2005 Nissan Pathfinder — Known Issues & Recalls

Your air bag warning light came on while driving. A dealer diagnosed that your front passenger-side air bag is defective and needs replacement. This is a safety concern because a defective air bag may not deploy properly in a crash. The air bag will likely need to be replaced by a technician.

Your airbag system has an emblem that could become a projectile if the airbags deploy in a crash. The emblem may break apart and send sharp pieces toward you and your passengers, potentially causing serious injury. This is a known issue that needs immediate attention. Nissan should replace the airbag assembly or emblem to eliminate this hazard.

Your front airbag impact sensor has failed due to road salt corrosion. Even though this is a known issue, it's not covered under recall because the manufacturer doesn't believe Virginia uses road salt. If you're in an accident, your airbags may not deploy properly. You'll need to have the sensor replaced or the entire airbag system inspected and repaired.

Your 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is covered by a recall (NHTSA Campaign 23E012000) related to the airbag system, but the replacement parts needed to complete the repair aren't available yet. You've been waiting longer than what seems reasonable for the parts to become available. The manufacturer hasn't been notified of your situation, and you haven't experienced any airbag failure so far. The fix will involve replacing the airbag components once parts are back in stock at your dealer.

Your transmission suddenly began to fail, causing your car to lose the ability to accelerate while driving in traffic. This left you unable to speed up when needed. The transmission may need to be professionally inspected or rebuilt to restore normal acceleration.

Your engine is overheating, and coolant is leaking into the transmission, which is causing the transmission to fail. This is a serious issue that requires immediate attention to prevent further damage to your vehicle.

Your vehicle lost power while driving and wouldn't restart immediately, though it eventually started and ran normally afterward. This problem happened repeatedly, and your dynamic control warning light came on. You identified this as related to Nissan Recall Campaign PC068, which suggests an issue with the powertrain system that causes temporary loss of power and difficulty restarting.

Your car starts and drives normally at first, but then loses the ability to accelerate when you stop. Turning the engine off and cycling through the gears multiple times temporarily restores acceleration and shifting. This problem recurs after short drives—your car goes into reverse fine but won't go faster than 5 mph when moving forward. The issue likely involves the transmission fluid, filter, or internal transmission components that may need inspection or replacement.

Your Pathfinder is stalling while driving and sometimes won't start or cranks slowly. You had the engine control module (ECM) repaired under recall in 2014, but you're experiencing the same problems again now. This creates a safety concern since the engine is cutting off while you're on the road.

Your 2005 Nissan Pathfinder experienced shuddering while driving, and multiple warning lights appeared on your dashboard including the check engine light. After this happened, your vehicle would not start. The issue occurred at around 180,000 miles and has not been diagnosed or repaired.

Your vehicle started smoking while you were driving, then caught fire, resulting in a total loss. This happened on its own without any accident or collision involved.

Your radiator developed a crack and leaked coolant into your transmission system, causing significant damage. You've already spent $1,000 on radiator replacement and system flushing, but the transmission is now failing and needs replacement. The owner reports that Nissan is aware this radiator cracking is a known defect affecting many vehicles after 100,000 miles. Fixing this issue will likely require transmission replacement in addition to the radiator work already completed.

Your dashboard lights and instrument cluster go completely dark while you're driving, and your engine loses throttle response even though it keeps running. The only way to restore normal operation is to turn the vehicle off and restart it on the road. This has happened multiple times, including at highway speeds, and creates a serious safety risk.

Your engine warning light comes on when you start and warm up your vehicle, and then the engine shuts off while driving on streets or highways. A mechanic and your insurance company determined the transmission is overheating and damaging engine wiring cables due to a factory defect, which required a $4,000 transmission rebuild. You've spent significant money on repairs across the engine, electrical, and transmission systems, but the problem persists and your vehicle remains unusable. The fix will likely require diagnosing and correcting the transmission overheating issue and replacing damaged engine wiring.

Your 2005 Nissan Pathfinder developed a leak under the front that turned out to be brake fluid damaging the battery. After replacing the battery and repairing the brake line, the battery kept failing repeatedly. The dealer eventually found a defective radiator leaking fluid into the transmission, which led to complete engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the issues started around 90,000 miles.

Your car stalled out while driving and won't restart. This could be related to engine or electrical issues. You should have a mechanic diagnose why the engine won't turn over and address any underlying problems with the ignition or fuel system.

Your Pathfinder is having trouble shifting into 1st gear during stop-and-go traffic, causing the engine to rev and the vehicle to shake with unusual noises. This problem also happens when accelerating on the highway or turning, making it difficult to merge smoothly into traffic and creating a safety hazard. Additionally, your coolant system is leaking and contaminating the transmission fluid, which may be contributing to the shifting issues. The repair will likely require transmission replacement and coolant system repair or replacement.

Over the past 4 years, your Pathfinder has experienced multiple serious issues including engine vibration and shaking, stalling (cutting out), exhaust leaks with fumes, and emissions system failure. You've already had to replace the emissions system, brakes, rotors, air conditioning, exhaust system, radiator, and transmission. These problems together suggest significant wear or underlying mechanical issues that may require diagnosis of the engine and fuel system.

Your mechanic found that the driver's side rear control arm on your 2005 Pathfinder is severely corroded. You noticed an abnormal sound coming from the rear suspension when reversing. The corroded control arm will need to be replaced to restore proper suspension function and eliminate the noise.

Your car's oil galley gaskets in the timing cover failed, causing an oil leak. This led to a costly repair bill over $1,000, and if left unfixed could cause serious engine damage like smoking and valve train failure. The fix involves replacing the gaskets in the timing cover area.