2017 Nissan Pathfinder: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
185 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 185 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 20.56
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
SLUDGE IN ENGINE- UNDER 100,000 MILES We had been keeping up with all recommended services, and it is cosmetically perfect, but the car is now a total loss. A Check Engine light came on, and we began to notice a tremor/shake and took it to Southern Team Nissan. The Nissan dealer diagnosed sludge in the engine and said it would need a total engine replacement. The Nissan dealer advised that the cost of that would be m…
My 2017 Nissan Pathfinder was making noise - I brought it to my mechanic and he said it is not safe to drive that the rear frame assembly has rotted and on one side was not even connected to anything. I have 110,000 miles on it. I asked Nissan to stand by there vehicle and was told it’s past warranty so they can’t do anything - this should not have happened to a 9 yo vehicle. I got my car fixed at my mechanics - I ha…
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot at unknown speeds, the vehicle began jerking and stalled. The battery had become inoperable. The TPMS message was displayed. The failure was linked to Technical Service Bulletin: NTB15-015h. The local dealer was called and informed the contact that the failure was related to the CVT transmission and confirmed there was n…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V601000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Nissan Murano, 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2017-2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and 2017 Infiniti QX60 vehicles. |
| 19V807000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Nissan Murano, 2016-2018 Nissan Maxima, and 2017-2019 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles. |
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 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
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.
- Engine83 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other41 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train34 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System27 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes11 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Steering8 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (83 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 82/100, computed from 185 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder's most common problem?
83 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2017 Nissan Pathfinder cost to run per year?
About $4,970 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,850 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 2017 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/09/2018. 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 2017 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 — 185 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 185 NHTSA complaints on record (20.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (24.8/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems