Brand-new vehicles are supposed to come with the peace of mind of knowing that everything works as it should. One Indiana woman says that her new Nissan Pathfinder had a major mechanical defect that could’ve cost her and her two kids their lives. She alleges that the brakes went out just three weeks after she drove it off the lot.
In a TikTok with over 77,500 views as of this writing, Erin Mires (@erin_mires) begins with a mic-drop moment. “The brakes failed on my 2026 brand new Nissan Pathfinder,” Mires says.
Mires says she was pulling into her garage when it happened. In that moment, she had two choices: hit the garage or swerve.
She chose the latter. Mires says she clipped the HVAC unit but managed to regain control. Then she says the brakes started working again.
“I feel like that’s a really important detail to share,” she says.
Luckily, Mires and her children were uninjured.
What’s wrong with her Nissan?
Mires alleges that she’s not the only one whose brakes have gone out in their brand-new Nissan. She says other Nissan drivers have complained about the very issue.
She further claims that the dealership wasn’t able to replicate the problem or fix it.
“So they claim that mechanically there was nothing they could do about it,” she says.
However, she does say that five historical error codes came up during the inspection. One, according to Mires, was an anti-lock brake (ABS) actuator communication error.
The dealership reportedly told Mires to submit a Nissan consumer affairs claim.
Nissan sends an inspector
She says a Nissan inspector later came to inspect the Pathfinder.
Per Mires, the inspector said that the fluid in the system may have gotten stuck or failed to transfer properly, causing the braking system to malfunction. They also allegedly said this was an issue with older Nissans but that they haven’t heard of it being a thing for 2026 models.
This examination helps Mires make sense to why the brakes went out and came back. But it doesn’t really fix her issue.
Subsequently, Mires says Nissan Consumer Affairs told her that the problem with the brakes was not a manufacturer’s defect.
But now she’s skeptical about whether it’s safe to drive the Pathfinder. Mires says the ABS actuator error appeared twice during review.
“They want me to drive it with three kids and who knows where it could potentially happen again,” she says.
“You are basically telling me to put my life and the life of my children and anybody else that may be around the vehicle when it happens again at risk. It blows my mind. I’m so terrified,” she adds.
In her opinion, Nissan is to blame.
“Nissan is putting unsafe vehicles out on the road right now and that’s not right,” Mires says.
Is the Pathfinder safe to drive?
Mires’ experience dredged up bitter feelings about the evolution of the automotive industry. Many commenters complained that quality has gone down over the years.
“I feel like cars and house construction just went down the toilet after 2020,” one person wrote.
“And that’s one of the reasons my car is an 06 and my husband’s is a 2012. Both have ebrake levers and not buttons. I will never own something that doesn’t have the handle,” a second chimed in.
Others agreed that Mires should not get behind the wheel of the Pathfinder.
“No way I would ever drive that car again,” another added.
Someone else urged her to report the issue to federal authorities.
“Please report to the National Highway Safety Administration,” they wrote.
Not everyone was overly concerned however. Some suggested that a loose pin may be to blame.
“Loose pin fit at the ABS actuator. 30 years Nissan master certified tech. I know my [expletive],” one wrote.
Another person agreed, writing, “I ran into this on a 2024 Altima. Come to fine it was a pin issue on the abs and ecu plug wiring. I drove that thing for a week to get it to do what happened to my customer. But I fixed it and it is an amazing car.”
Do Nissans have brake problems?
Brake problems can be terrifying and dangerous.
In the last decade, there have been serious allegations about Nissan’s brakes.
According to Class Action, three separate major recalls in 2016, 2018, and 2019 Nissans involved the ABS actuator pump. Issues reported arose when the brake fluid leaked and created the potential for an electrical short. Fires were reported.
Impacted models included the Nissan Pathfinder, Muranos, Muranos Hybrid, and Maximas.
Nissan has additionally had issues with “phantom braking,” according to Lawsuit Information Center. Nissans have an automated Forward Emergency Braking system (FEB) designed to prevent accidents. But this system allegedly has activated in some vehicles when there is no obstacle in the road.
This “phantom braking” is believed to have caused whiplash, concussions, fractures, loss of control, rear-end collisions, and other serious injuries.
Nissan has not officially commented on any issues with the 2026 Pathfinder. But three of the 15 people who have posted complaints about the Pathfinder on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site have specifically mentioned the brakes.
Subplot News has contacted Mires via TikTok direct message and commented on the post as well as Nissan by email. This post will be updated if either party responds.
