Problems · by component

2013 Nissan Pathfinder air bags problems

177 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder cite air bags, 20% of all 891 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.

Complaints
177
20% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Brought our 2013 Nissan Pathfinder to Naples Nissan because of a flashing airbag warning light and a Warning light that passenger airbag was not working . Dealer fixed other recalls and charged us $179 to tell us we needed 2 new OCS sensors for $1050. We provided copy of OCS sensor recall for 2013 pathfinder (PC216 13V -069. NYB13-035a) which states dealer is responsible to remove OCS sensors and check the lot codes for campaign eligibility . Dealer has ignored the request and simply repeated that the all outstanding recalls have been taken care of and we would need to pay $1050 to repair this important safety problem . Please help us ?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 11, 2025Air bagsODI 11698762
“The front passenger air bag turned off when an adult or teen sits in the seat. The air bag has remained turned off. The warning light also started to flash periodically and now continuously flashes.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 28, 2024Air bagsODI 11579846
“Hi, in 2018, Nissan replaced the passenger occupancy module as part of a recall. That module has now gone bad again (~5 years), and Nissan is charging its customers to replace. Maybe we are unlucky, but wondering if the repair with a faulty part is a pattern that is introducing risk and unnecessary cost to customers. Hoping the NHTSA can review data to determine whether this is a pattern or one-off. Thank you.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2023Air bagsODI 11543885
“While pushing the auto button to slid the passenger front seat to vacuum the floor carpet the airbag sensor broke off. This made the airbag system to be non operational on the front passerenger seat putting any passenger in danger with no airbags. Poor design of such an important safety system that just sliding the seat would break such an important part!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2022Air bagsODI 11489011
“The air bag light indicating that the passenger air bag is disabled does not go off when someone sits in the passenger seat. This matches NHTSA Campaign Number 15V681000 from October 20, 2015 with the description Air Bag may not Detect Passenger in Seat. However, Nissan says that my VIN is not part of the recall. This makes no sense to me since my vehicle has this issue. I do not know exactly when this started as I don't often carry passengers. The date I put in was around the last time I took this vehicle in for what I believe was to address a recall issue. I'm also concerned that my vehicle could have the issue from April 26, 2016, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V244000, Passenger Air Bag may not Deploy due to OCS Error.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 19, 2022Air bagsODI 11480281
“Passenger side airbag does not show as engage due to a faulty (OCS) sensor per inspection by Nissan dealership names #1 Cochran. This is a known problem covered under Nissan's recall PC216. This recall was performed on the vehicle in 2017. The sensor is faulty again. The fix that Nissan proposed is not a long term correction of the problem. Obviously, if the vehicle is involved in an accident with my wife in the passenger seat the airbag would not work due to a faulty sensor that registers no one being present in the passenger seat.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2022Air bagsODI 11476236

Showing 6 of 177 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

3 recalls on this component

Air bags: occupant classification

Remedy pending

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.

Air bagsReported Apr 26, 2016NHTSA 16V244000

Air bags: frontal

Free remedy

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant classification system (OCS) control unit during a repair. These OCS control units may incorrectly classify the front passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult.

Air bagsReported Oct 20, 2015NHTSA 15V681000

Air bags

Free remedy

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag.

Air bagsReported Mar 1, 2013NHTSA 13V069000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 3, 2026

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