YearToAvoid

2018 Nissan Pathfinder Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder has 77 NHTSA complaints and 3 recalls, earning a Complaint Index of 26 and ranking 15th of 20 model years. Its verdict is capped at Caution because one recall involves a Park Outside condition, even though its complaint index is relatively low.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
26/100
#15 of 20 Pathfinder years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
77
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
2 Park Outside
Crashes
3
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Top issue
Brakes
Best nearby year
2020
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 26 hwy
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Top 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Front radar sensors intermittently report obstruction and disable cruise control and automatic emergency braking.
  • Brakes lock up unexpectedly during turns, in one case causing a collision with a guardrail.
  • Power liftgates jam or fail to open and close, sometimes requiring the mechanism to be replaced under warranty.
  • Sunroofs have shattered while driving with a loud bang and no prior warning.
  • Steering pulls hard to one side after dealers replace cruise control sensors.
  • Electrical faults cause trunk sensors to malfunction and infotainment displays to black out or randomly change stations.
2018 Nissan Pathfinder complaints: complaints filed per month5Feb 2018May 2019Dec 2019Feb 2021Dec 2022Oct 2023Feb 2025Dec 2025
77 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2018 to Aug 2026; peak Jul 2019 (5).

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)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2016Good37105222
2017Caution42186222
2018Caution2677322
2019Caution3276222
2020Best2148022

All Nissan Pathfinder years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
NHTSA lists 77 complaints for the 2018 Pathfinder with a Complaint Index of 26, which is lower than many other Pathfinder years. Its verdict is Caution rather than Good because one of its three recalls carries a Park Outside condition.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?
Brakes account for 32% of complaints (25 total) with a median failure mileage of 16,000 miles, followed by Engine at 29% and Electrical System at 18%.
Does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have a brake recall?
Yes. Recall 18V601000 covers ABS actuator pumps on 2017-2018 Pathfinders, and a related recall 19V807000 addresses unrepaired vehicles from that earlier campaign, both marked Park Outside.
How does the 2018 Pathfinder compare to other model years?
The 2018 model ranks 15th worst out of 20 Pathfinder years with a Complaint Index of 26. Years like 2013 (100) and 2014 (95) rate as Avoid, while 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2020 earn Best verdicts.
What is the top complaint category for the 2018 Pathfinder?
Brakes is the top problem area, making up 32% of the 77 complaints and including one crash, with a median failure mileage of 16,000 miles.

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.