2005 Nissan Pathfinder Problems: Transmission / driveline (1,045 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is Transmission / driveline (36% of 1,045 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 1,045 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?

375 of 1,045 filings named Transmission / driveline (36% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (278 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 375 complaints · 35.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 14
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 12
  • Deaths 1
All Nissan Pathfinder years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 375 of 1,045 owner complaints (35.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 375 complaints, 35.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 crash reports 3 fire reports 375 · 35.9% Engine (ENGINE): 278 complaints, 26.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 2 fire reports 278 · 26.6% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 246 complaints, 23.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 246 · 23.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 31 complaints, 3.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 31 · 3.0% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 19 complaints, 1.8% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 19 · 1.8% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 17 complaints, 1.6% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 17 · 1.6% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 12 complaints, 1.2% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 12 · 1.2% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 9 complaints, 0.9% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 3 crash reports 9 · 0.9% Steering (STEERING): 6 complaints, 0.6% of reports Steering (STEERING) 6 · 0.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 446 complaints, 42.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 crash reports 2 fire reports 446 · 42.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 375 35.9% 5 crashes · 3 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 278 26.6% 1 crashes · 2 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 246 23.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 31 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 19 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 17 1.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 12 1.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 9 0.9% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 6 0.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 446 42.7% 4 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2005; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2007. 2005-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2008-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2009-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2010-Q1: 79 owner reports 79 2010-Q2: 80 owner reports 80 2010-Q3: 66 owner reports 66 2010-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 2011-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2011-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2011-Q3: 34 owner reports 34 2011-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2012-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2012-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2012-Q3: 64 owner reports 64 2012-Q4: 43 owner reports 43 2013-Q1: 27 owner reports 27 2013-Q2: 38 owner reports 38 2013-Q3: 39 owner reports 39 2013-Q4: 28 owner reports 28 2014-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2014-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2014-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2014-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2015-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2015-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2015-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2016-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2016-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2016-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2005 Jul 2025 Recall campaign 07E046000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E046000 Recall campaign 08V690000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V690000 Recall campaign 10E019000 ◆ Recall campaign 10E019000 Recall campaign 10V517000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V517000 Investigation DP12004 ● Investigation DP12004
  • Campaign 08V690000 was reported 621 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10E019000 was reported 1,740 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2005-Q1 Owner reports 1
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 4
2005-Q4 Owner reports 4
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q4 Owner reports 5
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 7
2008-Q3 Owner reports 11
2008-Q4 Owner reports 8
2009-Q1 Owner reports 8
2009-Q2 Owner reports 14
2009-Q3 Owner reports 9
2009-Q4 Owner reports 12
2010-Q1 Owner reports 79
2010-Q2 Owner reports 80
2010-Q3 Owner reports 66
2010-Q4 Owner reports 32
2011-Q1 Owner reports 36
2011-Q2 Owner reports 29
2011-Q3 Owner reports 34
2011-Q4 Owner reports 20
2012-Q1 Owner reports 30
2012-Q2 Owner reports 20
2012-Q3 Owner reports 64
2012-Q4 Owner reports 43
2013-Q1 Owner reports 27
2013-Q2 Owner reports 38
2013-Q3 Owner reports 39
2013-Q4 Owner reports 28
2014-Q1 Owner reports 30
2014-Q2 Owner reports 22
2014-Q3 Owner reports 25
2014-Q4 Owner reports 9
2015-Q1 Owner reports 12
2015-Q2 Owner reports 18
2015-Q3 Owner reports 20
2015-Q4 Owner reports 20
2016-Q1 Owner reports 11
2016-Q2 Owner reports 16
2016-Q3 Owner reports 21
2016-Q4 Owner reports 7
2017-Q1 Owner reports 6
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 10
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q1 Owner reports 8
2018-Q2 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 07E046000
Recall campaign 1 08V690000
Recall campaign 1 10E019000
Recall campaign 1 10V517000
Defect investigation 1 DP12004
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Suspension.

  1. Recall campaign 07E046000

    Safety recall 07E046000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS HARNESS WOULD RESULT IN POWER FROM THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER GOING TO THE TOWING VEHICLE DASH LIGHT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN THE TRAILER BRAKES. THIS RESULT WOULD BE THE LACK OF TRAILER BRAKING WHEN THE TOWING VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IT WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE TOWING VEHICLES DASH LIGHTS BEING ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FAILURE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE TRAILER BRAKE COULD RESULT IN REDUCED ABILITY TO STOP AND CONTRIBUTE TO A POSSIBLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    HOPKINS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ORIGINAL HARNESS WITH A REVISED HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 17, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT HOPKINS AT 800-835-0129.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 08V690000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 10E019000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    IF THE COLLAR WELD SEPARATES, THE VEHICLE HANDLING WILL DETERIORATE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 10V517000

    Safety recall 10V517000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECM RELAY INSIDE THE IPDM ASSEMBLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 6, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 1,045 complaints · page 1 of 42
2025-07-15Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11673690
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am reporting a serious safety defect with my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder (VIN: [XXX] ). My vehicle has an open recall for the airbag emblem (NHTSA #23E-012 / PC948), which is scheduled for inspection. However, I am writing today because I am also experiencing a repeated and dangerous malfunction that is unrelated to that recall: Total loss of dashboard lights and instruments while driving No throttle response even though the engine remains running Temporary function restored only by turning the vehicle off and restarting it on the roas This behavior matches known electrical failures in this model year, often related to the IPDM, ignition switch, or ECM communication. These are not cosmetic or maintenance issues—they are life-threatening. My vehicle has done this multiple times, including at highway speeds. When I contacted South Colorado Springs Nissan, I was told they would only inspect the airbag emblem and would not evaluate this issue unless I paid for diagnostics. I find this unacceptable given Nissan’s history with these failures and the high likelihood this is a known and unresolved defect. I am requesting: That this issue be escalated within Nissan North America That Nissan consider this under a goodwill safety repair, if not covered by existing recall or campaign That the vehicle be diagnosed immediately, and Nissan be held accountable for any known defects I am also reporting this to NHTSA as a safety concern. Please confirm receipt of this email and provide next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2024-02-07Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11570480
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed the front passenger’s side air bag was defective and needed to be replaced. The air bag was not replaced due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.
2024-01-30Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11568803
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The dynamic control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Voluntary Recall Campaign: PC068. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
2023-05-22Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11523319
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The component that is malfunctioning is the emblem on the airbags. Nissan has known of this issue for a while. In the event of a crash, when the airbags deploy, the emblem will also explode with the airbags and send shrapnel from it flying towards the driver and nearby passengers. If the crash wouldn't kill the driver, then this issue could as it could hit the driver in a vital part. They are taking too long to fix this issue, as it is such a vital problem that can cost people their lives.
2023-04-11Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11516485
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-03-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11512838
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light was illuminated along with other several unknown warning lights. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
2022-12-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11496519
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car stalled out and won't restart.
2022-11-10Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11493008
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Air Bag Front Impact Sensor has failed due to road salt. Not covered under recall because someone doesn't think Virginia uses road salt.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 375 of 1,045 reports (36%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources