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2002 Nissan PathfinderProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 156 owner complaints about the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-068 the manufacturer reports only 13% of affected cars repaired.

2002 Nissan Pathfinder
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Pathfinder median · #17 of 37 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 13%Owner complaints15622 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage120kSuspension, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 16, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Spanish Coches, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder has problems

156 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Suspension431
Engine and engine cooling353
Structure180
Steering171
Vehicle speed control113
Power train102
Air bags94
Fuel/propulsion system80
Equipment61
11 other systems406

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2002 Nissan Pathfinder recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

36%repaired · 2021 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-008 · Jan 9, 2020 · 307,962 vehicles · 111,354 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

13%repaired · 2018 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-068 · Feb 2, 2017 · 46 vehicles · 6 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

27%repaired · 2017 Q1

Air bags

Recall 15V-287 · May 15, 2015 · 1,090,569 vehicles · 297,865 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 10V-312 · Jul 6, 2010 · 46 vehicles

Risk. THE INFLATOR HOUSING MAY RUPTURE AND PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Mileage at failure

When do suspension problems start?

120kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 31 suspension complaints. 23% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles7under 100k miles24100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

9 owners mentioned a cost

$1,500median

Middle half: $645 – $5,200

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Pathfinder year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Pathfinder median. How we score

'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2002 Nissan Pathfinder safety ratings

2002 Nissan Pathfinder 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Nissan Pathfinder frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2002 Nissan Pathfinder side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  2. Frame/Body Structure CorrosionPE11004 · closed Jun 30, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-244
In owners' words

What Pathfinder owners report

Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

This relates to Campaign Number 11V244000 We are the original and only owners of the vehicle I originally brought the vehicle in for the recall and they simply sprayed some undercoating in the wheel wells. Less than a month later both strut towers separated from the body of the vehicle while my…
Complaint 11577805 · Mar 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced at a local dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V244000 (Steering, Suspension); however, the mechanic diagnosed that there was no rust in the strut housing assembly. The contact then stated that…
Complaint 11520142 · May 2, 2023 · 147,477 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE VIBRATED ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED HE PARKED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE…
Complaint 11315925 · Mar 3, 2020 · 118,000 miles

Own a 2002 Pathfinder?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.