Nissan / Pathfinder / 2008
2008 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Owners have filed 458 complaints about the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA. Power train accounts for 33.8% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of engine at 13.3%.
Complaints458
Crashes10
Fires0
Injuries7
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Power train 33.8% · 155
Engine 13.3% · 61
Fuel/propulsion system 11.1% · 51
Air bags 9.0% · 41
Fuel system, gasoline 7.0% · 32
Engine and engine cooling 5.0% · 23
Unknown or other 4.8% · 22
Electrical system 4.6% · 21
Severity
Of those complaints, 10 describe a crash and 7 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 24 model years of the Nissan Pathfinder in this data, 2008 sits 6th by complaint volume. 2005 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 10 in the last three years against 28 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 107,310 miles.
In owners' own words
While driving, from a stop, a loud clunk occurred and the vehicle would not shift out of low gear. Upon arrival at home and inspection, it was noted that the coolant was contaminated with a dark fluid. The vehicle will not engage any gear at this time and is not drivable. Research indicates that suspected cause is cross contamination between coolant and transmission fluid, most likely due to radiator deficiency. Power train · reported at 146,000 miles
While driving vehicle at about 40mph, the vehicle would shutter when changing gears and lose power. Vehicle was taken to the dealer and we found out that coolant had leaked into the transmission through the radiator. Nissan has extended the warranty for this issue, but with a whopping $3000 deductible. I was surprised to hear this is a known failure but Nissan will not take full responsibility for their product. Power train · reported at 83,000 miles
Defective radiator cracked and the fluid went into my transmission ruining both. Known defect admitted by Nissan, but limited warranty being awarded per class action lawsuit. This is prevalent and I should not have to pay 3,000 due to their production of a defective product it would stutter when shifting gears, and sometime not accelerate properly, very dangerous as mom driving with 4 small children! Power train · reported at 98,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…