there. Recall issued in 2016 and Nissan still does not have a fix for this yet.

NHTSA ODI 11511363

The passenger airbag doesn’t activate at all. The OCS sensor is faulty. When someone sits in the front passenger seat, the airbag remains off. This is a known defect with Nissan Pathfinders. We were told ours will not be fixed as our VIN is not included in the recall. However, this exact defect is known and has been recalled in hundreds of thousands Nissan Pathfinders, including the 2016 model year. Not fixing this can result in death or dismemberment in the case of a collision in which the airbags should deploy and do not. After much correspondence with Nissan, they refuse to pay to fix this know defect because our specific VIN was not included. We are asking to include our VIN in this know defect recall.

NHTSA ODI 11501521

Hood latch was marked as repaired (cleaned and lubricated) in recall report but secondary latch still sticks and I have to manually push the lever out of position to get my hood to latch down properly. All the dealership did was look at it, grease it, and call it good. It is still caked with gunk and sticks.

NHTSA ODI 11496869

My front differential and transmission failed at the same time while I was driving on a major highway. I had to repair both components at a dealership costing me over $8000.

NHTSA ODI 11487419

When I purchased this vehicle I quickly noticed a feature or standard that this vehicle has concerning passenger safety vs airbag ON/OFF There is a lamp beside the display area that indicates if the pass bags are on (lamp is off) or if they are off (lamp is on) If the passenger is under a certain amount the airbag turns itself off...At least that was my observation for at least 4 months after purchase. This standard/feature isn't working anymore I guess? Because the lamp is always ON stating that the passenger airbags are OFF. I notified the dealership, they said they could not inspect the issue unless I paid for their time and then service (fix of the issue)

NHTSA ODI 11475467

The passenger side air bag light will light up thaymt it is disables when a passenger is occupying the seat. It will not go off to indicate that the airbag is turned on foe the seat occupant until I turn the car off and restart. May have to repeat a couple times or have passenger step out of car, sit back on seat and reconnect lap belt.

NHTSA ODI 11471510

When you move front seats forward or back the airbag sensor under the seats breaks. The air bag off light is always lit up for passenger seat even when adult sits there, and the drivers airbag light is blinking on dashboard all the time. A week after buying vehicle I took it back to dealer and they said it was a recall and it was fixed. A week later it was back on I went back and they said nothing they can do it was already fixed. Nissan dealership told me same thing. It is not fixed and now I am paying car payments for a car I can't get an inspection sticker on, so I can't drive it. If it was a recall and they claim to have fixed it and the same problem happens again it should be fixed with an improved part so it don't happen again. The dealership also told me with those lights on there is a possibility of the airbags going off for no reason or they may not go off when in an accident. This is a serious problem and needs to be taken seriously but instead I am being told I need to pay for the recalled problem because they fixed it once already. Clearly they didn't fix it properly or at all but my vin number says it was done.

NHTSA ODI 11470018

I purchased this as a new used 2016 Pathfinder in October 2021. Within about 2500 miles in December of 2021, the radiator cooling fan assembly was making noise and had to be replaced. It is now May of 2022, about 3000 miles later, and the same thing has to be replaced. There were no other messages or symptoms other than the noise the fan makes when the bearings are shot. It has not been inspected by anyone other than myself and my mechanic at the time the first fan assembly needed replacement. I am about to take the vehicle to a Nissan dealer to confirm what I already know. When it is replaced I will keep the old part for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11464029