Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the control buttons located on the steering wheel and the horn were no longer operable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clockspring assembly needed to be replaced. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he needed to purchase the part and pay out-of-pocket for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,823.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was not made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,610. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost horn functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clockspring had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 150,785.
The passenger air bag warning light is flashing and the passenger air bag button that tells you that it is on and working when somebody gets in the car is off. Therefore the air bag will not deploy in a crash. The light just started flashing about 2 weeks ago approximately. There is also a recall on my vehicle for a component that could become a projectile in a crash if the air bag is deployed. This recall was made 02/09/23 and Nissan has no remedy for it. Therefore this problem is not repairable for almost 9 months. Then I have this new safety problem as well and I don't know why and I don't have the kind of money that would be charged to take it to the Nissan Dealership. I feel that this is one too many recalls on this vehicle there are 5 to be exact at this time. …
Takata recall, I've been told several times that my VIN number is not part of the recall. I was recently in accident with major front end damage. I rear ended an SUV in the brooklyn battery tunnel. My speed was approx 15-25mph. My bumper cover, grill, radiator, transmission cooler, fan, fan shroud, headlight,s hood, etc have to be replaced, I've attached a picture. It should be pretty clear that the air bag should have gone off.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the driver crashed into the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The driver sustained injuries to the chest, head, and neck, which required medical attention. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
I was involved in a wreck. I rear ended someone. I was doing 50 to 55 miles per hour before I hit my brakes. There wasn't enough time to slow down much. Everything I've read says if it was a front on collision more than 15mph says the air bags should deploy. I know I was going well over 15mph when I hit them. Why did they not deploy?
Airbag light had come on indicating an issue, but also light and controls on the steering wheel are failing. Vehicle has never been in an accident and there is no reason for this failure. ABS brakes activate randomly without warning preventing and causing the inability to stop. ABS can not be stopped unless I stop and turn off my vehicle and start again. Very dangerous. Cant stop when I need to. During city driving on a dry surface and approaching a stop light my brakes failed several times with the ABS activating and making it impossible to stop. Random and without warning. Front differential cracked for no apparent reason and didn't provide any warnings, pinion seal leak appeared less than two years. In addition vehicle was in service for EVAP system 11 times in the first year without resolve. Gad consumptions was horrible and below any suggested mpg. …
There was a recall on my model of Pathfinder for air bag issues. It was repaired under that recall. At 94000 miles the issue manifested itself even after they supposedly fixed the issue. When there is nobody in the passengers seat the light on the dash will shutoff indicating there is somebody in the seat even when there is no passenger. The air bag sensor on the steering counsel will then start flashing that an error has occurred. I contacted Nissan corporate to advise them that the issue is still occurring for what my recall covered. They did not care they only advised me that the vehicle has already received the recall for that issue.. They then advised me that if 'd like it repaired I have to take it in for repair out of pocket at a Nissan dealer. They did not ask for any info at all just blew me off. …
Tl contact owns a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving approximately 25 MPH on normal road conditions the front driver side air bag inadvertently deployed without any level of impact. The driver crashed into the proceeding vehicle as a result of the failure. There were no injuries. The police was called to the scene. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The failure was contributed to a defective sensor in the air bag system. The vehicle has not been repaired due to the unavailability of the part. There were concerns of the safety risk involved and the uncertainty of the part availability in the month of February 2010. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 22,000.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Air bags › Frontal
Nissan is recalling 242,720 my 2005-2009 pathfinder, frontier and xterra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front czs with a redesigned sensor. The recall began on January 26, 2009. Owners in the other states will receive extended warranty coverage for the sensor to 10 years.
Airbag complaints in other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Nissan Pathfinder, 13% of the model year's 328 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Pathfinder airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-067 (frontal, Feb 10, 2023); NHTSA recall 08V-690 (frontal, Dec 29, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Pathfinder airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.