2022 Nissan Pathfinder: What to check before buying

Rear brake pads wear out far faster than the fronts, often before 20,000 miles and rarely lasting past 42,000. Symptoms include a high-pitched squeak in reverse, grinding, vibration under hard braking and warped rotors, usually with no dashboard warning. Some owners have replaced rear pads four times while the fronts were untouched. Dealers sometimes cover the work, and rear brake parts have been on back order. A few reports describe front calipers overheating and smoking at highway speed.

The transmission shifts itself into neutral while driving and cuts power in traffic, on highway merges or below 40 mph. The engine revs to about 4000 rpm and the car does not accelerate. Some cars then lock in gear and need a tow. Messages such as "check shift level position" or "SERVICE A/T" and a check engine light sometimes appear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Reported fixes include TCM reprogramming and 12-volt battery replacement. Other reports describe harsh shifts and lurching before stops, plus one crash-related case of AWD overheating and rollback while towing uphill.

The front passenger seat sits very low and has no height adjustment. Shorter adults struggle to see over the dash and worry about hitting it or the airbag in a crash. Some owners use cushions or homemade risers. Owners note that Nissan added passenger seat height adjustment for 2023. Both injury reports involve the second-row EZ seat pitching forward fast with a child seat attached, either after a bump or when a child in the third row pressed the button. Driver heated seats also stop working, in one case around 37,000 miles.

Most of these reports involve starting and shifting faults. Cars click without starting, show many error messages, or will not release the brakes. Some shift to neutral or roll after Park is pressed. Because the shifter is electronic, a stalled car cannot be moved out of traffic. Other reports cover a backup camera that goes black while reversing, forward collision sensor faults, random radio and stereo shutdowns, and a wireless charger that overheated a phone. One fire report describes the car burning while parked and switched off.

The accelerator pedal sticks down or snaps off at its mount, sometimes during highway merges. One stuck pedal pushed the car past 90 mph even though the factory mats were in place. Other reports describe the car refusing to go faster than 20 mph at about 4000 rpm until it is restarted. In one case a dealer replaced the battery and the fault came back. Unintended shifts to neutral and park also show up here, along with one engine failure at 93,000 miles that required a full engine replacement.

Water gets into the cabin through clogged sunroof drains. It also gets past door weather stripping and runs behind the inner door panels, soaking the insulation and leading to mold and persistent odor. Repeat dealer visits often end with only the drains cleared. Sunroof glass also bursts while driving with nothing hitting it. Smaller complaints include cabin rattles, door handle lock sensors that work only some of the time, heated seats that never warm up, and infotainment reboots.

The seat belt warning shows belts as unbuckled even when every occupant is buckled in. It either chimes for the whole drive or puts red marks over seats on the occupant display. To fix it, dealers have replaced the driver and rear center buckles. At least one owner was refused coverage under a dealer-sold warranty. A separate report describes a rear left belt that does not latch properly and comes loose.

The panoramic sunroof shatters with no impact, usually on the freeway and once while the car was parked in a driveway. The glass breaks suddenly and can burst outward. At least one car's sunroof shattered a second time after the first was replaced. Coverage is uncertain: one car sat at the dealer while Nissan engineering decided whether the repair would be paid.