2018 Nissan Pathfinder Reliability Report

Intelligent cruise control cuts out when the front radar reports an obstruction. That also disables collision-avoidance braking, so drivers have to brake hard when they come up on slower traffic. Some say the cruise later comes back on and suddenly accelerates. The fault comes and goes for 2 to 15 minutes at a time and shows up on many drives. Separate reports describe sudden power loss, as if the car shifted into neutral, between 30 and 60 mph. Others mention an ABS light that stays on and cruise control that will not re-engage until speed drops 5 to 10 mph.

Most of these reports are about the ABS actuator recall. ABS, traction control, and brake warning lights keep coming back after the recall repair, in one case at about 47,000 miles. Owners also describe recall parts that were not available and a dispute over paying for a rental car. A contaminated stop lamp switch can keep the car from starting, block shifting, and leave the brake lights dark. The remaining reports repeat the front radar fault, where an obstruction warning turns off cruise control and emergency braking.

The wheel locks up without warning in a few reports, and two of them end in a crash or airbag deployment. One seizure happened at 70 mph at about 11,000 miles. Other owners describe the car pulling hard left and right after repeated cruise control sensor replacements, and collision warnings that beep and jerk the car when no traffic is nearby. One complaint ties weak power-steering response to a failed PCV system that filled the engine with sludge and caused it to lose power.

Catastrophic failure is the main pattern, and some cars lose a second engine after the first is replaced. Reports include a broken camshaft with metal shavings in the engine, tailpipe smoke, knocking at 75,000 miles, and a total loss of power in busy highway traffic. A metal-to-metal rattle from the front passenger side came back even after the engine was replaced. Other complaints describe a failing left radiator cooling fan at 26,000 miles, and a check engine light with erratic rpm at under 400 miles.

A "front radar unavailable due to obstruction" warning appears while driving and turns off automatic braking and cruise control. Bridges and overhead signs set off false forward collision warnings, in one case at least twice a week. Dealers often cannot reproduce the warning and decline to replace the sensor. AEB and slip indicator lights come back after a recalled sensor is fixed. One report pairs those lights with engine misfires on a new car. One complaint concerns a 2019 model.

In reverse, the display control unit shows a black screen, a fading Nissan logo, or an upside-down rear camera image. These failures appear at about 89,000 miles and as late as 131,000 miles. A dealer and an independent shop both found that the display unit needed replacing. Owners link the problem to a recall campaign, but their VINs are not covered, so the repair falls outside the recall and the units often stay broken.

The passenger airbag light stays on or flashes. In one case a shop said the passenger seat was unsafe to use at 22,000 miles. The red airbag warning light can also flash without stopping. In the most serious report, the driver and passenger airbags deployed on an expressway with no crash and no warning. The deployment broke the windshield and left the car undrivable. A power train complaint also describes airbags deploying after a highway explosion.