Reliable Auto DB

2016 Nissan Pathfinder reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder holds 107 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Pathfinder years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Occupant classification.

2012 Nissan Pathfinder
Photo by SsmIntrigue, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

107

Per year

10

Recalls

2

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (27 of 107), then Air bags (19) and Electrical system (11). Those filings include 10 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Pathfinder has 320 complaints, 25 per year, and the 2017 has 186 complaints, 22 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, hood, latch 2022-06-13 · NHTSA campaign 22V420000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2016-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 16V244000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (107 total)

Engine
27
Air bags
19
Electrical system
11
Service brakes
11
Powertrain
8
Visibility and wipers
4
Wheels
4
Hydraulic brakes
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Seats
3
Steering
3
Structure
3
Speed control
2
Suspension
2
Child seat
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Equipment
1
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Other or unknown
1
Seat belts
1
Visibility
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

10

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

5201672017182018262019152020620219202252023620247202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Driving along and it felt as if I were driving over a rumble strip. It stopped after a while, but later that evening I felt it again, but this time the shudder was stronger and it sounded almost like a loud bird…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-10
  • "The crossmember aka- K frame, mfc part #55400-3JA2C. It completely rotted away where the suspension trailing arm connects from the wheel causing uneven and excessive wheel wear and poor handling while driving Yes it is…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-08-03
  • "My 2024 Nissan Frontier has experienced repeated complete power loss more than three times. The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly while on the street and cannot be restarted. During some incidents, even the emergency…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine · filed 2026-04-24
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and sputtered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-12-12
  • "Around 160,000 miles my CVT transmission went out. I almost got into a wreck no warning lights just stopped on me. When I took it to my local dealership in waco, Texas they told me I'll be good to wait over the weekend…"
    Powertrain, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Nissan Pathfinder SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Pathfinder two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800
Pathfinder four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Four-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $2950
Pathfinder four-wheel drive Platinum 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Four-wheel drive 19 26 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

4th generation (R52), 2012–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (3.5L V6) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R18 to 235/55R20 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 6,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 16V244000. 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. 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. 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.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Nissan Pathfinder Next year 2017 Nissan Pathfinder See every Nissan Pathfinder model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder holds 107 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Pathfinder years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Latch and Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (27 of 107), then Air bags (19) and Electrical system (11). Those filings include 10 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Pathfinder has 320 complaints, 25 per year, and the 2017 has 186 complaints, 22 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder been recalled?

The 2016 Nissan Pathfinder has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder?

Owners have filed 107 complaints about the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Pathfinder take?

0W-20 (3.5L V6)

What does NHTSA recall 16V-244 cover on the Nissan Pathfinder?

NHTSA campaign 16V244000.

What generation is the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?

4th generation (R52) (2012-2020).