Used car safety, rank #56 of 181
Nissan Pathfinder 4WD Safety Rating (2018-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2018-20 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD, a midsize SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2018-20 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 25 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize SUVs average of 24.9, which is 0% above the class average. That places it #56 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 66.3/100.
What the Nissan Pathfinder death rate means
At 25 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD is 0% worse than the midsize SUVs average of 24.9. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 53, which overlaps the class average, so some of the gap may be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 40 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Nissan Pathfinder. It is higher than the Nissan Pathfinder's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used SUVs
The safest midsize SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Nissan Pathfinder 2WD at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Pathfinder 2WD | 2018-20 | 0 (0 to 22) | 93.2 | 3.5/5 | $16,000 to $26,000 |
| Nissan Murano 2WD | 2018-20 | 4 (0 to 12) | 90.8 | 3.5/5 | $16,000 to $25,000 |
| Chevrolet Traverse 4WD | 2018-20 | 6 (0 to 13) | 88.1 | 3.0/5 | $18,000 to $30,000 |
| Subaru Ascent | 2019-20 | 6 (0 to 16) | 88.1 | n/a | $22,000 to $32,000 |
| Ford Edge 4WD | 2019-20 | 6 (0 to 15) | 88.1 | 3.5/5 | $17,000 to $28,000 |
| Honda Pilot 2WD | 2019-20 | 7 (0 to 20) | 84.2 | 3.5/5 | $20,000 to $32,000 |
| GMC Acadia 2WD | 2017-20 | 10 (2 to 19) | 81.9 | 3.0/5 | n/a |
| GMC Acadia 4WD | 2017-20 | 11 (3 to 20) | 81.1 | 3.0/5 | n/a |
| Nissan Pathfinder 4WD (this page) | 2018-20 | 25 (0 to 53) | 66.3 | 3.5/5 | n/a |
Class average for midsize SUVs: 24.9 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Nissan Pathfinder
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Nissan Pathfinder we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nissan Pathfinder | TSP+ | 91.7 |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 66.3 used-car score above.
Reliability and cost of ownership
Reliability: 3.5 out of 5
RepairPal rates the Nissan Pathfinder 3.5/5, 17th out of 26 in its category. Owners spend about $542 a year on repairs and maintenance, visiting the shop 0.4 times a year for unscheduled work, and 15% of those repairs are severe.
RepairPal detailsSafety recalls for the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Nissan Pathfinder 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 25 per million registered vehicle years for the 2018-20 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD, 0% above the class average (24.9 for midsize SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 66.3 out of 100 and rank #56 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD driver death rate?
25 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 53. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Nissan Pathfinder died at a rate of 40 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2018-20 models.
How does the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD compare with other midsize SUVs?
The midsize SUVs class averages 24.9 driver deaths per million; the Nissan Pathfinder 4WD sits at 25. Among the 9 midsize SUVs compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Nissan Pathfinder 2WD with a death rate of 0.