no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2005 Nissan PathfinderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,050 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 15, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder has problems
1,050 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
585Power train9 crash/fire/injury
290Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
186Fuel system, gasoline2 crash/fire/injury
144Engine4 crash/fire/injury
66Electrical system
61Fuel system, other
31Fuel/propulsion system
31Vehicle speed control
22Air bags
8415 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 585 | 9 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 290 | 2 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 186 | 2 |
| Engine | 144 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 66 | 1 |
| Fuel system, other | 61 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 31 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 31 | 0 |
| Air bags | 22 | 5 |
| 15 other systems | 84 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2005 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.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
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 power train problems start?
100kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 549 power train complaints. 49% were reported before 100,000 miles.
10under 30k miles271under 100k miles278100k 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.
Power train
100 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $3,150 – $6,000
Engine and engine cooling
42 owners mentioned a cost$4,250median
Middle half: $2,125 – $5,975
Fuel system, gasoline
31 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $414 – $600
Engine
16 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $2,375 – $5,525
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
2005 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
1917153839304991170159217149104112230156110671,05083756132837404523891577321105188787648137107876415
'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
2005 Nissan Pathfinder safety ratings
2005 Nissan Pathfinder 4-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (22.8% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, and the recalls they led to.
- Transmission FailuresNo recall
In owners' words
What Pathfinder owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to immediately restart. After restarting the vehicle, the…
While driving on US 95 in DC, MD and NJ, when the traffic became stop and go, my SUV could not get into 1st gear to go. The engine revved, the car shook and made noises. Several times I came close to being rear-ended. This problem also occurs when starting after a red light, when accelerating on a…
IN THE LAST 4 YEARS I'VE REPLACED EMISSIONS SYSTEM BRAKES ROTORS AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM EXHAUST SYSTEM RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION. CAR WAS VIBRATING SHAKING CUTTING OUT LEAKING EXHAUST FUMES AND EMISSIONS SYSTEM FAILED.
Own a 2005 Pathfinder?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.