Disclaimer: Not affiliated with or endorsed by Nissan Motor Company. For informational purposes only. Full Disclaimer

Problems with 2013 Nissan Pathfinder VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On average, the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder starts to “feel” problems with the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and its various aspects after 28 029 miles.

Recently reported VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL problems on 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Brake lights stay on and vehicle has loss of power when trying to accelerate and the when brake lights go off it goes back to full power. this is a known issue with this model but it appears my vin number isn't covered although it has the same issues as other 2013 nissan pathfinders. i have less than 61000 miles on the vehical.

When i driving my vehicle at the time to accelerate my car just do not response...i press the acceletor pedal to the floor and still with no power...this happened to me many times in the highway and a local roads....i just panicked...i feel unsafe in my car now,i may finished rear ended on the road.

65 mph, vehicle failed to accelerate but rpms went up to 7000 vehicle shuddered for 25 seconds. next day while makig a left turn at 10 mph thru an intersection from a stop light, same exact thing happened. got to side of road, car refused to go forward. works in reverse but not forward. towed to shop where new transmission was found to be the only fix. vehicle has only 112k miles.

Problem #1: several instances where the unit loses acceleration while in motion (driving) or when trying to accelerate from a complete stationary at a light. i press the pedal to accelerate with no response, cero acceleration. in order for me to get acceleration back i have to park and put in on parking and try the pedal again. i have taken my car to nissan where the diagnose can't be determine because the lack of warning signs on the control panel. the unit did not show the condition at that moment and they were not able to replicate it. after taking the unit out of the mechanical workshop, a warning sig was revealed as follows: p0603: internal control module keep alive memory (kam) error. i called the workshop and they told me no recalls were claimed for that reason (error code). problem #2: the warranty was over (36months) and both visors went permanently down. they were replaced at my own cost. problem #3: the brakes lights are keeping on even when the unit is off. this is making the battery runs out!

Loss of power when accelerating rpm's stay around 1200ish.

on 08/16/2016 i purchased a motor vehicle from star nissan located at 5757 w. touhy ave., niles, il 60714 (2013 nissan pathfinder suv vin). on october of 2016 i was driving in the express way going 60mph and my vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating and came to a complete stop while i had other vehicle passing me by at 60+ mph. i had to pull to the side to avoid getting hit in the rear. the vehicle finally took off but not without jerking and rattling noises. i immediately came off the express way. i took the vehicle to star nissan and they admitted my car on 10/22/2016. i was contacted by nissan and was told that they replicated the problem and the cvt would need to be changed and everything should be fine. the changes were made and on 10/28/2016 i received the vehicle back. my vehicle has been back to the dealer on 11/12/2016, 11/16/2016, 04/22/2017, 07/12/2017 7/28/2017 with the same symptoms and the problem has never been rectified. on 07/01/2017 my vehicle was driven by a nissan service technician for 237 miles in order to replicate the problem again. they were successful but now stated that the problem was a relay light. they gave me the vehicle back on 07/06/2017. my vehicle was admitted again on 07/25/2017 with the same problems. the technician had to drive my vehicle 344 miles to replicate the symptoms once again. however my vehicle was admitted until 08/17/2017. the nissan consumer affairs office sent out an engineer who made recommendations. the recommendation was to remove brake light relay and replace brake switch. i was given the vehicle back and the problems has persist. on 11/13/2017 my car jerked and came to a stop in the middle of a busy intersection this has been a nightmare and i have almost been a part of an accident on several occasion due to this problem. i am now car-less because this vehicle is not safe to drive.

I brought this vehicle in april of 2017, with 41,000 miles. i did not even have the vehicle a year before i noticed that when i am driving the vehicle it starts to stall at times, it does not pick up speed at all i have to push the accelerator two or three times before it picks up, and this happens at traffic lights and even when i'm on the interstate. i am really fearing for my life, because this is the only vehicle i have right now to drive. when i go to park the vehicle, and shut it off the brake lights stay on, and they don't go off. i have to get back in the vehicle move the vehicle and then shut it off. sometimes i have to do this three or four times before the brake light goes off. i reported this issue to the nissan dealership, who have told me there is no recall for this problem, and since it happens periodically through the day i have to keep making appointments, so they can try to find the problem. very frustrating.

Vehicle does not respond when the gas pedal is depressed, resulting in no acceleration. this has been an ongoing problem and happens at random, and at varying speeds: including acceleration from a complete stop, acceleration at highway speeds, and acceleration at city speeds. when this happens, rpms do not rise while the gas pedal is depressed and the vehicle becomes totally unresponsive. this problem began occurring after the dealer replaced the cvt and torque convertor ' both deemed bad by the dealer. vehicle has been back to the dealer on several occasions to address this concern, but the dealership cannot replicate the problem, and there are no codes appearing during diagnostic testing. the problem is ongoing and there has been no resolution. nissan corporate has not formally acknowledged this to be a systemic problem, but is 'aware of some concerns'.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. while accelerating from a stop the vehicle hesitated to respond without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000. updated 04/28/17*lj the consumer stated the issue of the delay in acceleration was related to the existing brake light relay modulator recall. the consumer was concerned that there is no indicator to warn the driverof accelerating across an uncontrolled intersection. updated 7/31/2017*js

Issue has happened multiple times in 1 day. when pressing the accelerator vehicle does not react. it has happened while moving at multiple speeds or stopped. i press the brake and go to accelerate again and it will not accelerate. or i can be stopped at a light and press the accelerator and vehicle will not react. issue is happening about 4-5 times during a 15 mile drive. this is happening on flat surfaces. it looks like the rpm increase very little but even if i continue to press down further on the pedal it will not accelerate.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled, while driving at 60 mph. in addition, the vehicle rpms increased to six and seven. the contact also stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate. the contact stated that failure occurred on two separate occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 105,000. the vin was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle vibrated, decelerated, and momentarily accelerated. there were no warning indicators. the contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and called a local dealer who advised her to drive the vehicle to the shop. the following day, the failure recurred. the technician kept the vehicle for a couple of days, but was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but stated that nothing could be done. the failure mileage was 59,000. the vin was not provided.

The vehicle stops accelerating even after pushing the accelerator to the floor. then start to go back to normal very dangerous on the highway.

My 2013 pathfinder studders like it's not getting gas. it has completely stalled while driving in busy traffic. i took it to the dealership which stated they could not get it to duplicate the problem. this can happen on inclines and when i got to stop or slow down then go to accelerate against it studders really bad. it sometimes will not start due to not recognizing the key fob.

While i was told that this had happened previously in the vehicle (around june 22, 2015), i experienced it on 7/6/15. i was traveling on the highway at @ 68 mph. i slowed to take an offramp left onto a connector and pressed the accelerator to regain speed. there was no response; the accelerator had no power--even when pressed to the floor. the car began to lose speed. it was a busy time of day, and there was a car behind me. i took my foot off the accelerator and pressed it again; this time it was responsive. in addition to the loss of power, the car 'hitched' as i was driving and braking, and the abs and traction control lights came on. this happened multiple times afterwards--not just on turns. on 7/7, i called nissan service. i did not drive the car again until they fit me in (thurs., 7/9). the drive train is still under warranty, and i was informed that there was a crt reprogramming recall that needed to be done, but it had nothing to do with what was happening, so they would run multiple diagnostics at $125 or more a piece. after multiple diagnostics and a technician driving my car 44 miles, service "could not duplicate concern," did not know of any like problems with the car, had performed the recall, and sent me home at no charge (?) on 7/10. afterwards, i did not drive the car for several days. on 7/16, it seemed safe, and my daughter was driving with me in the passenger seat. it happened again--on a busy road! the abs and traction control lights came on too. we stopped; i took a picture, immediately emailed it to service, & switched drivers. there's no response yet. nissan online forums are full of 2013 pathfinder (and nissan crt model) owners experiencing the exact same problems, being told similar things, and having transmissions (crt) replaced but it happening again. nissan won't acknowledge what seems to be a widespread problem with the crt & this model.

Over the past two month i've had 4 incidents when i stop at a light or sign and when i hit my accelerator pedal to start moving again nothing happens. sometimes i lift my foot off of the pedal and them back again and it starts working normally. other times the accelerator starts working after a few seconds of being depressed.....more than a little nu-nerving when entering heavy traffic areas. *tr

Vehicle jerks/hesitates when trying to accelerate after stopping at stop sign and/or red light, going through a yield sign, and when making turns.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving at 20 mph and making a turn, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 25 mph. the contact mentioned that the brake pedal needed to be depressed prior to depressing the accelerator pedal in order for the vehicle to respond. the failure occurred on four occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the software and tcm needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

Vehicle loses acceleration upon take off. it has happened various times but basically if im at a light or a complete stop and press the pedal to accelerate, the car jerks to accelerate then loses acceleration completely. in order for me to get acceleration back i have to press the brakes. it also happens around 40mph the accelerator wont work anymore and i javw to brake. ive taken my car to nissan and they can never duplicate. one time i took it & they found another problem so they replaced my transmission even then its still happening.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the failure recurred numerous times intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but was unable to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

I purchased my pathfinder in may of 2013. i loved my suv initially. starting around july of 2014 - i started experiencing shuddering while driving. thought maybe i needed new tires. beginning in august - started noticing that when accelerating from a stop that i would lose power and it would stay about 20 mph & after pumping the gas pedal several times then it would kick in. it started happening more and more. this past sunday while starting to accelerate up a hill, my pathfinder just wouldn't kick in. stayed at about 25 mph & i had to put on my emergency breaks until i reached the top of the hill & then it kicked in. then the next day as i was merging onto the freeway with my 2 children in the car & my daughters friend, my car just lost its power. continued to drive at maybe 20 mph even with my foot pressed all the way down on the gas pedal. this was a very scary experience for myself & my kids. we could have been totally rear ended. there are so many complaints here. does nissan need to wait until someone is tragically killed before making steps to issue a recall? i did take my car in today to the dealership with print outs of the comments here & told them i would not drive my pathfinder & put my family in jeopardy until the issue is fixed. they did give me a rental car & contacted me by the end of the day today that they received approval to replace the transmission & will continue to do further testing on the shuddering & reason that the transmission needs to be replace on a vehicle that is a little over a year old. please with the dealerships response. i have always driven honda's or acura's and made the mistake to try nissan. this will be my last nissan purchase! i am also posting this on facebook to spread the word about the pathfinder. maybe that will get a recall going! *tr

When i first purchased the vehicle my husband immediately began saying something was wrong with the transmission the problem got worse as time went by. taking off from a stopped position it would stall before taking off. then it started shuttering after take off. then escalated to shuttering while driving down the road at speeds between 20-30 usually when i was in the school zone taking my kids to school. after several attempts nissan finally decided to replace the transmission. i have a baby as well as two other children that are in this vehicle everyday. once the transmission was replaced it started having a problem at any speed where it felt like the motor was going to jump out of the vehicle which jerked my children and scared them. i m also noticing more and more problems with it not wanting to go into gear. i have also had a problem with the back hatch coming open at various times for no reason. one day i walked out of work to find that it was open the doors to the vehicle were still locked. on another occasion i found the back hatch open and it had rained all night and the neighbor strays had slept in my vehicle all night again the doors were locked. no one had touched my keys so no reason for how it keeps mysteriously coming open. the previous pathfinder i had would let down the front windows at various times for no reason. said it was a safety feature...didn't seem very safe to me to come out of a store to find my windows down. unfortunately cant trade it in because i would be too upside down. i know it will cost a lot to recall and fix all of these but how does that compare to the cost of peoples lives. headed to nissan again saturday to see what they say about the transmission this time. *tr

There is a sudden juddering shake that lasts about 4 to 6 seconds driving around 25 miles per hour. i have experienced the shaking during turns and upon hills the transmission feels like driving a stickshift and you finally feel the gear kick in and the after making it uphill or stopping uphill. vehicle drives smooth again. my girls are very scared with the shaking i have left my vehicle at the dealership pending a fix/solution. *js

When i attempt to drive the vehicle after a full stop, or when proceeding at a slow rate of speed, by applying pressure to the gas pedal, the car does not move. i have to lift my foot and reapply pressure to get the car to move forward. nissan has changed the brake sensor, however, that made the problem worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2013 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle would shutter and lose power. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they could determine the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 5,000. the vin was unavailable.

On an intermittent basis, the gas pedal does not engage when depressed ? the driver has to release and press the gas pedal multiple times or hold down gas pedal and then the engine revs hard and the car suddenly lurches forward. it happens both when beginning to accelerate from a stop as well as when the car is driving and in motion and the driver presses the gas pedal to accelerate (such as when passing another car on the highway). by early april 2014, this had happened at least 20 times in a four-week period and sometimes happened daily. i took the vehicle to our local dealer, who consulted with a regional nissan warranty rep. he said he had seen the problem before, and they replaced the the brake lamp switch and relay. i have had one incident where it happened again after this work was done on april 9. *tr

I purchased my pathfinder in july 2013 and have had 2 issues. the first is a sputtering with the gas pedal which occurs quite frequently under low speeds. took it in for evaluation and nissan said that's how cvt transmissions work and that it was normal. very strange. the second issue i am currently having is the most concerning. while traveling at various speeds, when i push on the gas pedal there is no power at all and no acceleration. at times the pedal can be all the way to the floor and then 2 to 3 seconds later the acceleration comes back. it has happen to me in a passing situation on the freeway and while making a turn at an intersection and almost caused an accident. the car is currently in service to be evaluated and they have said unless they can replicate the issue on their end they have no solution, i have 3 kids that ride in the vehicle on a daily basis and this is a huge safety concern from a consumer standpoint. i have documented with nissan consumer affairs in case something happens as a result of this, but i must say as this car was a huge investment for my wife and our family we are extremely concerned and disappointed because we love the car so much and wouldn't expect this from a brand new vehicle. i have read a high number of common issues just like mine and i just don't get how nissan has not done anything about this. it seems as if the 2013 model has a number of issues. *tr

Vehicle starts to shudder very hard and starts to lose power when starting to enter the traffic lanes i was almost rear ended by a tractor trailer.this has happened three times now .my vehicle has been in the shop. times and nissan still haven't fix this problem.i guess someone has to die before anything is done. it,s really a shame ! *tr

I have had about 5 incidents of failure when i hit the gas from a stand still. when i push the gas pedal, i will accelerate a little (enough to get in traffic), then nothing. i lift my foot off the gas and put it back down. still nothing. it is a good 4 seconds before i get power to go. this has led to a couple near crashes, as 4 seconds is a long time if you are pulling out in traffic. *tr

Purchased in aug 2013. sept 2013 at low speeds under 25 mph, the vehicle begins to shudder and looses acceleration. nissan dealership could not find a problem. oct 2013 my vehicle was back in for the same issue. this time nissan replaced the transmission. nov 2013 back to the dealer for same issue, was told a software update was just released for a computer upgrade for the transmission. problem still existed. returned a 4th time in dec 2013 and was told i must have been spinning my wheels in the snow, no problems were found. in addition to the transmission problems, the roof started leaking and the water ran behind the dashboard. a gasket needed to be replaced, shortly after i began to have electronic issues with wipers, volume control for bluetooth, radio. some type of module was replaced this took two return trips before a problems was found. again within a month these electrical issues returned. on monday 3/24 the transmission once again failed as i was making a left turn from a stop. with this incident i was almost killed by a tractor trailer because i was stuck in the middle of the intersection and could not get the vehicle to move. luckily the truck was able to swerve behind me a the last moment to avoid the collision. restarting the car several times cleared the problem and was immediately took it back to my dealership. i explained everything that has been happening with my vehicle since purchased in aug 2013, 33 days of service so far and no resolution. i have also filed a complaint with nissan consumer affairs, case # [xxx]. nissan admitted there is a problem with the transmission but does not have a fix. at this time the vehicle is not safe to drive and the dealer has put me in a free loaner car until they have a resolution. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the accelerator failed to respond to acceleration attempts. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle erroneously decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the computer would need to be reset. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 1,000. the current mileage was 11,402. updated 11/26/13*cn according to the invoice, the consumer complained of the vehicle vibrating at different speeds. also, the roof was loose, due to the molding not holding the clip in place. updated 12/02/13

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 nissan pathfinder. the contact stated while traveling at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond to acceleration attempts. the contact also mentioned that the brake switch failed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who replaced the transmission and the brake switch but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 2,711.

I had complained to trophy nissan, progressive insurance, wells fargo, and platinum collision about the very problem that i just received a recall about. my complaints were treated as not having merit. i had specifically described the seemingly loss of control on pavement that was slightly rough. i also asserted that when i applied brakes the pathfinder seemed to lunge forward. in this accident i was the interstate near downtown dallas moving one lane to my left as traffic slowed and stopped. i was aware of the slowing traffic and i reacted accordingly. as traffic actually stopped i recall not being overly concerned that i was a safe stopping distance but when i applied the brake my pathfinder seemed to lunge forward and i struck the rear of the vehicle in front of me. i again stated my concerns after the fact and was not deemed accurate. the pathfinder spent 2 months in the shop waiting on parts and my insurance premium doubled. i refused to pay the elevated premium because i simply did not have it and i did not make any payments on the pathfinder to wells fargo during the 2 months and the pathfinder has subsequently been repossessed do i have actionable recourse?? what's next with this complaint?? i tried in vain to get progressive to recognize a diminished value claim. this could have saved me money and my car as the wreck was truly not my fault but it was ruled my fault because i was the rear vehicle and texas has no diminished value for insured being at fault. tried in vain to get wells fargo to help me but all parties were scared to death of progressive insurance with the exception of platinum collision. their only standing in this case is as the body shop approved by progressive. *tr

Purchased vehicle with 3000 miles. noticed that i would merge into traffic and try to accelerate but the car would shake and not accelerate right away (like a loss of power). then it would stop and accelerate normally. i had an old an old car for a long time so i thought it was just me not being able to handle a new car. however the problem happened frequently, and it is a little alarming if you are merging on the interstate and can't get the expected speed. i have taken it in 2 times and they cannot figure out what is wrong with it. all the computer data comes back okay. i took it in for the brake recall and of course that did not fix it. they are willing to fix but do not know of a fix. currently the car still does this, mostly during 20 mph and when i am going through a round about or turn. *tr

Problem 1: we bought the vehicle new in july. after about two weeks the car begin to shudder between 15-20 mph. it feels like we are driving over rumble strips. we took the car to the nissan dealer where we purchased it. they said there was a campaign for the problem and would order a torque converter. we were told it was on back order. after two and half weeks the part was installed. the day we picked up the car it still had the same issues.we have notified the dealership of the continuing problem. problem 2: the front passenger side airbag goes on and off randomly, turning off the airbag. we told the dealership when we brought it in for the shuddering. they said it was a weight limit issue and the way we sit. we told them it does it for our son who weighs 90 pounds and that we sit the same way every time. we also told them it does it for me off and on in the same day and that our weight doesn't fluctuate that much in the same day. we were told it tested fine, so it will not need repair. just this morning i got in the passenger side the light was off, we went into a store and when i got back in the car the light was on. i have told the dealership about this again today. *tr

The transmission seems to slip or stutter or shake at low speeds. we notice it when making turns into parking lots or starting off at intersections or entering or exiting cloverleaf loop ramps at intersections. it is an intermittent problem. sometimes it stutters and shakes harder than at other times. we first noticed it only a couple of weeks after we bought it. *tr

Transmission shudders when accelerating from a low speed of approx 25-30 mph. entire vehicle shakes like you are driving over speed bumps. occurs everyday. *tr

Purchased this crossover on 12/14/2012. loss of power has occurred twice while accelerating from between 15-30mph while accelerator was depressed. when i tried to floor the accelerator, the rpm's increased but the cvt did not engage. had to remove foot from accelerator then reapply for the cvt to re-engage. called nissan consumer affairs on 5-31-13 who said my vin is not part of any updates/recalls for this issue. said to take the car to the dealership for evaluation. additionally, i have experienced the 'judder/shutter' about 3-4 times as we'll at highway speeds and in the city. i have read on some discussion boards that a 'fix/part' is in the works for late june. *tr

Purchased my new 2013 nissan pathfinder in february, 2013. experienced problems accelerating from a complete stop after the first 100 miles i put on the car. i experienced the problem 4 times in the first 400 miles. then i experienced a major problem turning left from a complete stop. the car barely coasted through the intersection. i had to pump the gas pedal about 4 times to get the car moving. luckily i was turning left at a green arrow so the oncoming traffic had a red light and was stopped. i asked the dealer to pick it up as i didn't feel safe driving it. they had it a week and opened a ticket with nissan. they could not duplicate the issue and hadn't heard of any other similar issues so they asked me to pick up the car. my husband drove it on the highway for work (about 1200 miles) and noticed a little sluggishness from a full stop but not too bad. i drove it for a couple of weeks after that and i noticed some minor sluggishness. when it stalled out as i was turning left through a 4 way stop with no oncoming traffic, i decided to take it back. had i been turning left at a green light with oncoming traffic, there would have been a high potential for an accident with injuries to my child in the back seat. this time i provided blogs to the dealer describing the same issues.the dealer confirmed today that there is a known problem but no fix so i should pick up the car. if it happens again they told me to press harder on the gas pedal. i told them that was an unacceptable solution. i asked for an upgraded rental since i'm now paying for a pathfinder but driving a basic rogue that they "rented" to me. i am currently escalating the matter through nissan. i refuse to take the car back and put my family in danger over an issue they admit to but can't resolve. i have also noticed issues with the airbag light that others have reported. this car needs to be recalled. *tr

While driving around 35 mph the pathfinder started sputtering between 3000-4000 rpms and would not increase in speed. i stopped the vehicle and shut off the engine in hopes to reset a problem. when i turned the car back on, the pathfinder would not move in drive or reverse. as the tow truck driver was loading the pathfinder he noticed a large amount of liquid coming from underneath the vehicle. once at the dealership they found that the transmission cooler line had burst and the radiator needed to be replace. also another owner of a 2013 pathfinder was also having problems with their transmission and was told that a problem had been identified with the computer that was affecting the transmission. nissan knew about the problem but didn't catch it prior to the new pathfinder leaving the factory. *tr

Other 2013 Nissan Pathfinder Problem Categories