Is the Toyota Grand Highlander more reliable than the Nissan Pathfinder?

Yes, the Grand Highlander has a clear edge. Its main complaints are hesitation and a wait for airbag recall parts. The Pathfinder has reports of engine failure, CVT surging, and brake and ABS faults. The Grand Highlander is newer, though, so its record is shorter.

Which has more recalls, the Grand Highlander or the Pathfinder?

The Pathfinder has more in total, with 14 recalls across 8 model years. The Grand Highlander has 10 across just 3 model years. Per model year, the Grand Highlander has had more, so check any car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which one costs less to repair?

The data cannot say. Only the Pathfinder has independent repair-cost figures: about $542 a year, 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year, and a 15% chance that a repair is major. No comparable figures exist for the Grand Highlander.

What is the main problem with the Nissan Pathfinder?

Electrical faults are the most reported, such as key fobs that stop locking doors and a backup camera that cuts out. The more serious ones are the CVT that judders and surges, and engines with timing chain wear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the CVT fault.

Is the Grand Highlander airbag recall a concern?

It is worth checking. Recall 24V461000 covers curtain airbags that may not deploy as intended in certain crashes if the front windows are down. Owners reported months of waiting because parts were unavailable. Confirm the repair was actually done before you buy.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Reliability Compared

Nissan Pathfinder

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Grand Highlander

Good

Reliability favors the Toyota Grand Highlander over the Nissan Pathfinder by a clear margin. The deciding fact is severity: the Pathfinder's reports include engine failure, CVT surging, and brake faults, while the Grand Highlander's main complaints are hesitation and a slow airbag recall fix.

How Do the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Grand Highlander Generations Compare?

Early production defines the Grand Highlander. It is a first-generation model, the AS10, and its model years run from 2024 to 2026. Every car you can buy is from that first run, which is why its complaint record is short and why its 2024 and 2025 years show the weak spots so far. The Pathfinder has a longer history. Its fourth generation (R52) covered 2013 to 2020, with a facelift for 2017, so the 2018 to 2020 cars come from that run. The fifth generation (R53) began in 2021 and covered the 2022 and 2023 model years, with a facelift for 2023. The 2022 model year, the first of that redesign, is among the weakest.

Verdict

The Toyota Grand Highlander is more reliable than the Nissan Pathfinder, scoring 79/100 vs 74/100.

A clear edge goes to the Toyota Grand Highlander. Its main complaints are hesitation pulling away and a long wait for airbag recall parts. The Nissan Pathfinder's reports include engine failures, a CVT that judders and surges, and brake and ABS faults, with one repair costing over $4000 that did not hold. The Pathfinder does draw fewer complaints per car sold, which counts in its favor. Severity tips the comparison. The Grand Highlander has also had only three model years to collect complaints, so treat its record as early.

Key Differences

1Toyota Grand Highlander scores 5 points higher in reliability
2Nissan Pathfinder has 4.7 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Toyota Grand Highlander has 4 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

1Nissan Pathfinder

—

2Toyota Grand Highlander

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateSafety Rating

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Nissan Pathfinder	Toyota Grand Highlander
Reliability Score	74/100	79/100
Years Tracked	8	3
Total Recalls	14	10
Complaints per 10k Sold	3.5	8.2
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Grand Highlander?

Drivetrain and brake faults define the Pathfinder. Owners report a CVT that slips and surges forward near a stop, metal in the oil with timing chain wear, stalling in traffic, and ABS and collision warning lights that come on together. Power train has 3 crash-linked complaints and vehicle speed control has 1. The Grand Highlander's biggest area is power train too, with stuttering, rough first-gear shifts, and a few limp-mode cases. Its only crash-linked area is air bags, mostly tied to a recall where parts were unavailable. It also has a fuel gauge that reads empty with gallons left.

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander common problem areas comparison
Component	Nissan Pathfinder	Toyota Grand Highlander
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	1.7Low
POWER TRAIN	0.5Very Low	1.4Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	1.1Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.5Very Low	0.6Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	0.6Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.4Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.4Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	0.4Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE	0.2Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SEATS	0.1Very Low	—None
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	0.1Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None

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

How Does Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Nissan Pathfinder	Toyota Grand Highlander	Edge
2026	82/1000R / 1C	88/1000R / 0C	Toyota Grand Highlander
2025	78/1001R / 25C	80/1003R / 33C	Toyota Grand Highlander
2024	74/1002R / 38C	69/1007R / 171C	Nissan Pathfinder

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Nissan Pathfinder scored 74/100 and the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander scored 69/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Nissan Pathfinder vs the Toyota Grand Highlander?

If you want the lower risk of a costly drivetrain or brake failure, buy the Grand Highlander and accept a shorter track record. Confirm that curtain airbag recall 24V461000 was actually completed, since one owner was told it had been when it had not. Test drive for hesitation when pulling away. The 2024 is among its weaker years. Do not read the 2026 as the safe pick just because it has few complaints; it has had the least time to collect them. If you care most about complaint volume per car sold, the Pathfinder is lower there. Target the 2020 model year, one of its strongest, and avoid 2022 and 2018, its weakest. On any Pathfinder, test drive for CVT judder and surging near a stop, check that the key fob locks and backup camera work, and ask for records of engine and brake repairs. Walk away from a car with unresolved ABS or traction control lights.

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Grand Highlander more reliable than the Nissan Pathfinder?: Yes, the Grand Highlander has a clear edge. Its main complaints are hesitation and a wait for airbag recall parts. The Pathfinder has reports of engine failure, CVT surging, and brake and ABS faults. The Grand Highlander is newer, though, so its record is shorter.
Which has more recalls, the Grand Highlander or the Pathfinder?: The Pathfinder has more in total, with 14 recalls across 8 model years. The Grand Highlander has 10 across just 3 model years. Per model year, the Grand Highlander has had more, so check any car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which one costs less to repair?: The data cannot say. Only the Pathfinder has independent repair-cost figures: about $542 a year, 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year, and a 15% chance that a repair is major. No comparable figures exist for the Grand Highlander.
What is the main problem with the Nissan Pathfinder?: Electrical faults are the most reported, such as key fobs that stop locking doors and a backup camera that cuts out. The more serious ones are the CVT that judders and surges, and engines with timing chain wear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the CVT fault.
Is the Grand Highlander airbag recall a concern?: It is worth checking. Recall 24V461000 covers curtain airbags that may not deploy as intended in certain crashes if the front windows are down. Owners reported months of waiting because parts were unavailable. Confirm the repair was actually done before you buy.

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

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How we score the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Grand Highlander

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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