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.

4.5

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,382 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 suspension problems

suspension problem

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2013 Nissan Pathfinder Owner Comments

problem #20

May 142024

Pathfinder

  • miles

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

I started having issues with my brakes. I had recently had the front rotors and pads replaced, but I still heard squeeking, and a little fishtailing on my back end. I figured I needed my brakes in the rear checked, so I took it to Pep Boys for a free inspection. The mechanic showed me that my rear control arm on the left was very loose, and the compartment that connected to it was severely rusted thru. He told me this was across the whole back end and it was actually part of my FRAME. He said it is called a K-Frame and it should not be rusted through with my car being barely 11 years old. There are massive holes all the way across. He said that is why I thought that I might need my struts replaced because of a thunk sound when pulling off. There was no connection at all. He says I should not drive it AT ALL because my whole back end could fall off literally!

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #19

Mar 102024

Pathfinder

  • miles
After a quick fish tail in the rain of the car and figuring it was just a hydroplane, I noticed rear tires were worn out to the cords on inside of rear tires, So i purchase a new set and while changing, it was obvious that the rear subframe was broken off at the stabilizer and would allow the rear end of car to shift forward and back, Thank God we were only at around 30mph, or this could of been real bad, the car is in very wonderful condition in and out, with no visible rust, I hope that this is addressed by Nissan before someone is killed, especially as these are family cars, These rear subframes should be recalled and replaced as it is a major part of the frame that can cause a car to go out of control at high and low speeds, it puts lives at risk!

- Indiana, PA, USA

problem #18

Feb 142024

Pathfinder

  • miles
After owning this vehicle from brand new, it now has a rotting rear subframe. Nissan customer support is not interested in providing good will or recall for this issue. My mechanic has reported that the same model and year vehicle showed up a week prior with the exact same issue. A core part of the frame should not crumble due to rust within a 10 year timeframe. Searching on the internet has revealed multiple other people reporting the same issue. [XXX] I believe many others will be registering this complaint in the coming months as they fail their inspections or come to their mechanics with a complaint of noise. I would be happy to provide pictures of my rotted subframe, but it looks very similar to the pictures referenced above. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Amherst, NH, USA

problem #17

Feb 052024

Pathfinder

  • miles

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

Front subframe rusted through. This is a similar issue across a wide range of Nissan Pathfinders. This is a major safety issue.

- Westerville, OH, USA

problem #16

Nov 052023

Pathfinder

  • 145,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving 40-44 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that there was play in the rear wheels and the rear wheels seemed misaligned. The contact also stated that while coming to a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the rear wheels and the trailing arm seemed to move forward, then backward. The contact stated that the failure recurred while making a left turn. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear subframe was corroded. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist due to the manufactured date of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

- Troy, NY, USA

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problem #15

Oct 272023

Pathfinder

  • miles
I noticed a metal on metal noise when I would hit a bump in tge road. I had it checked thinking it was likely a tailpipe rattling. I was shocked when the technician show me the Crossmember SubFrame Assembly was rusted so badly that a hole had developed. When I researched this issue on line I discovered that this is a common issue for Nissan. Having purchased the car new and maintain the car in accordance to the manufacturer-??s guidelines I feel this subframe rust-through is excessive. I wash the car routinely and always get the undercarriage option to prevent salt, or other undesirables building up underneath my vehicle. While part failure hasn't occurred am going to get the repair done before it does happen. Replacing the fore mentioned assembly at a cost of $2,300 is expensive and was preventable had Nissan only acknowledged the weakness and vulnerability in their design of subframe, and made the appropriate improvement.

- Whitestown, IN, USA

problem #14

Aug 232023

Pathfinder

  • miles

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

The Subframe has rusted out and it-??s causing my arm to move. It appears this is a common issue with Nissan vehicles in general. My mechanic stated that it should not have rusted out like that.

- Grafton, WV, USA

problem #13

Aug 092023

Pathfinder

  • miles
The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder that we own just had the subframe rust and collapse. The car only has 120,000 miles. This is not even close to the expectancy of how long a subframe should last.

- Pocono Summit , PA, USA

problem #12

May 172023

Pathfinder

  • miles
Rear cross member corrosion making the vehicle unstable. not sure how can this happen on the vehicle that-??s only 10 years old.

- Springfield, MA, USA

problem #11

Apr 112023

Pathfinder

  • miles
My daugther and myself were sitting at a stop light and the car would not move forward or backward. All of the transmission fluid was on the ground. I had to call the police for safety from being hit. I had the truck towed home.

- Apex, NC, USA

problem #10

Apr 112023

Pathfinder

  • 117,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was veering to the left and became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated there was a loud banging sound underneath the vehicle when the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe crossmember needed to be replaced; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The local dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

- Spring Grove, IL, USA

problem #9

Feb 012023

Pathfinder

  • miles
The rear subframe of my Nissan Pathfinder had rusted through and needed to be replaced. According to the mechanic, the subframe was not properly primed by NIssan during manufacturing, which led to rusting from the top (which is not visible without removing the piece). A google search shows that THIS IS INCREASINGLY COMMON ON NISSAN PATHFINDERS around this model year. The part was on backorder due to high demand. It was explained to me that if this part were to brake off, it could pull off the brake line which could have been catastrophic. There were no lamps or messages when this part broke. The first sign of an issue was a loud noise from the rear of the car whenever we went over the slightest bump.

- Flourtown, PA, USA

problem #8

Jul 262022

Pathfinder

  • miles
Rear crossmember (K-frame) rusted through where dogbone links connect to rear control arms. Rest of vehicle is in excellent condition with little to no rust (surface at best), but rear cross member is completely rusted through at front right and left. This then lets the rear wheels loose toe and adjustment and causes skipping and alignment issues, potentially leading to a crash.

- Plano, IL, USA

problem #7

Feb 192020

Pathfinder

  • 148,000 miles
Vehicle with no known mechanical issues/never involved in an accident was traveling 50mph on a major state route when suddenly the vehicle seized and began vibrating as if it had a flat tire. As the driver tried to control the vehicle and pull over there was a loud scraping sound. The control arm on the rear passenger side had broken from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a licensed mechanic, where upon inspection it was found that the rear subframe broke apart: The bolt holding the control arm did not break off, a portion of the frame broke from the rest of the subframe. The mechanic found no unusual rust or deterioration anywhere on the underside of the vehicle. The mechanic stated that he had never seen this issue on a vehicle and there was no reasonable explanation why it should of occurred. The mechanic also stated that the driver was extremely fortunate that the vehicle wasn't involved in an accident due to this issue.

- Windham, ME, USA

problem #6

Jun 192017

Pathfinder

  • miles
Rear hatch will not open; dealer invoice states "rear hatch struts are faulty". discovered when attempted to load furniture in car; several attempts to no avail.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

problem #5

Feb 052014

Pathfinder

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission began to jerk and slip gears. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under a manufacturer's voluntary recall related to reprogramming the transmission control unit. In addition, the front and rear passenger side wheel bearing were replaced on two separate occasions. The front and rear brakes were also replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.

- Freehold, NJ, USA

problem #4

Feb 062014

Pathfinder

  • 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving various speeds, the vehicle began to vibrate in a jerking motion. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the front driver side wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The wheel bearing was replaced four times on separate occasions. In addition, both front and rear brakes were replaced three times. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #3

Jul 022014

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 33,545 miles
Since I purchase the SUV #1 I heard little noise I when back to dealer at list 5 times and they don't find anything for last couple months I start to hear noise but I think it's the bearing because the whole well move #2 when U gas up the car never give U the same mileage always different #3 water for windshield wipes same time it works same time don't same issue since I got the SUV this SUV it's to many issue since I got it !I will not recommend anyone to get one of this SUV it's not worth it.

- Staten Island , NY, USA

problem #2

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 #1

Mar 012013

Pathfinder 6-cyl

  • 8,100 miles
When U pass 45 to 50 miles once U pass the speed the handle its very bad that's one two after U drive the car for little wild the noise from muffler sounds like fire cracker and there when U in the little hill the car move back words 4 same time when U press on the brakes the car almost stop complete and just keep going it feel very weird that is not normal.

- Staten Island , NY, USA

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