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2002 Nissan Pathfinder Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder, and owners have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

5
safety recalls
156
owner complaints to NHTSA
15 / 1
complaints citing a crash / fire
15–16
MPG combined (EPA)

5 safety recalls for the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V008000 Reported 307,962 vehicles potentially affected Nissan North America, Inc.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal…

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer…

  2. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 17V068000 Reported 46 vehicles potentially affected Nissan North America, Inc.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002 Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with Takata air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air…

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on March, 31, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

  3. Air bags

    NHTSA 15V287000 Reported 1,090,569 vehicles potentially affected Nissan North America, Inc.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18,…

  4. Suspension: front and column (steering)

    NHTSA 11V244000 Reported 195,991 vehicles potentially affected NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    Nissan is recalling certain model year 1996-2004 pathfinder and model year 1997-2003 infiniti qx4 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island,…

    Remedy: Nissan will inspect the strut housing and repair the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification letter was sent out in may 2011. The second notice was mailed on july 25, 2011. Owners may contact…

  5. Air bags: frontal

    NHTSA 10V312000 Reported 46 vehicles potentially affected NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    Nissan is recalling forty-six certain model year 2002 pathfinder and infiniti qx4 vehicles manufactured from august 24, 2001 through august 28, 2001. The air bag inflator contains propellant wafers that are required to properly deploy the front passenger air bag. Due to improper propellant wafer installation during the air bag inflator…

    Remedy: Nissan will notify the owners of the forty-six affected vehicles. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module assembly with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began on august 19, 2010. Owners may…

156 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA; 15 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 6 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 103,883 miles. Complaints peaked in 2008 with 14 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“My complaint relates to Campaign Number 07V435000 We are the original and only owner of this vehicle. While driving the vehicle I started to notice a fuel smell, after several attempts to locate the s”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 16, 2024 · Fuel/propulsion system

“This relates to Campaign Number 11V244000 We are the original and only owners of the vehicle I originally brought the vehicle in for the recall and they simply sprayed some undercoating in the wheel w”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 16, 2024 · Structure

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder (Pathfinder 2WD, Pathfinder 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined15–16 mpg
City / Highway13–15 / 17–18
FuelRegular
EPA classSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engine6 cyl, 3.3/3.5 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Nissan Pathfinder model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Nissan Pathfinder model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1986 Nissan Pathfinder01
1987 Nissan Pathfinder219
1988 Nissan Pathfinder217
1989 Nissan Pathfinder215
1990 Nissan Pathfinder238
1991 Nissan Pathfinder139
1992 Nissan Pathfinder030
1993 Nissan Pathfinder049
1994 Nissan Pathfinder291
1995 Nissan Pathfinder0170
1996 Nissan Pathfinder3159
1997 Nissan Pathfinder2217
1998 Nissan Pathfinder2149
1999 Nissan Pathfinder2104
2000 Nissan Pathfinder2112
2001 Nissan Pathfinder3230
2002 Nissan Pathfinder5156
2003 Nissan Pathfinder3110
2004 Nissan Pathfinder367
2005 Nissan Pathfinder21,050
2006 Nissan Pathfinder3837
2007 Nissan Pathfinder1561
2008 Nissan Pathfinder4328
2009 Nissan Pathfinder337
2010 Nissan Pathfinder440
2011 Nissan Pathfinder245
2012 Nissan Pathfinder223
2013 Nissan Pathfinder11890
2014 Nissan Pathfinder11574
2015 Nissan Pathfinder5321
2016 Nissan Pathfinder2105
2017 Nissan Pathfinder2186
2018 Nissan Pathfinder377
2019 Nissan Pathfinder276
2020 Nissan Pathfinder048
2022 Nissan Pathfinder5136
2023 Nissan Pathfinder1104
2024 Nissan Pathfinder283
2025 Nissan Pathfinder151
2026 Nissan Pathfinder010

Checking a specific 2002 Nissan Pathfinder

How do I know if my 2002 Nissan Pathfinder has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2002 Nissan Pathfinder; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Nissan dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 10V312000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Nissan models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.