NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 89 complaints against the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2023 Nissan Pathfinder complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has generated 178 NHTSA complaints and has 1 active recall. If your 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Nissan pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has generated 28 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “I am reporting a failure of the Around View Monitor / camera system on my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder. The system stopped functioning completely without warning. Pressing the camera button does nothing, the camera cannot be activated through vehicle settings, and no camera views (rear, front, or surround) are available. Parking sensors and the infotainment screen continue to work, indicating a system-level electronic failure rather than user error or a single camera issue. This vehicle relies on the camera system for rear visibility and low-speed maneuvering. The loss of this system reduces driver visibility and increases the risk of collision, especially when reversing or parking. The failure occurred despite normal use and maintenance, with no prior warnings or messages to the driver. The vehicle is only a few years old, yet the repair involves replacement of a major electronic control module at significant cost. This appears to be a premature failure of a safety-related electronic system. I am concerned this may affect other vehicles of the same model year and configuration.” (NHTSA Complaint #11713250)
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has generated 24 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “On my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder I have approximately 25000 miles on it. When I step on the brakes, there is a noticable vibration as if the rotors are warped and pads worn. The brakes and rotors should not be an issue this soon.” (NHTSA Complaint #11716505)
Fuel and propulsion system defects can cause stalling, fuel leaks, or power loss — all substantial impairments of use and safety. The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has generated 16 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. Owner reports include: “The vehicle shifted itself to neutral when stopping at a red light. I had to shift the car back to drive. When I tried to pull off from the red light, the car nearly shut off. Just researching other similar incidents, the problem is related to the start/stop function.” (NHTSA Complaint #11667281)
Powertrain and transmission defects directly impair the vehicle’s core function and are generally considered substantial defects under California lemon law. Owners of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder have reported harsh shifting, shuddering, slipping, and transmission warning lights. 10 NHTSA complaints have been submitted for this defect category. Owner reports include: “Heard a high pitch whistle sound coming from front right of vehicle when accelerating. Mechanic confirmed it’s a vacuum leak in the intake manifold runner. Nissan says this is not part of powertrain warranty will not cover. Last I checked the intake is part of powertrain. Vehicle has 40,000 miles on it. Have seen multiple other complaints about this issue online. Part is on a national back order at the moment. The fact that their demand is that high for this part should speak volumes. I believe this should be looked into as a possible recall. If an intake runner vacuum leak is not repaired, it will lead to a lean air-fuel mixture causing engine misfires, a rough idle, poor acceleration, and potential stalling which could all contribute to a possible accident.” (NHTSA Complaint #11694737)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 10 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “When we purchased this vehicle in June 2023, one of the first things I noticed, was an unusual switch on the steering wheel to allow, selecting and viewing all of the vehicle display information. This switch is located on the left side of the steering wheel. It is labeled OK meaning OK to display the selected menu item when you depress the OK button. The switch consists of a thumb wheel to go up or down on the menu selection, and then you depress the thumb wheel to engage the item selected. We’ve had the vehicle nine months and we were driving and my wife attempted to select something by rotating the thumb wheel and pushing OK button. The OK button got stuck in the down position disabling the ok button and preventing her from changing anything on the vehicle info screen. We consider being unable to access vehicle information a safety issue. The switch was promptly replaced by Nissan under warranty. I am an electronics person and I consider this particular style switch too delicate for long term use, a bad design and one that will probably continue to fail. The issue with this switch is the “thumb wheel selector” for menu items instead of an up or down button like on our other three vehicles that do the same functions on those vehicles. Nissan made a very bad choice on using this type of switch.” (NHTSA Complaint #11579627)
The following 1 recall has been issued for the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder by the NHTSA or Nissan. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: An unsecured seat with broken welds may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver’s seat rail clearance, and if necessary, replace the driver’s seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 10, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan’s number for this recall is
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2023 Nissan Pathfinder:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Nissan to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Nissan must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2023 Nissan Pathfinder qualifies as a lemon under California law, Nissan may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Nissan a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Nissan dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Nissan pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Nissan a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Nissan is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
Get a free case evaluation. Nissan pays our fees if you win — you pay nothing upfront.
Check My Refund Amount →