Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Suspension68
- Equipment39
- Steering35
- Structure30
- Fuel system, gasoline23
- Engine and engine cooling16
- Vehicle speed control11
- Service brakes, hydraulic9
- Air bags9
- Tires8
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 12 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 18 2001 Pathfinder vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 12 people died inside them, and 6 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder failed the safety check 2.01% of the time — 0% more often than the average 2001 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 149,920 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
47 2001 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 15.2–15.8 L/100 km (about 15 mpg US), CO₂ 350–363 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathfinder 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 16.4 | 13.8 | 15.2 |
| Pathfinder 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 17.3 | 13.9 | 15.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder.
| 2011165 21 Apr 2011 | Structure On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage during winter months, a mixture of snow/water and salt may enter an assembly location hole in the… |
| 2007300 13 Sept 2007 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, inadequate coating of the fuel filler tube assembly could allow water to penetrate past the coating and cause surface rust. In areas which… |
| 2001225 5 Sept 2001 | Structure On certain vehicles, some of the brackets used to attach the two gas struts to the rear door (hatch) may have been improperly made. At high ambient temperatures… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1996-2004 PATHFINDER AND MODEL YEAR 1997-2003 INFINITI QX4 VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN. IN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT ARE USED, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT MAY ENTER AN ASSEMBLY LOCATION HOLE IN THE UPPER STRUT HOUSING, CAUSING WATER TO COLLECT AT THE MATING SURFACE OF THE STRUT HOUSING PANEL AND THE INNER HOOD LEDGE ASSEMBLY. OVER TIME, THIS SNOW/WATER AND SALT INTRUSION MAY RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE STRUT TOWER HOUSING IN SOME SUBJECT VEHICLES.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, TENNESSEE, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA , WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DURING THE COATING PROCESS OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE ASSEMBLY, AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF COATING MAY HAVE BEEN APPLIED AT THE LOWER MOUNTING BRACKET. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN OPENING IN THE COATING WHICH CAN ALLOW WATER TO ENTER AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BARE METAL OF THE TUBE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BRACKETS USED TO ATTACH THE TWO GAS STRUTS TO THE REAR DOOR (HATCH) MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MADE. AT HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, THE INCREASE IN GAS PRESSURE IN THE STRUT(S) COULD CAUSE ONE OR BOTH BRACKETS TO BEND, RESULTING IN THE STRUTS DETACHING FROM THE BRACKET(S) WHEN OPENING OR CLOSING THE REAR DOOR.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635799 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0420 / P0430 BANK-1/BANK-2 CATALYST. *TT |
| 635795 | SUBJECT REGARDING MANUAL TRANSFER CASE DIAGNOSIS. *TT |
| 633673 | SUBJECT REGARDING REAR SUSPENSION BOTTOMS OUT. *JG |
| 633637 | SUBJECT REGARDING BEARING NOISE FROM TRANSFER CASE COMPANION FLANGE. *JG |
| 632162 | INFORMATION REGARDING REAR LICENSE PLATE RATTLES AGAINST HATCH.*TT |
| 632155 | SUBJECT REGARDING ROOF CONSOLE TEMPERATURE DISPLAY READS INACCURATELY. *TT |
| 631760 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES. *SLC |
| 631339 | SUBJECT REGARDING MANUAL TRANSFER CASE NOISES. *JG |
| 630810 | CONCERNS WITH MANUAL TRANSFER CASE NOISES. *JB |
| 629210 | SEAT BELT LATCH PLATE RETAINING BUTTON MISSING. *TT |
| 628286 | SUBJECT REGARDING BEARING NOISE FROM TRANSFER CASE.*JG |
| 628220 | SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP 'ON' WITH REAR OXEGEN SENSOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE PO138-P0140 OR P0158-P0160 STORED. *JG |
| 628196 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1-2 OR 2-3 SHIFT FLARE WHEN COLD. *JG |
| 628189 | SUBJECT REGARDING NAVIGATION SYSTEM DISPLAY FREEZE, UN-INITIATED RE-ROUTING, AND NO VICE GUIDANCE SYMPTOMS. *JG |
| 627463 | SUBJECT REGARDING DRIVER'S SEAT MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. *JG |
| 627435 | SUBJECT REGARDING ROAD NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSFER CASE LEVER AREA. *JG |
| 627197 | SUBJECT REGARDING HARD STARTING AFTER FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT. *JG |
| 625901 | SUBJECT REGARDING DRIVER'S SEAT MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. *JG |
| 625514 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1-2 OR 2-3 SHIFT FLARE. *TT |
| 625209 | SUBJECT REGARDING DVD MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM INTRODUCTION AND DIAGNOSIS. *YD |
| 625177 | INFORMATION REGARDING NEW PAINT GUARD FILM INFORMATION. *YD |
| 625022 | SUBJECT REGARDING SUNGLASSES HOLDER LID WILL NOT OPEN/CLOSE PROPERLY. *YD |
| 625009 | SUBJECT REGARDING PATHFINDER REAR HATCH LATCH MOVES TO SECONDARY POSITION. *YD |
| 624064 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO REVISED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES.*JB |
| 624029 | INFORMATION ON FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING FOR VEHICLES WITH ROUGH IDLE.*JB |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Frame/Body Structure Corrosion
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation