2013 Nissan Pathfinder: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
890 NHTSA owner complaints · 11 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 890 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 68.46
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V420000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the recall repair failed to prevent a failure from occurring. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood unlatched and opened independently. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the contact was advised…
Rear sub frame near radial rod on drivers side of vehicle has corroded through without warning. Vehicle is unstable during breaking menuvers and pitches towards on coming traffic. Sudden loss of control or collision could occur without notice during breaking.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 93,653. It was later discovered that the mileage was approximately 209,000. The contact reported the fraud to the Secretary of State and had since found other vehicles to have been included in an odometer fraud ring.
Recalls: 11 campaigns (8 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V069000 | Air Bags | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles. Sensors within the passenger Occupant Detection System (ODS) may have been manufactured out of specification. |
| 13V139000 | Service Brakes | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles manufactured December 3, 2012, through January 29, 2013. The front brake torque member was improperly cast resulting in structural weakness. |
| 22V420000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Pathfinder vehicles. |
| 13V445000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured April 18, 2012, through September 20, 2013; model year 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured September 15, 2011, through January 16, 2013; and model year 2014 Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured January 17, 2013, through September 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles,… |
| 21V020000 | Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. |
| 15V681000 | Air Bags:Frontal | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. |
| 14V138000 | Electrical System:Software | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, and Sentra, model year 2013 NV200 (aka Taxi) and Infiniti JX35 and model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 and QX60 vehicles. |
| 15V033000 | Structure:Body:Hood:Hinge And Attachments | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles manufactured June 20, 2012, to November 18, 2013, 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid vehicles manufactured July 18, 2013, to November 18, 2013, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles manufactured November 29, 2011, to June 14, 2013, and 2014 QX60 vehicles manufactured… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,800
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train370 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Air Bags177 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other110 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine105 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Structure83 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Service Brakes66 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (370 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 26/100, computed from 890 NHTSA complaints and 11 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder's most common problem?
370 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder cost to run per year?
About $6,450 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $32,252 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 11 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, 8 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/03/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 890 complaints, 11 recalls on record
- 890 NHTSA complaints on record (68.5/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (24.8/yr)
- 11 recall campaigns, 8 touching safety-critical systems