2017 Nissan Pathfinder Engine Problems
Owners have filed 83 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 45% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 45,105 miles. The words owners use most often: “cooling fan” (37% of reports).
- 83engine complaints
- 45,105median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%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.
- Cooling fan: mentioned in 31 of 83 complaints (37%)
- Started making: mentioned in 10 of 83 complaints (12%)
- Loud noise: mentioned in 7 of 83 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder at $1,300, and half of them between $1,200 and $1,300.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2019–2021), 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 engine problems happen?
Based on 61 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 83 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an 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 2017 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.
SLUDGE IN ENGINE- UNDER 100,000 MILES We had been keeping up with all recommended services, and it is cosmetically perfect, but the car is now a total loss. A Check Engine light came on, and we began to notice a tremor/shake and took it to Southern Team Nissan. The Nissan dealer diagnosed sludge in…
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot at unknown speeds, the vehicle began jerking and stalled. The battery had become inoperable. The TPMS message was displayed. The failure was linked to Technical Service Bulletin: NTB15-015h. The local…
Engine failure in my vehicle equipped with the VQ35DD engine, which I believe is the result of a widespread and well-documented design defect involving internal sludge buildup. I have owned this vehicle for over five years and have followed the recommended routine maintenance schedule, including…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 Nissan Pathfinders have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 83 owner complaints about engine for the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder (45% of the 186 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 2017 Nissan Pathfinder engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 45,105 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,300 (half paid between $1,200 and $1,300), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most frequent phrase is “cooling fan”, in 31 of 83 complaints, followed by “started making” (10).
See all 2017 Nissan Pathfinder problems or engine problems across all Pathfinder years.