The DCU (Display Control Unit) no longer works, so hands-free on steering wheel is disabled because of this. Iowa law requires hands-free only in vehicles. This is a safety issue because of this. Nissan wants to charge thousands of dollars to repair. This is a known defect in some Nissan vehicles.
The worst 2018 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes21
- Driver assistance16
- Electrical14
- Engine13
- Transmission12
- Acceleration9
- Steering6
- Airbags4
- Fuel system2
- Visibility2
- Body1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder
Adaptive cruise 10Screen failure 8ABS 5Backup camera 5Check engine light 5Collision warning 5Engine failure 5Slipping 5
Recalls 3
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 19V807000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 19V654000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V601000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder 186
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Wiring harness repair information
- Certification label and VIN plate replacement service information
- Telematics service information hint
- Intelligent cruise control inoperative and AEB/feb warning light on or radar obstruction message displayed...
- DTC B00A0-00 stored
- CVT/TCM calibration data “write” procedure
- CAN communication codes – diagnostic tips and guidelines
- CAN communication – network diagnostic flow chart
- Vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start
- Intelligent key initialization procedure stops or will not continue
2018 Nissan Pathfinder fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 20 | 27 | 23 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 19 | 26 | 21-22 |
What 2018 Nissan Pathfinder owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The vehicle veers towards the right, even though a wheel alignment was completed on 7/1/26. On 7/28/26 when driving the vehicle, it wouldn’t accelerate properly, it felt sluggish and although the gas pedal was depressed it was struggling to pick up speed. As the vehicle was attempting to shift between 2nd and 3rd gears the car jolted forward and the traction control and collision lights came on. Both lights reset when the car is off but the vehicle jolts and beeps w/in 5 mins of driving and then the lights come back. This has been happening everyday multiple times a day since 7/28/26. On 7/30/26, the Check Engine light came on and has stayed illuminated w/ code P0101 populating on the obdii reader. The vehicle is currently at the dealership, I am awaiting a diagnosis of the issue which they said may take 3-4 days. I have only had this vehicle for 46 days.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display malfunctioned, and there was a black image displayed, creating a hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the infotainment screen display malfunctioned, and the screen was black. During the failure, the driver was unable to view vital information related to the engine oil levels. The local dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
Infotainment system stopped working. Now radio, no climate control visible and NO backup camera most of the time. Very dangerous without the backup camera
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall that had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted, and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle hesitated while starting the vehicle and pressing the Push to Start button. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that there was sludge in the engine oil. The mechanic stated that sludge was found in the oil due to a lack of regular oil changes. The contact disputed the claim and provided receipts that all oil changes were up to date. The contact had the engine taken apart by the dealer and an independent mechanic, and both discovered metal shavings inside the engine, which had resulted in the engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was repaired by the independent mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
The transmission is going bad which makes it dangerous to drive. Had it 2 days and I check my FIXD module and found code. Took to where I purchased it and the drained cvt fluid and now makes a whinning sound and garage knows. U was told they inspected it before selling it to me. No codes where on dash either.
My Nuna rava was part of the recent recall that happened. The company offered remedy kits to replace the seat fabrics as well as tools to clean where the harness straps tightened/loosened. We received the remedy kit in March after waiting 3 months for the kits to be available. I followed the instructions for cleaning of the car seat and installation of the new cover. My child’s safety was put at risk as the straps are now able to loosen without pressing the button. We had not had strap loosening issues initially, but now are despite having followed the instructions as part of the recall which I was told would resolved the issue and prevent further concern over the strap mechanism failing. To my knowledge this is a known issue that is what caused the recall for the car seat in the first place. I have removed the car seat from use as it is no longer safe with the straps loosening. I have contacted Nuna Baby customer support.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that occasionally, while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the digital screen displayed a Nissan Logo that faded away. In addition, the contact stated that the digital screen would blip or show an upside-down image of the rear-view camera display. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the failure was not identified. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V654000( Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
My 2018 Nissan Pathfinder started knocking at 75000 miles and it’s getting worse by the day I’ve paid my car payment down to 4000$ and now I’m told my motor is soon to go out.
Compare the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder
Is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
Owners have filed 78 complaints about the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, fewer than a typical Pathfinder model year.
What is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder year score?
The 2018 Nissan Pathfinder scores 83 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Nissan Pathfinder: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?
Brakes, with 21 complaints, typically around 20,000 miles. Next is driver assistance (16).
How many recalls does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have?
3 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and back over prevention.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 19V807000, 18V601000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Nissan Pathfinder have bad brakes?
The Nissan Pathfinder model years with the most brakes complaints are 2013 (67 complaints), 2014 (42 complaints) and 2022 (35 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder range from 21 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 20 city and 27 highway.
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