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2018 Nissan Pathfinder

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
67 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA77
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
2026202520242023202220202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Pathfinder 2WD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 77 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Pathfinder 2WDGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl202723$2,700
Pathfinder 4WDGas4WD3.5L 6-cyl192622$2,850
Pathfinder 4WD PlatinumGas4WD3.5L 6-cyl192621$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39517, 39519, 39520.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Park outside391,479 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.RiskA brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.FixNissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
NHTSA campaign 19V807000reported Nov 8, 2019Nissan North America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

1,228,830 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numRiskThe lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.FixNissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
NHTSA campaign 19V654000reported Sep 12, 2019Nissan North America, Inc.
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Park outside215,124 vehicles
ProblemNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.RiskA brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.FixNissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not
NHTSA campaign 18V601000reported Sep 7, 2018Nissan North America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
77complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 3 · 2019: 27 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Service Brakes19
Unspecified17
Engine13
Electrical System13
Power Train12
Vehicle Speed Control9

What owners describe

“The vehicle had 58,827 miles when the fuel pump failed on 12/27/2023. The vehicle stalled at a 4-way intersection during an errand run. The vehicle would not move when shifted into drive and eventually die. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop (Greg's Japanese Auto), where a certified technician confirmed and replace…”Jan 4, 2024 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report
“Driver and passenger airbags deployed without cause while driving on busy expressway. No lights, warnings, sounds or crash in any way caused deployment. Broke windshield and car has been inoperative since. Insurance can't help and Nissan is being difficult trying to put blame on us. Insurance and State Police put in re…”Oct 6, 2023 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report
“Front collision shuts off intermittently for no reason. Causes cruise control to shut off immediately and disabled collision avoidance breaking. If cruise is on and approaching slower vehicle car will not slow down causing driver to break aggressively.”Jul 25, 2023 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Other Pathfinder model years

A

2026 Nissan Pathfinder

0 recalls · 9 complaints

A

2025 Nissan Pathfinder

1 recalls · 49 complaints

B

2024 Nissan Pathfinder

2 recalls · 75 complaints

A

2023 Nissan Pathfinder

1 recalls · 103 complaints

D

2022 Nissan Pathfinder

5 recalls · 135 complaints

A

2020 Nissan Pathfinder

0 recalls · 47 complaints

B

2019 Nissan Pathfinder

2 recalls · 75 complaints

C

2017 Nissan Pathfinder

2 recalls · 186 complaints

B

2016 Nissan Pathfinder

2 recalls · 107 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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