NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 45 owner complaints for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder.
Recalled components: air bags and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (6 complaints, 13%). Most-reported area: air bags (12 complaints, 27%).
Fewer complaints than a typical Pathfinder year
The 2011 drew 10 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.
Some of the bolts that connect the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine in these vehicles may have been manufactured to below specification strength. As a result, the bolt may break at the oil filter attachment point and can cause an engine oil leak.
Risk: If there is an engine oil leak, the engine oil pressure would drop and the engine could seize, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector bolts free of charge. The safety recall began on january 30, 2012. 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 2011 infiniti fx, model year 2012 infiniti m, model year 2011-2012 nissan frontier, model year 2011-2012 nissan xterra, model year 2011-2012 nissan pathfinder, and model year 2012 nissan nv vehicles.
NHTSA listing: PATHFINDER.
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 investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder.
What owners report
Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 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 2011 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 2011 drew 10.
Owner complaints
2011: 45 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
2011: 2 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 2011 Pathfinder problems?
In the 45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, the problem described most is the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 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.