Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.
Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.
2009 Nissan Pathfinder airbags problems
moderate
Owners of the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder have filed 9 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.See airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
9
Recalls
2
Avg fix
$1,100
airbags complaints on the Nissan Pathfinder, by model year
Of the 9 airbags complaints filed for the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder,
here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
0-25k
0 (0%)
25-50k
0 (0%)
50-75k
0 (0%)
75-100k
1 (50%)
100-125k
0 (0%)
125-150k
1 (50%)
150k+
0 (0%)
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted.
Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits
and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
All 2 active airbags recalls on this vehicle land at critical or severe — none classified moderate.
Airbags accounts for 24% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 5 categories tracked.
Nissan is recalling 242,720 my 2005-2009 pathfinder, frontier and xterra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia
This issue could result in the non-deployment of the driver and passenger front air bags in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front czs with a redesigned sensor. The recall began on january 26, 2009. Owners in the other states will receive extended warranty coverage for the sensor to 10 years. These owners will be notified of the warranty extension by mail and will receive a sticker to place in their warranty booklet explaining the extended warranty coverage. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Fix: Dealers will replace the drivers airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented
repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall
(it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service CampaignNTB23-081CJul 2024
VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2005-2013 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER, AND XTERRA; DRIVER AIR BAG COVER CAMPAIGN ID #: PC945 and PC948 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2005-2013 Frontier (D40) 2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51) 2005-2013 Xterra (N50) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary safety recall campaign on certain specific model year 2005-2012 Pathfinder, and 2005-2013 Frontier and Xterra vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Driver Air Bag Cover. This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Nissan has assigned identification
SERVICE INFORMATION Changes or modifications to the front seat assembly trim materials may affect the proper operation of the Front Seat-Mounted Side-Impact Supplemental Air Bags and Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor and could result in serious personal injury or death. Nissan STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST making any change to seat trim materials from the factory equipped condition. This specifically applies to replacing the seat trim with non-factory materials; adding leather/cloth seat covers, seat pads, or seat storage pouches, etc. around or over the seat back and the passenger seat cushion. See this bulletin for further detail.
IF YOU CONFIRM: Squeal/Squeak noise from the front brakes: While moving forward or reverse, with very light brake application (pedal pressure), after the vehicle has been sitting, typically overnight ("cold" brakes), at speeds less than 10 MPH, while traveling straight or turning. ACTION: Replace the hardware on both front brake calipers with the kit listed in the Parts Information in this bulletin. See this bulletin for further detail.
SERVICE INFORMATION Information necessary to service the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) safely is included in the "RESTRAINTS" section of the Electronic Service Manual (ESM) for each vehicle. IMPORTANT: Turn the ignition switch OFF, disconnect both battery terminals, and wait at least 3 minutes before performing any service on the SRS. See this bulletin for further detail.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
What owners are reporting
4 most recent
airbags
· filed 12/27/2019
Red airbag warning light is illuminated and flashing.
airbags
· filed 10/26/2009
Passenger side airbag disengages when I sit in the seat (as if a child is sitting there.) I am an adult, 38 year old female, 5'2" weighing approximately 115 pounds. Whenever I am in the passenger seat, I will have no air bag if we are in an accident. *tr
airbags · 132,385 mi
· filed 07/14/2015
While sitting in the driveway I was about to start my vehicle when my daughter move the passenger seat and the airbags indicator light came on, I had just had the tension belts replace by the dealership, to correct this problem before hoping to avoid having to replace the seat pressure plate. Not sure why all this is happening but I hope this will help future owner to avoid this problem
airbags · 91,000 mi
· filed 07/12/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan pathfinder. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
Had airbags trouble with your 2009 Nissan Pathfinder?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 9 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 9 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 99,398 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
Yes — 2 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Nissan/Pathfinder.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.