40 complaints reported

2013 Nissan Pathfinder POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
40
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2013

1. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE A SCHOOL PARKING LOT (GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITH OTHER PARENTS' CARS) AT 10 MPH THE ENGINE SHUDDERED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED BACK AND FORTH AS IF IT TRANSMISSION COULDN'T ENGAGE POWER TO THE WHEELS. THE SHUDDERING STOPPED AFTER A COUPLE SECONDS AND I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT SAFELY. (VEHICLE HAS SHUDDERED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH.) 2. PULLED INTO A ROUNDABOUT AT 15 MPH AND THE ENGINE SHUDDERED, JERKING THE PATHFINDER BACK AND FORTH. WHEN EXITING THE ROUNDABOUT AT NEARLY 20 MPH THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AGAIN FOR A COUPLE SECONDS, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS NOT A VIOLENT -- IT ONLY VIBRATED THE VEHICLE. (VEHICLE HAS SHUDDERED WHILE TURNING AT LEAST 12 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH.) 3. AFTER TURNING RIGHT ONTO A STRAIGHT STREET AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE FELT AS IF HALF THE POWER WERE TAKEN AWAY. THE ENGINE REVVED UP, BUT THE ACCELERATION WAS WEAK. (THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN A MONTH.) *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Nov 2013

I PURCHASED A NEW 2013 PATHFINDER FOR MYSELF ON 4/18/2013. I STARTED NOTICING A SLIGHT SHUDDER ON TAKE OFF FROM A STOP IN MAY. WE MENTIONED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP IN EARLY JUNE AND THE IMMEDIATELY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH ALL THE NEW MODEL PATHFINDERS. THE FIX WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER FOR THE CVT BUT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER WITH NO KNOWN ETA. IN LATE SEPTEMBER THEY CALLED SAYING THEY HAD THE PART AND TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN FOR THE REPAIR. WHEN I CAME FOR MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT A COUPLE DAYS LATER THEY TURNED ME AWAY STATING THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS FOUND NOT TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THEY NEEDED TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. AGAIN, THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER AND NO KNOWN ETA. THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS FINALLY DONE 10/24/2013 AND WE STARTED FEELING THE SHUDDERING RIGHT AWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION BREAKING IN. THE PROBLEM IS MUCH WORSE NOW WITH THE CAR LOSING COMPLETE POWER AND CAUSING POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS. I HAVE A 12 MONTH OLD RIDING IN THIS VEHICLE. WE ARE CURRENTLY REQUESTING NISSAN TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Nov 2013

DETECTED INTERMITTENT HEAT FAILURE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE AREA SURROUNDING THE OCCUPANT'S FEET. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 10 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED CODE WAS "TRANSMISSION FLUID PRESSURE SWITCH." THE SERVICE TECH ERASED THE CODE WITHOUT PERFORMING SERVICE. 5 DAYS LATER DRIVER DETECTED TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. SERVICE TECH AND DRIVER TOOK A TEST DRIVE. SERVICE TECH CONFIRMED TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. WHILE DRIVING BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE DRIVER PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THIS CREATED A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE DRIVER AND SERVICE TECH. IT HAPPENED TWICE MORE AND THE VEHICLE ALMOST GOT STUCK UNDER THE DOOR TRYING TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS BY DEALER: CVT FAILURE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2013
Jun 2013

JUNE 23, 2013 - I PURCHASED MY 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN MARCH. IT HAS HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM SINCE I GOT IT. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOPPING, OR WHEN INCREASING SPEED WHEN TURNING, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERS. IT SOMETIMES VIBRATES AND ALSO FEELS LIKE I'M GOING OVER SOMETHING ROUGH. IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO SHUT COMPLETELY OFF WHEN IT DOES THIS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR 3 1/2 MONTHS.. I HAVE CONTACTED CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUT AS OF TODAY, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT AND IS GETTING WORSE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2013
May 2013

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SHAKING OR VIBRATING WHILE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING, WITH TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER AT LOW SPEED 10-20 MPH. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, EVEN AFTER THE RECALL REPROGRAM WAS DONE. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE HAPPENED TWICE MAY 17, 2013, TEN DAYS AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY DROVE IT FOR 300 MILES AND DID NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE RECALL WAS TO ADDRESS THE SHAKING ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND WOULD BE CORRECTED BY REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER (WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE) AND IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. SOME NISSAN EMPLOYEES SAY THERE IS NO ISSUES KNOWN WITH THE PATHFINDER AND SOME WILL ADMIT IT THERE IS, BUT SAY ENGINEERING IS WORKING ON A FIX FOR IT, BUT CLAIM IT IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. MY WIFE ALMOST ENDED UP IN A DITCH ON ONE OCCASION AND THEN MISSED REAR ENDING A VEHICLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING AND SHE WAS SLOWING DOWN ON ANOTHER OCCASION. THE PROBLEM IS NOT EASILY DUPLICATED, SO IT TOUGH TO SHOW IT HAPPENING, BUT DOES SOMEONE ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET HURT BEFORE IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE AND IS REALLY LOOKED INTO? *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2013
Apr 2013

VEHICLE SHUDDERS AS IF DRIVING OVER RUMBLE BARS FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS WHEN ACCELERATING SLOWLY -- USUALLY AROUND 40 MPH. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2013
Mar 2013

THE CAR STARTED TO VIBRATE AND SURGE AND LOUD BANG NOISES AT THE FRONT THE CAR IT FEELS LIKE ITS LOOSING POWER AND ITS HARD TO PICK UP, HAS DONE THIS WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT OR SLOWING DOWN. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2013
Feb 2013

PURCHASED VEHICLE JAN 2013. VEHICLE SHUDDERS CONTINUOUSLY WHEN TRAVELING AT CONSTANT SPEED AROUND 40 MPH. ALSO SHUDDERS VIOLENTLY AND LOSES POWER WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEED, APPROX. 5 TO 10 MPH. SOURCE FEELS TO BE TRANSMISSION. HAPPENS EVERY TIME DRIVEN.TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED MAY 2013. TECHNICIAN DROVE IT AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FEEL ANYTHING WRONG. TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ABS SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE WAS GOING TO BE VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED SOON. THAT HAD NO EFFECT ON PROBLEM, STILL AS EVIDENT AS EVER. NOW FACED WITH THIRD TRIP TO SHOP TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING DONE. SEEMS TO BE COMMON COMPLAINT BASED ON WHAT I READ. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN MY 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER STARTED TO ACT STRANGE. THE RPM'S WOULD BE ERRATIC GOING FROM 3000 - 5000 IF I TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR. THEN IT WOULD STOP IF I DID NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR. THEN 4000 - 6000 RPMS. IT SEEMED VERY UNSAFE AND OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I DECIDED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ON THE EXIT RAMP WHEN I HEARD A LARGE GRINDING NOISE AND THE CAR STOPPED. THERE WAS AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL AND THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE IN ADDITION TO THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT WOULD NOT START. IT ALSO STOPPED IN A VERY UNSAFE LOCATION AND EVENTUALLY THE STATE POLICE CAME TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY. CALLED MY NISSAN DEALER, THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK AND I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. LATER THAT DAY I FOUND OUT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS, I WAS DRIVING A $40,000 BRAND NEW SUV AND THAT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. HOW COULD A NEW TRANSMISSION HELP, IF THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN NISSAN'S PATHFINDER TRANSMISSIONS? MY NEW CAR WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY @55MPH THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV FROM LOW TO VERY HIGH RPMS. ALL OF A SUDDEN CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH SMOKE AND LOST COMPLETE POWER TO DRIVE TRAIN. MOVE TO THE SIDE OF ROAD AND AVOIDED A HUGE ACCIDENT WITH 2 CHILDREN ON BOARD. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD AND 5 MONTH OLD MY 2013 PATHFINDER ON 12/29 (WHICH I HAD FOR 1 MONTH)IT STARTED FEELING LIKE IT WAS MISSING GEARS AND SPUTTERING. THE RPMS STARTED TO REV UP BETWEEN 4000-5000 AND WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING ANY FASTER, AND THE CAR WAS JERKING AS I WAS DRIVING IT. I STOPPED AND TURNED THE CAR OFF HOPING IT WAS JUST A FLUKE BUT WHEN I STARED IT WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I WAS IN REVERSE I THEN PUT IN DRIVE AGAIN IT WAS DOING THE SAME THING BUT THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I EVEN PRESSED THE CRUISE TO SEE IF THAT WOULD WORK AND IT WOULDN'T WORK EITHER. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A TRANSMISSION MODULE CHIP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAITED 10 DAYS AND FINALLY THEY SAID IT WAS READY. I PICKED IT UP AND LITERALLY TURNED AROUND BECAUSE IT WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING EXCEPT THIS TIME AS I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE PEDAL THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECELERATE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE AT 60MPH WITHOUT ME PRESSING THE GAS UNTIL I HIT THE BRAKE IT STARTED TO SLOW DOWN, THANK GOD, ALL WHILE MY BABY IS IN THE CAR WITH ME. SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP WHICH DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW AND I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NISSAN EXPRESSING MY CONCERN FOR THE VEHICLES SAFETY, AND THE FACT IT IS BRAND NEW A MONTH OLD CAR AND THE ONLY THING THAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THAT THEY ARE SENDING A TECH FROM NISSAN AND THEY'RE REALLY SORRY ABOUT MY TROUBLE. SO NOW THE CAR JUST SITS AT THE DEALERSHIP GOING ON A MONTH AND NEITHER ONE I FEEL HAS BEEN REALLY CONCERNED WITH TRYING TO FIX THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY MANNER OR WORRIED ON THE SAFETY OF IT. I AM TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE WAY THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN HAVE HANDLED THE SITUATION. SO MUCH FOR THEM BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELL BEING AND SAFETY OF THEIR PASSENGERS. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2012
Jan 2013

AFTER FUELING MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME, I HEADED OUT AND NOTICED SMOKE AROUND MY VEHICLE. A NEIGHBORING VEHICLE MOTIONED FOR ME TO ROLL DOWN MY WINDOW AND SAID I HAD FLUID THAT LOOKED LIKE ANTI FREEZE POURING OUT FROM BENEATH MY 2013 PATHFINDER. I TRIED TO PULL OVER BUT THE SUV WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE FORWARD AND I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN. NOT KNOWING WHY MY VEHICLE WAS SMOKING, I CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SOME PEOPLE STOPPED TO HELP AND PUSH THE VEHICLE FROM THE STREET. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED. A TOWING COMPANY WAS SENT OUT. I WAS TOLD THE TOWING COMPANY'S HAVE BEEN TOWING THESE BRAND NEW VEHICLES ALOT, SOME THAT WERE DRIVEN OFF THE LOT AND HAD TO BE TOWED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THIS ISSUE WAS UNDER A LAW SUIT FOR THE 2005-2010 MODEL PATHFINDERS. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE NISSAN HAS RESOLVED THE ISSUE JUST YET. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR TWO WEEK OLD 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER PLATINUM EDITION WITH MY FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DISABLED. THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALER. I WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE COOLANT LINE BURST AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE. AS A "PRECAUTION" THEY WILL BE REPLACING THE RADIATOR, TRANSMISSION LINE (S), AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE RETURNING IT TO US. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR DID NOT GET AFFECTED BUY THE INCIDENT AND THAT THEY ARE REPLACING THOSE PARTS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND LEARNED THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER 2013 PATHFINDERS HAVE SUFFERED FROM THE SAME CATASTROPHIC ISSUE. I ALSO LEARNED THAT PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF THE PATHFINDER HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WHICH NISSAN WAS VERY SLOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE. WHEN A VEHICLE THAT IS TRAVELING AT A MODERATE TO HIGH RATE OF SPEED LOOSES TRANSMISSION THE DRIVER BECOMES AT RISK FOR A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN AND IN OUR CASE MY WIFE WAS SAVED BY A AAA EMPLOYEE WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PUSH HER CAR OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DRIVES THIS VEHICLE PLEASE TELL THEM TO TAKE IT TO THEIR NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY. I AM CONVINCED THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE A RECALL. OUR CAR HAD 450 MILE ON IT FOR GODS SAKE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2013
Jan 2013

WHEN I AM ACCELERATING OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE CAR SHUDDERS. 'BEEN TO NISSAN TWICE NOW, IT STILL SHUDDERS EVEN THOUGH THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM AND REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER AFTER REMOVING THE ENGINE. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2013
Jan 2013

VEHICLE SHAKING/SHUDDERING WHILE DRIVING. SEEMED LIKE THE VEHICLE IS LOOSING POWER AND NOT RESPONDING TO CONTROLS. TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGE ALSO SHAKE/JITTER. *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2013

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder has 40 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.