2008 Nissan Pathfinder Engine Problems
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 110,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “radiator transmission” (20% of reports).
- 61engine complaints
- 110,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 28%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Radiator transmission: mentioned in 12 of 61 complaints (20%)
- Class action: mentioned in 10 of 61 complaints (16%)
- Fluid leaked: mentioned in 5 of 61 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 49 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 61 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Nissan Pathfinder engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pathfinder | 8 | 15% | 250 |
| 2024 Pathfinder | 18 | 21% | 19,250 |
| 2023 Pathfinder | 15 | 14% | 10,316 |
| 2022 Pathfinder | 18 | 13% | 58,607 |
| 2020 Pathfinder | 17 | 35% | 13,350 |
| 2019 Pathfinder | 15 | 20% | 21,375 |
| 2018 Pathfinder | 13 | 17% | 18,000 |
| 2017 Pathfinder | 83 | 45% | 45,105 |
| 2016 Pathfinder | 27 | 26% | 50,000 |
| 2015 Pathfinder | 74 | 23% | 49,288 |
| 2014 Pathfinder | 62 | 11% | 55,000 |
| 2013 Pathfinder | 105 | 12% | 8,500 |
| 2012 Pathfinder | 5 | 22% | 55,000 |
| 2011 Pathfinder | 10 | 22% | 70,950 |
| 2010 Pathfinder | 6 | 15% | 131,459 |
| 2009 Pathfinder | 7 | 19% | 108,000 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 61 | 19% | 110,000 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 114 | 20% | 106,000 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 147 | 18% | 107,855 |
| 2005 Pathfinder | 144 | 14% | 106,250 |
| 2004 Pathfinder | 4 | 6% | 136,720 |
| 2003 Pathfinder | 6 | 5% | 108,015 |
| 2002 Pathfinder | 5 | 3% | 126,500 |
| 2001 Pathfinder | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2000 Pathfinder | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1999 Pathfinder | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 Pathfinder | 2 | 1% | 173,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Bought vehicle Iâm second owner it was sold as is from a dealership with airbag lights on after a certain amount miles check engine light came on said I had e -regular voltage to fuel injectors 1 gear started slipping then loss of power when accelerating next revolutionary trans-sensor went and…
This is.my 2nd time replacing it the oil is mixing with the anti freeze because the radiator has a hole in it another recall problem for nissan
Contamination from the radiator mixed with the transmission cooler. The car is now inoperable due to this design flaw. This causes the transmission to be extremely sluggish and unresponsive when run, oftentimes the engine won't start or crank due to a blown fuse related to this issue. The slow…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Nissan Pathfinders have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 61 owner complaints about engine for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder (19% of the 328 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 110,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most frequent phrase is “radiator transmission”, in 12 of 61 complaints, followed by “class action” (10).
Other 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems
See all 2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems or engine problems across all Pathfinder years.