The Lemon Index2006 Nissan Pathfinder.
The 2006 Nissan Pathfinder is worse than average by owner complaints: 63 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 124, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about fuel system, gasoline, it has 5 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 837 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Nissan Pathfinder year. 2006 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 72K to 120K miles on the car (740 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 87K–124K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 84K–121K miles
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 46K–80K miles
Recalls 5
- 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…
- fuel system, gasoline 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES.
Show all 5 recalls
- 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…
- 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 77 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Front suspension noise
- SERVICE INFORMATION When diagnosing possible power steering gear (rack and pinion steering…
- SERVICE INFORMATION - This bulletin is to assist you in responding to customer questions about…
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
Check engine light is illuminated and fuel gauge reads empty when full. Dte reads-----.
2006 Nissan Pathfinder owner · NHTSA complaint 10246447
More owner reports
Fuel gauge messing up...causing check engine light to come on. Huge reading low when full.
NHTSA complaint 10285290
Fuel gauge reading empty after filling up the tank. Check engine light on.
NHTSA complaint 10291581
Quick answers
Is the 2006 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 124; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Nissan Pathfinder year by this measure is 2012.
What are the most common 2006 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are fuel system, gasoline (41%), fuel system, other (24%) and steering (11%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder have?
5 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 2006 Nissan Pathfinder get?
16 to 17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Nissan Pathfinder problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 72,100 and 120,000 miles. The middle report was at 93,000 miles, from 740 complaints.
Does the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 5% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder cost in fuel a year?
About $3800 to $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Nissan Pathfinder have?
4.0L 6-cyl.
What Nissan Pathfinder year is better than the 2006?
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