no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2006 Nissan PathfinderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 837 owner complaints about the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 24, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder has problems
837 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
450Power train3 crash/fire/injury
185Engine and engine cooling
147Engine
135Fuel system, gasoline
71Fuel/propulsion system
41Steering
34Electrical system
29Fuel system, other
16Vehicle speed control
6616 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 450 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 185 | 0 |
| Engine | 147 | 0 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 135 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 71 | 0 |
| Steering | 41 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 34 | 0 |
| Fuel system, other | 29 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 0 |
| 16 other systems | 66 | 13 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2006 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
Storage: auxillary tank
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL IN TRAFFIC, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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?
101kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 414 power train complaints. 45% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles188under 100k miles226100k 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
79 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $3,000 – $6,000
Engine and engine cooling
22 owners mentioned a cost$3,450median
Middle half: $2,000 – $5,875
Engine
20 owners mentioned a cost$4,750median
Middle half: $2,500 – $7,150
Fuel system, gasoline
15 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $350 – $650
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
2006 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
1917153839304991170159217149104112230156110671,05083756132837404523891577321105188797648137107876415
'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
2006 Nissan Pathfinder safety ratings
2006 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 2006 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 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of transmission failure during the gear shifting. The contact stated that the gear shifter would remain in neutral. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was…
Transmission oil cooler line in radiator broke causing coolant and transmission oil to mix and car is not driveable and needs $3,000 repairs
.Transmission failed do to coolant in transmission..got stuck in traffic and couldn’t go anywhere.this is a known problem with these vehicles.vehicle has been inspected by owner who is a mechanic.there were no warning signs
Own a 2006 Pathfinder?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.