1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER Complaints

BROUGHT MY PATHFINDER TO STAR NISSAN FOR THE CORROSION RECALL, I WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS TOO FAR GONE TO REPAIR AND THEY SAID THAT A RENTAL CAR WOULD BE PROVIDED TO ME, "AT NO COST" WHILE COMPENSATION FOR VEHICLE WAS BEING PROCESSED. I AGREED TO THIS, AT THE RENTAL CAR LOCATION I WAS INFORMED THAT NISSAN WILL COVER RENTAL BUT NOT INSURANCE, I HAVE STATE REQUIRED LIABILITY BUT NOT THEFT AND COLLISION AS THE CAR IS A 1996 WITH 210000 MILES ON IT AND THE PREMIUM OUT WEIGHT THE VALUE OF THE CAR. SO I HAD TO AGREE TO THE COLLISION AND FIR, THEFT INSURANCE OF $9 A DAY. NOW NISSAN SAYS THEY WILL NOT PAY THE $9 A DAY "SUPPLEMENTAL" INSURANCE. I CLAIM THIS INSURANCE IS NOT ""SUPPLEMENT" BUT MANDATED AS THE RENTAL WAS A NEW CAR AND IF STOLEN I, NOT NISSAN WOULD BE HELD LIABLE I WOULD LIKE, NO DEMAND PAYMENT FOR THE INSURANCE I HAVE PAID TO COVER, "THERE " NOT MY RENTAL. IF I HAD RENTED THIS CAR MY CREDIT CARD WOULD HAVE COVERED ALL INSURANCE BUT SINCE, NISSAN WAS THE RENTER MY CREDIT CARD DOES NOT COVER THE THEFT AND COLLISION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION HOUSING AND STRUTS WERE SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11V244000 (STEERING, SUSPENSION) WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164,000.

I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AGO,ON JULY 2ND WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I CAME UPON A FEW SLIGHT ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROAD,THIS SUDDENLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY,AS IF SOMEONE WAY ROCKING A BOAT OF JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH,AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES IT STOPPED FOR A BIT UNTIL MORE ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROAD OR IF SPEEDING UP OR SLOWING DOWN CAUSED THE SAME PROBLEM,I HAD MY GRAND KIDS IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE TIME,IT SCARED US ALL TO PIECES,BECAUSE I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE I NEED IT,HAS NISSAN CALLED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM? I'M SEEING MANY,MANY MORE PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MAKE AS MINE? THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY A PROFESSIONAL NISSAN MECHANIC,I NEED INSTRUCTION'S ON HOW TO GO ABOUT RECTIFYING THE PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 96 NISSAN PATHFINDER STRAIGHT ON A 30MPH ROAD WHEN I LET OFF THE ACCELRATOR AND THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY, SHAKE AND TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH AS IF THE REAR AXLE WAS TWISTING SEPERATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS MOTION OF ROCKING A SWAYING THEN STARTED EVERY TIME I WOULD STEP ON OR LET OFF OF THE GAS AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT UP OR DOWN A GEAR. I THEN STARTED TO HEAR A POPING NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL WHEN I WOULD TURN A CORNER. I HAVE HAD THIS PATHFINDER INTO THE MECHANIC MULTIPE TIMES ALREADY WITH ISSUES DUE TO NISSANS SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. I WOULD NOT RECOMEND A NISSAN PRODUCT TO ANYONE. I HAVE ALREADY COMPLAINED TO NISSAN AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS FROM THEIR MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. WHERE ARE THE RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE? DO NOT BUY A NISSAN!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 65 MPH VEHICLE WENT INTO VIOLENT BODY ROLLING AND SHIMMY CAUSING DRIVER TO ALMOST LOOSE CONTROL. BODY WAS ROLLING SEVERELY, AS IF STEERING WHEEL WAS BEING ROCKED BACK AND FORTH, HOWEVER STEERING WHEEL WAS STEADY. UNABLE TO STOP BODY ROLL UNTIL BRAKES APPLIED. UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY DAMAGE AT TIME IF EVENT, BUT HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES DURING TRIP. UPON DETAILED INSPECTION, REAR TIRES SHOWED SEVERE SCUFFING ON OUTSIDE OF TIRES AND IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH REAR AXLE LINKS BASED ON SOME INTERNET RESEARCH. *TR

OUR 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER STARTED TO WOBBLE VIOLENTLY -- THE SO-CALLED "DEATH WOBBLE" THAT '96-'97 PATHFINDERS ARE NOW KNOWN FOR -- AROUND 140,000 MILES. THE WOBBLE WAS MORE SEVERE AT HIGHER SPEEDS (>50 MPH) BUT ALSO OCCURRED AT LOWER SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY WHEN CORNERING, ENCOUNTERING MINOR ROAD DEFECTS OR WHEN IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THE WOBBLE WAS PARTICULARLY SEVERE IF THERE WERE PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEAT AND/OR WHEN THERE WAS ADDITIONAL WEIGHT IN THE FAR BACK. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VIOLENT WOBBLING OR ITS SEVERITY WAS TO REDUCE SPEED IMMEDIATELY. REPLACING THE TIRES AND STRUTS, AND INSTALLING HEAVY DUTY SHOCKS DID LITTLE TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. THE VIOLENT ROCKING WAS REMINISCENT OF A BLOW OUT AND MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT NISSAN HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS FAILED TO CONDUCT A RECALL OR PROVIDE ADEQUATE REDRESS. SINCE THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, WE WILL BE TAKING IT TO OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER FOR REPAIRS AT OUR EXPENSE.

ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 96' NISSAN PATHFINDER AT APPROX. 30MPH. I MADE A LEFT HAND TURN AND WAS COMING OUT OF THE TURN WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL REPEATEDLY JERKED FROM SIDE TO SIDE CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE SUBSEQUENTLY FLIPPED ROLLING INTO A CAR DEALERSHIP AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO 2 USED VEHICLES ON THE LOT BEFORE LANDING ON ITS TOP AND SPINNING AROUND. LUCKILY, I ONLY SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES SUCH AS CUTS BRUISES AND MUSCLE STRAIN RESULTING FROM BROKEN GLASS, SEAT BELT PRESSURE, LOOSE OBJECTS FLYING THROUGH THE VEHICLE AND THE JOSTLING AS THE VEHICLE MADE ITS JOURNEY. I WAS CHARGED WITH REASONABLE CONTROL AND THE ACCIDENT WAS BRUSHED OFF DUE TO MY AGE (19) AND BEING AN 'INEXPERIENCED DRIVER' EVEN THOUGH I EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE THAT THE STEERING SEEMED TO HAVE 'A MIND IF ITS OWN'. I AM NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE 2 VEHICLES ON THE CAR LOT. AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE TOWED, THE OWNER OF THE TOWING COMPANY URGED ME TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE SUV. I SENT IT TO THE RECYCLERS AS I HAD NO OTHER IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO WITH IT AT THIS POINT. I AM NOW READING STORIES OF OTHER ISSUES WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES AS WELL AS SEEING NOTICE OF A RECALL IN THE STRUT TOWER HOUSING. I DO LIVE IN A STATE THAT WAS PART OF THE RECALL BUT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM PRIOR TO MY ACCIDENT. I HAD ALSO JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE (MY 1ST) IN JULY 2011. I AM PREPARING TO INVESTIGATE THE WHERE ABOUTS OF THE PATHFINDER, HOPING IT IS STILL AT THE JUNK YARD AND HOPEFULLY HAVE MY ACCIDENT INVESTIGATED FURTHER SEEKING COMPENSATION. I HOPE THAT OTHERS WILL READ THIS AND SHARE THEIR STORIES AS WELL. I ALSO FEEL THAT IT TOOK ENTIRELY TOO LONG TO ISSUE A RECALL, IF IT HAD BEEN SOONER, IT WOULD HAVE SAVED ME SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I AM JUST LUCKY IT DIDN'T COST ME MY LIFE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER HAVING REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V244000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT), THE STRUT HOUSING STARTED TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING A KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE STRUT HOUSING. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE STRUT HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AS WELL DUE TO RUST. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPAIR BOTH STRUT HOUSINGS AND/OR BUY BACK THE VEHICLE BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONFIRMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THE AXLE HAS HEAVY TWIST ROCK SWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS SHAKES VIOLENTLY SIDE TO SIDE VERY CONSTANT I FEEL LIKE WE COULD CRASH AT ANY MOMENT THIS IS HAPPENING HAVE TRIED TO OBTAIN PART ONLINE AND IN PART STORE I CAN'T AFFORD IT AT THE DEALERSHIP IT IS 700 TO 1400 DOLLARS I FEEL IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE DEALER AKA RECALL MAYBE MY FAMILY WILL BE THE ONE TO PARISH DUE TO THIS FAULTY PART THEN IT WILL BE A RECALL. HOPE NOT. I CAN'T JUST GO GET A NEW CAR THIS IS MY VEHICLE A 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER WE AS A NISSAN FAMILY HAVE A 1996 PATHFINDER ALSO WITH THE SAME ISSUE PLEASE CHANGE THIS BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED IF I HAVE 2 PATHFINDERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I SEE ON AVERAGE 20 TO 30 OF THE SAME MODELS DAILY. *KB