NHTSA vehicle safety data

2018 Nissan Pathfinder Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 78 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Nissan dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2018 Nissan Pathfinder owner complaints

Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, describing incidents dated January 1, 2018 to October 14, 2026.

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 20 complaints
Unknown or Other 18 complaints
Electrical System 14 complaints
Engine 13 complaints
Power Train 12 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 9 complaints

Of the 78 complaints on file, 3 report a crash; across all 78 complaints, owners report 2 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11771055 · Filed October 14, 2026
The DCU (Display Control Unit) no longer works, so hands-free on steering wheel is disabled because of this. Iowa law requires hands-free only in vehicles. This is a safety issue because of this. Nissan wants to charge thousands of dollars to repair. This is a known defect in some Nissan vehicles.
ODI #11755553 · Filed August 7, 2026
The vehicle veers towards the right, even though a wheel alignment was completed on 7/1/26. On 7/28/26 when driving the vehicle, it wouldn’t accelerate properly, it felt sluggish and although the gas pedal was depressed it was struggling to pick up speed. As the vehicle was attempting to shift…
ODI #11728330 · Filed March 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display malfunctioned, and there was a black image displayed, creating a hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Additionally, while…

Read all 78 complaints

Brake Fluid Can Leak Into ABS Pump and Ignite

NHTSA #19V807000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · NHTSA notice

Reported November 8, 2019 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 391,479 vehicles

Repair completion: 62.97% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified December 16, 2019 · Vehicles built April 20, 2016 – May 23, 2018 (per NHTSA)

Park outside only — fire risk while parked indoors or near structures.

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.

Safety consequence

A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

No Back-Up Camera Display Image/FMVSS 111

NHTSA #19V654000 · Back Over Prevention — Sensing System — Camera · NHTSA notice

Reported September 12, 2019 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 1,228,830 vehicles

Repair completion: 80.42% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified November 11, 2019 · Vehicles built April 1, 2018 – May 30, 2019 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Safety consequence

The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Brake Fluid may Leak into ABS Pump and Ignite

NHTSA #18V601000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · NHTSA notice

Reported September 7, 2018 · Nissan North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 215,124 vehicles

Repair completion: 80.87% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified October 29, 2018 · Vehicles built April 20, 2016 – January 9, 2017 (per NHTSA)

Park outside only — fire risk while parked indoors or near structures.

Defect description

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.

Safety consequence

A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2018 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 4, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

18% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning

2018 Nissan Pathfinder SUV FWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 4, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

17% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning

78 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder.

Electrical System; Unknown or Other

ODI #11771055

Incident: October 14, 2026 · Filed: October 14, 2026

The DCU (Display Control Unit) no longer works, so hands-free on steering wheel is disabled because of this. Iowa law requires hands-free only in vehicles. This is a safety issue because of this. Nissan wants to charge thousands of dollars to repair. This is a known defect in some Nissan vehicles.

Power Train; Unknown or Other; Engine

ODI #11755553

Incident: July 29, 2026 · Filed: August 7, 2026

The vehicle veers towards the right, even though a wheel alignment was completed on 7/1/26. On 7/28/26 when driving the vehicle, it wouldn’t accelerate properly, it felt sluggish and although the gas pedal was depressed it was struggling to pick up speed. As the vehicle was attempting to shift between 2nd and 3rd gears the car jolted forward and the traction control and collision lights came on. Both lights reset when the car is off but the vehicle jolts and beeps w/in 5 mins of driving and then the lights come back. This has been happening everyday multiple times a day since 7/28/26. On 7/30/26, the Check Engine light came on and has stayed illuminated w/ code P0101 populating on the obdii reader. The vehicle is currently at the dealership, I am awaiting a diagnosis of the issue which they said may take 3-4 days. I have only had this vehicle for 46 days.

Back Over Prevention

ODI #11728330

Incident: January 11, 2026 · Filed: March 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display malfunctioned, and there was a black image displayed, creating a hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the infotainment screen display malfunctioned, and the screen was black. During the failure, the driver was unable to view vital information related to the engine oil levels. The local dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Electrical System

ODI #11724368

Incident: October 23, 2025 · Filed: March 14, 2026

Infotainment system stopped working. Now radio, no climate control visible and NO backup camera most of the time. Very dangerous without the backup camera

Back Over Prevention

ODI #11709224

Incident: January 2, 2026 · Filed: January 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall that had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling; Engine

ODI #11702980

Incident: July 1, 2024 · Filed: December 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted, and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle hesitated while starting the vehicle and pressing the Push to Start button. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that there was sludge in the engine oil. The mechanic stated that sludge was found in the oil due to a lack of regular oil changes. The contact disputed the claim and provided receipts that all oil changes were up to date. The contact had the engine taken apart by the dealer and an independent mechanic, and both discovered metal shavings inside the engine, which had resulted in the engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Power Train; Electrical System

ODI #11696992

Incident: October 6, 2025 · Filed: November 2, 2025

The transmission is going bad which makes it dangerous to drive. Had it 2 days and I check my FIXD module and found code. Took to where I purchased it and the drained cvt fluid and now makes a whinning sound and garage knows. U was told they inspected it before selling it to me. No codes where on dash either.

Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness; Insert, Padding

ODI #11694628

Incident: October 19, 2025 · Filed: October 20, 2025

My Nuna rava was part of the recent recall that happened. The company offered remedy kits to replace the seat fabrics as well as tools to clean where the harness straps tightened/loosened. We received the remedy kit in March after waiting 3 months for the kits to be available. I followed the instructions for cleaning of the car seat and installation of the new cover. My child’s safety was put at risk as the straps are now able to loosen without pressing the button. We had not had strap loosening issues initially, but now are despite having followed the instructions as part of the recall which I was told would resolved the issue and prevent further concern over the strap mechanism failing. To my knowledge this is a known issue that is what caused the recall for the car seat in the first place. I have removed the car seat from use as it is no longer safe with the straps loosening. I have contacted Nuna Baby customer support.

Back Over Prevention

ODI #11687680

Incident: September 15, 2024 · Filed: September 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that occasionally, while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the digital screen displayed a Nissan Logo that faded away. In addition, the contact stated that the digital screen would blip or show an upside-down image of the rear-view camera display. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the failure was not identified. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V654000( Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Engine

ODI #11684185

Incident: October 21, 2024 · Filed: August 31, 2025

My 2018 Nissan Pathfinder started knocking at 75000 miles and it’s getting worse by the day I’ve paid my car payment down to 4000$ and now I’m told my motor is soon to go out.

Other Nissan Pathfinder model years

Check your 2018 Nissan Pathfinder VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Nissan Pathfinder at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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