Head-to-head reliability
Nissan Pathfinder vs Nissan Frontier
How the Nissan Pathfinder and Nissan Frontier compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Nissan Pathfinder vs Nissan Frontier: The Pathfinder has 746 complaints over 10 years (74.6/yr) with engine and brake issues, while the Frontier has 473 complaints (47.3/yr) with electrical and powertrain problems. The Frontier has more recalls (22 vs 13) but fewer complaints per year. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Frontier more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan Pathfinder
The Nissan Pathfinder, a midsize SUV, shows a high complaint rate of about 75 per year over the past decade, with the engine, brakes, and electrical system being the most frequent trouble spots. Owners report sudden power loss, brake issues, and electrical glitches, which can be concerning for a family vehicle. While not all vehicles will experience these problems, the pattern suggests that reliability may be a significant consideration for buyers.
Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier, a midsize pickup, has a lower complaint rate of about 47 per year, but it still has notable issues, particularly with the electrical system, powertrain, and brakes. Some owners report stalling, power loss, and brake pedal problems, and there is at least one reported fatality linked to an electrical failure. The Frontier's overall reliability appears somewhat better than the Pathfinder's, but it still has areas of concern.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan Pathfinder | Nissan Frontier |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 746 | 473 Better |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 13 Better | 22 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 25 Better | 32 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 74.6 | 47.3 Better |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 21 | 12 Better |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Nissan Pathfinder
- 01ENGINE180
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER166
- 03SERVICE BRAKES133
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM125
- 05POWER TRAIN106
Owners report sudden loss of motive power, especially when driving uphill, with warning lights illuminating and the vehicle failing to restart. This can be dangerous in traffic and may indicate a serious engine or fuel system issue.
Complaints include repeated brake failures, unintended acceleration, and brake pedal going to the floor. These issues compromise stopping ability and increase the risk of collisions.
Problems include warning lights flashing, malfunction warnings for cruise control and sensors, and issues with emergency braking and blind spot monitoring. These electrical gremlins can affect safety systems and driver confidence.
Some owners report spontaneous rear window shattering without impact, and others experience sudden power loss and limp mode with a dashboard message. These unpredictable failures can leave drivers stranded or cause property damage.
“VIN [XXX] Date of Incident: December 21, 2025 Location: I-295 South, merging onto I-95 South, Jacksonville, FL Vehicle: 2025 Nissan Pathfinder, VIN [XXX] Owner: [XXX] Witness: [XXX] Phone Number: [XXX] Email Address: [XXX] Incident Description: While driving…”
“The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart after the first attempt. Af…”
Nissan Frontier
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM120
- 02POWER TRAIN113
- 03SERVICE BRAKES81
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER72
- 05FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE63
Complete power/ignition failure has been reported, including one incident resulting in a driver's death. Other owners report stalling and difficulty restarting, which can be life-threatening if it occurs in traffic.
Owners report the vehicle not increasing speed, running on idle for several seconds, and stalling at speeds above 30 mph. These transmission or engine issues can cause sudden loss of power and increase accident risk.
Brake pedal goes almost to the floor, and the accelerator pedal may also go down too close to the brake, creating a potential for unintended acceleration. This is a serious safety concern.
Roof rack bolts sheared off, causing the rack to fly into traffic, and a horrible odor from the ventilation system. These issues, while not always safety-critical, indicate quality control problems.
“Complete power/ignition failure resulting in death of driver on [XXX] while driving at night in the rain in a 2017 Nissan Frontier Pickup 4 door. The TDPS in McKinney, TX is pulling the black box for testing. 2 weeks before the accident the same vehicle (2017…”
“As I was driving my truck this morning it stalled on me, two times. The first time I was able to turn the key off and back on again and it started right up. I then drove it about 20 yards (luckily I was in a parking lot) and it stalled again but this time the…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Nissan Pathfinder — 13 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Murano, Pathfinder, and INFINITI QX60 vehicles. One or both front brake caliper assemblies may have reduced strength and could break. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard n…
The risk: A broken front brake caliper can cause a loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front brake caliper assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 9, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261 or INFINITI's customer servi…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 Rogue, Pathfinder, and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The driver's powered seat may not be fully secured to the seat frame, causing the seat frame welds to detach from the rear inboard seat bracket.
The risk: An unsecured seat with broken welds may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat rail clearance, and if necessary, replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 10, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer serv…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improper…
The risk: An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD10…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The lap belt pretensioner in the left-side front seat belt assembly may be improperly secured, due to a missing rivet. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor V…
The risk: An unsecured lap belt pretensioner will not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the left-side front lap seat belt pretensioner assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. O…
Nissan Frontier — 22 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over t…
The risk: If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7…
The defect: Nissan 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. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan 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-…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over t…
The risk: If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7…
The defect: Nissan 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. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan 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-…
Buyer analysis
Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Frontier: which should you buy?
The Nissan Frontier has fewer complaints per year (47.3) compared to the Pathfinder (74.6), suggesting it may be more reliable on average. However, both vehicles have serious reported issues, so buyers should be cautious and thoroughly inspect any used model.
Key differences
- The Pathfinder has more engine complaints (180) than the Frontier (not in top 5), indicating a higher likelihood of engine-related power loss.
- The Frontier has more electrical system complaints (120) than the Pathfinder (125) but also has a higher number of recalls (22 vs 13), suggesting more proactive fixes.
- The Pathfinder has more brake complaints (133) than the Frontier (81), with reports of brake failure and unintended acceleration.
- The Frontier has a reported death linked to electrical failure, while the Pathfinder has no deaths reported, but both have crash-related incidents.
- Check for any engine warning lights or history of power loss, especially when driving uphill.
- Inspect the brake system for any signs of pedal going to the floor or unintended acceleration.
- Look for any electrical issues, such as stalling or difficulty starting, and check for recalls related to ignition.
- Test the brakes for a low pedal or any interference with the accelerator pedal.
Before you buy
- Obtain a vehicle history report and check for open recalls on both models.
- Have a mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection, focusing on engine, brakes, and electrical systems.
- Test drive at various speeds, including uphill, to check for power loss or stalling.
- Check the brake pedal feel and ensure it doesn't go too low or interfere with the accelerator.
- Ask about any previous repairs or complaints related to the specific vehicle.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Nissan Pathfinder | Nissan Frontier |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 12 |
| 2025 | 45 | 14 |
| 2024 | 73 | 38 |
| 2023 | 101 | 128 |
| 2022 | 133 | 110 |
| 2021 | 0 | 34 |
| 2020 | 52 | 46 |
| 2019 | 74 | 28 |
| 2018 | 76 | 25 |
| 2017 | 184 | 38 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Frontier in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan Pathfinder vs Nissan Frontier
- Nissan Pathfinder total complaints
- 746
- Nissan Frontier total complaints
- 473
- Nissan Pathfinder total recalls
- 13
- Nissan Frontier total recalls
- 22
- Nissan Pathfinder avg complaints/year
- 74.6
- Nissan Frontier avg complaints/year
- 47.3
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Frontier
- Nissan Pathfinder top complaint area
- ENGINE
- Nissan Frontier top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM