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2013 Nissan Pathfinder: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
59%
428 of 726 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

59% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 78% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 164 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 48%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
428
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
890
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
11
16 crashes · 16 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN370 · 42%
AIR BAGS177 · 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER110 · 12%
ENGINE105 · 12%
STRUCTURE83 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES66 · 7%

The years either side

2010
55%
16 of 40
2011
48%
15 of 45
2012
too few complaints
2013
59%
428 of 890
2014
54%
260 of 573
2015
54%
138 of 320
2016
40%
34 of 107
2017
65%
112 of 186
2018
32%
23 of 77
2019
34%
23 of 75
2020
49%
24 of 52
2021
no data
2022
25%
32 of 135
2023
37%
37 of 103

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize SUVs with no elevated signal in 2013

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE03/02/2021CRASH2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH DOWNHILL WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL DOWNHILL INCREASING IN SPEED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL HOWEVER IT FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER A NEARBY HILL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR …
AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGI06/19/2014CRASH2 INJURED
I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 20 TO 25 MPH BUT WHEN I TRIED TO BRAKE THE BRAKE DID NOT STOPPED THE CAR AND THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT MY SELF AND MY GIRL FRIEND GOT INJURED AND WE HAD TO GO FOR CRAYAPRATOR FOR LONG TIME THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE AT ALL NORTH AMERICAN NISSAN IS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH ME NOR THE ABC NISSAN WHERE I…
POWER TRAIN03/15/20211 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STATIONARY AND IN THE PARK POSITION, HER VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS AS SHE WAS STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED OVER THE CONTACT'S LEFT FOOT AND SUDDENLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER ROLLING A FEW FEET. AN…

Three of 428 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (11)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicle…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
Nissan North America (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through October 3, 2012, and equipped with a continuou…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.