1990 Nissan Pathfinder problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan Pathfinder. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 14 | 37% |
| Power Train → | 13 | 34% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 8% |
| Tires | 2 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Inquiry whether nissan is obligated to repair or cover the cost of repair for broke exhaust manifold studs which could cause carbon monoxide problems. *ph *la”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 30, 2004
“Exhaust manifold studs have broken on both manifolds at an estimated repair bill of $800. We have no choice to have it repaired as we cannot receive our emmission test approval to get our vehicle registered (1990 pathfinder) there is no warning for this defect and it was not detected last may because it did pass the…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 4, 2004
“Multiple studs broken on exhaust manifold multiple times. Right (passenger) side twice. Left side once.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jan 30, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95007 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 2, 1995 · led to recall 95V103002
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan Pathfinder. The 10 most recent:
Nissan: tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) warning light on/flashing. No models or model years listed. *pe updated on 08-11-2011. *kb
NTB-09-101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2010
Nissan: vent control valve replacement. When replacing the evap canister vent control valve for reason: use the one listed on page 2; for vent control valve replacement procedure, refer to the appropriate section of the…
NTB-09-129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2010
Nissan: the 12 volt battery is an important part of the vehicle electrical system and is required to stay connected when the engine is running. To prevent damage to vehicle electronic components follow the…
NTB-09-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2009
Front seat belt latch plate retaining button missing. *tt
99022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2005
Front seat belt latch plate retaining button missing. *tt
NTB99022C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2003
Subject regarding essential tool - rear axle bearing removal kit. *ttthe kit is an essential tool and and will be automatically sent to all nissan dealers.
NTB01031 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2001
Seat belt latch plate retaining button missing. *tt
NTB99022B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 2, 2001
Concerns with the front seat belt latch plate stopper button missing. *tt
NTB99022A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 1999
Exhibiting a whine noise while driving in all forward gears except 4th. *yc
NTB97002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 1998
Fs5r30a transmission whine. *jd
NTB97009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Nissan Pathfinder in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Nissan Pathfinder?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.