Is the 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER reliable?

The 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER has 432 complaints filed with NHTSA (3.6x the segment average). Our reliability verdict: avoid. Most common issue: OTHER problems.

What are common problems with the 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER?

Top problems: OTHER (79 complaints, avg repair $500); TRANSMISSION (76 complaints, avg repair $500); ENGINE (75 complaints, avg repair $500). Issues typically appear around 50K miles.

Are there any recalls on the 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER?

Yes, there are 5 recall(s): AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, SERVICE BRAKES, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH. Contact any Nissan dealer to verify if recalls have been completed on your specific vehicle.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER?

The 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER gets 23 MPG combined. At current US average gas prices, driving 12,000 miles per year costs roughly $2087. See the interactive fuel cost calculator on this page for state-specific pricing.

How much does it cost to insure a 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER?

Estimated US average full-coverage insurance for the 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER is approximately $1,617/year (suv-midsize class). Actual quotes vary heavily by state, driver age, driving record, and credit — see the interactive insurance estimator on this page for state-specific pricing.

2015 Nissan PATHFINDER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER has 432 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.6x the segment average of 121. The most common issue is other problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: i had slowed to enter a parking lot and as i turned i heard what i thought was something rattling in the back storage area. my wife turned to see what it was and saw that the entire upper rear glass moon roof had shattered into small pieces. i stopped and got out to look at it and the front portion . There are 5 recalls issued for this model year. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 17 crash reports 10 injuries

432

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems(top 5 of 8)

OTHER

79 complaints

18%

• I HAD SLOWED TO ENTER A PARKING LOT AND AS I TURNED I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING RATTLING IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA. MY WIFE TURNED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE UPPER REAR GLASS MOON ROOF HAD SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES. I STOPPED AND GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE FRONT PORTION
• WE WERE DRIVING AT 35 MILES/HR ON A CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED. WE HEARD A LOUD SOUND LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF AND WE WERE IN SHOCK AND SUDDENLY WE SAW GLASS SHATTERED ALL OVER ME MY SEATS AND WE WERE IN AWE. MY DAUGHTER AND WIFE WERE IN THE BACK AS WELL. WE HAD EYEWITNESS AS WELL WHO
• IT STARTED WITH THE DREADED HESITATING/JERKING THING I HAVE READ ABOUT NISSAN CVT TRANNYS. THE DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS A VALVE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION, AND NOT THE TRANNY ITSELF. HOW IS A VALVE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION NOT BE A PART OF THE TRANSMISSION?!?! THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE IT AND IT WILL TAKE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“I HAD SLOWED TO ENTER A PARKING LOT AND AS I TURNED I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING RATTLING IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA. MY WIFE TURNED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE UPPER REAR GLASS MOON ROOF HAD SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES. I STOPPED AND GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE FRONT PORTION ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

When Problems Appear on the 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER

Based on 295 owner complaints that included an odometer reading. Median mileage at time of complaint: 44K miles. Most complaints cluster in the 30-60K miles range.

Overall complaint distribution by mileage

0-30K

30-60K

119

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

TRANSMISSION

Reported earliermedian 42K mi · 47 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

AIR BAGS

Reported earliermedian 13K mi · 35 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

FUEL SYSTEM

Reported earliermedian 44K mi · 8 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

ENGINE

In line with typicalmedian 49K mi · 57 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

OTHER

In line with typicalmedian 45K mi · 50 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

SPEED CONTROL

In line with typicalmedian 49K mi · 20 reports

0-30K

30-60K

60-100K

100-150K

150-200K

200K+

Mileage figures are self-reported by owners in NHTSA complaint filings. Peak bucket = the mileage range with the most complaints for that component; it reflects when owners noticed and reported problems, not necessarily when the fault first occurred.

Recalls (5)

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION26/04/2016

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Fuel Cost Calculator for 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER

Live EIA prices

Annual miles driven: 12,000

Your state (affects local gasoline price)

Per year

$2,087

Per month

$174

Per mile

17.4¢

MPG

City driving (worst-case MPG)

$2,401/yr

Highway driving (best-case MPG)

$1,778/yr

Based on EPA fuel-economy ratings and EIA weekly retail prices (2026-07-20). Real-world cost varies with driving style, trim/engine, terrain, and traffic.

5-Year Gas Price History

EIA weekly retail data · 2021 → today

Show:

Current

$4.00

5-year low

$2.78

5-year high

$5.01

Since 2021

+27%

Source: US Energy Information Administration weekly retail gasoline prices.

Estimated Insurance Cost for 2015 Nissan PATHFINDER

Estimate only, not a quote. Modeled from NAIC + HLDI averages for a hypothetical 35-year-old driver with clean record + full coverage. Your actual quote depends heavily on your age, driving history, credit, ZIP code, and insurer.

Your state (affects local premium average)

Full coverage / year

$1,617

Full coverage / month

$135

Liability only / year

$639

vs US avg

-3%

How this estimate is calculated

US base full-coverage premium$1674

× state (US)1.00x

× vehicle class (suv-midsize)1.05x

× theft risk1.00x

× safety rating1.00x

× vehicle age0.92x

= Full coverage estimate$1617

Coverage assumed: 100/300/100 liability + comprehensive/collision, $500 deductibles. Data sources: NAIC 2024 + HLDI loss studies.

Maintenance & Warranty

Recommended Nissan PATHFINDER Service Intervals

Oil change

5K mi / 6 mo

Tire rotation

5K mi

Brake fluid

24 months

Transmission fluid

60K mi

Engine coolant

105K mi

Spark plugs

105K mi

Cabin air filter

15K mi

Engine air filter

30K mi

Differential (AWD/4WD)

60K mi

CVT-equipped models (Altima, Sentra, Rogue, Pathfinder) MUST use Nissan NS-3 CVT fluid, not conventional ATF. Frequent CVT service extends life significantly.

"Severe service" conditions (heavy towing, extreme temps, city stop-and-go) typically halve these intervals. Always consult your vehicle's owner's manual for the authoritative schedule.

Nissan New-Vehicle Warranty Coverage

Bumper-to-bumper (basic)

3 yr / 36K mi

Powertrain

5 yr / 60K mi

Hybrid/EV battery

8 yr / 100K mi

Corrosion (rust perforation)

5 yr / unlimited mi

Roadside assistance

3 yr / 36K mi

These are the terms for a new Nissan. If you're buying a used 2015 PATHFINDER, remaining coverage is usually pro-rated from the vehicle's original in-service date. Not all coverage transfers between owners — check with a Nissan dealer for VIN-specific remaining warranty.

Estimated Repair Costs

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 432 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
OTHER: I HAD SLOWED TO ENTER A PARKING LOT AND AS I TURNED I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING RATTLING IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA. MY WIFE TURNED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE UPPER REAR GLASS MOON ROOF HAD SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES. I STOPPED AND GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE FRONT PORTION
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: POTENTIALLY FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM OR DOWNSHIFT CVT OR SIMULATED GEARSHIFT SYSTEM. DETAILS: WHEN DRIVING IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC WITH THE BRAKES PARTIALLY APPLIED, THE VEHICLE TENDS TO MOMENTARILY ACCELERATE AND SPEED UP. CONCURRENTLY THE RESISTANCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TENDS TO DECREASE, ALONG WITH A V
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: POTENTIALLY FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM OR DOWNSHIFT CVT OR SIMULATED GEARSHIFT SYSTEM. DETAILS: WHEN DRIVING IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC WITH THE BRAKES PARTIALLY APPLIED, THE VEHICLE TENDS TO MOMENTARILY ACCELERATE AND SPEED UP. CONCURRENTLY THE RESISTANCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TENDS TO DECREASE, ALONG WITH A V
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: DRIVING DOWN ON FLORIDA HIGHWAY I-75 . AHEAD WAS A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT WITH DEBRIS IN THE ROAD. REDUCED SPEED TO TRY TO AVOID MOST OF THE DEBRIS THAT WAS SCATTERED ALONG THE 4 LANES. I HAPPEN TO GET A PIECE OF DEBRIS IMPACTING FRONT TIRE AND HAVING IT GO UNDERNEATH MY CAR. AS THIS OCCURRED THE ECU MUS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
RECALLS: Verify all 5 recalls have been completed — free at any Nissan dealer
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)