Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 890 safety complaints about the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

890
Complaints
11
Recalls
4
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 16 crashes, 1 fire, 16 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 370 of 890 complaints, followed by Airbags & restraints.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 62 of the 890 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 4 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 890 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
370
Airbags & restraints
179
Other / unspecified
113
Engine & cooling
110
Body & structure
100
Brakes & stability
74
Visibility & lighting
67
Electrical
50

"My car has been having issues with what seems to be the transmission. This Nissan Pathfinder has CVT, which is continuous variable transmission. Three months ago I had a radiator blowout and had to change that and the thermostat. I believe that it was due to the transmission issues. currently I have an oil leak and I believe it’s due to your issues with the transmission."

Owner complaint filed January 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11710236

"I have a 2013 Pathfinder that is experiencing a High pitch whine coming from the transmission. when shifting in lower gears, there is a soft kick. i have only experienced a shutter once and only at lower speeds and rpm. once I'm at a higher speed it seems to get less. I have had the vehicle for 8 months. just started in the the last week. It has 157k miles."

Owner complaint filed December 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11706461

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
1
201
143
83
86
61
57
59
39
37
27
31
28
29
8
121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

Recall history: 11 recalls

11 recalls apply to some or all 2013 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Mar 201313V-069
Air Bags

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airb…

Apr 201313V-139
Service Brakes

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013. The front brake torque member was improperly cast resulting in structural weakness. This can lead to premature failure and cracking.

Oct 201313V-445
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2…

Mar 201414V-138
Electrical System:Software

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may i…

Mar 201414V-142
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And Lines

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 i…

Jan 201515V-033
Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured November 29, 20…

Oct 201515V-681
Air Bags:Frontal

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant c…

Apr 201616V-244
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano…

May 201616V-380
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to June 13, 2013. The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and repeatedly cycle. This may result in the relay…

Jan 202121V-020
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. The location of the brake light switch may cause the brake light switch relay to repeatedly open and close. Overtime, this can cause the relay to stick in the "ON" position, with the brake lights remaining…

Jun 202222V-420
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Pathfinder vehicles. On certain Pathfinder vehicles, the secondary hood latch may malfunction and remain in the unlatched, unsecured, position when the hood is closed.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 890 complaints about the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder have?

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder has 11 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.