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2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
32%
23 of 77 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 32% of relevant complaints.

Better than 68% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 23 of 77 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). For comparison, the 2017 scores 65% and the 2019 scores 33%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
23
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
77
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
3 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES20 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER17 · 22%
ENGINE13 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13 · 17%
POWER TRAIN12 · 16%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL9 · 12%

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
33%
23 of 76
2020
50%
25 of 53
2021
no data
2022
25%
32 of 135
2023
38%
38 of 104

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

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS03/06/20231 INJURED
As we were driving on the highway about 70 miles per hour, no traffic relatively, the vehicle started to violently shake and then we heard a loud explosion in the front end, prompting the front drive and passenger airbags to deploy, as well as the full right side curtain airbags. This curtain airbag struck my wife in t…

One of 23 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

3 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip19V807000 · Nov 2019
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously…
back over prevention: sensing system: camera19V654000 · Sep 2019
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…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip18V601000 · Sep 2018
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS)…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2018 Nissan Pathfinder? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder

Does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 23 of 77 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (32%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?

No. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Nissan Pathfinder years are better?

Among the Nissan Pathfinder years we track, the 2022 (25%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2018 (32%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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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.