CSR

Nissan · NHTSA safety record

2011 Nissan Pathfinder

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

45

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder have filed 45 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2010 and June 2025. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 12 of them (27%). The typical failure was reported at 46,000 miles, the median across the 31 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

23V067000 · February 10, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the driver’s 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.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 404,690 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

11V592000 · December 19, 2011

The defect
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE ENGINE OIL FILTER TO THE ENGINE IN THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO BELOW SPECIFICATION STRENGTH. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY BREAK AT THE OIL FILTER ATTACHMENT POINT AND CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.
The risk
IF THERE IS AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. · up to 14,718 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 45.

AIR BAGS 12 27%
ENGINE 10 22%
POWER TRAIN 7 16%
SUSPENSION 6 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 11%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 9%
SEAT BELTS 3 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 7%
STEERING 2 4%
WHEELS 2 4%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 2%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2016 at 7.

2010 2016 2025
2010 to 2025

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 9,000 miles

WE WERE WOKEN UP BY LOAD POPPING SOUNDS COMING FROM OUTSIDE OUR RESIDENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 130 AM. WHEN I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW I SAW THAT OUR 8 MONTH OLD 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE WAS ON FIRE IN OUR DRIVEWAY. THIS FIRE WAS SO INTENSE THAT THE ENTIRE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED WITH 15-20 FT HIGH FLAMES. WE HAD NOT DRIVEN THE CAR IN 2 DAYS AND THERE HAD BEEN ZERO AFTER MARKET MODIFICATIONS OR MAJOR MECHANICAL DONE ON THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR INVOLVED IN THE FIRE. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10482141. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 134,674 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED; HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE TI WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,674.

NHTSA complaint 10838166. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
Rear sub frame has significant rust, snapped while driving at slow speed, there was no injury but steering was affected, no harm done this time but it is a known issue, 2wd model has a recall for the same part with the same issue

NHTSA complaint 11666317. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
My airbag light and seatbelt light are on and the horn has stopped working. Frame and front suspension is making a horrible creaking sound and has been for months. Frame seems to be rotted … I’ve taken it to multiple places to have it looked at…. I’ve also seen other complaints on here of people having the same issue! This poses a huge safety risk! Definitely needs a recall for both issues!

NHTSA complaint 11665673. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Through a check engine light for camshaft position sensor bank 1 so I replaced both of them well that cleared the check engine light for a min and was running good the after five min of running it started rough idling cutting off and throwing a check engine light for p0340 again I sent it to the Nissan dealer shop they said it didn’t have no check light they tested the sensors and said there good and don’t know what it could be

NHTSA complaint 11575665. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
Frame is rotted from rust. Not drivable as drive train connection to wheels in rear end ready to fail at any moment. Rust is so bad it will require towing to be repaired. Repair estimate exceeds blue book value. $4800. 110,000 current mileage. Recall for this problem existed on this make/model for years 2004 to 2009. This vehicle is 2011 with no recall as yet.

NHTSA complaint 11559867. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint 11544564. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealers: Nissan of Bradenton (1611 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34207: (941) 755-1571) and Gettel Nissan (3530 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34239: (941) 343-4855) were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint 11507359. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Nissan Pathfinder

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 47 1
2024 73 2
2023 101 1
2022 133 5
2020 47 0
2019 75 2
2018 77 3
2017 185 2
2016 105 2
2015 319 5
2014 574 11
2013 890 11
2012 23 2
2010 40 4

Other 2011 Nissan models

Every Nissan on this site — 200 vehicles, 319 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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