2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER Complaints

DRIVING MY SON'S PATHFINDER FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SEE WHAT HE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT SHOCKED ME. I WAS GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE, AND MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE PATHFINDER STARTED WOBBLING SO ROUGHLY THAT I PULLED OVER. I WAS SHAKING! MY SON WAS ALSO IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME, HE SAYS IT GETS EVEN WORSE, AND DOES THIS WOBBLE AT ALL SPEEDS. I PULLED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY, AND AGAIN STARTED WOBBLING SO SEVERELY AT 50 MILES AN HOUR, I SLOWED DOWN TO 40 AND STILL FELT LIKE I WAS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE STEERING. I TOOK THE PATHFINDER TO THE TIRE DEALERS IN TOWN AND ALSO TO HAVE THE UNDERCARRIAGE LOOKED AT. NO BODY WAS ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. EVEN THE NISSAN DEALER HAD NO CLUE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON LINE AND FOUND SIMILAR TALES. THIS IS A FRIGHTENING SITUATION. MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS NOT ALLOWED TO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT 40 MPH STEERING VIBRATES AND THE VEHICLE REAR END WOBBLES WHEN TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, THAT WAS VERY NERVE WRECKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND DRIVE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SPILLED INTO THE RADIATOR AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

AFTER A GAS FILL, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FUEL INDICATOR SHOWED ZERO FUEL EVEN WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL. NISSAN DEALER SAID THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST $350! DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS BEEN BAD ON SEVERAL OF THESE VEHICLES. NISSAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS BUT WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY BY MILEAGE (BUT NOT BY VEHICLE AGE) AND HENCE THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST. THIS IS A *SAFETY* ISSUE, REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE THAT WE THINK NISSAN SHOULD FIX AT THEIR COST. IT'S SIMPLY A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT THAT WAS INSTALLED ON THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES. NISSAN NEEDS TO BE HOLD ACCOUNTABLE! *TR

GOING ABOUT 30MPH, IN TRAFFIC, WITH FAMILY INSIDE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. IT STARTED TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE. THE ENGINE ALSO STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE. DROVE IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING OBVIOUS AND QUOTED A COST OF $250 TO SIMPLY INVESTIGATE FURTHER. WE AGREED. THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THE ENGINE CAMSHAFT AND TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $2500! THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY OR HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A CORE ENGINE COMPONENT. THEY *THINK* SOME MISALIGNMENT OF THE TIMING CHAIN MIGHT HAVE CAUSED IT. WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE. THEY ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLANT FOR SOME REASON. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMING CHAIN ISSUES REPORTED THAT HAVE CAUSED CAM/ENGINE FAILURES ON SAME/SIMILAR NISSAN MODELS/ENGINES. THERE IS ALSO A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT BEING PREPARED TO HOLD NISSAN ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE DEFECTS AND REPAIRS. *TR

I HAVE ANTIFREEZE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING INTO EACH OTHER (TRANNY HAVE ANTIFREEZE AND RADIATOR HAVE TRANNY FLUID IN IT ) FLUID IS MILKY AND NOW MY TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SLIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED OF CORROSION ON THE STRUT HOUSING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V244000 (STEERING: COLUMN). THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE REPAIR, THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED FOR THE ISSUE. THE CHECK ENGINE AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RELAYS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 PATHFINDER WITH 75,000 MILES. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AROUND MARCH 15 WHEN MY ENGINE BEGAN TO PRODUCE A LOUD KNOCK. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO NISSAN DEALER. THE KNOCK WAS STILL THERE. THEY INVESTIGATED AND STATED THE WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH WILL FIND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON ALTIMAS, SENTRAS, AND PATHFINDERS BECAUSE THE SCREWS WERE NOT PROPERLY LOCKED AT THE FACTORY, MAKING THIS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH BY ISSUING A MANDATORY SERVICE. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNDRIVABLE FOR FEAR OF FURTHER DAMAGE, AS WE AWAIT A RESPONSE FROM NISSAN NORTH AMERICA ON WHAT ACTION, IF ANY, THEY WILL DO TO INVESTIGATE. *RT *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A RATTLING WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE SPARE TIRE WAS HANGING FROM THE CHAIN, WHICH WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INDEPENDENTLY. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT PROVIDE A REASON FOR THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000. UPDATED 3/7/11 *CN UPDATED 12/20/11 *CN