Is the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder a bad year?
574 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 215, 22× a quiet Pathfinder year.
Keep it, but watch the transmission
The transmission draws 22× the complaints of a quiet Pathfinder year, spread over 6k–92k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2014 Pathfinder owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 47,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 215 (37%) | 6k–92k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Visibility and wipersSTANDS OUT | 58 (10%) | 35k–70k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structureSTANDS OUT | 48 (8%) | 30k–76k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 67 (12%) | 16k–88k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Brakes | 42 (7%) | 13k–62k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Electrical system | 33 (6%) | 8k–58k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Speed control | 26 (5%) | 6k–58k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 14 (2%) | 4k–60k miles · around this mileage | Fuel pump replacement $220–$1,500 · Fuel injector replacement (one injector) $300–$1,200 |
| Steering | 9 (2%) | 2k–61k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 92 (16%) | 3k–31k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Suspension | 15 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Latches and locks | 9 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seats | 8 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 7 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 47,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 574 complaints: 19 mention a crash · 3 mention a fire · 16 report an injury · 16 say the car was towed.
16 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Oct 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
My transmission jerks everytime I take off. For 47,000 miles. This should not be happening.
2014 Nissan pathfinder purchased 12/31/2013. Transmission acted odd within first month of ownership, but was told it takes some time to get use to the cvt.
CVT transmission problem : (1) the codes that were stored were P01710 CVT judder code & P0420 trans fluid low code (2) and transmission is taking 10SECS to shift properly so needs a new transmission.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 47,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder: 11
On certain Pathfinder vehicles, the secondary hood latch may malfunction and remain in the unlatched, unsecured, position when the hood is closed. An unsecured hood could unexpectedly open while driving, obstructing the driver's view, and increasing the risk of a crash.
The location of the brake light switch may cause the brake light switch relay to repeatedly open and close. Overtime, this can cause the relay to stick in the "ON" position, with the brake lights remaining illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. Continual illumination of the brake lights can prevent other drivers from realizing the vehicle is actually slowing down, increasing the risk of a crash.
The brake light switch may have been installed incorrectly causing the relay to make intermittent contact and repeatedly cycle. This may result in the relay remaining in the "ON" position, causing the brake lights to remain illuminated even when the brakes are not applied. If the brake override is activated, the driver will not be accelerate normally, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. 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.
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. If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated.
In the affected vehicles the hood release cable assembly may have been installed incorrectly preventing the latching claw from fully engaging. The secondary latch may remain in the open position when the hood is closed. If the primary hood latch is released and the secondary latch fails during operation of the vehicle, it could cause the hood to open during vehicle operation impairing the driver's vision, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
During the assembly process, the front wheel hub assembly fasteners may not have been properly torqued. The under-torqued fasteners may result in a brake caliper separating from the wheel assembly causing a reduction in braking performance or reduced steering control. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.
The right side wheels of the affected vehicles may have one lug nut each that was not properly tightened. If the lug nut becomes loose from not being properly tightened, it may fall off, allowing the other lug nuts to become loose, possibly resulting in a wheel separation, and increasing the risk of a crash.
In the affected vehicles, the occupant classification system (OCS) software may incorrectly classify the passenger seat as empty, when it is occupied by an adult. If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated.
In the affected vehicles, during light braking on rough roads, the antilock brake system (ABS) brake pressure output software may lead to an increase in stopping distance. The increased stopping distance may increase the risk of a crash.
The instrument panel tear seam on the passenger frontal air bag was incorrectly cut on the back side of the instrument panel which could cause the air bag to not deploy properly. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the improper air bag deployment may increase the risk of personal injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Nissan: 116
Repair instructions Nissan sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start
DTC P17F0 or P17F1 stored in the TCM
Fluid leak caused by transfer assembly right side drive shaft oil seal
Clicking noise from front or rear axle during take-off/acceleration
NHTSA defect investigations: 3
Hood Latch/Bell Crank Assembly
Occupant Classification System Failure
Occupant Classification System Failure
Neighbouring years
2013 Pathfinder: 891 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission · 2015 Pathfinder: 321 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission.
Every Nissan Pathfinder year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Pathfinder years side by side
Other Nissan models: Nissan 350Z · Nissan 370Z · Nissan Altima · Nissan Armada · Nissan Cube · Nissan Frontier · Nissan Juke · Nissan Kicks · Nissan Leaf · Nissan Maxima · Nissan Murano · Nissan Quest · Nissan Rogue · Nissan Rogue Sport · Nissan Sentra · Nissan Titan · Nissan Titan XD · Nissan Versa · Nissan Versa Note · Nissan Xterra. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder a bad year?
574 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 215, 22× a quiet Pathfinder year. At 47,000 miles the tool says: Keep it, but watch the transmission. The transmission draws 22× the complaints of a quiet Pathfinder year, spread over 6k–92k miles, so there's no single mileage to plan around.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (215), visibility and wipers (58), body structure (48), engine (67), brakes (42). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 6k–92k miles.
How many recalls does the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder have?
11 recall campaigns list this model year: Latches and locks (NHTSA 22V-420), Exterior lighting (NHTSA 21V-020), Exterior lighting (NHTSA 16V-380), Air bags (NHTSA 16V-244) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.