2016 Nissan Pathfinder Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2016 Nissan Pathfinder has a complaint index of 37, ranking 13th out of 20 model years, and earns a Good verdict relative to other Pathfinder years. It has 105 complaints, 2 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 37/100
- #13 of 20 Pathfinder years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 105
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 10
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 5
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 26 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 0
Top 2016 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine30 (29%)
- Other24 (23%)
- Airbags18 (17%)
- Brakes14 (13%)
- Electrical System11 (10%)
- Structure & Body9 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (6%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (4%)
- Steering3 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Engine makes an unexpected humming or buzzing noise that dealers reportedly said was normal.
- Brake pedal fades or sinks toward the floor while stopping, sometimes leading to a collision.
- Front seats reportedly collapsed backward after a rear-end crash.
- Airbag warning light stayed on or airbags failed to deploy after a collision, even after a recall repair was attempted.
- Sunroof glass reportedly shattered outward while driving at highway speed.
- Owners report delays getting parts for the airbag recall repair.
2016 Nissan Pathfinder recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
2016 Nissan Pathfinder fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 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.
2016 compared with other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2016 Pathfinder has a complaint index of 37 and ranks 13th of 20 model years, earning a Good verdict compared to other Pathfinder years.
- What problems does the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder have?
- NHTSA complaints center on the engine (30 complaints, 29% of the total, median mileage 50,000), airbags (18 complaints, median mileage 14,500), and brakes (14 complaints, with 5 crashes reported).
- Does the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2016 Pathfinder: a hood latch recall covering 2013-2016 models and an airbag reprogramming recall covering several Nissan and Infiniti models, including the Pathfinder. Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
- How does the 2016 Pathfinder compare to other years?
- The 2016 model's complaint index of 37 is much lower than the worst years, 2013 (complaint index 100, Avoid) and 2005 (complaint index 89, Avoid), and lower than 2015 (complaint index 74, Caution).
- What is the top problem area for the 2016 Pathfinder?
- Engine complaints are the largest category, making up 29% of all complaints, with a median failure mileage of 50,000 miles.