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 2016 Nissan Pathfinder owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the cooling fan became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cooling fan system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,400.
Around 160,000 miles my CVT transmission went out. I almost got into a wreck no warning lights just stopped on me. When I took it to my local dealership in waco, Texas they told me I'll be good to wait over the weekend that they first opening wasn't until Tuesday. I came by on a Thursday. The car was making noises I was concerned and it wasn't accelerating like normal. I slowly drove it to Nissan dealership in Temple tx 30 mins away. The tech there immediately drove it to see if it was apressing concern or not. He immediately stated it wasn't safe and they gave me a loaner. My vehicle was in the shop for three weeks I had to get a $14,000 loan to repair it because my extended warranty didn't cover specifically CVT transmissions because of Nissan history with the other vehicles with that transmission type. …
The engine in this vehicle has shut off two times while we were driving it. We were forced to make emergency exits off of the roadway in order to prevent injury to ourselves and others. This is a life-threatening situation when the vehicle loses engine power while it is being driven. Additionally, we have experienced multiple instances of the vehicle not starting after it had been parked. We have researched this on the internet and have found that other Nissan owners are experiencing this same issue. When the vehicle stops running while driving or when it will not start after being parked, we get these symptoms: everything lit up on the dash TPMS light, I-Key error, no speedometer, no tachometer the engine cooling fan is running vehicle will not start back up When you push the start button the dash lights come back on the cooling fan would kick on engine will not start
I purchased this as a new used 2016 Pathfinder in October 2021. Within about 2500 miles in December of 2021, the radiator cooling fan assembly was making noise and had to be replaced. It is now May of 2022, about 3000 miles later, and the same thing has to be replaced. There were no other messages or symptoms other than the noise the fan makes when the bearings are shot. It has not been inspected by anyone other than myself and my mechanic at the time the first fan assembly needed replacement. I am about to take the vehicle to a Nissan dealer to confirm what I already know. When it is replaced I will keep the old part for inspection.
My 2024 Nissan Frontier has experienced repeated complete power loss more than three times. The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly while on the street and cannot be restarted. During some incidents, even the emergency hazard lights did not work. I had to use jump cables to restart the vehicle. I first reported this issue to Nissan in January 2025. The dealer kept the truck for about one week but stated they could not find anything wrong. The problem continues, including incidents on 04/20/2026 and 04/23/2026. This creates a serious safety hazard because the vehicle can lose power in traffic and increase the risk of a crash or injury.
My car hit 62,000 miles, it started having transmission issues. It shakes, makes large noises, the car tries to stall, having issues accelerating, and loss power. I am concerned that the car will turn off or broke down while driving
I drove up to 16,000 miles and then the engine suddenly made a weird sound. I went to 2 Nissan dealerships to check it out and it said it was normal for 2016 Pathfinder.but while driving sometimes it will cause a humming noise like a bee and its really annoying, I went to check it out and it said it was normal, what do I do now?
The electric cooling fan bearings failed at 62,000 miles. The Nissan dealership that diagnosed the problem stated that it is common for this vehicle to experience this part failure. I replaced at my own expense with an aftermarket assembly that has a lifetime warranty. It doesn't make sense to replace with another Nissan part that will fail in another 50,000 +/- miles. Also, brake pedal will fade when stopped at an intersection with 62,000 miles on vehicle. The Nissan dealership checked all brake components and could only surmise it must be the master cylinder. They even contacted Nissan for their opinion, which they too suggested replacing the master cylinder. After two brand new master cylinders, the problem has not been fixed and will be an ongoing issue for my vehicle. Also, the rear A/C lines that travel underneath the vehicle developed a hole at one of the mounting points. …
Cooling fan assembly failed on 1/26/2019 at 64,[redacted] miles. New assy was purchased on 1/26/2019 from tony serra Nissan in cullman, al costing $560.29 (part and tax only). I r/r the assy myself, as I have experience in the automotive repair field, it took me just shy of 2 hours to replace them (time and care was taken). The service manager (I failed to acquire his name) stated to me on the phone that it is a known/frequent issue. It was a sudden issue, no noises detected on 1/25/2019. A light clicking detected outside only on 1/26/2019 at 09:30 hrs, after a <50 mile round trip to purchase the part, eat, and grocery store stop, on 1/26/2019 at 16:00 hrs, a heavy knock could be readily heard outside the vehicle as well as a 'loud roar' and vibrations detected inside the vehicle with all windows closed, stationary vehicle, and engine at idle. …
Bought a brand new 2016 Nissan partfinder sl in 2016 , at 65,191 miles one evening coming home I heard knocking noise coming from the engine , took it to the Nissan dealer , had it diagnose and was informed the the radiator coolant fan was was defective . I had it replaced November 11/18 2017 , cost us $1268.49 , on 02/12/2019 the brand new cooling fan fail again at 112,303 miles , took it to the same dealership had it diagnosed and it was the same problem previous . We contact Nissan regional office for reimbursement on repairs and parts our records was denied . Have it fix at the dealership once again cost us $1016.21 parts and labor . The dealership advise us to keep on fighting for these costs and repairs because it's a wide spread problem with all nissans cooling fan assembly assembly .
Engine complaints in other Pathfinder years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder, 27% of the model year's 105 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system › fan (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2016 Nissan Pathfinder, though it has 2 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 2016 Nissan Pathfinder engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.