2026 Nissan Pathfinder
The 2026 Nissan Pathfinder is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Pathfinder 2WD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 15 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $39,990 to $51,790 across 7 trims.
| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | MPG comb | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SV | Gas | FWD | $39,990 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SV | Gas | 4WD | $41,990 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Rock Creek | Gas | 4WD | $45,090 | 295 hp | 270 lb-ft | 21 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SL | Gas | FWD | $42,590 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SL | Gas | 4WD | $44,590 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Platinum | Gas | FWD | $49,790 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 23 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 20 in |
| Platinum | Gas | 4WD | $51,790 | 284 hp | 259 lb-ft | 22 mpg | 8 | 45 cu-ft | 20 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder 2WD | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 21 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Pathfinder 4WD | Gas | 4WD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 21 | 26 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Pathfinder 4WD Platinum | Gas | 4WD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 20 | 25 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Pathfinder 4WD Rock Creek | Gas | 4WD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 20 | 23 | 21 | $3,900 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 50146, 50173, 50174, 50175.
The cheapest ownership win
Insurers price the 2026 Pathfinder very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
How to compare cover →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Pathfinder →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
2.4 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 63,589 Pathfinder built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2026: 15
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
Purpose of this complaint I am asking Nissan North America to review Nissan's part of what happened with my practically new 2026 Pathfinder. I am not asking Nissan to pay for the collision itself, and I am not asking Nissan to reimburse expenses that were the responsibility of my automobile insurer. My accident occurred .
When driving anywhere from 30-50 mph the vehicle goes into Neutral without any warning. I know this because when I accelerated the engine just revved. This has happened when I was driving and also happened when my husband was driving. This has happened approximately 8-10 times since owning the vehicle.
Side airbags did not deploy during a 45-35mph left turn collision to drivers fender, door, rear door and the auto brake engaged impeding the vehicle to clear the lane. Not positive but the body shop said the seat belt did not engage properly?
My brand new Pathfinder platinum 2026 is very hard to drive on grooved concrete roads. It tramlines severely and the car sways dangerously back and forth needing constant steering adjustments. I believe it could be the Bridgestone Alenza tires on it but not 100% sure.
While driving the vehicle it has gone into neutral 3 times prior to 8,000 mile. The vehicle was bought new. Two of the three times I was pressing the gas pedal and holding it steady. Speed was ~ 40-45 MPH. RPMs increased from ~1500 to over 3000. I had to come to a complete stop to put the vehicle back in drive.
After the vehicle sits for several hours, the remote start system fails every time. Both the key fob remote start and the NissanConnect app remote start do not work, even though the vehicle shows as connected. The start command is aborted internally until the vehicle is physically moved a few feet.
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| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Structure, Wheels.
- NPSB 15 - 460 Service bulletin2026-05-01 · Wheels
- QUALITY ACTION CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Spare Tire Label Campaign ID : PD194 *****Dea ler An n ou ncem e nt ***** To ensure continued customer satisfaction and confidence, Nissan is conducting a Dealer Quality Action on certain model year 202 6 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles identified in Service Comm and DBS National Service History . Condition: On certain vehicles, a French -Canadian spare tire instruction
- ITB09-063C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Infiniti by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provide
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB26-004 Service bulletin2026-01-22 · Structure — Body
- METAL TICKING NOISE AT B-PILLAR IF YOU CONFIRM A metallic ticking noise is coming from the driver (LH) side and/or passenger (RH) side B-Pillar when driving the vehicle on various road surfaces. ACTION Refer to the SERVICE INFORMATION in this bulletin to adjust the inner support of the affected B-Pillar. IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (above) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be p
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Compare the 2026 Pathfinder with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Highlander · Large SUV · grade A | Highlander +5.7 | |
| 2026 Honda Pilot · Large SUV · grade A | Pilot +5.7 | |
| 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Large SUV · grade D | Pathfinder +36.7 | |
| 2026 Hyundai Palisade · Large SUV · grade B | Palisade +8.4 | |
| 2026 Ford Explorer · Large SUV · grade F | Pathfinder +6 |
Pathfinder by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2026 Pathfinder
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $39,990 for the SV FWD to $51,790 for the Platinum 4WD, across 7 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA gave the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, the best EPA combined figure is 23 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, most often about power train, unspecified, service brakes. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder?
The manufacturer has filed 5 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, most often covering structure, wheels. The most recent is dated 2026-05-01. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
Which 2026 Nissan Pathfinder trim is the best value?
$11,800 separates the cheapest of the 7 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
Is the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder better than the 2026 Toyota Highlander?
The Toyota Highlander edges it, 94.8 to 89.1, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, safety. The Nissan Pathfinder is ahead on price and performance. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder against the 2026 Toyota Highlander — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | none | EPA emission certificates | The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 15 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 5 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 7 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.