— Nissan Pathfinder rear brake problems have caused an owner to file a class action lawsuit which alleges the brake pads and rear braking systems are defective.
The lawsuit says Pathfinder owners are stuck replacing the brake pads with equally defective brake pads.
The rear brake pad replacement class action includes:
"All persons residing in the United States who purchased or leased a model year 2022 or 2023 Nissan Pathfinder vehicle."
The owner who sued contends Nissan knew the rear brakes would wear out prematurely but didn't do anything about it. He also asserts no Pathfinder rear brake recall has been issued which means owners are forced to pay hundreds of dollars for repairs.
The plaintiff complains Pathfinder customers may really end up spending thousands of dollars because the replacement brakes and pads will also need to be replaced.
Nissan Pathfinder Rear Brake Replacement Lawsuit — The Plaintiff
Illinois plaintiff Noah Iwan purchased a used 2023 Nissan Pathfinder in November 2024, but when it had about 23,000 miles on it, his dealership told him the brake pads were worn down and needed to be replaced. The plaintiff says he sought a second opinion because he would need to pay for the replacements.
He took his Nissan Pathfinder to an Illinois tire shop where he "paid $468 out of his own pocket for parts and labor to replace the worn rear brake pads."
He then paid $405 to file the rear brake replacement class action lawsuit for more than $5 million, claiming he was harmed by Nissan's conduct. The plaintiff also complains the Nissan Pathfinder window sticker (Monroney label) should have warned him about the defective rear brakes.
"Nissan’s Monroney stickers (i.e., the sheets/stickers displayed in the Class Vehicle windows at dealerships), dealership literature, Warranty Information Booklet ('Warranty'), and Owner’s Manual disclose nothing about the Defect, despite these being appropriate channels through which to do so." — Plaintiff Noah Iwan
According to the lawsuit, Pathfinder owners complain the brake pads routinely fail before the 3-year/36,000-mile warranties have expired. But the class action argues Nissan refuses to freely offer replacement brake pads and components by claiming the problem is "ordinary wear and tear."
The class action further contends Nissan ignores the multitudes of rear brake replacement complaints which are allegedly common for 2022-2023 Pathfinders.
Just a few examples:
"Rear brakes needed replacement at only 15k miles. Out of nowhere I heard very bad scraping and squealing coming from the rear of the vehicle. Brought into the Nissan dealership who told me that the rear pads were down to bare metal. This vehicle is my 6th lease from Nissan between my wife and I, not once have I needed brakes this early, if at all. I had to pay $377.66 to get the brakes replaced. Best I was told, was save my receipt. Said if there is ever a recall for it, I can ask for a refund." — 2022 Nissan Pathfinder rear brakes complaint
"Was told today that my rear brakes need to be replaced by the dealer. The vehicle has only 18,000 miles and most of that is highway. They said it seems the rear brakes are wearing out faster than normal on these due to the small size of the pad and electronic parking brake. This is not safe and unfair." — 2023 Nissan Pathfinder rear brakes complaint
The Nissan Pathfinder rear brake replacement lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee: Noah Iwan v. Nissan North America, Inc., et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Spragens Law PLC, Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC, and Shub Johns & Holbrook LLP.