NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 40 owner complaints for the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder.
Recalled components: air bags, equipment, suspension, and steering. Most-described problem: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (7 complaints, 18%). Most-reported area: air bags (11 complaints, 28%).
Fewer complaints than a typical Pathfinder year
The 2010 drew 5 owner complaints in its first three years, against 37 for a typical Pathfinder year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2013 to 2015, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles.
The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
Risk: Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system.
The lower control link assembly has two cylindrical collars forming the inboard attachment points to the chassis. Due to an improper welding process some collars may contain welds that do not meet strength specifications.
Risk: If the collar weld separates, the vehicle handling will deteriorate, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Nissan will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on may 20, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010 titan, armada, qx56, frontier, xterra, and pathfinder vehicles manufactured from november 19, 2009 through march 3, 2010.
Nissan has notified nhtsa of a defect in certain model year 2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra vehicles manufactured from february 22, 2010 to march 13, 2010. On some of the potentially affected vehicles, the fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module, and also the fasteners securing the steering shaft positioning bracket may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the passenger front air bag deployment trajectory might be affected. The fasteners could possibly come out of the steering column positioning bracket increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column and the passenger front air bag fasteners and any missing fasteners will be replaced and all loose fasteners will be retightened to the proper torque specifications free of charge. The safety recall began on april 19, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm (NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC., 10E-019).
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder.
What owners report
Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Pathfinder. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Nissan Pathfinder recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2010 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Pathfinder drew the most (428) and the 2010 drew 5.
Owner complaints
2010: 40 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Pathfinder
Model year
Complaints
2010
40
2011
45
2012
23
2013
890
2014
584
2015
320
2016
107
2017
186
2018
77
2019
76
2020
53
2022
135
2023
104
2024
81
2025
51
2026
10
Safety recalls
2010: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Pathfinder
Model year
Recalls
2010
4
2011
2
2012
2
2013
11
2014
12
2015
6
2016
2
2017
2
2018
3
2019
2
2020
0
2022
5
2023
1
2024
2
2025
1
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
What are the most common 2010 Pathfinder problems?
In the 40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder, the problem described most is the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (7). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder.
How do I check if my Pathfinder has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: PATHFINDER.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.