2015 Nissan Pathfinder: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
54%
138 of 257 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
54% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 70% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 63 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 43%).
Looking at a specific Pathfinder?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
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
POWER TRAIN04/07/2026
CVT judder problems on acceleration
ENGINE03/03/2026
While driving at a rate of 20mph +, the pathfinder will start jerking back and forth then turn off. This happened in the middle of a highway lane. Good thing no one was hurt. This was also sudden
STEERING,ENGINE01/21/2026
1. CODE P0101 not removed after replacing MAF sensor. 2. power steering motor is annoying noise, high pitched sound.
Three of 138 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 (5)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissa…
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…
SERVICE BRAKES
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to November 5, 20…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
5 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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.