Diagsheet

Midsize and three-row SUVs · 6 model years, 2014 to 2023

Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Highlander: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Pathfinder looks better on 3 and the Highlander on 1, with 3 too close to call.

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Pathfinder

1,372 complaints · 19 recalls

Toyota Highlander

Toyota Highlander

1,121 complaints · 21 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2023PathfinderHighlander
Complaints that report a crash3.6%7.3%
Complaints that report a fire0.4%1.0%
Complaints that report an injury2.3%5.1%
Median miles when problems are reported47,00035,000
Recall campaigns per model year3.23.5
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations30

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Pathfinder owners complain about most is transmission and drivetrain; for the Highlander it is electrical. Complaints citing engine make up 20% of all Pathfinder complaints, against 9.5% on the Highlander. The Highlander leans the other way on structure: 13% of its complaints, against 5.2% for the Pathfinder.

Nissan PathfinderToyota Highlander

Transmission and drivetrain24%14%
Engine20%9.5%
Electrical9.8%15%
Brakes9.5%11%
Structure5.2%13%
Airbags12%5.7%
Windshield and wipers6.2%4.2%
Fuel and propulsion4.2%5.4%
Speed control5.0%4.4%
Seats2.5%3.7%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Pathfinder is airbag problems (12% of its complaints). On the Highlander it is brake wear (11% of its complaints), against 10% on the Pathfinder.

ProblemPathfinderHighlander
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early10% 141most in 2014 · 31k mi11% 119most in 2022 · 22k mi
Airbag warning light or recall12% 168most in 2014 · 18k mi5.5% 6218k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving8.4% 115most in 2014 · 55k mi6.9% 77most in 2017 · 44k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard9.5% 130most in 2014 · 55k mi3.4% 3844k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails2.6% 3543k mi6.6% 7428k mi
Seat belt or seat problems3.3% 4532k mi4.8% 5434k mi
Transmission fails or needs replacement3.2% 44most in 2014 · 70k mi3.9% 4466k mi
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails5.5% 75most in 2015 · 49k mi0

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Highlander owners report problems earlier. Half the Highlander complaints that give a mileage come before 35,000 miles; for the Pathfinder the halfway point is 47,000. 53% of Pathfinder reports and 67% of Highlander reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Nissan PathfinderToyota Highlander

Under 25k23%38%
25k to 50k30%29%
50k to 75k25%18%
75k to 100k11%7.5%
100k to 150k8.1%5.5%
Over 150k2.3%1.9%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 812 for the Pathfinder and 530 for the Highlander.

Worst and best years

The 2014 Pathfinder draws 1.8 times the complaints of a typical Pathfinder year for its age. The 2021 Highlander draws 2.9 times the complaints of a typical Highlander year for its age.

Nissan Pathfinder

  • Years to avoid: 2014
  • Best years: 2018, 2019 and 2020

Every Pathfinder model year

Toyota Highlander

Every Highlander model year

Nissan PathfinderToyota Highlander

Each model year against its own model's median. Pathfinder: 2014 1.8, 2015 1.2, 2016 0.4, 2017 0.8, 2018 0.4, 2019 0.4, 2020 0.3, 2022 1.2, 2023 1.2. Highlander: 2014 0.3, 2015 0.5, 2016 0.3, 2017 0.9, 2018 1.0, 2019 2.0, 2020 1.5, 2021 2.9, 2022 1.7, 2023 1.5.2014 Pathfinder: 1.8 times its median2014 Highlander: 0.3 times its median'142015 Pathfinder: 1.2 times its median2015 Highlander: 0.5 times its median'152016 Pathfinder: 0.4 times its median2016 Highlander: 0.3 times its median'162017 Pathfinder: 0.8 times its median2017 Highlander: 0.9 times its median'172018 Pathfinder: 0.4 times its median2018 Highlander: 1.0 times its median'182019 Pathfinder: 0.4 times its median2019 Highlander: 2.0 times its median'192020 Pathfinder: 0.3 times its median2020 Highlander: 1.5 times its median'202021 Highlander: 2.9 times its median'212022 Pathfinder: 1.2 times its median2022 Highlander: 1.7 times its median'222023 Pathfinder: 1.2 times its median2023 Highlander: 1.5 times its median'231x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 3.2 campaigns per model year for the Pathfinder and 3.5 for the Highlander. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Nissan Pathfinder

19 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: seats (4), airbags (3) and service brakes, hydraulic (3).

  • 16V-244 (airbags) covers 3 model years
  • 22V-420 (latches/locks/linkages) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • PE21022: Hood latch/bell crank assembly (closed, led to a recall)
  • EA15004: Occupant classification system failure (closed, led to a recall)
  • RQ15001: Occupant classification system failure (closed)

Toyota Highlander

21 recall campaigns and 0 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (4), equipment (4) and steering (3).

  • 18E-107 (electrical) covers 4 model years
  • 23V-720 (structure) covers 2 model years

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Highlander complaints report a crash: 7.3%, against 3.6% for the Pathfinder. Fire reports: 6 for the Pathfinder and 11 for the Highlander. Complaints on file report 0 deaths in the Pathfinder and 2 in the Highlander for these model years.

Nissan PathfinderToyota Highlander

Report a crash3.6%7.3%
Report a fire0.4%1.0%
Report someone hurt2.3%5.1%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Nissan Pathfinder or the Toyota Highlander more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Pathfinder looks better on 3 and the Highlander on 1, with 3 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Pathfinder has 1,372 complaints and the Highlander 1,121 for the 6 model years from 2014 to 2023 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Pathfinder or the Highlander?

The Pathfinder has 19 recall campaigns and the Highlander 21 across the 6 model years from 2014 to 2023 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 3.2 campaigns per model year for the Pathfinder and 3.5 for the Highlander.

What are the most common problems on the Pathfinder and the Highlander?

The most reported problem on the Pathfinder is airbag problems (12% of its complaints). On the Highlander it is brake wear (11% of its complaints), against 10% on the Pathfinder.

More comparisons

Every comparison