Nissan Pathfinder hesitation problems

Filed Oct 22, 2026 · Brakes, Transmission · TX

What failed: The powertrain and transmission systems are malfunctioning. The vehicle exhibits severe gear-shifting hesitation, stutters when braking or reversing, and rolls backward slightly even when shifted entirely into Park. This component is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The vehicle's failure to securely hold position in Park creates an immediate roll-away hazard, and the stuttering/hesitation during braking, reversing, and acceleration compromises safe vehicle control in traffic. Dealer/Manufacturer status: The vehicle has been taken to authorized Nissan service centers twice for these recurring transmission and mechanical issues. On the latest report, the service department claimed the vehicle shifts normally "as Pathfinders do" and dismissed the issues, and Nissan corporate has denied buyback assistance despite the unresolved safety defects. Warning signs: The mechanical stuttering and shifting delays occur consistently during operation without triggering persistent dashboard warning lights, making it a hidden mechanical hazard that first appeared shortly after purchase

Filed Oct 18, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · TN

On XXX, about 7:40 p.m., my 2024 Nissan Pathfinder (approx. 24,300 miles) accelerated unexpectedly on XXX southbound toward [XXX], with my daughter aboard. It was dark, dry and cool. ProPILOT Assist/adaptive cruise was set to 80 mph at the closest following distance and had operated for 60–90 minutes. The engine sounded louder, the SUV surged and rapidly closed on traffic ahead. Braking did not stop the repeated acceleration. I switched cruise fully off; its dash indicators disappeared, yet acceleration continued. Each time I eased off the brake, the engine revved to about 5,000 RPM or higher and the SUV accelerated rapidly, reaching about 85 mph or more. I had to brake extremely hard, smelled overheated brakes and made emergency lane changes to avoid collisions. No warning lights appeared. I stopped on the shoulder, still in Drive, and held the brake about 30 seconds. Upon releasing it, the SUV lunged forward aggressively again, unlike normal creeping in Drive. I braked and shifted to Park. I cannot confirm if the RPMs increased over 5000, but it aggressively, quickly lunged forward again. My husband drove it another 90 minutes, briefly engaging/disengaging cruise several times. He noticed hesitation or sputtering, especially uphill, but no repeat of the severe acceleration. A short drive the next morning without cruise was normal. Earlier XXX, blind-spot mirror warnings failed to illuminate for about four passing vehicles, then resumed. A low key-fob battery alert appeared the prior week; a large windshield crack was noticed XXX. Connections are unknown. Nissan Roadside was contacted XXX. Tow/inspection is pending after an initial tow was canceled because the SUV would be left outside a locked dealer gate. The vehicle is available for inspection; no diagnosis yet. Please investigate unintended acceleration, brakes, throttle, ProPILOT/cruise and preserve any available electronic/event data. We narrowly avoided serious collisions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 5

Filed Oct 9, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA

My 2025 Nissan Pathfinder has experienced recurring transmission problems, including unexpectedly switching from Automatic Drive into Manual 1st Gear without driver input. During some incidents, the vehicle failed to accelerate as expected while entering traffic, creating a collision risk. XXX: While driving on XXX in [XXX], the transmission hesitated during acceleration at approximately 20 mph. Engine RPM exceeded 3,000 before shifting, with rough or delayed shifting. XXX: While stopped at a traffic light near [XXX], the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The instrument cluster went blank except for a flashing Neutral indicator. I could not engage Drive until restarting the vehicle. XXX: While driving approximately 10–20 mph in [XXX], the vehicle unexpectedly switched from Automatic into Manual 1st Gear without driver input. I stopped and restored Automatic mode. XXX: While exiting a parking lot and merging into traffic in [XXX], the vehicle unexpectedly switched into Manual 1st Gear. It did not accelerate as expected, creating a near-collision situation. XXX While exiting a gas station driveway onto a main road, the vehicle again unexpectedly entered Manual 1st Gear. I noticed the change only after attempting to accelerate and experiencing inadequate acceleration. Nissan inspected the vehicle at Bellevue Nissan and Younker Nissan in [XXX]. On XXX, Younker could not reproduce the problem, found no stored trouble codes, and documented no repair. On XXX, I brought the vehicle to Lithia Nissan of [XXX], for a third inspection at 11,215 miles. Results are pending. The cause remains unknown. I am concerned about unexpected transmission mode changes, inadequate acceleration, and vehicle shutdown creating a serious collision risk. I request the federal safety agency review this potential safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · NC

Purchased new 1/15/2025. First issue with this car happened Oct 2025 with something electrical drawing power. This caused AT codes, auto start/stop codes, front and rear collision codes etc. Took it in they charged the battery and told be they didnt know what was causing the draw. Replaced the battery 10/11/2025. 11/19/2025 had another catastrophic electrical failure at 19,426 miles on OD. Vehicle threw all of the codes. Nissan kept the vehicle and charged and cleared codes. 12/18/2025 vehicle started hesitating and threw codes again. Nissan replaced the fuel pump. Front and rear collision malfuctions remained frequent along with infotainment reboots. Oct 1 2026 vehicle threw all codes again while driving causing loss of power and drivability. Had to be towed in. Vehicle acted the same way as previous. Nissan is now trying to claim it had to do with a improperly seated air filter causing the maf sensor to fail, they cleaned it"reseated" air filter and stated the car was running but they could not get it to do a idler relearn and told me I could pick up the vehicle but they recommended replacing the maf. The car is still sittting at nissan because i refuse to pick it up unless they cover that under there emissions warranty and put in writing that this is the sole issue and any problems with the vehicle in regards to prior issues already complained about will result in replacement of vehicle etc

Filed Jun 23, 2026 · Body, Engine · AL

Rear Door / lift gate will not go all the way up or stay up without manual assistance, causing 2 head injuries and 2 arm injuries on recent occasions. We have confirmed with the dealer & one Nissan Certified Mechanic that this is a common problem. The dealer & 2 mechanics have said they do not know how to fix this without replacing the entire lifting assembly. We did not ask for estimates. We should not have to, but we can live with the problem now that we are aware of it. Transmission was replaced with new Nisson equipment by the previous owner, costing $5,000+. The problems we are having are the same they were having. The vehicle runs rough, hesitates, vibrates & shakes a lot. It is not very safe in traffic. There is a place for a dipstick to check transmission fluid. We have confirmed with 3 parts stores, 2 mechanics & finally with Nissan, they did not make a dipstick for this car or several other models. One way to check the transmission fluid is to jack up the car, remove a port on the transmission & fill it until if overflows (Cost is approximately $1,100.00, vs a dipstick costing less than $30.00 retail for comparable cars) Another way to check is to jack up the car, drain the transmission fluid, change the filter, replace the seal & cover, then pour in the exact correct amount of transmission fluid through the dipstick hole. However, the only way to know it is actually full is to leave the above-mentioned port out until the fluid overflows. (Our 3 cost estimates range from $1,400.00 to $1,850.00) Had we known of the transmission problems occurring with many if not most Nissan cars, we would not have bought the vehicle. Our research shows these are very common problems with this car & Nissan. We don't know if this applies to what you do, but this car also burns through spark plugs & ignition coils very quickly. We have had to replace all spark plugs 2 times plus 8 ignition coils in the 2-1/2 years we have owned it & driven it only 28,000 miles.

Filed Jun 4, 2026 · Transmission · TX

The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated and shuddered. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed with an unknown transmission failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under a transmission recall; however, the VIN was not currently included in a transmission recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed May 9, 2026 · Transmission · PA

The vehicle is a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder experiencing a major transmission/CVT failure that creates serious safety concerns. Only 69 days after purchase, the transmission began failing and the vehicle became unsafe and unreliable to operate. The vehicle experiences severe transmission-related drivability problems, including hesitation, loss of proper acceleration, delayed response when attempting to move, jerking/shifting issues, and concern that the vehicle may suddenly lose the ability to move or maintain speed while driving. These issues create a dangerous situation, especially while driving in traffic, entering highways, crossing intersections, or transporting passengers. The transmission failure affects the vehicle’s ability to safely accelerate and maintain normal operation. A sudden loss of power or inability to properly accelerate could increase the risk of a crash, rear-end collision, or becoming stranded in traffic. The condition became severe enough that the vehicle is no longer dependable transportation. After the failure, the vehicle was evaluated by Nissan and I was informed the transmission showed signs of serious pre-existing issues. I was also advised there were possible indications that diagnostic trouble codes may have been cleared or hidden before the vehicle was sold, preventing the full condition of the vehicle from being discovered before purchase. The estimated repair cost is approximately $15,000. Due to the severity of the transmission defect, I do not believe the vehicle is safe for normal operation without major repair or replacement of the transmission/CVT system. This defect has created significant safety concerns for myself, my family, and others on the road because of the risk of sudden transmission failure, inability to safely accelerate, or loss of vehicle movement during operation.

Filed Apr 14, 2026 · Transmission · 118,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, there was a slight jerking or hesitation before the vehicle accelerated. The failure was intermittent. While driving approximately 45 MPH after stopping at a stoplight, the vehicle shuddered and pulled to the left. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel to the right to avoid a crash. The vehicle was pulled over and parked. The vehicle was turned off until a friend arrived at the scene to assist. The friend started the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond in drive or in reverse. The vehicle was towed to the residence. Several days later, when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle failed to operate. The vehicle was inspected by two persons with automotive knowledge, and the contact was informed that the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) had failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Filed Dec 12, 2025 · Transmission · 76,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and sputtered while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where DTC: P17F1 (Internal CVT failure was retrieved). The contact was informed that the CVT transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance could not be provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Fuel system · 115,000 miles · KS

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 82 MPH, the vehicle suddenly started to lose motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually resumed normal operation before the hesitation returned. The contact stated that while driving to the mechanic, both the check engine and ABS warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after arriving to the independent mechanic, the mechanic retrieved DTCs: P0087 (Fuel Rail System Pressure too low) and P0090(Fuel Pump). The contact called a dealer, and the contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.