AI Damage2002 Nissan Pathfinder: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder filed 156 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 156
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 28% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- Suspension: 43 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 35 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 18 complaints (12% of all).
- Steering: 17 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 11 complaints (7% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 156 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 43 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 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.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vin was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Upon impact, the driver's side airbag did not deploy. The contact received injuries to the head and was transported to the hospital via ambulance. The police were contacted and a report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was deemed as destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted.
Mvc involving another vehicle which subsequently led to a collision with a 2 feet circumference electrical pole at approximately 40mph where the driver side airbag failed to deploy.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle rolled downhill while in the park position. The vehicle was running and on level ground prior to the incident. The vehicle incurred extensive damage and the dealership was contacted. Updated 09/15/06.
Steering wheel began to shake noticeably when brakes were depressed at highway speeds. At low speed, brakes failed entirely, causing rear end collision, then, they began to work again. No consistency or pattern determined whether brakes would fail to respond or when they would respond unusually.
The front driver's seat belt in my nissan pathfinder le does not lock properly. I got in an accident recently and the seat belt did not restrain me, resulting in a head injury when I was thrown up into the roof.
While driving two tires blewout, vehicle lost control, resulting in a collision with a tree.
While driving the vehicle I started to notice a fuel smell, after several attempts to locate the source, one day I added fuel, I noticed a small puddle in my driveway the following morning.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,546 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pathfinder has 176 complaints (42 years in the data). This year has 156, about average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Pathfinder 198719 sources
- Pathfinder 198817 sources
- Pathfinder 198915 sources
- Pathfinder 199038 sources
- Pathfinder 199139 sources
- Pathfinder 199230 sources
- Pathfinder 199349 sources
- Pathfinder 199491 sources
- Pathfinder 1995170 sources
- Pathfinder 1996159 sources
- Pathfinder 1997217 sources
- Pathfinder 1998149 sources
- Pathfinder 1999104 sources
- Pathfinder 2000112 sources
- Pathfinder 2001230 sources
- Pathfinder 2003110 sources
- Pathfinder 200467 sources
- Pathfinder 20051,050 sources
- Pathfinder 2006837 sources
- Pathfinder 2007561 sources
- Pathfinder 2008328 sources
- Pathfinder 200937 sources
- Pathfinder 201040 sources
- Pathfinder 201145 sources
- Pathfinder 201223 sources
- Pathfinder 2013891 sources
- Pathfinder 2014576 sources
- Pathfinder 2015321 sources
- Pathfinder 2016244 sources
- Pathfinder 2017349 sources
- Pathfinder 2018206 sources
- Pathfinder 2019189 sources
- Pathfinder 2020143 sources
- Pathfinder 202132 sources
- Pathfinder 2022280 sources
- Pathfinder 2023194 sources
- Pathfinder 2024119 sources
- Pathfinder 202570 sources
- Pathfinder 202621 sources
- Pathfinder 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, engine and cooling, structure. Total complaints: 156. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (20%), vibration (8%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.