FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
crash
Unknown
NHTSA complaint 11671905. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Nissan · NHTSA safety record
2020 Nissan Pathfinder
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
47
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder have filed 47 safety complaints with NHTSA between June 2020 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 16 of them (34%). The typical failure was reported at 7,000 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
Complaints rose by half year on year: 11 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 7 in the twelve before.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 47.
ENGINE 16 34%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 23%
POWER TRAIN 8 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 9%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 6%
SUSPENSION 3 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 4%
STRUCTURE 2 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 4%
AIR BAGS 1 2%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 11.
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car stalled three times and died in active traffic. The breakdown was so hazardous that the police department had to intervene and push the car out of the road and had to tow the car more than 3 times and was at the Nissan Dealership for over one week. I paid Nissan dealership $5,000 to repair this specific, life-threatening defect, but the car returned to me unfixed.The vehicle is unsafe and has been sitting parked at my house for 3 months because I cannot safely drive it. It keeps stalling, dying in traffic and making a loud grind noise. I need help.
NHTSA complaint 11752952. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
After only 110,000 miles, my local Nissan service center (Advantage Nissan, 5101 Auto Center Blvd, Bremerton, WA 98312) states that the timing chain is loose. The repair estimate is in excess of $6000. The expense is because it requires removal of the engine to effect repairs. Research reveals that timing chain issues at 100000+ miles are common for this vehicle. It is the expectation that the timing chain system last the lifespan of the vehicle. The result is that owners pay more than half of the original price simply for maintenance because of Nissan's choice to use substandard parts in a critical system, a fact they learned with earlier models where timing chain issues and recalls
NHTSA complaint 11751136, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
A few months after purchase, the power cut off on me. Then it happened again the following year. Then the screen for backing up started going on and off. Then I started feeling like the car was loosing power. In the last 2 years the power cutting off has occurred 3 more times and the rear screen camera has started glitching more where it goes out when switching in reverse.
NHTSA complaint 11747857. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
The vehicle has developed a persistent and progressively worsening rattling noise from the engine during cold starts, along with intermittent rough operation. The symptoms are consistent with a malfunction or defect in the engine timing chain system, including possible timing chain stretch, timing chain tensioner failure, or related internal engine components. This condition presents a serious safety concern because the timing chain controls engine valve timing. A failure or severe degradation of this system could result in sudden engine stalling or complete engine failure while driving, increasing the risk of a crash without warning, particularly in traffic or at highway speeds. The issue
NHTSA complaint 11740716, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The back-up camera and display settings image is no longer visible and the dashboard indicates that it is off. The camera is black and does not display anything nor does it provides information that you are backing up. The safety of drivers and others are at risk. As such, the vehicle fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
NHTSA complaint 11735464. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11733275. 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 | — |
| 2019 | 75 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 77 | 3 | — |
| 2017 | 185 | 2 | — |
| 2016 | 105 | 2 | — |
| 2015 | 319 | 5 | — |
| 2014 | 574 | 11 | — |
| 2013 | 890 | 11 | — |
| 2012 | 23 | 2 | — |
| 2011 | 45 | 2 | — |
| 2010 | 40 | 4 | — |
Other 2020 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
- Complaints: NHTSA's ODI complaint file , published August 20, 2026. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
- Recalls: NHTSA's recall campaign API , most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
- Investigations: NHTSA's ODI investigation file , published 2026-08-19.
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.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst