I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2025 Nissan Pathfinder, purchased new in June 2025. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have experienced multiple recurring mechanical and safety concerns that remain unresolved despite approximately four dealership repair visits and nine days out of service. The vehicle experiences excessive vibration during startup, while idling, and when placed in reverse. It also makes a noticeable clunking noise when shifting into park and an intermittent metallic grinding noise during cold starts. At times, the vehicle feels as though it may stall, and the engine RPMs fluctuate while the air conditioning begins blowing warm air. Additionally, the vehicle has displayed a collision warning system malfunction, experienced an unexpected battery failure, and required strut replacement. Motor mount concerns have also been identified. Despite repeated dealership visits, several issues remain unresolved. The dealership has repeatedly stated that certain problems could not be duplicated, even though I have video evidence documenting some of the symptoms. I am concerned about the possibility of unexpected power loss, mechanical failure, and malfunctioning collision safety systems, particularly while transporting my children. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate these potential safety defects and determine whether other 2025 Nissan Pathfinder owners are experiencing similar issues.
Nissan Pathfinder grinding brakes problems
105 of the 7,336 owner complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder describe grinding or squealing brakes, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 105
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 84,000
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 6Won't start 5Transmission failure 5Slipping 5Check engine light 5Stalling 4Jerking 4Steering noise 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P1746 1P0776 1
What owners say
I own a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder with approximately 12,800 miles. During inspection on 10/26/2026 at Nissan Riverside, the dealer found the rear brake pads had gone metal to metal — no brake pad material left — which caused damage to the rear rotors, requiring replacement of both pads and rotors. No dashboard warning light came but a grinding noise. The front brakes were still in good condition. The vehicle has not been used for towing or aggressive driving. Rear pads wearing completely through at 12,800 miles, while the front brakes remain serviceable, is not normal wear and indicates a defect in the rear brake system. This condition reduces braking effectiveness and increases stopping distance, a safety concern. I request the federal safety agency investigate premature rear brake wear on the 2025 Nissan Pathfinders.
At approximately 10,444 miles, while driving under normal operating conditions, the vehicle began emitting an unexpected, severe friction sound while braking, which rapidly escalated to a harsh metal-on-metal grinding noise. A physical safety inspection by an authorized dealer service center revealed that the rear brake pads had completely failed, wearing entirely down to the bare metal backing plates. This catastrophic wear occurred at an unacceptably low mileage, bypassing standard wear indicator warnings, and caused deep, structural scoring to the rear rotors. Both the rear pads and rear rotors required immediate replacement to restore safe vehicle braking operation. The front brake assemblies remain fully functional with ample friction material remaining, indicating that this is not standard driver wear. This sudden failure at a fraction of the component's normal operational lifespan points to a severe systemic defect within the rear axle braking system, mechanical binding, or electronic parking brake (EPB) calibration error unique to this platform. The premature degradation poses an immediate safety risk, as metal-on-metal friction severely increases stopping distances and elevates the risk of a rear axle braking lockup or collision.
Premature wear on my rear brakes. Front brakes when checked were at a level 7 out of 10 while the rear brakes at 24,000 miles were down to a 1 per one company and a 3 per Alpine Nissan. I was told it is recommended I do not drive the vehicle without getting the brakes replaced and the problem was due to my driving and all brakes wear different. If that were the case my front brakes would have gone first or been close to the same measurement. It was deemed unsafe to drive after 24,000 miles. I have 2 small children and at this point do not feel like this is a safe vehicle for me and my family to continue driving nor do I feel I need to take on the financial responsibility of replacing my rear brakes every 1-2 years due to a vehicle malfunction. If I had to slam on my brakes at any point my vehicle would skid which made me realize the significance of this issue and safety driving on the road. The only warning sign I had was a squeaking sound for about a week and I took it in immediately and found my break pads were down to a 1 measurement.
The car stalled three times and died in active traffic. The breakdown was so hazardous that the police department had to intervene and push the car out of the road and had to tow the car more than 3 times and was at the Nissan Dealership for over one week. I paid Nissan dealership $5,000 to repair this specific, life-threatening defect, but the car returned to me unfixed.The vehicle is unsafe and has been sitting parked at my house for 3 months because I cannot safely drive it. It keeps stalling, dying in traffic and making a loud grind noise. I need help.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that it had rained heavily for two days, and the contact became aware that there was a significant amount of water accumulated on the front passenger's and driver's side floorboards and underneath the seats. Additionally, the contact stated that upon removing the mats, the brake pedal was corroded and made an abnormally squeaky sound. The contact confirmed that the leak was not coming from the roof. The dealer and the manufacturer were not yet contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
My 2022 Nissan Pathfinder was purchased new and now has 27150 miles. On April 9 2026, I was having my summer tires installed and was told by the tire shop that the rear brakes were worn out and needed replacement. I contacted the Nissan dealership who quoted a cost of $570 for brake replacement. There was no warning lamps or other symptoms but there is only 3mm of brake pad left. Per the dealership, at 2mm the pads will begin grinding on the rotors. The vehicle has not been used to tow or used off road and the brake pads should last much longer then 27K miles. They, or the brake system components installed by Nissan, are obviously defective.
The rear brakes are failing at unusually low miles with no indicator on the dashboard that they needed service. Basically we just started hearing a grinding noise. The Nissan dealer says this is normal for that vehicle, but I have never seen brakes begin to fail this soon under normal driving conditions and no indicators.
The car started making a very annoying squeak from the left rear when going over bumps or entering and exiting the car. I took it to my local mechanic to investigate the problem. He discovered the rear suspension sub-frame was rusted out where it attaches to the car body. I was advised that the car was unsafe and should not be driven. I am awaiting more information from my mechanic about the repairs. There were no accidents or injuries caused by this but there could have been if I continued to drive the car. I will retain the rusted sub-frame once the repairs are made. I read three other similar complaints ( all 2014 Pathfinders ) on this web site. I think Nissan should be made aware of this situation.
The vehicle has just under 20,000 miles and when reversing is getting a high pitched squeak. There are a ton of online forums where other owners of a 2022 Nissan Pathfinder are stating they're being told that the rear brake pads are literally worn down to metal while the front brakes are perfectly fine. This is clearly a defect of some sort where the brake system should not be malfunctioning like this.
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 grinding brakes
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have grinding or squealing brakes problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (19 complaints), 2006 (9 complaints) and 2007 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix grinding or squealing brakes on the Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 13 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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