The 2016 Nissan Pathfinder is associated with 107 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 18 reports (17% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 3.5l 6-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 21 to 23 MPG combined.
Key Data Findings
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 107 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (18 / 17%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 10 crash / 0 fire / 2 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
- • EPA Efficiency: 21–23 MPG (3 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
| Pathfinder 2WD | 3.5L 6-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 20 MPG | 27 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $2,650 / yr |
| Pathfinder 4WD | 3.5L 6-Cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 19 MPG | 26 MPG | 22 MPG | — | $2,800 / yr |
| Pathfinder 4WD Platinum | 3.5L 6-Cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 19 MPG | 26 MPG | 21 MPG | — | $2,950 / yr |
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
| SUV FWD | | | | | 17.4% |
| SUV AWD | | | | | 17.9% |
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 Nissan Pathfinder models.
View complete 2016 Nissan Pathfinder crash test & safety breakdown →
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2016 Nissan Pathfinder problems & component breakdown (36 categories) →
Affected Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Defect Summary: 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Defect Summary: 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2016 Nissan Pathfinder recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →