2013 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Pathfinder years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 11 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 890 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. That ranks 2nd out of 31 Pathfinder model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (370 complaints, 42%), typically at around 5,120 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 1 fire, 16 injuries. There are 11 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 890owner complaints
- 11safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 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 | 370 | 42% | 5,120 | “cvt transmission” (7%) | $5,150 |
| Air Bags problems | 177 | 20% | 10,250 | “air bag” (43%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 110 | 12% | 56,338 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 105 | 12% | 8,500 | “feels like” (7%) | — |
| Structure problems | 83 | 9% | 45,000 | “door handle” (17%) | $1,800 |
| Service Brakes problems | 62 | 7% | 17,300 | “brakes failed” (8%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 50 | 6% | 30,750 | “air bags electrical” (12%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 47 | 5% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 46 | 5% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 29 | 3% | 75,273 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 18 | 2% | 7,950 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 1% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 1% | 3,188 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 1% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 12 | 1% | 674 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 1% | 18,923 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 1% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 1% | 28,273 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 9,847 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 89,031 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 0% | 9,522 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 18,596 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 300 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Nissan Pathfinder recalls (11)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Problem: 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.
Risk: An unsecured hood could unexpectedly open while driving, obstructing the driver's view, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to June 13, 2013. The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and repeatedly cycle. This may result in the relay remaining in the "ON" position, causing the brake lights to remain illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. Additionally, the brake light switch may interfere with the brake-shift interlock, allowing the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "Park" position, without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: If the brake override is activated, the driver will not be accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash. If the brake lights remain illuminated, other drivers may fail to stop when the vehicle actually brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. If the driver inadvertently shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, the vehicle may rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake light switch and, as necessary, replace the relay, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification; air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured November 29, 2011, to June 14, 2013, and 2014 QX60 vehicles manufactured May 16, 2013, to November 18, 2013, and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013. In the affected vehicles the hood release cable assembly may have been installed incorrectly preventing the latching claw from fully engaging. The secondary latch may remain in the open position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the primary hood latch is released and the secondary latch fails during operation of the vehicle, it could cause the hood to open during vehicle operation impairing the driver's vision, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the angle of the hood release mechanism to provide additional length to the release cable, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Power train:automatic transmission:cooling unit and lines
Problem: Nissan North America (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through October 3, 2012, and equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). In the affected vehicles, the internal oil cooler (ITOC) hose may detach from the cooler due to inadequate clamping force, allowing transmission fluid to leak.
Risk: The loss of transmission fluid could cause the transmission to function improperly and the vehicle to stop accelerating, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install an oil hose repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on May 12, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags:frontal; electrical system:software
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Risk: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag 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.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Electrical system:software; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2013, through September 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles, during light braking on rough roads, the antilock brake system (ABS) brake pressure output software may lead to an increase in stopping distance.
Risk: The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ABS, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Service brakes
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013. The front brake torque member was improperly cast resulting in structural weakness. This can lead to premature failure and cracking.
Risk: If the brake torque member fails, the brake caliper may move and contact the inside of the road wheel, resulting in reduced braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the manufacturing date of the torque members and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.
Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service 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
- Hood Latch/Bell Crank Assembly (PE21022) — opened Dec 9, 2021, closed Jul 8, 2022, led to recall 22V420000.
- Occupant Classification System Failure (EA15004) — opened Aug 31, 2015, closed May 2, 2017, led to recall 15V681000.
- Occupant Classification System Failure (RQ15001) — opened Mar 18, 2015, closed Sep 1, 2015.
- Transmission cooler hose separation (PE13029) — opened Aug 29, 2013, closed Mar 31, 2014, led to recall 14V142000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the recall repair failed to prevent a failure from occurring. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood unlatched and…
Rear sub frame near radial rod on drivers side of vehicle has corroded through without warning. Vehicle is unstable during breaking menuvers and pitches towards on coming traffic. Sudden loss of control or collision could occur without notice during breaking.
The vehicle is a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder experiencing a major transmission/CVT failure that creates serious safety concerns. Only 69 days after purchase, the transmission began failing and the vehicle became unsafe and unreliable to operate. The vehicle experiences severe transmission-related…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 93,653. It was later discovered that the mileage was approximately 209,000. The contact reported the…
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, there was a slight jerking or hesitation before the vehicle accelerated. The failure was intermittent. While driving approximately 45 MPH after stopping at a stoplight, the vehicle shuddered and…
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
← 2012 Pathfinder · 2014 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 | 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 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.
Similar Nissan models
Embed this 2013 Nissan Pathfinder badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 370 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
Yes, 11 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 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 2013 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.