1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER Complaints

UNCONTROLLABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE VIOLENT ROCKING MOTION AT ANY SPEED. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, STEADILY GETTING WORSE. SAFETY CONCERN AS I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE A 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER AND THERE IS A DANGEROUS SWAY WHEN I DRIVE, IT FEELS LIKE THE REAR END IS GOING TO FISH TAIL. *TR

1. AT AROUND 120K MILES THE CAR BEGAN TO SWAY, SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLY, AT SPEEDS AROUND 50MPH. REPLACES SHOCKS AND STRUTS. DID NOT FIX IT. TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE REAR STABILIZER BARS AND BUSHING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND VERY COMMON. *TR

AT ~ 65MPH, MY 96 PATHFINDER CAN SWAY SPONTANEOUSLY, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF THE CAR BOUNCING. DRIVER & PASSENGER NECK SNAPS BACK AND FORTH. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A TERRIFYING, UNCONTROLLABLE "WOBBLE" SIDE TO SIDE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, AFTER HITTING A BUMP OR DIP IN THE ROAD ON ONE SIDE. THE WOBBLE FIRST BEGAN TO APPEAR OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS REPAIR ATTEMPTS. NISSAN DEALER PLAYS DUMB ABOUT PROBLEM AND WANTS TO CHARGE ESTIMATED $1200 TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM AND THERE IS EVEN A TSB FROM NISSAN REGARDING IT. THIS IS DANGEROUS, CAUSED BY DESIGN, AND SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER RECALL BY NISSAN. *TR

NISSAN PATHFINDER 1996 MODEL HAS A CATASTROPHIC DESIGN FLAW. VEHICLE DANGEROUS WOBBLE. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE AND NOTICED A VERY BAD WOBBLE IN THE STEERING/SUSPENSION. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE '96-'04 MODELS AND HAS EVEN HAD A TSB (NTB98-001) ON THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CONSULTED MANY OTHER NISSAN OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND HAD TO PAY $700-$800 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AS MOST DRIVERS EXPERIENCE THEIR CARS WOBBLING OUT OF CONTROL AND OFF THE ROAD. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE OR PUT MY FAMILY IN IT. THIS SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN A FACTORY RECALL!!! *TR

REAR UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL LINK ROD BUSHINGS DEFECTIVE CAUSING DANGEROUS REAR END SWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH. REPAIR IS COSTLY AND IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH DEALERSHIPS AND NISSAN. *TR

WE OWN A 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER 4 WHEEL DRIVE THAT HAD DEVELOPED A SEVERE SIDE TO SIDE WOBBLE AT 55-60+ MPH . MECHANICS SAID IT WAS STRUTS/SHOCKS. WE REPLACED ALL 4. SAME PROBLEM EXISTS. THIS IS LIFE THREATENING ON THE HIGHWAY. MY DAUGHTER AND MYSELF HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED IT AND YOU NEARLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE SUV IF YOU DON'T LET OFF THE GAS QUICK. I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE RESULT OF AN EVASIVE MANEUVER - IT WILL BE CATASTROPHIC. DEALERS ARE ACTING LIKE THEY KNOW NOTHING, YET AN INTERNET SEARCH TURNS UP PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE OR ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. MOST ARE SAYING IF YOU REPLACE THE REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS OR THE ENTIRE ARMS, IT GOES AWAY. I AM ASKING THE NHTSA TO GET INVOLVED NOW AND FORCE NISSAN TO DO A NO-COST RECALL. WE OWN 2 OTHER NISSAN CARS AND I HAVE OWNED OVER A DOZEN CARS/TRUCKS IN 32 YEARS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. AND, I WORK ON CARS AND MOTORCYCLES IN MY SPARE TIME, AND I KNOW WHAT I AM ADDRESSING HERE. THIS IS A MAJOR, SERIOUS ENGINEERING DESIGN FLAW. *JB

I AM REPORTING A FAILURE IN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF MY 1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER. AT SPEEDS OF 50+ MPH, THE BACK HALF OF THE VEHICLE HAS INSTANCES WHERE OUT OF NOWHERE IT BEGINS TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS AND THEN IT STOPS AND WILL DO IT AGAIN JUST OUT OF THE BLUE. I REASONABLY FORESEE THIS FAILURE RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL CAUSE OF DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. ALL INSTANCES OF THIS OCCURRENCE HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A HEAVILY TRAVELED INTERSTATE. THERE WAS A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE BUT NISSAN SHOULD CHANGE IT TO A RECALL. *TR