Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that both mufflers were rusted out. While the vehicle was in reverse, the rear muffler and rear tail pipe were detached due to the rust. In addition, fluid was leaking from the front passenger side of the vehicle to the rear. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
We were driving our Pathfinder home in the winter the ecsessive amount of salt on the road caused our main water flow to corrode and stall the engine and caused the radiators thermostat to break and the car overheated.
The car lost power and then there was high heat from under the car followed by a small explosion when two catalytic converts burst side seams and began to leak. Bennett Nissan in wilton connecticut refused to replace the catalytic converts on both sides of the exhaust system. They claim that these are resonators and not covered under the eight year or 80,000 warranty. They also claim that if there is no "check engine light" that they are not part of the epa system. They offer a "fix" that seals the defect of this equipment and charge about $250. Replacement with new parts costs about $1500. I think: 1) this causes a dangerous situation and is directly related to the epa system; 2) there is danger from fire or excessive exhaust fumes in the car. …
September 2007- went to repair shop for oil change, was made aware of cracked catalytic converter November 2007- rear exhaust pipe fell off January 2008- went to muffler shop, was told that 2 catalytic converters and entire exhaust pipe need replacing. May 2008- went to Nissan dealer, was told that it is not my catalytic converters, but my "down pipes" that have severe cracks in them. Quoted over $600 for repair kit, as this is something that they claim to have seen often enough to create a patch kit for. Quoted $1300 for new parts. Severe exhaust in the vehicle passenger compartment, both with windows opened and closed. Vehicle only has 71,000 miles on it, and the catalytic converters, which 2 other repair shop have identified as the problem, are covered by warranty, but the down pipes, which only Nissan claims to be the problem, are not. …
My husband and I purchased a new 2003 Nissan Pathfinder se in July 03. In 2007, the "check engine light" came on. We took it to a dealer, who informed us that we needed to have the entire exhaust system replaced due to a crack in the pipe and the 02 sensor was making the light come on. They never informed us of a patch kit available. We did have the entire exhaust system replaced in 2008. We later came to find out this problem is occurring for many others with the same vehicle. We are doubly concerned about the affect that this has had on my 3 year old's asthma and respiratory issues (considering the emissions issues and what I am hearing from other's who's small children have similar issues and who also have this issue with their 03 Pathfinder). I would hope that a recall is required and that those of us affected will be duly compensated for Nissan's safety failure.
1.) there were no specific events that LED to the failure of my vehicle part. 2.) my 2003 Nissan Pathfinder with 50K miles on it has a cracked resonator pipe which are the front pipes that attach in to the catalytic converted. I have researched this problem online and there are over 200 people on this website: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/Nissan/[VIN] that have the same problem that I do. This is a known issue across the entire country and needs to be addressed due to safety and emission issues. 3.) I patched the cracked pipe but the patch has since failed. I am looking at $1200 to put new exhaust pipes on a vehicle with 50K miles. Nissan will not cover this under the 8/80 law due to it not specifically listing the resonator pipes as part of the catalytic converter.
Driving home from work on freeway with 1/4 tank of fuel - engine stalled in fast lane and would not restart. I was stuck in the traffic lane for 40 mins until the state police had a tow truck tow me away. Turns out, the fuel gauge was inaccurate because my tank was empty. My gauge goes above the f when I fill up and it is empty at just above a the 1/4 mark. Very dangerous situation and I could have been killed over a faulty gas gauge that seems to be a big problem after seeing all of the complaints on the internet. When the gauge goes bad - the low fuel warning light does not come on so I was completely caught off guard. I was a sitting duck on the freeway with cars slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting me even with my hazard lights on. Please help.
Dt: about three weeks ago, the consumer noticed the exhaust tubes split. The consumer noticed this when he started the vehicle in the garage. There was noise coming from the exhaust tubes. The owner noticed the vehicle was leaking exhaust fumes. Then the vehicle was taken to the dealership and they repaired it. There were no warning lights on in the vehicle prior to this occurrence. The vehicle was regularly serviced. The owner has contacted the manufacturer, who stated they would call him back in 24 hours. The dealer did not replace the exhaust tubes, they just patched them. The consumer says there must be a defect where heat causes problems in the exhaust.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact heard a loud sound coming from underneath the front driver side of the vehicle. The sound was apparent from the exhaust pipes, especially when the accelerator pedal was depressed. She took the vehicle to the Nissan dealer and they stated that the resonator and catalytic converter caused the vehicle to leak exhaust fumes. The dealer offered to repair the vehicle, for a service charge, using a repair kit. The vehicle has not been repaired because it was not covered under warranty. The contact has not yet notified the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 47,269 and current mileage wa 54,400.
Maine vehicle safety inspection revealed crack along welded seam of exhaust resonator pipe assembly. Vehicle had approximately 37,400 miles just out of basic warranty. Dealer would not consider part failure under emissions warranty, but quoted repairs of nearly $200 or purchase of kit consisting of 4 metal bars, 4 band clamps and 1-2 oz of sealant for $70. Nissan has issued service bulletin rtb04-094 ? Repair of exhaust leak/noise at front tube implying they have had an on-going problem in this area. Local dealer readily acknowledged multiple instances of this problem appearing locally.
Engine complaints in other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder, 28% of the model year's 110 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.