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Total NHTSA Complaints
320
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Powertrain & Transmission
76 reports (23.8%)
Crash Incident Reports
11
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
7
1 fire • 6 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 320 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 76 complaints (23.8% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 11 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 6 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 320 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Powertrain & Transmission accounts for 23.8% of submissions (76 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Engine & Cooling (70), Air Bags & Restraints (55).
  • • Crash Incidents: 11 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 1 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Powertrain & Transmission
76
23.8%
Engine & Cooling
70
21.9%
Air Bags & Restraints
55
17.2%
Brakes & Traction Control
32
10%
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
27
8.4%
#1 23.8% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

76 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash
#2 21.9% SHARE

Engine & Cooling

70 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash
#3 17.2% SHARE

Air Bags & Restraints

55 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 8 Crash 🔥 1 Fire 🩹 5 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#4 10% SHARE

Brakes & Traction Control

32 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 3 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
Deterministic Text Analysis

Recurring Symptoms Identified in Owner Reports

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

Powertrain & Transmission 2.8%

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

9 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #PE21022 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2021-12-09 • Closed: 2022-07-08
Subject / Subsystem
Hood Latch/Bell Crank Assembly
Affected Component
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Recall Linkage
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate consumer complaints alleging hood latch failures occurring on certain model year (MY) 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. Complaints received indicated a sudden and unexpected opening of the hood while the vehicle was in motion, blocking the driver's visibility.During this investigation Nissan collected parts from the field to analyze for root cause of the alleged failures. On June 13, 2022, Nissan submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding a hood bell crank assembly defect in certain MY2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles produced at the Smyrna, TN plant. According to Nissan's DIR, an accumulation of dust and dirt contamination on and around the bell crank lever pivot joint, which actuates the secondary hood latch, can create a condition that can cause the lever to remain in the open position after it has been disengaged. In this condition, the secondary hood latch may not hold the hood closed as designed while the vehicle is in motion obstructing the driver's forward view and increasing the risk of a crash.A remedy plan for all affected vehicles is currently under development. See recall action 22V-420 for further details. Nissan's action resolves the issues raised by this investigation, and therefore, this investigation is closed.The VOQs cited above can be found with ID numbers: 11456378, 11448298, 11436637, 11431131, 11427702, 11423321, 11406574, 11398825, 11389741, 11387952, 11375938, 11349105,11306735, 11302647, 11190468, 11166607.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Body & Structure ODI #11757465
Filed: 08/17/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood unexpectedly opened and was damaged. The hood ledge and structure were damaged due to the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000..."

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11750809
Filed: 07/16/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the front driver’s side curtain air bag deployed without impact. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact slowed down and veered over to the side of the road to park and inspect the vehicle. The Fire..."

Suspension ODI #11742196
Filed: 06/04/2026
Defect Report

"The control arm detached from the front subframe due to massive rust on a car that was well cared for and only 10 years old. This happened as we were driving: the front passenger-side wheel became loose and began flopping back and forth, forcing me to immediately pull over into a gas station. I do..."

Powertrain & Transmission ODI #11729594
Filed: 04/07/2026
Defect Report

"CVT judder problems on acceleration"

Exterior Lighting ODI #11728739
Filed: 04/02/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the rear brake lights failed to illuminate when the vehicle was parked. The contact depressed the brake pedal to disengage the brake lights. While driving at various speeds, the brake lights illuminated without the brake pedal being..."

Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Nissan Pathfinder

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Nissan Pathfinder Current Page 320 11 5 Current
2016 Nissan Pathfinder 107 10 2 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Nissan Pathfinder 185 7 2 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Nissan Pathfinder 77 3 3 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Nissan Pathfinder 75 4 2 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Nissan Pathfinder 52 1 0 View 2020 Problems →
2022 Nissan Pathfinder 133 3 5 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Nissan Pathfinder 102 4 1 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Nissan Pathfinder 73 1 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Nissan Pathfinder 48 2 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Nissan Pathfinder 0 0 0 View 2026 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 69 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 57 1 0 1 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 46 4 0 2 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 42 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 38 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 9 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 8 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 7 1 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 0 0 1 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 6 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 5 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES 3 2 0 2 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 2 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 2 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,SEATS 1 1 1 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,WHEELS 1 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

What are the most common reported problems with the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 76 records (23.8% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (70) and Air Bags & Restraints (55).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 320 consumer defect complaints and 5 safety recall campaigns for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, 11 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 6 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.