Nissan Pathfinder Safety Rating by Year
NHTSA has published crash-test ratings for the Nissan Pathfinder in 12 model years from 2013 to 2025; the 2025 earned 5 out of 5 stars overall. Check a specific Pathfinder’s crash and title history below.
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Nissan Pathfinder— By the Numbers
- Model years rated, 2013–2025
- 12
- 2025 overall rating
- 5★
- Highest overall on record
- 5★
- Lowest rollover risk shown (2022–2025)
- 15.5%
- Recall campaigns, 2025 record
- 1
Model years rated, 2013–2025
2025 overall rating
Highest overall on record
Lowest rollover risk shown (2022–2025)
Recall campaigns, 2025 record
Quick Answer
- What is the Nissan Pathfinder safety rating?
- NHTSA has published crash-test ratings for the Nissan Pathfinder in 12 model years from 2013 to 2025; the 2025 earned 5 out of 5 stars overall. A rating applies to one model year and one body style or drivetrain, so check the year you are actually buying.
- Which Nissan Pathfinder years have the highest safety rating?
- The 2014–2020, 2022–2025 model years earned 5 stars overall, the highest score on record.
- Did NHTSA rate every Nissan Pathfinder model year?
- No. Between 2013 and 2025, NHTSA's crash-test database lists no Pathfinder for 2021. NHTSA lists the Pathfinder for 2011–2012, but we found no crash-test rating for those years.
What changed across Nissan Pathfinder model years
The frontal rating reads the same in every rated year, but the seat results under it do not: 2013 has the highest driver result and the lowest passenger result on record, 2014 through 2020 the highest passenger result, and 2022 onward a passenger result between those. Calculated rollover risk is at its lowest from 2022 onward and stays there.
The overall score reaches its highest, 5 stars, in 2014–2020, 2022–2025.
Nissan Pathfinder safety ratings, year by year
The Pathfinder's frontal result sits below its side result in every rated year; the table's overall score rose from 2014 and held there, and NHTSA holds no 2021 Pathfinder in its crash-test database.
| Model year | Overall | Frontal | Side | Side pole | Rollover | Rollover risk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15.5% | |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15.5% | |
| 2023 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15.5% | |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 15.5% | Full 2022 ratings |
| 2020 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.9% | |
| 2019 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.9% | |
| 2018 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.4% | |
| 2017 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.9% | |
| 2016 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.4% | |
| 2015 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.9% | |
| 2014 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17.9% | |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16.9% |
The ratings describe the PathfinderNHTSA crashed. Check the one you’re buying.
Salvage and rebuilt brands, reported accidents and odometer records follow the VIN.
Recalls and complaints by model year
NHTSA files these beside each year's crash-test results. They describe what owners and the agency reported afterwards, not how the vehicle was built to perform in a crash.
| Model year | Recall campaigns | Owner complaints | Investigations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 49 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 75 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 103 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 | 135 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 75 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 77 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 | 186 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 107 | 1 |
| 2015 | 6 | 320 | 1 |
| 2014 | 11 | 573 | 3 |
| 2013 | 11 | 890 | 4 |
Whether a recall was repaired on a particular car is in the manufacturer’s records for that VIN; a dealer or NHTSA’s VIN lookup can confirm it. The Nissan recall check by VIN lists the campaigns filed for a model and year.
Buying a used Pathfinder: which year's rating applies
A rating belongs to one model year and one version. Before relying on any figure on this page, match it to the Pathfinder in front of you.
NHTSA's crash-test database has no 2021 Pathfinder at all, so neither the 2020 nor the 2022 row speaks for it. Take the model year from the VIN, not from the listing.
The seat results split the record into 2013 on its own, 2014 through 2020, and 2022 onward, and the overall score changes only between 2013 and 2014. A 2020 and a 2022 share their overall, frontal and side ratings but not their passenger result or rollover risk, so read each year's own row.
NHTSA rates the front- and all-wheel-drive Pathfinders separately, and this table prints the all-wheel-drive result except in 2016 and 2018. A front-wheel-drive 2022 has no overall score because no rollover rating was published for it, so decode the drivetrain from the VIN, then check that VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup for recall repairs still outstanding.
How NHTSA's ratings work
NHTSA announced new NCAP crash tests and rating criteria in July 2008, including a new overall rating that combines the frontal, side and rollover results. It then postponed the change by a year: the new criteria apply to vehicles tested beginning with model year 2011, not 2010 as first announced.
In NHTSA's own words, its rollover resistance ratings “estimate the risk of rollover if a vehicle is involved in a single-vehicle crash.”
One limit applies to every vehicle here. NHTSA notes that the frontal crash rating “depends on vehicle mass, and cannot be compared across vehicle weight classes” — a full-size truck's frontal stars and a compact car's are not the same measure.
- Federal Register, 73 FR 79206 (Dec. 24, 2008) — new NCAP criteria begin with model year 2011
- Federal Register, 73 FR 40016 (July 11, 2008) — NCAP testing and rating changes, including the overall rating
- Federal Register, 68 FR 59250 (Oct. 14, 2003) — NCAP rollover resistance ratings
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Year pages and related models
Every version NHTSA rated in a given year, plus rating histories for other models.
Every rated version of the 2022, with inspection notes.
15 rated model years, 2011–2025.
7 rated model years, 2019–2025.
15 rated model years, 2011–2025.
12 rated model years, 2011–2022.
Always check the VIN before you buy
The free preview shows title brands, theft status and open recalls in seconds, and flags whether accident and odometer records exist. The full history is $14.99 — one-time, no subscription.
Nissan Pathfinder Safety FAQ
What NHTSA’s record shows across model years, and what it cannot tell you about one car.
What is the Nissan Pathfinder safety rating?+
NHTSA has published crash-test ratings for the Nissan Pathfinder in 12 model years from 2013 to 2025; the 2025 earned 5 out of 5 stars overall. A rating applies to one model year and one body style or drivetrain, so check the year you are actually buying.
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have the highest safety rating?+
The 2014–2020, 2022–2025 model years earned 5 stars overall, the highest score on record.
Did NHTSA rate every Nissan Pathfinder model year?+
No. Between 2013 and 2025, NHTSA's crash-test database lists no Pathfinder for 2021. NHTSA lists the Pathfinder for 2011–2012, but we found no crash-test rating for those years.
Are Nissan Pathfinder ratings from before 2011 comparable?+
Not like for like. NHTSA changed its crash tests and rating criteria starting with model year 2011, so this page lists 2011 and later only. Earlier ratings came from different tests.
Does the rating apply to a used Pathfinder?+
It applies to the Pathfinder as built. A used one that has been in a serious crash, rebuilt from salvage or had airbags replaced is no longer the vehicle NHTSA tested. NHTSA's 2025 record lists 1 recall campaign; a VIN check shows that car's title brands and reported accidents, plus the recall campaigns filed for its model and year.
Every year’s rating is for the model. The VIN is for the car.
A crash rating can’t see a salvage or rebuilt title, reported accidents or an odometer rollback. The VIN record can.
Or get the full VIN history reportRelated VIN Checks
More tools to verify any vehicle's history