2005 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Pathfinder years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,050 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. That is the most of any Pathfinder model year in the database (31 years). The most reported problem area is power train (585 complaints, 56%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 6 fires, 12 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 1,050owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 585 | 56% | 100,000 | “transmission radiator” (17%) | $7,250 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 290 | 28% | 92,500 | “radiator transmission” (17%) | $5,000 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 186 | 18% | 63,750 | “fuel gauge” (40%) | $820 |
| Engine problems | 144 | 14% | 106,250 | “radiator transmission” (15%) | $3,850 |
| Electrical System problems | 66 | 6% | 82,500 | “fuel gauge” (12%) | — |
| Fuel System, Other problems | 61 | 6% | 60,000 | “fuel gauge” (49%) | $760 |
| Unknown or Other | 40 | 4% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 31 | 3% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 3% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 22 | 2% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 1% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 1% | 65,108 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 1% | 67,340 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 1% | 27,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 0% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 0% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 0% | 61,581 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 0% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 86,344 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 88,373 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Nissan Pathfinder recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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.
Risk: This could cause engine stalling increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Transmission Failures (DP12004) — opened Jun 11, 2012, closed Oct 22, 2016.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I am reporting a serious safety defect with my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder (VIN: [XXX] ). My vehicle has an open recall for the airbag emblem (NHTSA #23E-012 / PC948), which is scheduled for inspection. However, I am writing today because I am also experiencing a repeated and dangerous malfunction that…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed the front passengerâs side air bag was defective and needed to be replaced. The air bag was not…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to immediately restart. After restarting the vehicle, the…
The component that is malfunctioning is the emblem on the airbags. Nissan has known of this issue for a while. In the event of a crash, when the airbags deploy, the emblem will also explode with the airbags and send shrapnel from it flying towards the driver and nearby passengers. If the crash…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
← 2004 Pathfinder · 2006 Pathfinder →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Pathfinder | 11 | 0 |
| 2025 Pathfinder | 54 | 1 |
| 2024 Pathfinder | 85 | 2 |
| 2023 Pathfinder | 104 | 1 |
| 2022 Pathfinder | 136 | 5 |
| 2020 Pathfinder | 48 | 0 |
| 2019 Pathfinder | 76 | 2 |
| 2018 Pathfinder | 78 | 3 |
| 2017 Pathfinder | 186 | 2 |
| 2016 Pathfinder | 105 | 2 |
| 2015 Pathfinder | 321 | 5 |
| 2014 Pathfinder | 575 | 11 |
| 2013 Pathfinder | 890 | 11 |
| 2012 Pathfinder | 23 | 2 |
| 2011 Pathfinder | 45 | 2 |
| 2010 Pathfinder | 40 | 4 |
| 2009 Pathfinder | 37 | 3 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 328 | 4 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 561 | 1 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 837 | 3 |
| 2005 | 1,050 | 2 |
| 2004 Pathfinder | 67 | 3 |
| 2003 Pathfinder | 110 | 3 |
| 2002 Pathfinder | 156 | 5 |
| 2001 Pathfinder | 230 | 3 |
| 2000 Pathfinder | 112 | 2 |
| 1999 Pathfinder | 104 | 2 |
| 1998 Pathfinder | 149 | 2 |
| 1997 Pathfinder | 217 | 2 |
| 1996 Pathfinder | 159 | 3 |
| 1995 Pathfinder | 170 | 0 |
See all Nissan Pathfinder problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
Similar Nissan models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 585 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Pathfinder model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.