2018 Nissan Pathfinder: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
77 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 77 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.62
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The vehicle veers towards the right, even though a wheel alignment was completed on 7/1/26. On 7/28/26 when driving the vehicle, it wouldn’t accelerate properly, it felt sluggish and although the gas pedal was depressed it was struggling to pick up speed. As the vehicle was attempting to shift between 2nd and 3rd gears the car jolted forward and the traction control and collision lights came on. Both lights reset whe…
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display malfunctioned, and there was a black image displayed, creating a hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the infotainment screen display malfunctioned, and the screen was black. During the failure, the driver …
Infotainment system stopped working. Now radio, no climate control visible and NO backup camera most of the time. Very dangerous without the backup camera
Recalls: 3 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. |
| 19V654000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 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.
- Service Brakes20 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other17 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine13 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System13 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train12 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Vehicle Speed Control9 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
Nissan Pathfinder years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (20 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 77 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder's most common problem?
20 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 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 2018 Nissan Pathfinder cost to run per year?
About $4,622 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,112 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 2018 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 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 2018 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.
Moderate evidence — 77 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 77 NHTSA complaints on record (9.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (24.8/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems