The Lemon Index2005 Nissan Pathfinder.
The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is worse than average by owner complaints: 61 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 116, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about fuel system, gasoline, it has 4 recalls, and it gets 16 to 17 mpg combined. The best Nissan Pathfinder year is 2012.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 1,050 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Nissan Pathfinder year. 2005 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 70K to 115K miles on the car (954 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 84K–120K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 77K–115K miles
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 51K–80K miles
Recalls 4
- engine 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES.
- suspension 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 A…
- airbags 2008
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…
Show all 4 recalls
- equipment 2007
CERTAIN HOPKINS AFTERMARKET TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL CONNECTION HARNESSES SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WHICH ARE LISTED ABOVE.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Nissan told dealers about
Nissan sent dealers 91 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Buzzing/whining noise from timing chain area
- Oil leaking from transfer case
- SERVICE INFORMATION This bulletin provides information to identify: - A leaking strut or a…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedTransmission failures2012–2016
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★☆☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $3800–4000 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 4.0L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Courtesy copy of a letter from consumers written to Nissan north america re problems with their 2005 Nissan Pathfinder.
2005 Nissan Pathfinder owner · NHTSA complaint 10243688
More owner reports
Problem with the fuel sending unit in 2005 Nissan Pathfinder.
NHTSA complaint 10230242
Timing belt tensioner guides worn out - must be replaced. Cost of 1700.00 dollars from Nissan. Perhaps Nissan can do it for free since this seems to be a common problem with many 2005 Pathfinder (4 liter engine).
NHTSA complaint 10249065
Quick answers
Is the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.2× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 116; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Nissan Pathfinder year by this measure is 2012.
What are the most common 2005 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are fuel system, gasoline (33%), engine (16%) and fuel system, other (15%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder have?
4 safety recalls (latest: engine). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder get?
16 to 17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Pathfinder problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 70,000 and 115,000 miles. The middle report was at 90,000 miles, from 954 complaints.
Does the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder cost in fuel a year?
About $3800 to $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder have?
4.0L 6-cyl.
What Nissan Pathfinder year is better than the 2005?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2012, 2010 and 2020.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works