2008 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 15, 2025 · 328 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Pathfinder years
Far more complaints than other years 6th of 31 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. That ranks 6th out of 31 Pathfinder model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (155 complaints, 47%), typically at around 113,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 7 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Nissan Pathfinder
Front view of a 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum AWD crossover. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Deathpallie325, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Power Train155 · ~113,000 mi
Engine61 · ~110,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System51 · ~97,150 mi
Air Bags41 · ~130,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline30 · ~80,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling23 · ~114,838 mi
Unknown or Other22 · ~124,450 mi
Electrical System21 · ~60,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control10 · ~104,500 mi
Suspension7 · ~135,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Power Train problems15547%113,000“transmission fluid” (30%)$5,950
Engine problems6119%110,000“radiator transmission” (20%)—
Fuel/propulsion System problems5116%97,150“fuel gauge” (69%)—
Air Bags4113%130,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline309%80,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling237%114,838——
Unknown or Other227%124,450——
Electrical System216%60,500——
Vehicle Speed Control103%104,500——
Suspension72%135,000——
Service Brakes62%100,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)41%110,000——
Structure41%72,000——
Steering31%136,000——
Tires31%66,000——
Exterior Lighting21%22,000——
Latches/locks/linkages21%37,505——
Seats21%1,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic21%17,000——
Visibility21%62,796——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%168,000——
Fuel System, Other10%64,502——
Seat Belts10%57,521——
Service Brakes, Electric10%43,500——
Visibility/wiper10%101,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2015, with 50 complaints
2007: 1200712008: 222009: 3200932010: 14142011: 7201172012: 13132013: 262013262014: 46462015: 502015502016: 50502017: 362017362018: 29292019: 232019232020: 882021: 7202172022: 552023: 6202362024: 112025: 120251

n = 328 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2008 Nissan Pathfinder recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontalFeb 10, 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V067000 · 404,690 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.

Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Fix: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.

Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)Sep 10, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V401000 · 7,948 vehicles

Problem: Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.

Risk: Overheated batteries could result in a fire.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tankMar 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V075000 · 80,689 vehicles

Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2006 and model year 2008 frontier, xterra and pathfinder vehicles. The molded fuel tank shells can deform, causing the fuel sender float arm to contact an embossment molded into the tank shell causing the instrument panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter tank when the fuel tank is empty.

Risk: This could cause the vehicle to run out of gas and stall in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank with a new one that has a modified float arm. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before march 22, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Air bags:frontalDec 29, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V690000 · 242,720 vehicles

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.

There was a recall concerning the fuel gauge not working correctly. The sensor in the tank needed replaced. Well my car had that recall fixed or so it says, but it is doing the same thing again. So are you gonna replace it again for no cost?

Fuel/propulsion System · received Jan 15, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11636189

The rear suspension subframe is completely corroded and causes vehicle suspension parts to break off unannounced and causes vehicle to swerve severely and most likely is going to cause and accident or death, Nissan has been informed of this issue and refuses to address a proper repair

Suspension · received Jun 1, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11591915

A coolant hose leaked in transmission and shorted tcm causing total transmission failure and totaling out vehicle

Power Train · received Oct 28, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11552425

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…

Air Bags · received Oct 6, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11548600

The passenger air bag warning light is flashing and the passenger air bag button that tells you that it is on and working when somebody gets in the car is off. Therefore the air bag will not deploy in a crash. The light just started flashing about 2 weeks ago approximately. There is also a recall…

Air Bags · received Aug 22, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11540217

Other Nissan Pathfinder years

← 2007 Pathfinder · 2009 Pathfinder →

See all Nissan Pathfinder problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder?

Owners most often report power train, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 155 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2008 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 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.