2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING TRUCK ON A SIDE STREET, THE REAR DOOR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED/ SHATTERED. MY DAUGHTER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND SAW NO PEOPLE OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS.I REPORTED THE EVENT TO THE DEALER TO NO AVAIL. THEY CLAIM "IMPOSSIBLE, SOMETHING HAD TO HIT IT". I THEN REPORTED TO NISSAN CUSTOMER HOTLINE, ALSO TO NO AVAIL. THEY CLAIM IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NISSAN WARRANTY. *AK

2001 PATHFINDER SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM PERTAINS TO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDAL ON THE 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER. AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WITH OUR PATHFINDER DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE SPACING, THE GAS PEDAL WAS MISTAKEN FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE ENTERING A PARKING LOT AND THE DRIVER PANICKED AND THE VEHICLE STRUCK A WALL. A SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH ME. WHILE DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE, I BRAKED BUT MY FOOT WAS PARTIALLY ON THE GAS PEDAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH. FORTUNATELY, I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM IN TIME AND PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED WAS THE DRIVER'S FIRST "AT FAULT" ACCIDENT IN 25 YEARS OF DRIVING. THE CLEAR DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL ON THE PATHFINDER IS 2 3/8". ON OTHER CARS, I MEASURED THE CLEAR DISTANCE AS 3". THIS EXTRA DISTANCE MAKES A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN DISTINGUISHING THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SPACING IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE PATHFINDER AND CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION. I RECOMMEND THAT NISSAN RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE PEDAL AND LEVER ARM WITH A LEVER WHICH IS OFFSET TO INCREASE THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. AT THIS TIME, I WILL DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT SHOES OR WEAR A SOFT SOLE SHOE SO THAT I CAN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL. A HARD SOLE SHOE CAUSES BOTH PEDALS TO FEEL THE SAME, AND BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS, IS THE SOURCE OF CONFUSION AND SAFETY CONCERN.*AK

ON THURSDAY MAY 24, 2001, I WENT TO PICK UP MY PATHFINDER AT CONCORD NISSAN. MY PATHFINDER WAS IN FOR WARRANTY WORK, ON THE POWER CONTROLS FOR THE DRIVER SEAT AND THE CD PLAYER. DEALER HAD INFORMED ME THAT MY 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE, VIN#[XXX], IS READY FOR PICK UP. AS I GO OVER THE REPAIRS, I NOTICE THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT IS NOT BOLTED IN. I GO AND GET THE SERVICE MANAGER, [XXX] , AND WHEN HE COMES OUT, HE REALLY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I AM UPSET. AS [XXX] STANDS, CHEWING GUM WITH HIS HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK, HE CASUALLY SAYS, EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. I TRIED TO GET [XXX] TO SEE WHY IT IS SUCH A BIG CONCERN OF MINE, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO. I EVEN TOLD [XXX] THAT HIS I DO NOT GIVE A [XXX] ATTITUDE WAS UNSETTLING. I ASKED TO SEE IF THE MECHANIC IS QUALIFIED TO THE REPAIRS. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A TORQUE SPECIFICATION FOR THESE BOLTS AND I WAS TOLD,  NOT EVERY BOLT HAS TORQUE REQUIREMENTS. THIS DEALERSHIP DID MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE BY NOT BOLTING IN THE DRIVER SEAT. I HAVE ASKED FOR A WRITTEN LETTER OF EXPLANATION OF HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN.THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC! BOLTS THAT HOLD A SEAT IN PLACE ARE NOT AN OPTION; THEY WERE ENGINEERED TO BE THERE FOR A REASON. IF THESE BOLTS HAD GONE UNNOTICED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED, PERHAPS EVEN DEATH. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND AT WHAT POINT IS A REPAIR FACILITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE QUALITY OF WORK THEY DO AND SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS?*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THERE IS SOME SHAKING IN FRONT END BETWEEN 55 MPH AND 70 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER 8 TIMES, BUT SO FAR NO REMEDY.*AK ALSO, THE BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY ROAR OR SKIP. *YH

WHILE STOPPING ENGINE WOULD IDLE HIGH. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

EXCESSIVE EFFORT NEEDED TO ENGAGE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHER THAN 30 MPH SPEEDS OR WHEN VEHICLE LOAD IS HEAVY, DRIVER HAS TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL ALL WAY TO FLOOR TO GET THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO ENGAGE. *AK THE MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND INDICATED TO BE NORMAL. *YH

SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA) ON FEB 24, 2001. AFTER COMING TO A FULL STOP WITH TRANSMISSION IN "DRIVE" AND REMAINING STOPPED FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS, THE ENGINE SPEED SUDDENLY WENT FROM IDLE TO 5000-6000 RPM. VEHICLE REMAINED ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY DUE TO SPINNING TIRES ON WET PAVEMENT AND THE IMMEDIATE HARDER APPLICATION OF BRAKES, BUT A COLLISION WOULD HAVE RESULTED HAD THE PAVEMENT BEEN DRY. ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS. I SET THE TRANSMISSION TO "NEUTRAL" IN REACTION TO THE SUA WHICH MAY HAVE STOPPED THE SUA OR MAY HAVE JUST BEEN COINCIDENTAL WITH THE SUA STOPPING ON ITS OWN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NISSAN DEALER IN ANNAPOLIS, MD ON FEB 26, 2001; DEALER FOUND NO STORED ERROR CODES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BOTH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NOTHING MORE COULD BE DONE UNTIL DEALER COULD REPEAT THE SUA. NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS A RECORD OF THE INCIDENT, AS DOES THE DEALER. THIS NOT A CASE OF THROTTLE/BRAKE PEDAL MISAPPLICATION. I SUSPECT THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IS THE CAUSE OF THE SUA BECAUSE I RARELY USE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I WAS USING CRUISE CONTROL FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE INCIDENT  APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES/20 MINUTES UNINTERRUPTED. CRUISE CONTROL WAS MOST LIKELY SET TO ON WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED BUT I DID NOT THINK TO VERIFY THIS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ALSO, AND VERY NOTABLY, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AFTER THE SUA INCIDENT WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL ON LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED (CRUISE SET LIGHT WAS OFF). THE CRUISE CONTROL ON LIGHT SHOULD BE OFF WHENEVER THE ENGINE IS INITIALLY STARTED. I WILL PROVIDE VIN UPON REQUEST. I DONT HAVE THE VIN AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. OTHER VEHICLE PARTICULARS: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, SE MODEL.*AK

PRIOR TO BUYING VEHICLE, CONSUMER EXPRESSED INTEREST IN A TETHER ANCHOR, DEALER STATED THAT THIS PART COULD BE ORDERED AND INSTALLED, HOWEVER IT TOOK 2 WEEKS TO COMPLETE CONSUMER'S REQUEST AND CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR IT, CONSUMER IS ANGRY BECAUSE SHE FEELS ALL NEW VEHICLE SHOULD COME EQUIPPED WITH THE TETHER ANCHORS. *SLC

THE STEERING PULL AND/OR BODY VIBRATION MANIFESTS ITSELF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF BETWEEN 60 AND 75 MPH, REGARDLESS OF ROAD CROWN OR IMPERFECTIONS OF THE SURFACE. THIS DEFECT IMPAIRS THE STEERING CONSIDERABLY. STEERING BECOMES EVEN MORE OF A CHANNLANGE DURING WET ROAD CONDITIONS IN RESPECT OF THE RECENT NHTSA PUBLICATION, SHOWING A TWO STAR ROLLOVER RATING FOR THIS VEHICLE, THE REFERENCED DEFECT INDEED HAS A SERIOUSNEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE WHILST DRIVEN ON HIGHWAYS AT THE SPEEDS INDICATED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED TO PHONECALLS AND LETTER OF NOTIFICATION. ARBITRATION WAS HELD UNDER THE BBB AUTOLINE PROGRAM. REQUEST FOR REPURCHASE WAS DENIED DESPITE THE FACT THAT BOTH THE MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVE AND THE ARBITRATOR RECOGNIZED THE DEFECT DURING THE TEST DRIVE. THE ARBITRATOR CONSIDERED IT A NUSANCE. *AK

ALL INSTRUMENT GAUGES INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TACHOMETER, GAS GAUGE, ENGINE TEMP GAUGE, 4 WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR, AND COMPASS FAIL TO WORK AFTER DRIVING. FIALURE IS INTERMITTENT. SERVICE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IN UNDER 30 DAYS. *AK