What's Wrong with the 3rd Generation (2005–2012) Pathfinder?

Front 3/4 view of a Nissan Pathfinder

Pathfinder owners have made 1,510 complaints about the 2005–2012 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 49th out of 54 Nissan generations in overall reliability, with real transmission and engine concerns.

Compare With Other Pathfinder Generations

Common 2005-2012 Nissan Pathfinder Problems

Some of the worst issues 3rd generation Pathfinder owners have to deal with.

  2. Sunroof Rattles and Explodes

    Heads up, Nissan owners! That giant piece of glass above your head may soon be on its way down in a thousand little pieces. Lawsuits accuse Nissan of using a faulty tempering process for their sunroofs since 2008.

    Continue reading article "Sunroof Rattles and Explodes" Nissan sunroof with giant shards of glass missing

  3. Coolant Leaks Destroy Transmissions

    Automatic transmissions in certain 2005-2010 Nissan SUVs and Trucks are under attack from their radiators. Leaking coolant is mixing with transmission fluid through the cooler lines to create a toxic hell stew that irreversibly damages ever…

    Continue reading article "Coolant Leaks Destroy Transmissions" View of Nissan engine with coolant leak

  4. Timing Chain Defects

    Nissan says their timing chains are just noisy, but not defective. Try telling that to the owners who have seen loose timing chains rattled their engines apart, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.

    Continue reading article "Timing Chain Defects" Overhead view of a busted timing chain

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

3rd Generation (2005–2012) Pathfinder Key Numbers

  1. 8 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 1,510 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 49th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 54 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 3rd Generation Pathfinder Owners

  • Settlement

    Duncan, et al., v. Nissan North American, Inc., et al.

    1. Settlement

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit has been preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain class-action lawsuit is working its way through the court system as the automaker succeeded in getting some claims dismissed while the judge allowed other allegations to continue.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima
    • 2005-2010 Frontier
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Location
    Massachusetts
  • Settlement

    Vincent Chiarelli, et al. vs. Nissan North America Inc. and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

    1. Settlement

      Nissan timing chain lawsuits have been consolidated and preliminarily settled after vehicle owners accused Nissan of selling six models with defective primary timing chain tensioners, timing chain guides, secondary timing chain tensioners and tensioner shoes.

    2. Case Filed

      A Nissan timing chain lawsuit accuses Nissan of manufacturing some of its most popular models with defective timing chain tensioning systems.

    Problem
    Timing Chain Defects
    Class Vehicles
    • 2004-2006 Altima (with 2 VQ35 engine)
    • 2005-2010 Frontier (with VQ40 engine)
    • 2004-2008 Maxima
    • 2004-2009 Quest
    • 2005-2010 Pathfinder
    • 2005-2010 Xterra
    Class Members
    Residents of New York or Florida or Maryland or New Jersey
    Location
    New York

Recent 3rd Generation (2005–2012) Pathfinder News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Last October, Nissan extended their radiator warranty for what they called a “small percentage” of vehicles that may experience issues with coolant leaks.

    Namely, how those coolant leaks seep into the transmission and render it useless.

    While the automaker has offered an extended warranty for the radiators, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other safety organizations have received numerous complaints from owners alleging they have spent thousands of dollars for transmission repairs because the added radiator warranty coverage only applied to vehicles with fewer than 80,000 miles.

    That “small percentage” appears to be on the rise, as this problem regularly tops the CarComplaints.com trending problems list.

    Because it’s an extended warranty, and not a recall, Nissan isn’t obligated to tell owners about it. And, for those who know, it isn’t exactly clear if the radiator warranty extension covers damage done to the transmission by the leaking coolant.

    keep reading article "Radiators to Blame for Automatic Transmission Failures in Some of Nissan’s Most Popular Trucks and SUVs"