Is the Nissan Pathfinder more reliable than the Honda Passport?

No, they are effectively tied. The Pathfinder has fewer complaints per vehicle sold and fewer recalls. The Passport has a slightly lower repair cost and fewer unscheduled shop visits. Each has a clear weak spot, so the better choice depends on whether you would rather risk CVT problems or idle-stop stalling.

Which has more recalls, the Pathfinder or the Passport?

The Passport has more. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its 8 model years, against 14 for the Pathfinder across its 8 model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, whichever model you choose.

Which costs less to repair, the Pathfinder or the Passport?

The Passport costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $521 a year against $542 for the Pathfinder, a difference of about $105 over five years. The Passport also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.4 for the Pathfinder.

What is the main problem with the Honda Passport?

Electrical complaints lead, and the most common one is the engine failing to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light. Owners also report phantom braking from the collision system and the transmission shifting to neutral while driving. Dealers often cannot reproduce these faults.

What goes wrong most often on the Nissan Pathfinder?

Electrical problems lead, such as key fob door locks that stop responding and a backup camera that cuts out. The more serious reports involve the CVT, which judders, slips, or surges near a stop. Dealers often find no fault codes, so some cars leave unrepaired.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder: Reliability Compared

Honda Passport

Good

Nissan Pathfinder

Good

Reliability is effectively tied between the Nissan Pathfinder and Honda Passport. The Passport costs slightly less to repair, but it has twice the recalls. The Pathfinder's CVT trouble and the Passport's idle-stop restart failures are the problems to check before you buy either one.

How Do the Honda Passport and Nissan Pathfinder Generations Compare?

Most used shoppers will land in the Pathfinder's fourth generation or the Passport's third. The Pathfinder's fourth generation covered the 2013 to 2020 model years, with a facelift for 2017, so 2018 through 2020 cars belong to it. The fifth generation began with the 2022 model year, and 2022 is among the weakest years. The Passport's third generation ran from 2019 through 2025, with updates in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The fourth generation began with the 2026 model year. The earliest third-generation cars, 2019 and 2020, are the weakest Passports.

Verdict

The Honda Passport and Nissan Pathfinder are evenly matched with a reliability score of 74/100.

Effectively tied. The Passport costs a little less to keep running and makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, but it has about twice the recalls and far more owner complaints per vehicle sold. The Pathfinder has the lighter complaint rate and a slightly higher repair bill. Those trade-offs cancel out. The real decider is which failure you can live with: CVT judder and surging on the Pathfinder, or idle-stop stalling and phantom braking on the Passport.

Key Differences

1Honda Passport costs $21 less per year to repair
2Nissan Pathfinder has 15 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Pathfinder has 8.1 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

2Honda Passport

—

2Nissan Pathfinder

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Passport	Nissan Pathfinder
Reliability Score	74/100	74/100
Years Tracked	8	8
Total Recalls	29	14
Complaints per 10k Sold	11.6	3.5
Annual Repair Cost	$521/yr	$542/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.4/yr
Year Wins	5	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Passport and Nissan Pathfinder?

Crash-linked reports are spread much wider on the Passport. It has them in electrical, forward collision avoidance, power train, service brakes, and engine. Typical failures are the engine staying off after Auto Idle Stop, phantom braking, and the transmission dropping into neutral while driving. The Pathfinder has crash-linked reports only in power train and vehicle speed control. Its main complaints are a CVT that judders, slips, and surges near a stop, plus engine failures where dealers find metal in the oil.

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Passport	Nissan Pathfinder
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.6Low	0.5Very Low
POWER TRAIN	1.2Low	0.5Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.2Low	0.5Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	1.4Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	1Very Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE	0.7Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.5Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None
TIRES	0.1Very Low	—None
SEATS	—None	0.1Very Low
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	0.1Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Passport or Nissan Pathfinder?

A gap of just $21 a year separates the two, with the Passport at $521 and the Pathfinder at $542. Over five years that is about $105. The Passport also makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.3 a year against 0.4. The Pathfinder has a 15% chance that a repair is major, and no such figure is given for the Passport. The biggest bills in owner reports are about $4,000 for a Pathfinder transfer case leak and $7,700 for a Passport transmission.

How Does Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Passport	Nissan Pathfinder	Edge
2026	84/1000R / 0C	82/1000R / 1C	Honda Passport
2025	82/1000R / 11C	78/1001R / 25C	Honda Passport
2024	79/1001R / 12C	74/1002R / 38C	Honda Passport
2023	75/1004R / 24C	74/1001R / 86C	Honda Passport
2022	74/1003R / 45C	66/1005R / 119C	Honda Passport
2020	68/1008R / 84C	78/1000R / 43C	Nissan Pathfinder
2019	59/1008R / 253C	71/1002R / 71C	Nissan Pathfinder

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Passport scored 79/100 and the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder scored 78/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Passport vs the Nissan Pathfinder?

If you want the lower repair bill and fewer trips to the shop, buy the Passport. Test it at a stoplight for the idle-stop restart problem. Ask whether the front camera or collision braking system has ever thrown a fault, since owners quote $1,800 to $2,500 to replace the camera. Avoid the 2019 and 2020 model years, which are the weakest. The 2025 and 2026 years look strong partly because they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven. If you want fewer complaints for every vehicle sold, buy the Pathfinder, but drive it carefully. Pull away from a stop and cruise at highway speed, and watch for judder or surging. Target the 2020 model year, which is among the strongest. Avoid 2022 and 2018, the weakest. Walk away from any car with a history of ABS, traction control, and collision warning lights coming on together, because owners report repeat repairs there.

Honda Passport vs Nissan Pathfinder: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Pathfinder more reliable than the Honda Passport?: No, they are effectively tied. The Pathfinder has fewer complaints per vehicle sold and fewer recalls. The Passport has a slightly lower repair cost and fewer unscheduled shop visits. Each has a clear weak spot, so the better choice depends on whether you would rather risk CVT problems or idle-stop stalling.
Which has more recalls, the Pathfinder or the Passport?: The Passport has more. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its 8 model years, against 14 for the Pathfinder across its 8 model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before buying, whichever model you choose.
Which costs less to repair, the Pathfinder or the Passport?: The Passport costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $521 a year against $542 for the Pathfinder, a difference of about $105 over five years. The Passport also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.4 for the Pathfinder.
What is the main problem with the Honda Passport?: Electrical complaints lead, and the most common one is the engine failing to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light. Owners also report phantom braking from the collision system and the transmission shifting to neutral while driving. Dealers often cannot reproduce these faults.
What goes wrong most often on the Nissan Pathfinder?: Electrical problems lead, such as key fob door locks that stop responding and a backup camera that cuts out. The more serious reports involve the CVT, which judders, slips, or surges near a stop. Dealers often find no fault codes, so some cars leave unrepaired.

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Decided between Honda Passport and Nissan Pathfinder? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda Passport and Nissan Pathfinder

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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