CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013 has a growing number of transmission complaints at low mileage. The issue is part of a class-action lawsuit that says the transmissions shake violently during acceleration between 15mph and 30mph.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,889 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Nissan Pathfinder Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #24

Jul 062015

Pathfinder

  • 44,854 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While I was told that this had happened previously in the vehicle (around June 22, 2015), I experienced it on 7/6/15. I was traveling on the highway at @ 68 mph. I slowed to take an offramp left onto a connector and pressed the accelerator to regain speed. There was no response; the accelerator had no power--even when pressed to the floor. The car began to lose speed. It was a busy time of day, and there was a car behind me. I took my foot off the accelerator and pressed it again; this time it was responsive. In addition to the loss of power, the car 'hitched' as I was driving and braking, and the ABS and traction control lights came on. This happened multiple times afterwards--not just on turns. On 7/7, I called Nissan service. I did not drive the car again until they fit me in (thurs., 7/9). The drive train is still under warranty, and I was informed that there was a crt reprogramming recall that needed to be done, but it had nothing to do with what was happening, so they would run multiple diagnostics at $125 or more a piece. After multiple diagnostics and a technician driving my car 44 miles, service "could not duplicate concern, " did not know of any like problems with the car, had performed the recall, and sent me home at no charge (?) on 7/10. Afterwards, I did not drive the car for several days. On 7/16, it seemed safe, and my daughter was driving with me in the passenger seat. It happened again--on a busy road! the ABS and traction control lights came on too. We stopped; I took a picture, immediately emailed it to service, & switched drivers. There's no response yet. Nissan online forums are full of 2013 Pathfinder (and Nissan crt model) owners experiencing the exact same problems, being told similar things, and having transmissions (crt) replaced but it happening again. Nissan won't acknowledge what seems to be a widespread problem with the crt & this model.

- Mableton, GA, USA

problem #23

Aug 272014

Pathfinder

  • 52,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure recurred numerous times intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but was unable to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

- Atlanta , GA, USA

problem #22

Feb 102015

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
Over the past two month I've had 4 incidents when I stop at a light or sign and when I hit my accelerator pedal to start moving again nothing happens. Sometimes I lift my foot off of the pedal and them back again and it starts working normally. Other times the accelerator starts working after a few seconds of being depressed.....more than a little nu-nerving when entering heavy traffic areas.

- Seffner, FL, USA

problem #21

May 142014

Pathfinder 4WD 6-cyl

  • 2,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When I first purchased the vehicle my husband immediately began saying something was wrong with the transmission the problem got worse as time went by. Taking off from a stopped position it would stall before taking off. Then it started shuttering after take off. Then escalated to shuttering while driving down the road at speeds between 20-30 usually when I was in the school zone taking my kids to school. After several attempts Nissan finally decided to replace the transmission. I have a baby as well as two other children that are in this vehicle everyday. Once the transmission was replaced it started having a problem at any speed where it felt like the motor was going to jump out of the vehicle which jerked my children and scared them. I M also noticing more and more problems with it not wanting to go into gear. I have also had a problem with the back hatch coming open at various times for no reason. One day I walked out of work to find that it was open the doors to the vehicle were still locked. On another occasion I found the back hatch open and it had rained all night and the neighbor strays had slept in my vehicle all night again the doors were locked. No one had touched my keys so no reason for how it keeps mysteriously coming open. The previous Pathfinder I had would let down the front windows at various times for no reason. Said it was a safety feature...didn't seem very safe to me to come out of a store to find my windows down. Unfortunately cant trade it in because I would be too upside down. I know it will cost a lot to recall and fix all of these but how does that compare to the cost of peoples lives. Headed to Nissan again Saturday to see what they say about the transmission this time.

- Newton, TX, USA

problem #20

Dec 162014

Pathfinder

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph and making a turn, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 25 mph. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal needed to be depressed prior to depressing the accelerator pedal in order for the vehicle to respond. The failure occurred on four occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the software and tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

- Moore, OK, USA

problem #19

Aug 022014

Pathfinder

  • 20,000 miles
I purchased my Pathfinder in may of 2013. I loved my SUV initially. Starting around July of 2014 - I started experiencing shuddering while driving. Thought maybe I needed new tires. Beginning in August - started noticing that when accelerating from a stop that I would lose power and it would stay about 20 mph & after pumping the gas pedal several times then it would kick in. It started happening more and more. This past Sunday while starting to accelerate up a hill, my Pathfinder just wouldn't kick in. Stayed at about 25 mph & I had to put on my emergency breaks until I reached the top of the hill & then it kicked in. Then the next day as I was merging onto the freeway with my 2 children in the car & my daughters friend, my car just lost its power. Continued to drive at maybe 20 mph even with my foot pressed all the way down on the gas pedal. This was a very scary experience for myself & my kids. We could have been totally rear ended. There are so many complaints here. Does Nissan need to wait until someone is tragically killed before making steps to issue a recall? I did take my car in today to the dealership with print outs of the comments here & told them I would not drive my Pathfinder & put my family in jeopardy until the issue is fixed. They did give me a rental car & contacted me by the end of the day today that they received approval to replace the transmission & will continue to do further testing on the shuddering & reason that the transmission needs to be replace on a vehicle that is a little over a year old. Please with the dealerships response. I have always driven Honda's or Acura's and made the mistake to try Nissan. This will be my last Nissan purchase! I am also posting this on facebook to spread the word about the Pathfinder. Maybe that will get a recall going!

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #18

Oct 082013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 6,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had about 5 incidents of failure when I hit the gas from a stand still. When I push the gas pedal, I will accelerate a little (enough to get in traffic), then nothing. I lift my foot off the gas and put it back down. Still nothing. It is a good 4 seconds before I get power to go. This has led to a couple near crashes, as 4 seconds is a long time if you are pulling out in traffic.

- Norcross, GA, USA

problem #17

Sep 062013

Pathfinder

  • 2,711 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while traveling at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond to acceleration attempts. The contact also mentioned that the brake switch failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who replaced the transmission and the brake switch but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,711.

- Lonetree, CO, USA

problem #16

Jan 012014

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 16,000 miles
On an intermittent basis, the gas pedal does not engage when depressed ? the driver has to release and press the gas pedal multiple times or hold down gas pedal and then the engine revs hard and the car suddenly lurches forward. It happens both when beginning to accelerate from a stop as well as when the car is driving and in motion and the driver presses the gas pedal to accelerate (such as when passing another car on the highway). By early April 2014, this had happened at least 20 times in a four-week period and sometimes happened daily. I took the vehicle to our local dealer, who consulted with a regional Nissan warranty rep. He said he had seen the problem before, and they replaced the the brake lamp switch and relay. I have had one incident where it happened again after this work was done on April 9.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #15

Oct 102013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 500 miles
Vehicle starts to shudder very hard and starts to lose power when starting to enter the traffic lanes I was almost rear ended by a tractor trailer.this has happened three times now.my vehicle has been in the shop. Times and Nissan still haven't fix this problem.I guess someone has to die before anything is done. It, S really a shame !

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #14

Apr 302014

Pathfinder

  • 9,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There is a sudden juddering shake that lasts about 4 to 6 seconds driving around 25 miles per hour. I have experienced the shaking during turns and upon hills the transmission feels like driving a stickshift and you finally feel the gear kick in and the after making it uphill or stopping uphill. Vehicle drives smooth again. My girls are very scared with the shaking I have left my vehicle at the dealership pending a fix/solution.

- San Diego , CA, USA

problem #13

Feb 122014

Pathfinder

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle would shutter and lose power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they could determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Manassas, VA, USA

problem #12

Sep 162013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 4,300 miles
Purchased in Aug 2013. Sept 2013 at low speeds under 25 mph, the vehicle begins to shudder and looses acceleration. Nissan dealership could not find a problem. Oct 2013 my vehicle was back in for the same issue. This time Nissan replaced the transmission. Nov 2013 back to the dealer for same issue, was told a software update was just released for a computer upgrade for the transmission. Problem still existed. Returned a 4th time in Dec 2013 and was told I must have been spinning my wheels in the snow, no problems were found. In addition to the transmission problems, the roof started leaking and the water ran behind the dashboard. A gasket needed to be replaced, shortly after I began to have electronic issues with wipers, volume control for bluetooth, radio. Some type of module was replaced this took two return trips before a problems was found. Again within a month these electrical issues returned. On Monday 3/24 the transmission once again failed as I was making a left turn from a stop. With this incident I was almost killed by a tractor trailer because I was stuck in the middle of the intersection and could not get the vehicle to move. Luckily the truck was able to swerve behind me a the last moment to avoid the collision. Restarting the car several times cleared the problem and was immediately took it back to my dealership. I explained everything that has been happening with my vehicle since purchased in Aug 2013, 33 days of service so far and no resolution. I have also filed a complaint with Nissan Consumer Affairs, case # [xxx]. Nissan admitted there is a problem with the transmission but does not have a fix. At this time the vehicle is not safe to drive and the dealer has put me in a free loaner car until they have a resolution. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Westampton, NJ, USA

problem #11

Mar 212014

Pathfinder

  • 17,000 miles
When I attempt to drive the vehicle after a full stop, or when proceeding at a slow rate of speed, by applying pressure to the gas pedal, the car does not move. I have to lift my foot and reapply pressure to get the car to move forward. Nissan has changed the brake sensor, however, that made the problem worse.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #10

Sep 022013

Pathfinder

  • 3,100 miles
Purchased vehicle with 3000 miles. Noticed that I would merge into traffic and try to accelerate but the car would shake and not accelerate right away (like a loss of power). Then it would stop and accelerate normally. I had an old an old car for a long time so I thought it was just me not being able to handle a new car. However the problem happened frequently, and it is a little alarming if you are merging on the interstate and can't get the expected speed. I have taken it in 2 times and they cannot figure out what is wrong with it. All the computer data comes back okay. I took it in for the brake recall and of course that did not fix it. They are willing to fix but do not know of a fix. Currently the car still does this, mostly during 20 mph and when I am going through a round about or turn.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #9

Dec 112013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
I purchased my Pathfinder in July 2013 and have had 2 issues. The first is a sputtering with the gas pedal which occurs quite frequently under low speeds. Took it in for evaluation and Nissan said that's how cvt transmissions work and that it was normal. Very strange. The second issue I am currently having is the most concerning. While traveling at various speeds, when I push on the gas pedal there is no power at all and no acceleration. At times the pedal can be all the way to the floor and then 2 to 3 seconds later the acceleration comes back. It has happen to me in a passing situation on the freeway and while making a turn at an intersection and almost caused an accident. The car is currently in service to be evaluated and they have said unless they can replicate the issue on their end they have no solution, I have 3 kids that ride in the vehicle on a daily basis and this is a huge safety concern from a consumer standpoint. I have documented with Nissan Consumer Affairs in case something happens as a result of this, but I must say as this car was a huge investment for my wife and our family we are extremely concerned and disappointed because we love the car so much and wouldn't expect this from a brand new vehicle. I have read a high number of common issues just like mine and I just don't get how Nissan has not done anything about this. It seems as if the 2013 model has a number of issues.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #8

Sep 022013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
I had complained to trophy Nissan, progressive insurance, wells fargo, and platinum collision about the very problem that I just received a recall about. My complaints were treated as not having merit. I had specifically described the seemingly loss of control on pavement that was slightly rough. I also asserted that when I applied brakes the Pathfinder seemed to lunge forward. In this accident I was the interstate near downtown dallas moving one lane to my left as traffic slowed and stopped. I was aware of the slowing traffic and I reacted accordingly. As traffic actually stopped I recall not being overly concerned that I was a safe stopping distance but when I applied the brake my Pathfinder seemed to lunge forward and I struck the rear of the vehicle in front of me. I again stated my concerns after the fact and was not deemed accurate. The Pathfinder spent 2 months in the shop waiting on parts and my insurance premium doubled. I refused to pay the elevated premium because I simply did not have it and I did not make any payments on the Pathfinder to wells fargo during the 2 months and the Pathfinder has subsequently been repossessed do I have actionable recourse"? what's next with this complaint?" I tried in vain to get progressive to recognize a diminished value claim. This could have saved me money and my car as the wreck was truly not my fault but it was ruled my fault because I was the rear vehicle and Texas has no diminished value for insured being at fault. Tried in vain to get wells fargo to help me but all parties were scared to death of progressive insurance with the exception of platinum collision. Their only standing in this case is as the body shop approved by progressive.

- Garland, TX, USA

problem #7

Sep 152013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the accelerator failed to respond to acceleration attempts. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle erroneously decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the computer would need to be reset. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 1,000. The current mileage was 11,402. Updated 11/26/13 according to the invoice, the consumer complained of the vehicle vibrating at different speeds. Also, the roof was loose, due to the molding not holding the clip in place. Updated 12/02/13

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #6

Aug 082013

Pathfinder

  • 600 miles
Problem 1: we bought the vehicle new in July. After about two weeks the car begin to shudder between 15-20 mph. It feels like we are driving over rumble strips. We took the car to the Nissan dealer where we purchased it. They said there was a campaign for the problem and would order a torque converter. We were told it was on back order. After two and half weeks the part was installed. The day we picked up the car it still had the same issues.we have notified the dealership of the continuing problem. Problem 2: the front passenger side airbag goes on and off randomly, turning off the airbag. We told the dealership when we brought it in for the shuddering. They said it was a weight limit issue and the way we sit. We told them it does it for our son who weighs 90 pounds and that we sit the same way every time. We also told them it does it for me off and on in the same day and that our weight doesn't fluctuate that much in the same day. We were told it tested fine, so it will not need repair. Just this morning I got in the passenger side the light was off, we went into a store and when I got back in the car the light was on. I have told the dealership about this again today.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #5

Jun 192013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 1,500 miles
The transmission seems to slip or stutter or shake at low speeds. We notice it when making turns into parking lots or starting off at intersections or entering or exiting cloverleaf loop ramps at intersections. It is an intermittent problem. Sometimes it stutters and shakes harder than at other times. We first noticed it only a couple of weeks after we bought it.

- Berry, AL, USA

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