Which years of the Nissan Pathfinder should I avoid?

NHTSA data flags 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, and 2014 as Avoid years for the Pathfinder, with 2013 having the highest complaint index at 100 and 11 recall campaigns.

Which years of the Buick Enclave should I avoid?

NHTSA data flags 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014 as Avoid years for the Enclave. The 2008 model has the highest complaint index at 100 with 6 recall campaigns.

Which model has more reported problems overall?

The Pathfinder has 5,568 total complaints (278 per model year) versus the Enclave's 2,495 total complaints (139 per model year). Totals are not normalized for sales, so this doesn't mean the Pathfinder is less reliable per vehicle sold.

How do the two compare on fuel economy?

The Pathfinder averages 19.9 mpg combined across its lineup while the Enclave averages 19.4 mpg combined, a small difference overall.

Do either models have best years with no complaint issues?

Yes. The Pathfinder's best years are 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2020, while the Enclave's best years are 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Nissan Pathfinder vs Buick Enclave: Which Years to Avoid

The Nissan Pathfinder logs 5,568 total complaints across 20 model years (278 per year) with 35 recall campaigns; the Buick Enclave logs 2,495 complaints across 18 years (139 per year) with 28 recalls. Avoid years for the Pathfinder are 2005-2007 and 2013-2014; for the Enclave, 2008-2011 and 2014.

Head to head

Nissan Pathfinder

Model years: 2005–2025 (20)
NHTSA complaints: 5,568
Per model year: 278
Recall campaigns: 35
Years to avoid: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014
Best years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020
Top problem area: Transmission & Powertrain
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 19.9
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 4.9 ★

Buick Enclave

Model years: 2008–2025 (18)
NHTSA complaints: 2,495
Per model year: 139
Recall campaigns: 28
Years to avoid: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
Best years: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Top problem area: Airbags
Avg. EPA combined MPG: 19.4
Avg. NHTSA overall rating: 5.0 ★

Year by year

Complaint Index is relative within each model (0 = that model’s best year, 100 = its worst). Complaints and recalls are raw counts.

Year	Pathfinder				Enclave
Year	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG	Verdict	Complaints	Recalls	MPG
2005	Avoid	1,050	2	16.5	—	—	—	—
2006	Avoid	837	3	16.5	—	—	—	—
2007	Avoid	561	1	16.5	—	—	—	—
2008	Caution	328	4	15.5	Avoid	536	6	18.5
2009	Good	37	3	16	Avoid	220	8	18.5
2010	Best	40	4	16.5	Avoid	275	6	18.5
2011	Best	45	2	16	Avoid	212	6	18.5
2012	Best	23	2	16	Caution	132	6	18.5
2013	Avoid	890	11	21.5	Good	69	4	18.5
2014	Avoid	574	11	24	Avoid	292	7	18.5
2015	Caution	320	5	23	Caution	171	5	18.5
2016	Good	105	2	22	Good	141	4	17.5
2017	Caution	186	2	22	Caution	179	3	17.5
2018	Caution	77	3	22	Good	64	0	20.5
2019	Caution	76	2	22	Best	42	1	20.5
2020	Best	48	0	22	Good	59	6	20.5
2021	—	—	—	—	Best	25	2	20.5
2022	Caution	135	5	23	Best	13	1	20.5
2023	Caution	104	1	22.5	Best	21	0	20.5
2024	Good	81	2	22.5	Best	7	0	20.5
2025	Caution	51	1	22.5	Caution	37	0	22

Complaint Index by year

Nissan Pathfinder

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Buick Enclave

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Frequently asked questions

Which years of the Nissan Pathfinder should I avoid?: NHTSA data flags 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, and 2014 as Avoid years for the Pathfinder, with 2013 having the highest complaint index at 100 and 11 recall campaigns.
Which years of the Buick Enclave should I avoid?: NHTSA data flags 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014 as Avoid years for the Enclave. The 2008 model has the highest complaint index at 100 with 6 recall campaigns.
Which model has more reported problems overall?: The Pathfinder has 5,568 total complaints (278 per model year) versus the Enclave's 2,495 total complaints (139 per model year). Totals are not normalized for sales, so this doesn't mean the Pathfinder is less reliable per vehicle sold.
How do the two compare on fuel economy?: The Pathfinder averages 19.9 mpg combined across its lineup while the Enclave averages 19.4 mpg combined, a small difference overall.
Do either models have best years with no complaint issues?: Yes. The Pathfinder's best years are 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2020, while the Enclave's best years are 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.