The hydraulic braking system failed, causing a complete loss of brake pedal resistance and a severe brake fluid leak. The vehicle is currently located at an authorized Nissan dealership and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle suffered a sudden braking failure while traveling at highway speeds with my family inside. The brake pedal lost all resistance, requiring me to slam the pedal completely to the floor just to slow the vehicle down from 30 mph to 10 mph. The vehicle would not come to a complete stop normally, forcing me to rely on the forward collision sensor triggering and extreme floor-pression to avoid a collision, putting my family and other drivers at risk of injury. The problem has been confirmed by the physical evidence of the failure, as the vehicle left a large puddle of brake fluid in my driveway and leaked a significant, continuous trail of fluid while being loaded onto the tow truck following day. The vehicle was towed directly to an authorized Nissan dealership this morning for official diagnosis and confirmation. No, the component has not yet been inspected by third parties. It was just towed to the Nissan dealership this morning and is currently awaiting their official inspection and technical report. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the incident. The failure happened suddenly yesterday evening while driving on the highway. While safely parking the vehicle the first set of warning message came up.
Nissan Pathfinder brake failure problems
70 of the 7,336 owner complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder describe brake failure, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 70
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical mileage
- 55,000
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 10Stalling 5Airbag light 4Grinding brakes 3Sudden acceleration 2Steering lock-up 2Slipping 2
Trouble codes mentioned
U1000 1C1179 1
What owners say
Vehicle: 2024 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek 4WD VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: approximately 26,000 miles Component: Service brakes Description: Rear brake pads completely worn at 26,000 miles. Front brake pads remain in good condition with normal wear. Vehicle is driven under normal conditions — no towing, no off-road use, no aggressive driving. Rear brake pad part number D4060-6TA5B is the same part used across 2022-2025 Pathfinders. This pad cross-references to the Nissan Altima, a sedan weighing approximately 3,400 lbs. The 2024 Pathfinder Rock Creek weighs over 4,600 lbs and is rated to tow 6,000 lbs. The pad is not engineered for this vehicle’s weight or intended use. The fact that front brakes show normal wear while rears are completely gone proves this is not a driving behavior issue. The rear brake system is receiving disproportionate braking force relative to the capacity of the pads installed. This is a known pattern across the 2022-2024 Pathfinder lineup. A class action lawsuit has been filed: [XXX] v. Nissan North America, Inc., Case No. 3:25-cv-01183, [XXX] , filed 10/13/2025. the federal safety agency has received multiple prior complaints documenting identical rear brake failure on 2022-2024 Pathfinders at mileages as low as 12,000 miles. Dealer (Peters Nissan of Nashua, [XXX] ) declined warranty repair. Nissan Consumer Affairs notified, Case #XXX. Nissan classifies this as “normal wear and tear” despite failure occurring well within the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty period and despite front brakes showing no comparable wear. This is a safety defect. Premature rear brake failure without warning reduces stopping ability and puts the driver, passengers, and other motorists at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On three separate incidents my brakes have totally failed. I went to apply the brakes and the pedal went to the floor with no braking action at all. The most recent occurrence we were exiting a freeway and coming to a traffic signal. Our speed was approximately 45 MPH and upon applying the brakes they completely failed. The pedal went to the floor. Thankfully we were able to cross the intersection without a collision and slow down on an uphill on ramp..
VIN: [XXX] Vehicle: 2024 Nissan Pathfinder Defect Description: The vehicle is experiencing a critical safety defect in its Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system, causing unprompted, aggressive application of the rear brakes. Safety Risk: The aggressive, automatic braking occurs without driver input or obstruction, creating an immediate crash risk due to sudden, unpredictable deceleration in traffic. Resulting Damage: This electronic malfunction has caused extreme, rapid, and uneven wear on the rear brake pads (measured at 2mm) while the front pads remain "like new." Manufacturer Response: Both the dealership and Nissan Consumer Affairs refuse to perform a warranty diagnostic on the electronic system. They insist on classifying this safety defect as simple, customer-paid "wear and tear," thereby avoiding the investigation of the underlying electronic malfunction. Request: I request the federal safety agency open an investigation into the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder's EBD system for systemic failure resulting in unsafe, unprompted braking events and premature, dangerous brake failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owned a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the ABS warning light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ABS system needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact believed that the ABS system was not calibrated due to the ABS warning light re-illuminated. On another occasion, the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 - 75 MPH, a vehicle in the middle lane switched to the last left lane, and the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the middle lane due to the collision avoidance alarm activating. The tires spun out of control, and the front brakes failed and locked. The vehicle skidded and crashed head-on into a semi truck. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The contact sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.Â
Vehicle Information •Make: Nissan •Model: Pathfinder •Year: 2025 •Mileage at Incident: Less than 2,800 miles •Purchase Date: May 2025 Summary of Problem: Since purchase, the vehicle has had repeated brake failures, unintended acceleration, lighting malfunctions, and electronic system defects. Problems are intermittent but worsening, creating a serious safety risk. Details of Incidents: 1.Steering / Handling: •Since day one, steering feels loose and “floating” at highway speeds. 2.Parking Assist & Braking: •Parking assist randomly activates upon startup with all sensors lit and beeping, requiring a restart to clear. •In garage, parking assist sometimes locks brakes, then suddenly accelerates toward wall. 3.Braking / Acceleration Failures (Sept. 3-4 2025): •While driving brakes did not slow vehicle despite increased pedal pressure; required slamming pedal to lock brakes. •On highway 65–70 mph, while pressing brake to slow for exit, vehicle accelerated past 73 mph before decelerating. 4. Lighting Failure: •Twice, headlights failed to activate in Auto mode. First incident resulted in driver being pulled over; restarting car restored lights. Second incident at dusk—only high beams worked; no low beams despite Auto mode being on. 5. Other Electrical / Mechanical Defects: •Passenger mirror sometimes stuck in folded position; driver mirror opens slowly. •Front windows occasionally fail to open/close or move very slowly. •Apple CarPlay forces return to CarPlay screen, won’t allow switching to other apps; defaults to AM/FM radio at startup.•Clicking sound from dashboard when AC is running. •AC intermittently blows hot air instead of cold.•Auto start/stop feature reactivates itself after being manually turned off. •Vehicle shakes noticeably when idling or starting, worsening. Frequency: since vehicle purchase in May 2025. Braking/acceleration failures happened multiple times. Safety Risk: Loss of braking, unintended acceleration, &lighting failures present a serious risk.
I took the car in for the NYS inspection and was told that I need new rear brakes. The car is only a year old and has only 16,000 miles on it. Nissan’s own website says that brakes should last between 30-70k miles. I looked into this and found out that premature rear brake failure is a common issue with the new Pathfinder. Nissan is refusing to replace the brakes under warranty, even though it’s clearly a manufacturer’s defect for brakes to fail this quickly. This is a safety concern, because Pathfinder owners could be driving around with bad brakes, expecting them to last 2-4 times longer than they actually do. Brakes failing in one year is completely unacceptable for a modern vehicle. Nissan should recall all Pathfinders and replace the rear brakes for free for anyone affected by this. They should also figure out why the rear brakes are failing early on all of these cars and fix it. I found that there are several class action lawsuits forming around this issue. I filed a complaint with Nissan corporate and they completely dismissed me. They said that brakes are not covered under warranty, since it’s normal wear and tear. I’d argue that brakes failing at 16,000 miles is excessive and abnormal wear, even according to the standards that they set themselves. This is a manufacturer’s defect and a safety concern for drivers, who may not know that they are driving with faulty brakes.
Alternator failed, Broken Tensioner, Catalytic converters bad, Engine misfiring, Brake failure. Discovered odometer disclosure is incorrect and VIN is wrong on the inspection certification. Odometers to the best of my knowledge only move forward, not backward unless they are tampered with or the information presented is fraudulent. I could have nearly been injured fatally, when the car stopped on three separate occasions and ultimately the brakes failed. I had the car less than 1 month in my possession and out of approximately 30 days, it did not run consecutively for 7 days. This information was turned into the Virginia State Police - Office of Inspections; however, they found no fault, but this is a clear misrepresentation of vehicle identification and mileage.
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond as needed, causing the braking distance to be extended. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the rear brake pads had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact learned that the rear brake pads was worn from 8mm to 3mm within 3,400; while the front brake pads only showed wear from 7mm to 6mm. The contact was concerned about the excessive wear on the rear brake pads. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH and coming to a stop light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact pumped the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped; however, the braking distance was extended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled into the nearest gas station where the vehicle started jerking for a minute after coming to a stop. The contact stated that the brake pedal was making an abnormal suction sound while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the abnormal suction sound was most likely due to the brake booster and brake master cylinder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,175.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Murano, Pathfinder, and INFINITI QX60 vehicles. One or both front brake caliper assemblies may have reduced strength and could break. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- A broken front brake caliper can cause a loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the front brake caliper assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 9, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800‑647‑7261 or INFINITI's customer service at 1‑800‑662‑6200. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD137 and PD138.
Recall number 25V173000 · Recall details
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
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
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to November 5, 2014, and 2014-2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to November 15, 2014. During the assembly process, the front wheel hub assembly fasteners may not have been properly torqued.
- Risk
- The under-torqued fasteners may result in a brake caliper separating from the wheel assembly causing a reduction in braking performance or reduced steering control. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and tighten any loose bolts to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 15V012000 · Recall details
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013. The front brake torque member was improperly cast resulting in structural weakness. This can lead to premature failure and cracking.
- Risk
- If the brake torque member fails, the brake caliper may move and contact the inside of the road wheel, resulting in reduced braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the manufacturing date of the torque members and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 13V139000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Due to the thickness of the carpet padding on the transmission tunnel, the space between the brake pedal and the transmission tunnel could catch a driver's right foot under the brake pedal.
- Risk
- This condition could inhibit a driver from applying the brakes, increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the carpet padding on the transmission tunnel adjacent to the accelerator pedal.
Recall number 96V031000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Pathfinder brake failure
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have brake failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (9 complaints), 2014 (7 complaints) and 2016 (5 complaints).
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