Total Complaints
59 filings
NISSAN PATHFINDER · model year
2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER
59 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011NISSANPATHFINDER carries 59 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 3/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 PATHFINDER is air bags with 12 filings, followed by engine (10) and power train (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 2011 PATHFINDER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
59
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 - Not rated
· Front: Not Rated/5
· Side: Not Rated/5
· Rollover: 3/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 12 |
| ENGINE | 10 |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 |
| SUSPENSION | 6 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 |
| SEAT BELTS | 3 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| WHEELS | 2 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
Recalls (2)
11V59200019/12/2011
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE
23V06700010/02/2023
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Recent Complaints
20250611SUSPENSION
Rear sub frame has significant rust, snapped while driving at slow speed, there was no injury but steering was affected, no harm done this time but it is a known issue, 2wd model has a recall for the same part with the same issue
20250609AIR BAGS
My airbag light and seatbelt light are on and the horn has stopped working. Frame and front suspension is making a horrible creaking sound and has been for months. Frame seems to be rotted ⦠Iâve taken it to multiple places to have it looked atâ¦. Iâve also seen other complaints on here of people having the same issue! This poses a huge safety risk! Definitely needs a recall for both issues!
20250609SEAT BELTS
My airbag light and seatbelt light are on and the horn has stopped working. Frame and front suspension is making a horrible creaking sound and has been for months. Frame seems to be rotted ⦠Iâve taken it to multiple places to have it looked atâ¦. Iâve also seen other complaints on here of people having the same issue! This poses a huge safety risk! Definitely needs a recall for both issues!
20250609SUSPENSION
My airbag light and seatbelt light are on and the horn has stopped working. Frame and front suspension is making a horrible creaking sound and has been for months. Frame seems to be rotted ⦠Iâve taken it to multiple places to have it looked atâ¦. Iâve also seen other complaints on here of people having the same issue! This poses a huge safety risk! Definitely needs a recall for both issues!
20240305ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Through a check engine light for camshaft position sensor bank 1 so I replaced both of them well that cleared the check engine light for a min and was running good the after five min of running it started rough idling cutting off and throwing a check engine light for p0340 again I sent it to the Nissan dealer shop they said it didnât have no check light they tested the sensors and said there good and donât know what it could be
20240305ENGINE
Through a check engine light for camshaft position sensor bank 1 so I replaced both of them well that cleared the check engine light for a min and was running good the after five min of running it started rough idling cutting off and throwing a check engine light for p0340 again I sent it to the Nissan dealer shop they said it didnât have no check light they tested the sensors and said there good and donât know what it could be
20231213SUSPENSION
Frame is rotted from rust. Not drivable as drive train connection to wheels in rear end ready to fail at any moment. Rust is so bad it will require towing to be repaired. Repair estimate exceeds blue book value. $4800. 110,000 current mileage. Recall for this problem existed on this make/model for years 2004 to 2009. This vehicle is 2011 with no recall as yet.
20230914AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
20230215AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealers: Nissan of Bradenton (1611 Cortez Rd W, Bradenton, FL 34207: (941) 755-1571) and Gettel Nissan (3530 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34239: (941) 343-4855) were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
20220930SERVICE BRAKES
Brake are to the floor, will not come back off the floor. I have everything replace including master cylinder at Nissan. They were unable to figure out what is causing this
20211024ENGINE
The Vehicle will frequently and without warning lose all power while in the roadway. Last evening I was exiting the highway when I lost engine power and power steering. The dashboard lights came on and I had to coast to the nearest driveway. This has happened multiple times before, always without warning. When I have taken it to two nissan dealerships they have told me to continue driving it until it happens again because there is no code appearing. Finally it will happen enough where there will be a code and they can repair it. It always ends up being some sort of sensor. This has been going on for approximately 4-5 years.
20211024ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Vehicle will frequently and without warning lose all power while in the roadway. Last evening I was exiting the highway when I lost engine power and power steering. The dashboard lights came on and I had to coast to the nearest driveway. This has happened multiple times before, always without warning. When I have taken it to two nissan dealerships they have told me to continue driving it until it happens again because there is no code appearing. Finally it will happen enough where there will be a code and they can repair it. It always ends up being some sort of sensor. This has been going on for approximately 4-5 years.
20211024POWER TRAIN
The Vehicle will frequently and without warning lose all power while in the roadway. Last evening I was exiting the highway when I lost engine power and power steering. The dashboard lights came on and I had to coast to the nearest driveway. This has happened multiple times before, always without warning. When I have taken it to two nissan dealerships they have told me to continue driving it until it happens again because there is no code appearing. Finally it will happen enough where there will be a code and they can repair it. It always ends up being some sort of sensor. This has been going on for approximately 4-5 years.
20211023SERVICE BRAKES
When I applied the brakes, a slippage and rubbing noise occurs. Moments later, I could brake. No engine lights are visible on the dashboard. This has occurred several times.
20211023ENGINE
When I applied the brakes, a slippage and rubbing noise occurs. Moments later, I could brake. No engine lights are visible on the dashboard. This has occurred several times.
20211023SUSPENSION
When I applied the brakes, a slippage and rubbing noise occurs. Moments later, I could brake. No engine lights are visible on the dashboard. This has occurred several times.
20200109ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF OIL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BOLT THAT CONNECTED THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE OIL FILTER FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V592000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
Mileage: 110,000
20200107SERVICE BRAKES
WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30MPH WHEN I CAME TO MAKE A STOP MY BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CRASH UNTIL E BRAKE BROUGHT ME TO A STOP. MECHANIC CHECKED AND COULD NOT GET THE TRUCK TO DO IT AGAIN. BRAKES AND ROTORS AND BRAKE FLUID ARE ALL IN TACT .
Mileage: 119,000
20190918ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH MY CAR'S ENGINE HAS STALLED. MY CAR AT TIMES WILL NOT TURN OVER BUT THEN WILL CRANK AND THE VDC SLIP LIGHT COMES ON AND MY ENGINE SPUTTERS. THE BATTERY IS GOOD, THE ALTERNATOR IS GOOD. RECENTLY IT ALMOST STALLED WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON BUT THEN IT ACCELERATED JUST FINE. NOW IT IS INTERMITTENTLY MAKING A LOUD HUMMING/GRINDING NOISE.
Mileage: 167,000
20190405AIR BAGS
MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS FLASHING AND MY HORN HAS STOPPED WORKING.
Mileage: 142,000
Compare 2011NISSANPATHFINDER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER have?▼
The 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER has 59 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER?▼
The 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 3/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER?▼
Yes, the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER?▼
The most-complained component for the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER is AIR BAGS with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 NISSAN PATHFINDER has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.