IllustrationRADIATOR COOLING FAN MAKES LOUD NOISE WHEN THE A/C IS TURNED ON AND STOPS WHEN THE A/C IS TURNED OFF. ONLY HAVE 51,356 MILES
2015 Nissan Pathfinder
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Pathfinder years
Owner complaints for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder are substantially higher than the model-year median of 97.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pathfinder years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
560–25K
6825–50K
5550–75K
2275–100K
14100–150K
6150K+
221 reports with mileage · 99 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
Engine complaints
74 reportsAT 32,000 MILES, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AREA WHEN AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE DRIVERS SIDE RADIATOR FAN WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE SHROUD. COMPLETE COOLING FAN MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ITEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER REPAIR WAS $1,000 SO IT WAS REPAIRED AT THE LOCAL SHOP FOR …
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AT 32,000 MILES, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AREA WHEN AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE DRIVERS SIDE RADIATOR FAN WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE SHROUD. COMPLETE COOLING FAN MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ITEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER REPAIR WAS $1,000 SO IT WAS REPAIRED AT THE LOCAL SHOP FOR $600. I HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2013 PATHFINDER AND IT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AT 45,000 MILES. SEEMS TO ME LIKE A DESIGN ISSUE.
RADIATOR COOLING FAN IS LOOSE AND MAKES A LOUD BANGING NOISE WHEN THE A/C IS ON.THIS STARTED AROUND THE 38K MILEAGE MARK. THIS HAPPENS WHEN STATIONARY OR WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. SOMETIMES IT'LL GO WEEKS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I'VE NOTICED THAT MAKING SHARP TURNS CAN SET OFF THE WOBBLING FAN, CAUSING WEEKS OF ANNOYING, LOUD, A…
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RADIATOR COOLING FAN IS LOOSE AND MAKES A LOUD BANGING NOISE WHEN THE A/C IS ON.THIS STARTED AROUND THE 38K MILEAGE MARK. THIS HAPPENS WHEN STATIONARY OR WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. SOMETIMES IT'LL GO WEEKS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I'VE NOTICED THAT MAKING SHARP TURNS CAN SET OFF THE WOBBLING FAN, CAUSING WEEKS OF ANNOYING, LOUD, AND QUIET EMBARRASSING BLUNDER AS IF I WERE BANGING POTS AND PANS TOGETHER. IF YOU TURN A/C OFF, THE NOISE STOPS. WHEN INSPECTING THE FAN WITH A/C OFF, THE FAN IS VERY WOBBLY AND APPEARS TO BANG AGAINST OTHER PARTS RESULTING IN THE LOUD NOISE. PLEASE HELP!!!
MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEYRE CLAIMING THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A NEW TRUCK WITH 71000 MILES
DRIVER'S SIDE RADIATOR FAN WOBBLES AND MAKES NOISE WHEN COMPRESSOR FOR DEFROSTER OR A/C IS TURNED ON.
SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, MY NISSAN PATHFINDER HAS FAILED TO ACCELERATE EITHER AT A STOP OR DURING NORMAL SPEED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT STALL, BUT WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE ALMOST AT IDLE SPEED. THE SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR A COUPLE OF TIME THEN THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD DISPLAY AND STAY ON UNTIL THE CAR WAS …
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SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, MY NISSAN PATHFINDER HAS FAILED TO ACCELERATE EITHER AT A STOP OR DURING NORMAL SPEED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT STALL, BUT WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE ALMOST AT IDLE SPEED. THE SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR A COUPLE OF TIME THEN THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD DISPLAY AND STAY ON UNTIL THE CAR WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED, I HAVE SEVERAL PICTURES DEMONSTRATING THE ISSUE AS DESCRIBED FOR WHEN THE INDICATOR SLIP LIGHT FOR THE LIMITED SLIP CONTROL WOULD DISPLAY IN CLEAR CONDITIONS. THIS WOULD OCCUR IN IDEAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND MY FOOT WAS DEFINITELY NOT ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR ATTEMPTING TO PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE. I COULD DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR WITH NO IMPACT ON ACCELERATION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC DUE TO FAILURE TO ACCELERATE. I TOOK IN THE VEHICLE INTO D-PATRICK NISSAN IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA SEVERAL TIMES AND TO ANDY MOHR NISSAN, INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA. IN BOTH CASES, THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETECT ANY ISSUES WITH CODE ERRORS OR REPLICATE THE ISSUE EVEN AFTER I PROVIDE PHOTO EVIDENCE OF THE ISSUE I WAS HAVING. THE FAILURE TO ACCELERATE IS SO RANDOM AND CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL DAYS IN ONE WEEK OR AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN I KNOW IT WILL NOT CHANGE UNTIL I CAN SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE AND RESTART. SOME INSTANCES THE FAILURE TO ACCELERATE WOULD PERSIST BUT MOST OF THE TIME IS WOULD CORRECT ITSELF AFTER RESTARTING. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH MY WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN IN IT. I FINALLY DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT AFTER I FOUND ANOTHER NISSAN PATHFINDER OWNER WHO WAS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH HIS NISSAN PATHFINDER.
2015 NISSAN PATHFINDER, LESS THAN 40K MILES, RADIATOR COOLING FAN WOBBLES AND MAKES LOUD/GRINDING NOISE (LIKES IT'S COMING LOOSE), IN THE MIDDLE OF A LONG ROAD TRIP. POTENTIAL ENGINE OVERHEAT/SEIZURE, DANGEROUS TO OCCUPANTS IN CAR.
ACCELERATING FROM STOP AND EXPERIENCE A STUDDER OR DELAYED ACCELERATION. MUST RELEASE ACCELERATOR AND THEN PRESS AGAIN TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE AND CANNOT BE REPRODUCED ON DEMAND SO IT MAKES IT HARD TO DIAGNOSE WITH A MECHANIC.
THE RADIATOR COOLING FAN FAILED IN MY 2015 NISSAN PATHFINDER CAUSING A LOUD KNOCKING IN THE MOTOR . EVERY NISSAN DEALERSHIP AROUND COLUMBIA, SC DOES NOT HAVE THE PART IN STOCK DUE TO IT BEING ON BACKORDER. THIS IS FOR BOTH FACTORY AND AFTERMARKET. NO DEALERSHIP KNOWS WHEN NISSAN WILL EVEN PROVIDE THE FACTORY PART. WITH THE EXCES…
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THE RADIATOR COOLING FAN FAILED IN MY 2015 NISSAN PATHFINDER CAUSING A LOUD KNOCKING IN THE MOTOR . EVERY NISSAN DEALERSHIP AROUND COLUMBIA, SC DOES NOT HAVE THE PART IN STOCK DUE TO IT BEING ON BACKORDER. THIS IS FOR BOTH FACTORY AND AFTERMARKET. NO DEALERSHIP KNOWS WHEN NISSAN WILL EVEN PROVIDE THE FACTORY PART. WITH THE EXCESSIVE RATE OF NISSAN & ALSO INFINITY'S DROPPING DUE TO THIS SAME ISSUE AND THE DEMAND FOR THIS PART, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED ASAP. IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A FAULTY PART ON THESE MODEL VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THIS FOR CERTAIN CAN LEAD TO LARGER PROBLEMS. THERE ARE 3 NISSAN LOCATIONS NOT FAR. PLEASE LOOK AT THE STATISTICS FOR THIS, THEIR NUMBERS WILL CONFIRM MY COMPLAINT.
MOTOR & FAN ASSEMBLY WITH SHROUD- FAN IS INOPERATIVE SINCE A PART ON FAN HAS BROKEN. VEHICLE IS ONLY WORKING ON ONE FAN. VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE WHEN FAN ASSEMBLY WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING.
Official recalls
522V420000 · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Jun 13, 2022
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Pathfinder vehicles. On certain Pathfinder vehicles, the secondary hood latch may malfunction and remain in the unlatched, unsecured, position when the hood is closed.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unsecured hood could unexpectedly open while driving, obstructing the driver's view, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bell crank assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 26, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are R22A2 R22A3 and R24B7.
21V020000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Jan 20, 2021
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. The location of the brake light switch may cause the brake light switch relay to repeatedly open and close. Overtime, this can cause the relay to stick in the "ON" position, with the brake lights remaining illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. Additionally, this may interfere with the brake-shift interlock, allowing the driver to shift the vehicle out of the "Park" position, without depressing the brake pedal.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Continual illumination of the brake lights can prevent other drivers from realizing the vehicle is actually slowing down, increasing the risk of a crash. With the brake override activated, the driver will not be able to accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash. The driver can shift the vehicle out of the "PARK" position without depressing the brake, allowing the vehicle to rollaway, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, either re-install the brake light switch or swap positions with the Automatic Speed Control Device (ASCD) switch; depending on the model year vehicle. In addition, the brake light relay will be replaced with a new one. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall PC786. Note: this recall supersedes 16V-380.
16V244000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Apr 26, 2016
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 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
15V681000 · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Oct 20, 2015
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
Consequence: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
15V012000 · Service Brakes
Jan 14, 2015
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, 2014, and 2014-2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to November 15, 2014. During the assembly process, the front wheel hub assembly fasteners may not have been properly torqued.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The under-torqued fasteners may result in a brake caliper separating from the wheel assembly causing a reduction in braking performance or reduced steering control. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and tighten any loose bolts to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE21022 · Hood Latch/bell Crank Assembly
Opened Dec 9, 2021 · Closed Jul 8, 2022
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate consumer complaints alleging hood latch failures occurring on certain model year (MY) 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. Complaints received indicated a sudden and unexpected opening of the hood while the vehicle was in motion, blocking the driver's visibility.During this investigation Nissan collected parts from the field to analyze for root cause of the alleged failures. On June 13, 2022, Nissan submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding a hood bell crank assembly defect in certain MY2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles produced at the Smyrna, TN plant. According to Nissan's DIR, an accumulation of dust and dirt contamination on and around the bell crank lever pivot joint, which actuates the secondary hood latch, can create a condition that can cause the lever to remain in the open position after it has been disengaged. In this condition, the secondary hood latch may not hold the hood closed as designed while the vehicle is in motion obstructing the driver's forward view and increasing the risk of a crash.A remedy plan for all affected vehicles is currently under development. See recall action 22V-420 for further details. Nissan's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation, and therefore, this investigation is closed.The VOQs cited above can be found with ID numbers: 11456378, 11448298, 11436637, 11431131, 11427702, 11423321, 11406574, 11398825, 11389741, 11387952, 11375938, 11349105,11306735, 11302647, 11190468, 11166607.