2017 Nissan Pathfinder Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Pathfinder most often report a noisy engine cooling fan assembly, usually a loud clacking or grinding from the front of the vehicle that they link to worn bearings, and many had the fan replaced. The next most common theme is CVT transmission trouble, described as judder, slipping, delayed engagement and in some cases loss of power while driving. Reports cluster in the 35,000-65,000 mile range for the fan and mostly at higher mileage for the transmission.

1. 1
   Engine

   Cooling fan noise and wobble (fan assembly)

   • 60 complaints (32%)
   • median 44,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (49 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 18 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2024

   Owners describe a loud clacking, rattling or grinding noise from the front of the engine bay, sometimes compared to cards in bicycle spokes, that appears when the engine is running and often when the A/C or defroster is switched on. Several report the fan blades visibly wobbling or rubbing the shroud, and dealers or shops attributed it to worn bearings or bushings and replaced the fan assembly. Complaints frequently mention repair estimates around $600 to $1,400 and that the work was not covered after the basic warranty ended. Most reports fall between roughly 35,000 and 65,000 miles, with a few as low as 15,000 and some past 90,000; often noticed at start-up or when the air conditioning is on.

   What to check: Start the engine cold and with the A/C on, then listen at the front grille for clacking or grinding and look for fan blades that wobble or rub the shroud. Ask whether the fan assembly has ever been replaced and, if so, with what part.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Pathfinder had less than 50k miles when the fan assembly started making a clattering noise while the A/C was on. It sounds like the fan was off balance and hitting the assembly. It quickly progressed to doing it sporadically while the A/C was turned off (it happened in the fall, so weather was temperate). After taking my vehicle in to the dealership, I found out this is a known issue over a few years' worth of Nissan models. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11144410, filed 2018-10, 48,000 miles

   “There was a clacking noise coming from under my hood. After researching what this could be, it appeared to be the fan cooling system. The local dealer told my husband that this seemed to be a problem with many of the Nissan pathfinders stating that it seemed several of the fans would go out . Also, my windshield washer fluid does not work. I'm not sure how/why this would go out; as all of the electrical components inside of the vehicle still work.”

   NHTSA complaint #11383069, filed 2020-12, 65,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT judder, slipping and loss of power

   • 34 complaints (18%)
   • median 49,985 mi at 3.1 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Complaints describe hesitation or slipping when shifting into gear, juddering, and occasional loss of acceleration, including one report of the vehicle stopping while pulling into traffic. Owners say dealers or independent shops diagnosed internal CVT faults, sometimes with codes P17F0 or P17F1, and recommended transmission replacement or rebuild; several report the repair was not covered. A few mention transmission fluid leaks from the cooler or low fluid found during diagnosis. Reports range from about 9,000 miles to over 145,000, but most cluster from roughly 45,000 miles upward.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at steady low speed and on a light throttle, watching for shudder, hesitation or delayed engagement, and have any stored transmission codes read. Ask whether CVT fluid services were done and whether any CVT reprogramming was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Whenever I'm driving the car between 30-40 MPH then releasing the gas pedal, the enginer making a thud and then create a grinding noise. The noise will go away when gas pedel is pressed or the brake is applied. I had been contacting local dealer to fix this but they was helpless and saying this is normal. The problem is concerning me because I'm planning to tow my new travel trailer with this Pathfinder and whos know what happend with this engine when I tow my trailer on freeway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11364218, filed 2020-10, 9,000 miles

   “I pulled out to turn left on a four lane city street, entered into the first 2 lanes (traffic coming from driver's side) when the car stopped accelerating and just sat motionless while cars in both lanes were moving toward me. Speed limit on that street is 50 MPH. I maintained pressure on the gas, and eventually the car began to move. The next morning, I took the car to the brandon florida Nissan dealer and it was determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be rebuilt . This is a 2017 Pathfinder with 45000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11301073, filed 2020-01, 45,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Sudden stalling or loss of power

   • 28 complaints (15%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 2.9 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Several complaints describe the engine cutting out without warning while driving, including at highway speed and with cruise control engaged, leaving the vehicle unable to restart. In some cases the battery or electrical system was involved, with a no-key-detected message or a dead battery found afterward; one owner reported the engine was replaced. Scattered from about 29,000 to 120,000 miles, with no single mileage pattern in the sample.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the vehicle starts reliably from cold and hot, ask for any battery test history, and have a scan for stored body and powertrain codes done before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “3 weeks after purchasing my vehicle brand new with 0 miles the back seat warmers stopped working and the back lift gate stopped working. The hatch had a recall on electrical. That was replaced but did not stop the issue. The lift gate continued to be off and on with its function. At 38k miles while driving my car shut down with complete power loss with a no key detection. Car was towed, no code thrown, batter was corroded after just being serviced 3 days prior with 0 corrosion. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11328088, filed 2020-06, 34,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. Due to the failure, another vehicle crashed into the vehicle at a low rate of speed. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Due to the snowy weather, the contact was advised by the police that both drivers pull off to the nearest exit and exchange information. A Police report was not filed. No medical assistance was required; however, the contact did sustain mental trauma due to the sudden failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11509578, filed 2023-02, 52,700 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Infotainment screen and display failures

   • 18 complaints (10%)
   • median 52,700 mi at 3.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report the center screen going black or the navigation display blanking while driving, sometimes with the radio continuing to play, and in one case the backup camera failing to turn off when shifting out of reverse. Some complaints describe the whole system, and occasionally other cabin functions, shutting down together; one dealer diagnosis pointed to a failed display control unit. Reported from about 3,000 miles to around 120,000, appearing intermittently rather than at one mileage point.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: With the engine running, cycle the screen, camera and side mirrors and see whether anything blanks or stays on after shifting out of reverse. Ask whether any infotainment software updates were applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Occasionally, the navigation screen goes blank when the vehicle is put on drive and stays blank for a few minutes while the vehicle is still moving and the radio station still on and talking as normal. This happens occasionally, most recently july 5, 2019 and has occurred in 2018 several times.”

   NHTSA complaint #11235223, filed 2019-07, 12,300 miles

   “The vehicle cranks up by itself after the doors are locked and the back up camera does not turn off when the gear is put back in drive. I have a couple of videos but can't attach on here.”

   NHTSA complaint #11298845, filed 2020-01, 44,000 miles

Buying note. Listen for front-end fan noise and check transmission behavior on a test drive, since those are the two most frequent themes in owner reports for this model year. Confirm the ABS actuator recalls were performed and ask for service records covering the cooling fan and CVT.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.