The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the head gasket was replaced. The contact stated that later, while driving, there was an abnormal fuel odor and fuel droplets inside the cabin of the vehicle. The driver and granddaughter were seated inside the vehicle. The vehicle was parked, and the Fire Department and emergency personnel were called to the scene. The contact and granddaughter were transported to the hospital. The contact was treated for breathing issues, headaches, and ear pain, and the granddaughter was treated for headaches and eye irritation due to fuel inhalation. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, and the fuel line and brake lines were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000.
Nissan Pathfinder fire or smoke problems
54 of the 7,333 owner complaints about the Nissan Pathfinder describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 54
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical repair cost reported
- $6,500
- typical mileage
- 92,800
By model year
Often reported together
Overheating 7Check engine light 5Won't start 3Transmission failure 3Slipping 3Jerking 3Engine failure 3Won't shift 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P1774 1
What owners say
Recently purchased a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder. The feature they call "idle stop" did not work. Noticed withing 2 days of vehicle purchase. After listening to some lame excuses, I made an appointment to have the dealer fix it. They were not able to fix it. The document they gave me from Nissan states it is an electrical problem, and they do not have a fix. I filed a case with Nissan, and they rejected a refund and said it would take another week to decide if they will replace it. So, we are driving around in a vehicle with a known electrical problem they cannot fix. How can they build a vehicle they cannot fix. They claim it is some kind of power supply condition which means some sort of problem with voltage. Hope the car doesn't catch on fire.
Car caught fire when off and parked.
Overheating, Burning Smell, Shuddering, Transmission Failure. The Safety concerns are that the vehicle will shut off/stall involuntarily The Safety Problem has been confirmed by a dealer. The Vehicle hasn’t been inspected by the Manufacture since 2017 by its previous owner. It was a pre-owned vehicle when I purchased it in 2023. I am not able to transport the vehicle to Nissan due to the CVT safety concern. [XXX] The Check Engine Light came on the same day the issue was discovered. I drove it to O’Reillys then towed it to my personal mechanic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I bought a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder august of 2022 from miller and miller Chevrolet in Marianna FL. I noticed the very next day after purchasing the vehicle that there was smoke coming from the tailpipe. This occurred everytime I cracked it. I took videos and pictures and sent it to my sales rep. I took it to them three times trying to get them to figure out the issue and fix it but they were unable to detect any issues. January of 2023 my Engine completely failed I had to have it towed to the dealership. They said that some rode camshaft broke. The mechanic told me that the engine was full of metal shavings. So they replaced the entire with a used low mileage engine that failed the day I picked it up 3/20/23 . I'm told that a used engine is what they are putting in it again that they (the warranty company Zurich) will not put a new one in it. I am a bartender and got to talking about this with a regular and it so happens that his wife has the same 2018 Nissan Pathfinder and he said the had the exact same problem. Their engine failed at 57,000 miles. He had to pay $15000 to put a new engine in it. I really feel like this is a manufacturing defect and should be recalled and made right. Thank you. I bought a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder august of 2022 from miller and miller Chevrolet in Marianna FL. I noticed the very next day after purchasing the vehicle that there was smoke coming from the tailpipe. This occurred everytime I cracked it. I took videos and pictures and sent it to my sales rep. I took it to them three times trying to get them to figure out the issue and fix it but they were unable to detect any issues. January of 2023 my Engine completely failed I had to have it towed to the dealership. They said that some rode camshaft broke. The mechanic told me that the engine was full of metal shavings. So they replaced the entire with a used low mileage engine that failed the day I picked it up 3/20/23 . I'm told that a used engine is what they are putting in it again.
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened, obstructing his view and causing him to swerve into oncoming traffic. The contact was able to pull over on the shoulder of the roadway. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The failure damaged the hood, fender, and body of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the dealer had canceled two scheduled appointments. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was made aware by Carfax that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked on the road outside his friend's residence. The contact stated that as he approached the vehicle, he saw smoke coming from the windows. The contact stated that when he opened the vehicle, he saw that the headliner of the vehicle and the seats had burned. The contact stated that the fire had extinguished itself as the windows were closed. The contact stated that he was able to start the vehicle and drive it to his residence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan pathfinder. The contact stated that upon placing her vehicle into reverse, the vehicle shut-off without warning. The vehicle started rolling backwards. The contact and her son exited the vehicle, to manually stop the vehicle from rolling back and hitting a building. The contact then had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where the mechanic replaced the engine coil block however, the vehicle started to overheat at start-up. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was white smoke coming from the engine while the temperature gauge showed a high engine temperature. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 nissan pathfinder. The contact was driving at an undisclosed speed, when a smoke odor was detected and smoke came through the cabin filter inside the vehicle. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the transmission was leaking oil and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and was still at the mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the failure was not covered since the vehicle was over the mileage warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 111,000.
1999 nissan pathfinder. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire due to mechanical malfunction. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was fueled an hour before the fire and smelled gas. The engine compartment caught fire. Nissan declined to offer any assistance due to the vehicle being out of warranty for 19 years and no recent maintenance performed at the dealer.
Related recalls
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.
- Risk
- If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 14V138000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2013, through September 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles, during light braking on rough roads, the antilock brake system (ABS) brake pressure output software may lead to an increase in stopping distance.
- Risk
- The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ABS, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 13V445000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Pathfinder fire or smoke
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (6 complaints), 2014 (6 complaints) and 1995 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $6,500 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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