2015 Nissan Pathfinder
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 320 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 25 Pathfinder model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 11 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJun 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.
An unsecured hood could unexpectedly open while driving, obstructing the driver's view, and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 22V420000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, brake lights, switchJan 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.
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.
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.
Campaign 21V020000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationApr 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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalOct 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.
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.
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.
Campaign 15V681000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakesJan 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.
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.
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.
Campaign 15V012000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
320 reports, newest first.
Power train, Oct 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal for an extended period of the time, the vehicle responded as needed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer informed the contact that there would be no assistance provided in covering the repair cost. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving 3 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. An Advanced Auto mechanic determined that the battery was drained. The mechanic replaced the battery. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a U-turn, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to pull into a nearby AAA parking lot, where the vehicle was jumpstarted. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving and turning. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot, where the vehicle was jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with CVT judder. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under TSB Number: NTB17-039N. The failure mileage was unknown.
Wheels, Sep 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the hub bolts had sheared off and the rotors, front brakes, fender, door, hood, and wheel well needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where the vehicle was undergoing repairs by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,909.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 10, 2024
My car jolts/jerks in park as soon as it’s crunk up. Have been to the shop 9 times since June. Last 4 times has been Nissan Dealership, had $3000+ worth of work/replacement done. My engine is still continuing to do the same thing. Nissan said past 2 times that it was ignition coils, because they replace plug wires, but they’ve been replaced 3 times now and still the same issue ? Sounds more like CVT or timing chain issue. No codes were thrown past 2 times either
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 5, 2024
It begins shaking, jolting and shuddering while driving; started off happening at take off; then progressed to anytime speed was under 35mph; now, it does it often throughout all speeds. Nissan states it needs a new transmission which was quoted to cost $6,600+tax. The vehicle trade-in value is only $5,000ish prior to these symptoms. Vehicle has less than 117,500 miles and all maintenance and fluids have been routinely changed throughout vehicle's lifespan. This CVT issue seems to be ongoing therefore Nissan and other makes should not be allowed to put these into vehicles that are so costly and these transmissions begin to give problems while vehicles are still under warranty. Need assistance in fixing the costly transmission and Nissan should have a discount on this faulty transmissions that they knew had issues. No warning lamps or messages given; symptoms were found when taken in at 117,000 miles and stated transmission needs to be replaced. Warning lamps and signals should have been given to owner to prevent the damage done to transmission. Warning lamps do not show anything wrong with vehicle; however, the jolting, jumping and sputtering is very dangerous during driving and may cause accidents in braking, acceleration and/or heavy traffic flow.
Power train, Jul 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that when making a turn, the contact noticed a rumbling noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed electronic coupler. The contact was informed that the electronic coupler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of a Technical Service Bulletin which had a similar failure description, Technical Service Bulletin NTB10-029E, however, the contact was informed that the repair was not eligible for coverage under Technical Service Bulletin NTB10-029E. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 14, 2024, crash
Complete shutdown of the vehicle while driving down the road. Caused me to go into a ditch. The vehicles lights flashed and then it just shut off. Had the alternator replaced twice also the battery replaced twice and now the nissan dealership has said they don't know what's wrong with it.
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, May 17, 2024
The relay in the drivers seat melted and the wires shorted out. This caused issues with my radio, clock, brakes, and power issues when accelerating. They replaced the relay which cost me $1200 and suddenly all of my systems work correctly. I was told the short was causing feedback into the electrical systems of the car by the service department. The dealer further confirmed there is an advisory on this issue and it has been noted several times. They stated the issue is ongoing but there is no recall.
Air bags, Mar 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V244000 (Air Bags) however, after the recall repair, the air bag warning light illuminated, and the message "Passenger Air Bag Off" was displayed despite the front passenger's seat being occupied. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor needed to be replaced, and a repair fee was charged. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had not experienced a failure before the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Power train, Service brakes, Mar 6, 2024
Intermittently there is low power when accelerating and the brake lights remain on. If there is low power when accelerating from a stopped position going into traffic, this could lead to injury or death of persons in the car as other vehicles could run into them. Likewise with brake lights remaining on throughout a journey, other road users cannot determine when the brakes have been applied which could lead to collisions.
Vehicle speed control, Feb 12, 2024
While driving my Pathfinder, the transmission hesitated, jerked, and spuddered while trying to merge into traffic. Almost caused a severe accident. This was not the first time this has happened and Nissan refuses to do anything about the CVT transmission that apparently has been recalled in the past as well as had lawsuits against it. There are no warning lights or notice at all before this happens.
Structure, Feb 4, 2024
Hood latch won’t close fully. Took to my dealer and supposedly they “cleaned” it and it keeps not fully latching and dealer won’t do anything about it because they “cleaned” it previously. Randomly comes loose. I can’t list a. Specific date because it always happens if I take it for an oil change they can’t get the hood to fully latch either. Once you open the hood it will not fully latch.
Power train, Oct 31, 2023
I own a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder with a CVT transmission that has gone out. I bought the vehicle used in October 2022. Obviously this class action lawsuit and claim deadline had already passed - when I bought the car and until my transmission failed, I had no idea about the problems or the lawsuit. Therefore I have never opted out or into the lawsuit because I did not even own the car yet. The vehicle only has 55,000 miles. It's within the original 60,000 mile warranty, but Nissan refused to cover it because the 60 month warranty expired in May 2023. I've raised a case with Nissan Consumer Affairs to no avail. Nissan Cedar Park dealership where it's at has confirmed the transmission failure through no fault of our own. What recourse do I have? I have seen your CAMPAIGN BULLETIN: CVT Warranty Extension Reference: CVT Date: August 30, 2022 It seems to me clearly from that, that Nissan's CVT warranty for my vehicle has been extended and should be covered. How do I pursue getting them to make these warranty repairs? Can you help?
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 13, 2023
The Power Liftgate Switch on the trunk is always having issues due to the chrome plate thats part of the body on the trunk. The chrome panel is easily weathered and rubber seal comes off and when in contact with water, water drains right onto the relay switch and causes burnt out relay, or blown fuses, and does not operate.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Aug 11, 2023
1)Vehicle has been repaired 3 times in the last 2 weeks for a brake switch issue that is causing the vehicle not to recognize the brake is pushed causing the car not being able to start. This has been an intermittent issue for 18 months and was told the recall fixed it, which it didn't. 2)Dealership service department is now telling me that other issues have arisen since trying to fix issue #1. The car is revving to 5000 rpms, the car is automatically going to manual 1, and the car is hitting speeds of 40mph without touching the pedal.
Service brakes, Air, Exterior lighting, Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated after releasing the brake pedal. The ABS warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that front brake pads were low however, the contact was not offered any further information. The manufacturer was also notified of the issue informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V020000 (Exterior Lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 1, 2023
Headlamps on 2015 Nissan Pathfinder delaminating making plastic on headlamps foggy with issue getting worse by the day. Safety issue that Nissan will not assume responsibility for, even though they had similar recall for years of other model car in 2015. Reference TSB No. 03-074H. Dealership at Surf city Nissan has been zero help. I am concerned for the safety of my family while driving at night. Please help if you can.
Air bags, Jun 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the passenger side front, middle and rear curtain air bags were erroneously deployed causing the vehicle to abruptly shut off. During the failure, the driver sustained burns to both arms and hands which did not require medical treatment. The contact indicated that the vehicle did not crash into another vehicle or object to cause the air bags to deploy. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 29, 2023
No warning lamps or error codes given on instrument cluster While driving normally the car suddenly would not accelerate almost causing an accident while turning left. The car was driven home on idle. This Happened 2 weeks prior and the battery was replaced to rule out problem and it worked fine for 2 weeks fine . The same problem occurred again and will not accelerate. This is a major safety hazard and I’m looking into legal action for negligence and non helpful Nissan corporation
Other or unspecified, Jun 23, 2023
The hood latch is not secure, while driving on the interstate especially, you can see the hood blowing up..This is dangerous because the hood may lift up while driving.
Power train, Apr 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving from a complete stop. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the CarMax where the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,320.
Other or unspecified, Apr 11, 2023
Car making hissing / humming noise
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Mar 22, 2023
2015 pathfinder will intermittently not accelerate while driving. Occurs mostly after being at a stop. Has also occurred while in motion in a 35 mph zone. The traction control light will illuminate and stay on until vehicle is shut off and restarted. This is dangerous and will eventually cause a crash.
Power train, Feb 18, 2023
Significant knocking from front of vehicle. Took to mechanic and had front transfer case replaced due to metal breaking off assembly. Could have caused failure while driving.
Electrical system, Jan 23, 2023
While driving the back gate open warning showed on the dashboard and the dome lights turned on and the doors unlocked by it self this happened several times.