Years affected, the mileage it usually shows up at, and what fixes it
About this problem
The front passenger seat has a weight sensor, called an occupant classification sensor, that tells the car whether an adult, a child or nobody is sitting there. The car uses it to decide whether the passenger air bag should fire in a crash. When the sensor or its wiring fails, the "passenger air bag off" light can come on with an adult in the seat, which means the air bag might not deploy when it should.
Across all owner complaints filed about the Nissan Pathfinder since 2012, 283 (10.7%) describe passenger air bag sensor and light, making it the most reported problem we track on the Pathfinder. The reports cluster on the 2013, 2014 and 2015 model years, and the 2013 drew the most, with 156. It tends to show up early in the car's life: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 4,000 and 36,000 miles. 9 reports describe a crash or fire linked to it. 5 recalls are related to it, and recall repairs are free at any dealer.
What owners report
Owners of 2013 to 2015 Pathfinders report the passenger air bag light flashing or the passenger air bag switching itself off, even with an adult in the seat. The cause is the seat's occupant sensor, and Nissan recalled many of these vehicles.
How it gets fixed
The recall reprograms or replaces the occupant classification sensor free of charge.
Typical cost: Recall work is free. Out of recall, a seat sensor costs about $300 to $700.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"Purchased a new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder and immediately on the drive home noticed an issue with the passenger side airbag. 1) the passenger side airbag "off" light stays lit when an individual is in the passenger side for the duration of the ride."
2013 Nissan Pathfinder, 50 miles
"The air bag light issue on the Nissan Pathfinder continues to be an issue for me. I have brought the car in to the service center in excess of 5 times over the course that I have had the car (purchased in october 2013) for the air bag light issue."
2014 Nissan Pathfinder, 2,000 miles
"I had problems with my air bag sensor ever since I bought the car. Every once in a while when I had a passenger in the front seat the air bag would deactivate."
2015 Nissan Pathfinder, 12,800 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Related recalls
Nissan North America, Inc.
Nissan North America, Inc.
Nissan North America, Inc.
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2013 Altima, LEAF, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles.
Nissan North America Inc.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Service bulletins
Nissan has sent dealers 12 bulletins that mention this problem on the Pathfinder. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended.
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHING INDICATING SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC MODE IF YOU CONFIRM The air bag warning light is flashing slowly (repeating 2 seconds ON, 2 seconds OFF).
DTC B00A0-00 STORED IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored And OCS zero point reset cannot be performed (continued on the next page) And The following screen displays: ACTION 1.
OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM LIGHT OPERATION LOGIC CHANGE SERVICE INFORMATION Nissan is issuing this Technical Service Bulletin to clarify that a change has been made for the logic that controls the Occupant Classification Sy...
2014 - 2016 Pathfinder OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM RETROFIT SERVICE INFORMATION The information in this bulletin is provided for customers who have concerns with their Occupant Classification System (OCS) operation after all...
2013 ?
Government investigations
Engineering analysis EA15004 · 2013, 2014 · opened Aug 2015, closed May 2017
Recall query RQ15001 · 2013, 2014 · opened Mar 2015, closed Sep 2015
Before you buy a Pathfinder
- Sit an adult in the passenger seat and check the air bag 'off' light goes out.
- Check by VIN that recalls 15V681 and 16V244 are done.
- Watch for an air bag warning light after start.
Questions
Which Nissan Pathfinder years have passenger air bag sensor and light?
Complaints are highest for the 2013, 2014, 2015 model years. The 2013 drew the most, with 156 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 14,000 miles, and half reported it between 4,000 and 36,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
Recall work is free. Out of recall, a seat sensor costs about $300 to $700.