Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and airbags. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2025 Nissan Pathfinder: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4WD, FWD | 23 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The backup camera can show a frozen image for 2 to 3 seconds after shifting into reverse. Drivers then back up while looking at a picture that isn't live. Other reports describe warning lights that turn off adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and automatic emergency braking. The fault comes and goes, and dealers have duplicated it without a fix. One automatic emergency braking warning came with a loss of acceleration. Idle stop also fails, and a dealer called it an electrical problem with no repair available.
The transmission can lock into low gear while pulling into traffic or merging onto the interstate. It stays there until the driver stops and restarts the engine, which raises the risk of being hit from behind. Dealers can't reproduce the problem, and no fault codes show. Separate reports tie an automatic emergency braking warning to a car that wouldn't move off railroad tracks. Other complaints mention missing brake lights with headlights on the standard setting, parking assist locking the brakes, and loose steering at highway speed. Most problems start within the first few months.
In a multi-car collision that hit the vehicle front and rear, the airbags didn't deploy, and the driver's face struck the steering wheel. The second crash report is mostly about the ABS. Its warning light came back after a dealer repair. Later, during an evasive lane change at 70 to 75 mph, the tires spun, the front brakes locked and the vehicle skidded. Both filings involve a crash and an injury. The count is small, but these reports point to both loss-of-control and occupant-protection risk.
Power cuts out suddenly while driving, with warning lights coming on and the car dropping into reduced speed mode. One stall happened on an uphill climb, took several restart attempts and was followed by trouble shifting into gear. Police had to help move the car out of traffic. Another case repeated 3 times on a very cold day. Restarting clears the code, but the fault returns at random. Dealers have cleared codes without finding a cause, and the problem remains unsolved in these reports.
The sunroof and rear window glass can fail with no impact. The sunroof is reported blowing out at 65 mph with a sound like a gunshot, even though it had never been opened. The rear window is described cracking apart slowly while the car sat parked, then collapsing into the cargo area. A failure at highway speed carries a risk of startling the driver. A broken rear window leaves the vehicle unsafe to drive or leave unattended. One dealer said it had never heard of the problem.
Excerpts from complaints Pathfinder owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The 25 pathfinder SV back up camera lags 2 to 3 seconds when shifted to reverse. It show a still image of what's behind but does not update to live feed till a few seconds later. This is dangerous as there have been many cases where I thought what the camera was showing was a live view behind my car when it was just a still image. I have had some close calls when backing into parkings spots.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 7 Pathfinder years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Nissan dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Murano, Pathfinder, and INFINITI QX60 vehicles. One or both front brake caliper assemblies may have reduced strength and could break. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems.".
Risk: A broken front brake caliper can cause a loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front brake caliper assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 9, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or INFINITI's customer service at 1-800-662-6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD137 and PD138.
Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Pathfinder, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
