Reliable Auto DB

2017 Nissan Pathfinder reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder has 186 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 22 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pathfinder years here — over the median of the other years, which is 19. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Antilock and traction control.

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

186

Per year

22

Recalls

2

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (83 of 186), then Powertrain (34) and Electrical system (27). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Pathfinder has 107 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2018 has 77 complaints, 12 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall hydraulic brakes, antilock and traction control 2019-11-08 · NHTSA campaign 19V807000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and unrepaired, or inspected and determined to not need a repair, under recall number 18V-601. In addition, this recall expands the previous population. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ABS actuator, free of charge. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available, currently expected to be during summer 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: If the ABS warning light remains illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.
Recall hydraulic brakes, antilock and traction control 2018-09-07 · NHTSA campaign 18V601000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) actuator pumps may allow brake fluid to leak onto an internal circuit board.
Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number on the ABS actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Note: When brake fluid has leaked onto the circuit board, the ABS warning lamp will remain illuminated for more than 10 seconds after engine start up. If this occurs, owners are advised to park the vehicle outdoors away from other vehicles or structures and to not drive the vehicle.

Complaints by component (186 total)

Engine
83
Powertrain
34
Electrical system
27
Service brakes
11
Fuel and propulsion system
8
Steering
8
Air bags
7
Exterior lighting
6
Speed control
5
Structure
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Forward collision avoidance
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Engine and engine cooling
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seats
1
Suspension
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

8201720201838201939202022202113202213202316202412202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I was involved in a collision, and despite the force of the impact, the vehicle's airbags failed to deploy.Following the accident, the main dashboard SRS airbag indicator light began flashing. Additionally, the…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-09-06
  • "SLUDGE IN ENGINE- UNDER 100,000 MILES We had been keeping up with all recommended services, and it is cosmetically perfect, but the car is now a total loss. A Check Engine light came on, and we began to notice a…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-13
  • "My 2017 Nissan Pathfinder was making noise - I brought it to my mechanic and he said it is not safe to drive that the rear frame assembly has rotted and on one side was not even connected to anything. I have 110,000…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-27
  • "Constant whine from under the vehicle while in park or idle. Even after having the rack replaced"
    Steering · filed 2026-03-14
  • "The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot at unknown speeds, the vehicle began jerking and stalled. The battery had become inoperable. The TPMS message was…"
    Powertrain, Tires, Engine · filed 2026-01-07

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Nissan Pathfinder SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2017 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 2016 Nissan Pathfinder Next year 2018 Nissan Pathfinder See every Nissan Pathfinder model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?

The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder has 186 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 22 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pathfinder years here — over the median of the other years, which is 19. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Antilock and traction control.

What are common problems with a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (83 of 186), then Powertrain (34) and Electrical system (27). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Pathfinder has 107 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2018 has 77 complaints, 12 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder been recalled?

The 2017 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 2017 Nissan Pathfinder?

Owners have filed 186 complaints about the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 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).