Problems · by component

2006 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems

147 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder cite engine, 18% of all 837 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
147
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Car shuts off In the middle of driving & also when simply parked. It starts jerking like it’s trying to catch up then it kills. It’s happened in front of traffic and busy roadways/intersections. It has happened more than once.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 2, 2022Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11482604
“MY TIMING CHAIN ON MY PATHFINDER HAS BEEN DEFECTIVE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN NOISY BUT A FEW WEEKS AGO IT REALLY STARTED GETTING LOUD WHILE DRIVING IN MOTION AROUND . I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A SHOP AS TEETH WERE FALLING OFF THE 'CHAIN' INTO THE OIL. THEY SAY IT IS A KNOWN THING WITH 2005-2010 PATHFINDERS .”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2020EngineODI 11339965
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED, BUT WAS ABLE TO RESTART. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY REVVED UP AND ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC CONTROL SLIP OFF, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, AND WASHER FLUID WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AND BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 37003562. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2019Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11253457
“ALL 4 OF MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED (OR NEED TO BE REPLACED - I'VE ALREADY REPLACED BANK 1. NOW BANK 2 IS BAD) IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OR SO AND NOW MY RADIATOR IS LEAKING INTO MY TRANSMISSION. I DISCOVERED THERE WAS A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT ON THE RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION ISSUE, BUT I'M OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. WITH RESPECT TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, I OCCASIONALLY SMELL EXHAUST, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STAY ON. WITH THE TRANSMISSION, IT STARTED OUT AS GEAR SLIPPING, CAUSING ROUGH DRIVING (WHICH THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER). THEN, IT STARTED RUNNING SLOW OUT OF FIRST GEAR AND HARD SHIFTING. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE THAT PULLED TRANSMISSION CODES AND WHEN THEY DROPPED THE PAN, THE FLUID LOOKED LIKE A MILKSHAKE. THE ROUGH DRIVING/GEARS SLIPPING DIDN'T MATTER - IT COULD BE ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN THE CITY. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE IN 2018 THAT I HAD THE ISSUE, BUT I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE FOR A YEAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 25, 2019Power train, EngineODI 11222463
“I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE CAR SHUDDERED AS IF GOING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. THE ENGINE STARTED RACING, BUT THE CAR GRADUALLY LOST FORWARD PROPULSION. I STEERED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND STOPPED. AFTER A MINUTE, THE CAR REGAINED JUST ENOUGH FORWARD MOTION TO GET ME TO THE NEXT EXIT, ACROSS AN INTERSECTION (WHERE THE LIGHT JUST HAPPENED TO BE GREEN, THANK GOODNESS), AND INTO THE PARKING LOT OF A LARGE GROCERY STORE BEFORE THE VEHICLE LOST ALL PROPULSION. WE PUSHED THE CAR THE LAST FEW FEET INTO A PARKING SPOT. IT WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THE NEXT DAY THAT THE TRANSMISSION WARMER HAD FAILED, ALLOWING RADIATOR COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH RUINED THE TRANSMISSION. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $6000. I CANNOT PUT ANOTHER $6000 INTO A 13-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH I'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR FIVE MONTHS, SO NOW I'VE LOST THE MONEY I PUT INTO IT AND WILL HAVE TO START OVER WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 13, 2019Power train, EngineODI 11219655
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OR THE CITY STREET, THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AND THEN SUDDENLY CUT OFF AND LOSE POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST FIVE TIMES AT NORMAL HIGHWAY AND FREEWAY SPEEDS IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD MOTION. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO GLIDE OVER TO STOP THE CAR AND RESTART IT. THE CAR STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AND IS DRIVABLE.THE LAST TIME WAS ON THE CITY STREET, I WAS GOING ABOUT 35-40MPH AND THE CAR AGAIN JERKS AND THE ENGINE CUTS OFF AND LOOSES POWER. HOWEVER, THIS TIME THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP PREVENTING ME TO GET OVER. I HAD TO STOP THE CAR BY BREAKING DIRECTLY IN THE LANE NEARLY CAUSING CARS TO SLAM INTO ME. AGAIN, ONCE I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK I AM ABLE TO START THE ENGINE AND DRIVE AGAIN. AFTER THIS FIRST HAPPENED, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A TUNE-UP, OIL CHANGE, AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT NOTHING READ AS AN ERROR. I DO NOT DRIVE FAR DISTANCES JUST MAINLY AROUND TOWN AND HAVE RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON MY VEHICLE. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE THE LOSE OF POWER DOES NOT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY BUT IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT DOES AND CAN DEFINITELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT/INJURY/DEATH IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING TOO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2019Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 11218161

Showing 6 of 147 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.