1991 Nissan Pathfinder: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Nissan Pathfinder filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 39
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 36% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 21% of all complaints
3 Tires 10% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
6 Steering 8% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
8 Seats 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 14 complaints (36% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (21% of all).
Tires: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Fuel system: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Seat belts: 3 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 39 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

transmission slipping9 · 23%
smoke, burning smell, fire4 · 10%
seat belts3 · 8%
rust, corrosion2 · 5%
A/C or heater1 · 3%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 3%
windows, sunroof1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	14	1
Engine and cooling	8	0
Tires	4	0
Fuel system	3	0
Seat belts	3	0
Steering	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Seats	2	2
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Equipment	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Structure	1	0
Suspension	1	0
Visibility	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While in a car crash rear driver's and passenger's seatbacks reclined upon impact. Please provide further information.
Seats · crash · 2001-10-02 · NHTSA complaint #897194
Seat back collapsed into back seat, when rear ended by another vehicle, causing injury.
Seats · crash · 1998-04-07 · NHTSA complaint #532563
Defective aluminum planetary housing and gear, caused transmission failure, resulting in loss of control/accident/injury.
Powertrain · crash · 1995-03-23 · NHTSA complaint #480190
Rear frame on these suv rusted out from the inside out, was pull a small trailer and the frame at the driver side rear wheel come apart and went to many junkyards to find that this is a problem with all pathfinder from 89-95 they rust from the inside out giving no warning that it is failing, some that I check with a…
Structure · 2013-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #10537107
1991 nissan pathfinder developing problems with the goodyear fortera tire equipment. ** answer required***. One of the vehicel' s front tires was cupped severely and caused the vehicle to wander when driven (goodyear fortera h1).
Tires · 2005-07-08 · NHTSA complaint #10128066
While driving 70 mph driver's side rear tire blew out. Consumer pulled off the road, and had the vehicle towed. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. The cause was not determined. Firestone, firehawk, dot bb604rb307.
Tires · 2004-06-16 · NHTSA complaint #10079356
Steering mechnism has failed, causing unven wear on the tires. Dealer notified.
Steering · 2003-07-25 · NHTSA complaint #10030150
Consumer was denied reimbursement for 4 p235/75r15 firestone atx steel belted radial tires he purchased which were part of safety recall 00t005.
Tires · 2002-02-22 · NHTSA complaint #564224

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19958
19964
19977
19986
19995
20001
20012
20021
20032
20041
20051
20131

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,011 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Pathfinder has 176 complaints (42 years in the data). This year has 39, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Nissan Pathfinder?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, tires. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (23%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), seat belts (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Nissan Pathfinder?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1991 Nissan Pathfinder from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1991 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.