Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
There was a vehicle at a complete stop doing an illegal left turn, the car behind him was able to swerve around him but I was not able to I hit the brakes twice all the way down and the car did not stop. At the impact the air bags did not deploy. There were not skid marks on the road either, making me believe that the brakes did not do its job. The vehicle is now at the shop waiting for my insurance adjuster to let me know what the next step is. I just spent $5,000 on the transmission just to have this issue arise, luckily my family and I were not seriously injured but it left my kids traumatized. No warnings were issued before the crash.
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated after releasing the brake pedal. The ABS warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that front brake pads were low however, the contact was not offered any further information. The manufacturer was also notified of the issue informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V020000 (Exterior Lighting). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
The vehicle suffered a sudden, complete loss of motive acceleration at highway speeds, followed by a total powertrain breakdown and battery drain linked to an active federal safety recall. While traveling at highway speeds on Highway 169, the vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration, surged, juddered violently back and forth, and then shut down completely in an active traffic lane. The dashboard electrical components remained on, but the vehicle would not crank or restart. This failure trapped the occupants in a highly vulnerable position with oncoming traffic, requiring a dangerous manual jump-start in the middle of a busy highway just to move the vehicle out of the active lanes. …
Back brake lights stay on. Seems like brakes are stuck as I can start my car without pressing the brakes and can get it out of the park position without having to push the brakes. I had to disconnect my battery to keep it from being drained. The was a recall back in 2021. I contacted Nissan and they said the issue was fixed. The will not pay for repair because it falls under a warranty that I don't have. If the pa Manufacturer Name : Nissan North America, Inc. NHTSA Recall No. / MFR Recall No. : 21V-020 / PC786 Recall Subject : Brake Light Switch Relay may Stick
1)Vehicle has been repaired 3 times in the last 2 weeks for a brake switch issue that is causing the vehicle not to recognize the brake is pushed causing the car not being able to start. This has been an intermittent issue for 18 months and was told the recall fixed it, which it didn't. 2)Dealership service department is now telling me that other issues have arisen since trying to fix issue #1. The car is revving to 5000 rpms, the car is automatically going to manual 1, and the car is hitting speeds of 40mph without touching the pedal.
Intermittently there is low power when accelerating and the brake lights remain on. If there is low power when accelerating from a stopped position going into traffic, this could lead to injury or death of persons in the car as other vehicles could run into them. Likewise with brake lights remaining on throughout a journey, other road users cannot determine when the brakes have been applied which could lead to collisions.
Brake lights will stay on even when car is parked and not occupied.Skid control coms on when driving and engine power is reduced or in lymph node. Car can be put in drive without depressing the brake switch . Ok Nissan says this is not on recall by vin # but there is an active recall on this model now. Sounds like a good lawsuit to me.Thanks and hope you can help.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH down an incline, the brake pedal was applied and traveled to the floorboard. Excessive force was applied to the brake pedal but the brakes failed to respond causing the contact to crash into the rear of another vehicle. Only the driver side air bag deployed. The contact mentioned that the front of the vehicle was severely damaged due to the failure. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V012000 (service brakes). The vehicle was towed to a collision center, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who informed the contact that an investigator would be assigned to inspect the vehicle. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. While driving between 5-50 MPH, the vehicle did not stop when the brakes were engaged. The vehicle crashed into the contact's residence. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 750.
Vehicle will not accelerate when stopped at light, stop sign, switching from reverse to drive intermittently. This happens when it wants to. The brake light switch was replaced a couple weeks ago when the brake lights were noticed to not shut off and vehicle would turn on without pressing the brake pedal. Seemed to fix the situation but now again having the same issues. Bringing car back to Nissan dealer for repair. Found that years prior there was a safety recall but not for the 2015. This is very dangerous especially when pulling out in front of traffic. Car will not accelerate until brake pedal is pressed or letting off the gas pedal, then reengaging. This is in city or stopped then accelerating to ramp to get onto the highway. Brake lights stay on which is also hazardous when others wouldn't know when I'm actually stopping. …
Related recalls
Service brakes
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to November 5, 2014, and 2014-2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to November 15, 2014.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and tighten any loose bolts to the proper specification, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015.
Brake complaints in other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, 8% of the model year's 321 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Nissan Pathfinder brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-012 (service brakes, Jan 14, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Nissan Pathfinder brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes 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.