YearToAvoid

2018 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

29/100

#11 most-complained of 15 Pathfinder years

The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder has 77 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 29, ranking 11th out of 15 model years — a Good rating relative to other Pathfinder years. Brakes are the top problem area at 32% of complaints, tied to two ABS actuator recalls.

Complaints
77
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
3 / 0
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 26 hwy

Top 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems

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

  1. Brakes25 (32%)
  2. Engine22 (29%)
  3. Other18 (23%)
  4. Electrical System14 (18%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain12 (16%)
  6. Collision Avoidance & Cameras10 (13%)
  7. Steering6 (8%)
  8. Airbags4 (5%)
  9. Fuel System2 (3%)
  10. Structure & Body2 (3%)

What owners report

  • Brakes can lock up unexpectedly during low-speed turns, sometimes triggered by sensor systems misreading nearby objects.
  • The ABS warning light returns repeatedly even after the recall repair for the ABS actuator was completed.
  • The engine loses power and shudders due to PCV system failure, producing trouble codes and heavy exhaust smoke.
  • The transmission intermittently stops sending power to the wheels at highway and lower speeds, acting as if it's in neutral.
  • The infotainment screen goes black, disabling the backup camera, hands-free calling, and navigation.
  • The vehicle randomly shuts off and restarts while driving, with dashboard lights flickering and speakers emitting a loud boom.
2018 Nissan Pathfinder complaints: complaints filed per month10Feb 2018May 2019Dec 2019Feb 2021Dec 2022Oct 2023Feb 2025Dec 2025
118 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2018 to Aug 2026; peak Jul 2019 (10).

2018 Nissan Pathfinder recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V807000Nov 8, 2019Brakes391,479 vehiclesPark Outside

    Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

    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.

    Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

    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.

  2. NHTSA 19V654000Sep 12, 2019Collision Avoidance & Cameras1,228,830 vehicles

    Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

  3. NHTSA 18V601000Sep 7, 2018Brakes215,124 vehiclesPark Outside

    Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

    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.

    Risk: A brake fluid leak on the circuit board may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

    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.

2018 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.

2018 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
2016Good43105222
2017Caution50186222
2018Good2977322
2019Good3676222
2020Best2148022

All Nissan Pathfinder years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2018 Pathfinder has a complaint index of 29 and ranks 11th out of 15 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other Pathfinder years.
What is the top problem area for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?
Brakes are the top problem area, accounting for 25 of 77 complaints (32%), with a median failure mileage of 16,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2018 Pathfinder, covering the ABS actuator (two separate campaigns, one from 2018 and one from 2019) and a back-up camera software update.
How does the 2018 Pathfinder compare to the worst Pathfinder years?
The 2018 model's complaint index of 29 is far lower than the 2013 model year, which has the highest complaint index at 100 and is rated Avoid.

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.