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.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 320 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (76 reports • 23.8% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (70), Air Bags & Restraints (55)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 11 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
320
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
11
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
1
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
6
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 23.8% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

76 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
#2 Problem Area 21.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

70 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
#3 Problem Area 17.2% of complaints

Air Bags & Restraints

55 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 8 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 5 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 10% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

32 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 8.4% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

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

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 2.8% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

9 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder

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

Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11757465
Filed: 08/17/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 08/04/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
Air Bags & Restraints NHTSA ODI ID: #11750809
Filed: 07/16/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 07/09/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: AIR BAGS
Suspension NHTSA ODI ID: #11742196
Filed: 06/04/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 05/30/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE
Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11729594
Filed: 04/07/2026

"CVT judder problems on acceleration"

Incident Date: 04/06/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Exterior Lighting NHTSA ODI ID: #11728739
Filed: 04/02/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 03/19/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

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 →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

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 Reported Injury Entries Reported 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
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (320). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE21022
Opened: 2021-12-09 • Closed: 2022-07-08

Hood Latch/Bell Crank Assembly

Affected Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

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 t...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 22V420000 Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

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

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