2020 Nissan Pathfinder: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
49%
24 of 49 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
49% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 62% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 3 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 46%).
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 TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE07/26/2026
The car stalled three times and died in active traffic. The breakdown was so hazardous that the police department had to intervene and push the car out of the road and had to tow the car more than 3 times and was at the Nissan Dealership for over one week. I paid Nissan dealership $5,000 to repair this specific, life-t…
ENGINE07/17/2026
After only 110,000 miles, my local Nissan service center (Advantage Nissan, 5101 Auto Center Blvd, Bremerton, WA 98312) states that the timing chain is loose. The repair estimate is in excess of $6000. The expense is because it requires removal of the engine to effect repairs. Research reveals that timing chain issu…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER07/01/2026
A few months after purchase, the power cut off on me. Then it happened again the following year. Then the screen for backing up started going on and off. Then I started feeling like the car was loosing power. In the last 2 years the power cutting off has occurred 3 more times and the rear screen camera has started glit…
Three of 24 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Before you buy a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine 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 engine.
Ask for service records. A engine 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.