Fault File
All models / All cars / Family & large SUVs / Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Pathfinder

All generations and engines together · 2,302 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 84k

Typical mileage at age 7
84k miles
Check the mileage view below; low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

How this model wears

Nissan PathfinderClass average, all tracked models

Known issues

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 2,291 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
32.3%class 4.4%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
14.8%class 2.7%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
10.2%class 4.8%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
10.0%class 6.2%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
9.4%class 3.2%
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced
Advisory
7.6%class 0.3%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Fail
6.7%class 1.3%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
6.6%class 1.5%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
5.9%class 2.2%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
5.6%class 3.5%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
32.6%class 23.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
13.6%class 11.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.9%class 7.2%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
6.3%class 3.3%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
4.2%class 9.7%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
4.0%class 2.6%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
3.4%class 2.8%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
3.3%class 2.6%

Unconfirmed issues

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Central chassis rail corrosion

Emerging

The main chassis rail behind the rear axle can rot from the inside out, the same weak spot that affects the closely related D40 Navara pickup. Owners report finding it during a service or MOT once the perforation warranty has long expired, sometimes bad enough to need a new chassis or the car written off. Nissan's UK perforation warranty is 12 years but has reportedly offered no goodwill once that runs out, and owners have been advised to log it with the DVSA as a safety defect.

Reported from 10-15 years old · sources: Honest John owner reports

EGR valve blocking up

Emerging

Carbon and soot clog the EGR valve on the dCi diesels, bringing on an engine management light and, in worse cases, the engine cutting out on the move. It is a known weak point on this generation of Nissan/Renault diesel engine rather than a one-off. Cleaning or replacing the valve runs from under £100 for a DIY clean to a few hundred pounds at a garage.

Reported across the mileage range · sources: Honest John owner reports

DPF choking and fuel dumping into the sump

Emerging

When the diesel particulate filter chokes with ash, the engine tries to force a regeneration and can end up injecting extra diesel that runs past the rings into the sump, diluting the oil. Owners have reported this leading to serious bearing or engine damage once oil pressure and lubrication suffer, in one documented case at around 91,000 miles. Watch for an overfull dipstick that smells of diesel rather than oil; a full engine rebuild or replacement is a four-figure job.

Reported from around 90k miles · sources: Honest John owner reports

Timing chain tensioner wear

Emerging

Neglected oil changes let the timing chain tensioner wear and the simplex chain stretch, which on the diesel engines is an expensive job to put right as it is buried deep in the engine. Some specialists upgrade the original simplex chain to a duplex set-up when they do the work. Listen for chain rattle on a cold start, and treat a thin or patchy service history as a red flag on this engine.

Linked to poor servicing history · sources: Honest John owner reports

Automatic gearbox and torque converter failure

Automatics only

The 5-speed automatic can suffer torque converter failure, a repair Honest John owners have put at £2,500 or more. A related fault is the transmission fluid heat exchanger inside the radiator fracturing, letting coolant and ATF mix and contaminate the gearbox. Manual cars are not affected by either fault.

Reported on auto-only V6 dCi and auto 2.5 dCi cars · sources: Honest John owner reports

Front suspension ball joints and knocking

Partly in the MOT data

Owners regularly report the front upper and lower suspension ball joints wearing, causing wandering at speed and a knocking or clonking noise over bumps, at roughly £60 a side to replace plus labour. This lines up with the measured MOT data for this model, where suspension is the standout fault category for the segment. It fits a heavy body-on-frame SUV working its front end hard, rather than being a one-off complaint.

Reported through the mileage range, worse from 80k+ · sources: Honest John owner reports, MOT fault data

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

Check underneath along the central chassis rail behind the rear axle for rust bubbling, filler, or a rail that looks like it has been patched. Rot here can mean a chassis rail replacement or a write-off once it perforates.
Look for a service history with regular oil changes, especially on the diesel. A thin history raises the odds of timing chain tensioner wear and DPF/EGR problems.
Pull the dipstick and check the oil level and smell. An overfull dipstick smelling of diesel points to fuel dumping into the sump from a DPF regeneration problem.
Start the engine from cold and listen for a minute before driving off. A rattle that fades as revs rise suggests a worn timing chain tensioner.
Watch the dash for the engine management light on start-up and during the test drive. On and off warnings, or a car that stalls unexpectedly, point to a blocked EGR valve.
On automatics, drive it hard enough to force a kickdown and check the fluid condition on the dipstick if accessible. Slipping, shunting, or dark/burnt-smelling fluid suggests torque converter wear or a contaminated gearbox.
Drive over some speed bumps and turn the wheel lock to lock at low speed listening for knocks. Clonks from the front end point to worn suspension ball joints, the fault that shows up most in this model's MOT data.

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