I own a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder with approximately 55,000 miles. The vehicle repeatedly failed Indiana emissions testing because the oxygen sensor monitor would not set to “ready,” despite multiple complete drive cycles and no check‑engine light or stored fault codes. A local shop performed diagnostics and found no issues. They reported that another 2020 Pathfinder came in the following week with the exact same problem. My vehicle was ultimately sent to a Nissan dealership, where they determined the upstream oxygen sensor had failed in a way that prevented the ECM from running the emissions monitor, yet did not trigger any diagnostic trouble codes. The repair required full sensor replacement at a cost of $1,450, not covered under warranty. The failure mode is concerning because: • The vehicle gives no warning to the driver. • The ECM blocks emissions readiness indefinitely. • The issue appears to be occurring in multiple 2020 Pathfinders. • Owners cannot legally renew registration without passing emissions. This may indicate a defective oxygen sensor or ECM logic issue affecting 2020 Pathfinders. I am filing this complaint so the federal safety agency can track the pattern and determine whether a broader defect investigation is warranted. Vehicle Details: • Year/Make/Model: 2020 Nissan Pathfinder • Mileage at failure: ~55,000 • No warning lights, no stored codes • Emissions monitor would not complete • Dealer confirmed sensor failure and replaced part Safety Concern: A failed emissions component that does not trigger a fault code may indicate a defect in the emissions control system or ECM logic. The lack of diagnostic warnings prevents owners from knowing there is a problem until the vehicle fails emissions testing.
2020 Nissan Pathfinder: check engine light
5 of the 48 complaints about the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- recalls
- 0
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
At recommend 60k interval transmission was having issues and advised the Nissan Dealership concerning issue. After consulting with Master tech on site and Corporate Nissan service was completed and still have issues. Transmission slips at all different intervals for the known cvt transmission that is in vehicle. Nissan suggested to have a ecm/tcm update to possibly diagnose the problem wanted to charge $150 for no guarantee of any results. Did ride alone with shop Forman. Still have issues and no check engine light or other lights are showing on dash.
Engine misfiring on left side due to faulty timing chains. Car would not start at times, and engine light flashing. Safety was at risk due to engine being unreliable, misfiring, and we were advised it could possibly stall/cut-out while driving. Problem confirmed by independent service center. Dealer service center would not diagnose without taking engine apart at our expense, they recommended replacing the whole engine, and the car is only 3 years own. There is a know issue with the timing chains on this model of vehicle, yet they did nothing to resolve the problem.
Back in nov 2022 my car had to go in the shop due to its jerking, shuddering, shaking while accelerating. Then suddenly just stopped wouldn’t let me accelerate turn break nothing locked up luckily I was able to pull over and shut off the car because it was still on during this time. I had just picked my young kids up from elementary school. The dealer ship had us pay the deductible and told us it was the ecm they replaced it and we were 0 dollars out of pocket due to warranty. Well 2023 may it started showing low oil pressure light then it would go off the engine light comes on then goes off and while the lights are coming on and going off the car with shake and studder. Got an oil change it it had stopped. Now July 2023 the engine light is one constantly as well as low oil pressure vehicle is constantly studderling making a clanckung noise when accelerating but stops when breaks are hit. Lags when turning on and off vehicle hard to take in and out of gear. White exhaust comes out of exhaust pipe when stoppped at stop lights. It’s so unsafe to travel with all 5 of my kids because the vehicle is so unpredictable. We can drive it and have no problems then turn around the next time it is making all these sounds and having problems We are to the point it’s not worth paying for It and just want to do a voluntary repo because the deal else ship won’t take it back so we can get another vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 nissan pathfinder. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to courtesy nissan (1777 n central expy, richardson, tx 75080, (972) 231-2600) and was informed that the oxygen sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,700.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder?
5 of 48 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder (10%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder?
There are 0 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Nissan Pathfinder
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