Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 890 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, and it carries 11 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 250 | 28% |
| Air bags | 119 | 13% |
| Unknown or other | 76 | 9% |
| Structure | 56 | 6% |
| Power train | 40 | 4% |
| Engine | 31 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 31 | 3% |
| Visibility/wiper | 30 | 3% |
| Suspension | 13 | 1% |
| Electrical system | 10 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the recall repair failed to prevent a failure from occurring. The conta
NHTSA complaint: Latches/locks/linkages
Rear sub frame near radial rod on drivers side of vehicle has corroded through without warning. Vehicle is unstable during breaking menuvers and pitches towards on coming traffic. Sudden loss of control or collision coul
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The vehicle is a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder experiencing a major transmission/CVT failure that creates serious safety concerns. Only 69 days after purchase, the transmission began failing and the vehicle became unsafe and un
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 93,653. It was later di
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, there was a slight jerking or hesitation before the vehicle accelerated. The failure was intermittent. While driving appr
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) assembly failed completely, rendering the vehicle inoperable. The transmission is currently available for inspection at the independent service center where repairs are being
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
transmission started jerking & went out leaving me stranded.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
My car has been having issues with what seems to be the transmission. This Nissan Pathfinder has CVT, which is continuous variable transmission. Three months ago I had a radiator blowout and had to change that and the th
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may
Risk: If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted)
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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
Risk: 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
Fix: 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.
Nissan North America (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through October 3, 2012, and equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). In the affected vehicles, the internal oil cooler (ITOC) hose may detach from the cooler due to
Risk: The loss of transmission fluid could cause the transmission to function improperly and the vehicle to stop accelerating, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install an oil hose repair kit, free of charge. The recall began on May 12, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to June 13, 2013. The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and repeatedly cycle. This may result in the rel
Risk: If the brake override is activated, the driver will not be accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash. If the brake lights remain illuminated, other drivers may fail to stop when the vehicle
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake light switch and, as necessary, replace the relay, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer
| Reliability raw | 37 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 58 | average |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 59 | average |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 40 | below average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 890 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 250 of them (28%). There are 11 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 37/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 58/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 58/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.