YearToAvoid

2015 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

86/100

#3 most-complained of 15 Pathfinder years

The 2015 Nissan Pathfinder ranks 3rd worst out of 15 model years, with a Complaint Index of 86 and 320 NHTSA complaints. Engine issues lead at 29% of complaints, with median failure mileage of 49,288, plus 5 recalls including airbag and brake bolt issues. Verdict: Avoid relative to other Pathfinder years.

Complaints
320
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
11 / 1
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
23
20 city / 27 hwy

Top 2015 Nissan Pathfinder problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine94 (29%)
  2. Other79 (25%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain76 (24%)
  4. Airbags55 (17%)
  5. Electrical System34 (11%)
  6. Brakes32 (10%)
  7. Structure & Body21 (7%)
  8. Fuel System11 (3%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers10 (3%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Engine loses power or stalls at low speed, sometimes failing to accelerate when the pedal is applied.
  • Transmission shudders and stutters between gear changes, worsening as mileage increases.
  • Vehicle unexpectedly fails to accelerate on the highway on-ramp or during a stop, with the traction control light staying on.
  • Brake pedal travels to the floor with no stopping force, leading to low-speed crashes.
  • Airbags fail to deploy in a rear-end collision or deploy in a partially deflated, incorrect manner.
  • Electrical system shuts down completely while driving, requiring repeated alternator and battery replacements.
2015 Nissan Pathfinder complaints: complaints filed per quarter472015 Q22016 Q42018 Q22019 Q42021 Q22022 Q42024 Q22025 Q4
422 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q1 (47).

2015 Nissan Pathfinder recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 22V420000Jun 13, 2022Structure & Body322,671 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch

    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.

    Risk: 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.

  2. NHTSA 21V020000Jan 20, 2021Electrical System264,431 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    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.

    Risk: 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.

  3. NHTSA 16V244000Apr 26, 2016Airbags3,296,947 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    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.

    Risk: 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder →

2015 Nissan Pathfinder fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
27 MPG
Combined
23 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2015 compared with other Pathfinder years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2013Avoid1008901121.5
2014Avoid935741124
2015Avoid86320523
2016Good43105222
2017Caution50186222

All Nissan Pathfinder years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2015 Pathfinder has a Complaint Index of 86, ranking 3rd worst among 15 model years tracked, so it carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Pathfinder years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder?
Engine problems are the top complaint area, making up 29% of the 320 complaints, with a median failure mileage of 49,288.
Does the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2015 Pathfinder, covering structure/hood latch, electrical brake light switch, airbag software, and brake bolt torque issues.
How does the 2015 Pathfinder compare to other years?
The 2015 model's Complaint Index of 86 is lower than the 2013 (100) and 2014 (93) model years but higher than most later years like 2016 (43) and 2020 (21).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.