2009 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Pathfinder years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 29th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder. That ranks 29th out of 31 Pathfinder model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (11 complaints, 30%), typically at around 91,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 37owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 11 | 30% | 91,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 22% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 19% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 14% | 82,292 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 11% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 11% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 184,148 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Nissan Pathfinder recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
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 driverÂs 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)
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.
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.
Vehicle stalls intermittently at low to moderate speeds or in park. Camshaft position sensor was replaced which was the diagnosed issue.
My dashboard has a logo of a red flashing passenger with a airbag red ball. It flashes non stop when ever i turn on the ignition. However when i checked for air bag recall it's not coming up on the list. Any suggestions?
The vehicle just stop. Had tow to the mechanic diagnosed with coolent in that damaged the transmission
I was driving to work when my transmission failed. There was no warning. I was driving about 60mph, and had to merge to the side of the road. I had to get it towed, and it was determined the radiator failed, causing radiator fluid to get into the transmission. This ruined the transmission. Cost is…
This truck is very well cared for,,all of a sudden its stalling at any time,,some hard starts,,runs perfect ,than stalls,while driving,no steering,very scarry,i thought it was bad gas i filled 2 more time from good gas station 89 and 91 octan,
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
← 2008 Pathfinder · 2010 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 | 37 | 3 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 328 | 4 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 561 | 1 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 837 | 3 |
| 2005 Pathfinder | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 11 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 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 2009 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.