2026 Nissan Pathfinder Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance327.3%
- Electrical218.2%
- Visibility218.2%
- Tires & wheels19.1%
- Powertrain (other)19.1%
- Brakes19.1%
- Steering19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
While pulling my 2026 Nissan Pathfinder into my residential driveway at low speed, I pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not slow or stop. There was no resistance on the brake and I continued to try to compress it, but it went all the way to the floor with no effective stopping response. No front sonar/parking-collision warning sounded as the vehicle approached the house and exterior HVAC unit, and no automatic emergency braking intervention occurred. I had to choose between continuing into the garage, striking a brick wall, or steering past the house. I steered past the house and struck the HVAC unit, damaging it and the left-front area of the vehicle. The sudden loss of effective braking created an immediate risk to me, my 2 young children in the vehicle, and anyone who might have been nearby. The vehicle had approximately 3,449 miles and had been in my possession for fewer than 30 days. It was promptly taken to an authorized Nissan dealer and is available for inspection. The dealer inspected and test-drove the vehicle but could not reproduce the condition. A post-incident diagnostic scan recorded stored codes, including C1080-86 in the ABS actuator/electric unit, described as “ECM message error,” along with communication-related codes in other modules. The dealer characterized the codes as historical, cleared them, and a later scan showed no current codes. No freeze-frame or event data was retrieved. At the time of this complaint, no cause has been identified and no repair addressing the reported braking, parking-warning, or automatic-braking conditions has been performed. Because the condition resulted in a collision, remains unexplained, and may be intermittent, I am concerned that it could recur.
The steering assist malfunctions. It almost always fails around curves. It also does it sometimes on a straightaway, but it is not as frequent as with curves. It gets too close to the line and overcompensates. It literally will drive you off of the road. I have been driving across country and if I had not been diligent, I would have crashed dozens of times. According to Grok, this is a common complaint but there are no recalls for this failure.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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. A dealership porter also could not remote‑start the vehicle at my home, and this is documented. This creates a safety concern because I transport disabled children and medical equipment, and the vehicle may fail to start when needed.
The speed sign reading technology reads the S.R road signs as speed limit signs. I have a 25 model and it does not do this. The 2026 model is equipped with the pro pilot system which is not on the 2025 model.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
Windshield cracked on its own 5 days after purchase.
The contact owns a 2026 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH a loud explosion noise had occurred. The contact open the interior sunroof door and discovered that the glass sunroof had shattered outward. The vehicle was immediately taken to the local dealer who replaced the glass sunroof. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,800.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I believe tires are causing the vehicle to wandering in lane your driving in, the tires are following grooved concrete on interstate highways cause the vehicle to wandering and you constantly adjust your lane position, this doesn’t happen on asphalt roads just on grooved concrete highways.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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. The other instance happened as I was pressing the brake pedal. As I took my foot off of the brake pedal to press the gas pedal, the RPMs increased from ~1000 to over 2000. The transmission had gone back into neutral. I had to come to a complete stop in the intersection. I have been fortunate not to have someone behind me during these three instances. If I had an accident could have easily occurred. I was also fortunate that the intersection I had to stop in was not busy at the time. No warning lights appeared on the dash at any time during these three instances. My local Nissan dealer, where the vehicle was purchased from new, replaced the fuel pump and fuel gauge packing at 7515 miles. Again, I had the last issue arise at 7909 miles which came after the repair. The dealership is reviewing next steps with me, either a buy back situation or repair. I also contacted Nissan America directly for assistance. They offered an extended warranty of 7 years or 100,000 miles contingent of me releasing them of further responsibility. I refused the offer. The manager with Nissan America that I spoke with referred me to the Better Business Bureau to file a complaint. Unreal response given the nature of this safety issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
While pulling my 2026 Nissan Pathfinder into my residential driveway at low speed, I pressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not slow or stop. There was no resistance on the brake and I continued to try to compress it, but it went all the way to the floor with no effective stopping response. No front sonar/parking-collision warning sounded as the vehicle approached the house and exterior HVAC unit, and no automatic emergency braking intervention occurred. I had to choose between continuing into the garage, striking a brick wall, or steering past the house. I steered past the house and struck the HVAC unit, damaging it and the left-front area of the vehicle. The sudden loss of effective braking created an immediate risk to me, my 2 young children in the vehicle, and anyone who might have been nearby. The vehicle had approximately 3,449 miles and had been in my possession for fewer than 30 days. It was promptly taken to an authorized Nissan dealer and is available for inspection. The dealer inspected and test-drove the vehicle but could not reproduce the condition. A post-incident diagnostic scan recorded stored codes, including C1080-86 in the ABS actuator/electric unit, described as “ECM message error,” along with communication-related codes in other modules. The dealer characterized the codes as historical, cleared them, and a later scan showed no current codes. No freeze-frame or event data was retrieved. At the time of this complaint, no cause has been identified and no repair addressing the reported braking, parking-warning, or automatic-braking conditions has been performed. Because the condition resulted in a collision, remains unexplained, and may be intermittent, I am concerned that it could recur.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
The steering assist malfunctions. It almost always fails around curves. It also does it sometimes on a straightaway, but it is not as frequent as with curves. It gets too close to the line and overcompensates. It literally will drive you off of the road. I have been driving across country and if I had not been diligent, I would have crashed dozens of times. According to Grok, this is a common complaint but there are no recalls for this failure.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .