2013 Nissan Pathfinder Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 370 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 5,120 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (7% of reports).
- 370power train complaints
- 5,120median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $5,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 13%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.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 26 of 370 complaints (7%)
- Torque converter: mentioned in 21 of 370 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder at $5,150, and half of them between $1,150 and $7,950.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 313 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 370 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Nissan Pathfinder power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Pathfinder | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2025 Pathfinder | 8 | 15% | — |
| 2024 Pathfinder | 9 | 11% | 3,500 |
| 2023 Pathfinder | 13 | 13% | 28,850 |
| 2022 Pathfinder | 17 | 13% | 15,686 |
| 2020 Pathfinder | 8 | 17% | — |
| 2019 Pathfinder | 9 | 12% | 82,994 |
| 2018 Pathfinder | 12 | 15% | 15,500 |
| 2017 Pathfinder | 34 | 18% | 45,000 |
| 2016 Pathfinder | 7 | 7% | 76,000 |
| 2015 Pathfinder | 77 | 24% | 42,250 |
| 2014 Pathfinder | 214 | 37% | 42,000 |
| 2013 Pathfinder | 370 | 42% | 5,120 |
| 2012 Pathfinder | 2 | 9% | 130,000 |
| 2011 Pathfinder | 7 | 16% | 62,000 |
| 2010 Pathfinder | 11 | 28% | 148,000 |
| 2009 Pathfinder | 8 | 22% | 100,000 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 155 | 47% | 113,000 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 337 | 60% | 107,000 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 450 | 54% | 101,550 |
| 2005 Pathfinder | 585 | 56% | 100,000 |
| 2004 Pathfinder | 9 | 13% | 83,431 |
| 2003 Pathfinder | 3 | 3% | 50,950 |
| 2002 Pathfinder | 10 | 6% | 38,024 |
| 2001 Pathfinder | 3 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2000 Pathfinder | 6 | 5% | 123,200 |
| 1999 Pathfinder | 8 | 8% | 49,000 |
| 1998 Pathfinder | 20 | 13% | 87,653 |
| 1997 Pathfinder | 19 | 9% | 92,500 |
| 1996 Pathfinder | 12 | 8% | 108,237 |
| 1995 Pathfinder | 20 | 12% | 84,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
transmission started jerking & went out leaving me stranded.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Nissan Pathfinders have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 370 owner complaints about power train for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder (42% of the 890 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 2013 Nissan Pathfinder power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 5,120 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,150 (half paid between $1,150 and $7,950), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 26 of 370 complaints, followed by “torque converter” (21).
Other 2013 Nissan Pathfinder problems
- Air Bags problems (177)
- Engine problems (105)
- Structure problems (83)
- Service Brakes problems (62)
- Electrical System problems (50)
See all 2013 Nissan Pathfinder problems or power train problems across all Pathfinder years.