There are 4 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2008 Nissan Pathfinderin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
"NISSAN PATHFINDER" MY VEHICLE DECELERATES ABRUPTLY AS A RESULT TO AN ISSUE INVOLVING THE RADIATOR FLUID & TRANSMISSION FLUID MIXING. THIS RESULTED IN THE NEED FOR THEM TO BE REPLACED FOR A COST OF NEARLY $4000.00. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AS IT WILL BEGIN JERKING AND SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IF A VEHICLE IS UNDER 200,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND DRIVING (IN MOTION) WITH NO ISSUES ALONG THE INTERSTATE (HIGHWAY) WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED JERKING AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE AS I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE TILL THAT POINT. THE ISSUES OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND OUT OF THE BLUE. NISSAN SHOULD REIMBURSE OWNERS OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS AND/OR RADIATORS AT NO COST SINCE THE DEFECT WAS MANUFACTURE RELATED.
WHEN DRIVING AND YOU GO TO STOP AND MOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE GAS TO THE BRAKE WHEN YOU PUSH THE BRAKE THE VEH TRIES TO ACCELERATE AND YOU HAVE O ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION OR COULD POSSIBLY RUN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEH. IT ALSO HAPPENS NUMEROUS TIMES DAILY DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU DRIVE IT.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE FAST LANE AT 85 MPH THE CAR LOST POWER COMPLETELY. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN MY VICINITY. COASTED OVER 2 LANES TO BREAKDOWN LANE JUST BARELY OVER THE LINE. GAS GAGE READ 1/4 TANK SO FIGURED I STILL HAD GAS. TRIED TO RESTART SEVERAL TIMES BUT CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF GAS. CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TRUCK AND ASKED TO BRING GAS JUST IN CASE. CAR STARTED RIGHT UP AFTER MECHANIC PUT GAS IN TANK. ALTHOUGH THIS ISSUE IS A RECALL1 NISSAN WILL NOT REPAIR FOR FREE. SAY MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND IT WILL COST ME $450. RECALL SUMMARY:NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE TO SHOW THAT THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER TANK WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY. HAZARD:THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL IN TRAFFIC, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED HE WOULD HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED A REPORT COULD BE FILED BUT THE CONTACT DECIDED TO DO THAT AT LATER TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026