1993 Nissan Pathfinder Owner Complaints

THIS IS THE SECOND 1993 NISSAN PATHFINDER I HAVE OWNED AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FRAME. THE REAR CROSSMEMBER COMPLETELY RUSTS OUT AND FALLS OFF THE PROBLEM IS VARY DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO OTHER DRIVERS BUT IT ALSO SEVERS THE REAR BRAKE LINE. I WAS DRIVING IN MY ALLY HIT A POT HOLE DOING MAYBE 10 TOPS WENT TO STOP AND COULD NOT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE OR MYSELF. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL THE OLD MODEL FRAMES CUS IT IS A CONTINUES PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10379381

Incident

Jan 24, 2011

Mileage

176,613 mi

REAR SUSPENSION HAS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO EXTREME RUSTING OF FRAME RAILS. EXCESS MOVEMENT OF REAR AXLE FROM SEPARATION DAMAGED THE BRAKE LINE AND CAUSED LOSS OF REAR BRAKES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10257222

Incident

Nov 14, 2008

Mileage

100,000 mi

*NOTE: THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE SIZE 235/75R15...THIS SIZE OPTION WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE DROP DOWN BOX./// BLOWOUT AND NEAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION IT WAS DETERMINED THE SIDEWALLS OF THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE HAD COLLAPSED UPON ENTERING A SLOW CURVE. THE CONDITION HAD EXISTED EARLIER AS THE SIDEWALLS WERE WORN TO THE THREADS BEING EXPOSED. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION ;ALL FOUR TIRES SEEM TO HAVE A VERY FLIMSY AND SUB-STANDARD SIDEWALL CONSTRUCTION. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL ALL FOUR TIRES CAN BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209737

Incident

Nov 20, 2007

Mileage

197,043 mi

I'M A CONSUMER WHO JUST HAD FOUR NEW COOPER DISCOVERER AST II TIRES INSTALLED ON A '93 NISSAN PATHFINDER. ALL FAILED WITHIN 709 MILES, APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH OF DRIVING. AFTER DRIVING TWO WEEKS AND 555 MILES, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT APPEARED TO FAIL AT THE BEAD. MY TIRE DEALER TURNED THE TIRE OVER TO A COOPER REP WHO EXAMINED THE TIRE AND SAID THE SHOP INSTALLED IT IMPROPERLY, LEADING TO THE FAILURE. THE SHOP DISAGREED WITH THE FINDING, BUT THEY REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. TWO WEEKS AND 154 MILES LATER, I NOTICED THE THREE OTHER COOPERS WERE FAILING. THE REARS HAD SOFTBALL-SIZED BULGES ON THE TIRE WALL EXTENDING FROM THE BEAD TOWARD THE TREAD. THE RIGHT FRONT HAD A BASEBALL-SIZED BULGE IN THE SAME LOCATION. ALL THE BULGES WERE ON THE INBOARD, WHITEWALL SIDE OF THE TIRE. MY SHOP'S OWNER PERSONALLY PULLED THE TIRES, EXAMINED THEM, AND FOUND BARE BEAD WIRE ADJACENT TO THE BULGE. THE BARE WIRE WAS 1-2 INCHES LONG. HE SAYS THE LOCATION OF THE BARE WIRE/BULGE FALLS ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE TIRE DURING MOUNTING--A SPOT NOT CONTACTED BY THE MOUNTING BAR DURING INSTALLATION. FURTHERMORE, HE SAID HE FOUND NO SCUFFING INSIDE THE TIRE INDICATING CONTACT WITH THE MOUNTING BAR AND NO LOOSE RUBBER INSIDE THE TIRE, FURTHER INDICATIVE OF DAMAGE DURING MOUNTING. HE TRUSTS HIS INSTALLER, A 10-YEAR EMPLOYEE WHO INSTALLS 100 TIRES A WEEK. HE'S CONVINCED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVELY MANUFACTURED. MY DEALER HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH COOPER. THE COMPANY INSISTS THE TIRES WERE DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION, BUT IT WENT AHEAD AND CREDITED THE SHOP THE COST OF THE TIRES. MY DEALER HAD A SIMILAR FAILURE ON A COOPER LIFELINER SLE TIRE A MONTH EARLIER, AND COOPER DENIED ANY PROBLEMS ON THEIR PART IN THAT INCIDENT AS WELL. THE TIRES ARE COOPER ASTII, P235-75-15 I PULLED ONE DOT#...3D1TCLA2305 THANKS --- BRUCE STOFF, ITHACA NY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10138302

Incident

Sep 28, 2005

Mileage

171,357 mi

FRAME VERRY RUSTY AND BROKE IN REAR OF VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

10120229

Incident

May 8, 2005

THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE MANIFOLD STUDS BREAKING, RESULTING IN AN EXHAUST LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH CAUSES EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10099726

Incident

Nov 9, 2004

Mileage

36,705 mi

EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAKS DUE TO POOR QUALITY EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND/OR BOLTS. *LA

NHTSA ID

10046869

Incident

Aug 15, 2003

Mileage

56,500 mi

EXHUAST MANIFOLD STUDS KEEP BREAKING CAUSING LEAKAGE, FUMES, AND NOISE. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN 45K MILES AT $500 TO $1200 PER INCIDENT. HAVE FILED COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS (INCIDENT 4259794). NISSAN DECLINED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THEY SAID VECHICLE WAS BEYOND USEFUL SERVICE LIFE. EVEN IF THAT WERE TRUE, THE REPAIRS I'M PAYING THEM FOR OVER AND OVER SHOULD HAVE A USEFUL SERVICE LIFE. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL DEALERS THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. COMMON NISSAN, FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. I JUST WANT TO HAVE IT FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL WITHOUT HAVING TO KEEP ON PAYING FOR THIS. CHECK OUT THIS FORUM HTTP://FORUMS.VMAG.COM/SUVPATHFINDER0200 WHERE THERE ARE LITERALLY 100'S OF COMPLAINTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037263

Incident

Sep 4, 2003

Mileage

105,000 mi

CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE REAR END FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OF BODY ROT, AND IF IMPACTED IN AN ACCIDENT, IT WOULD DISINTEGRATE.*JB

NHTSA ID

10009995

Incident

Feb 27, 2003

Mileage

133,000 mi

THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED ON 2 OCCASIONS.*JB

NHTSA ID

10008739

Incident

Feb 15, 2002

Mileage

165,000 mi

ODOMETER FRAUD.

NHTSA ID

10005781

Incident

Jan 11, 2003

EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS ARE BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. DEALERSHIP WANTS $1400.00 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT NISSAN HAS BEEN AWARE OF AND DOES NOTHING TO COMPENSATE THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR. CAUSES EXHAST LEAKS INTO THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

10005540

Incident

Nov 1, 2001

Mileage

150,000 mi

BURNED THROUGH FLOOR, PAN OVER EXHAUST PIPE. FLAMMABLE PADDING UNDER CARPET CAUGHT FIRE.*AK

NHTSA ID

764995

Incident

Jul 28, 2002

EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED,AND BOLTS WERE BROKEN, CAUSING EXHAUST FUMES TO LEAK INSIDE VEHICLE WHEN OUTDOOR VENT WAS OPEN.CONTACTED DEALER.THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8014491

Incident

May 22, 2002

EVERY TIME VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP ENGINE DIES OUT. TAKES NUMEROUS TRIES TO GET VEHICLE TO RESTART. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL.*AK

NHTSA ID

8007148

Incident

Sep 8, 1998

BROKEN ENGINE EXHAUST STUDS; ALSO, OCCURRED IN 1994,1995 MODELS. *AK

NHTSA ID

756504

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

753843

BOTTOM OF VEHICLE/ RUNNING BOARD, AND REAR BUMPER BECAME RUSTED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

897190

THE TIMING BELT OF THE VEHICLE BROKE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. THE DEALER REPLACED.THE PISTONS STUCK IN A CLOSED POSITION AND IT BENT THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER WAS SEEKING PARTILA REFUND FOR BENT VALVE AND PISTON THAT WERE REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

562115

Incident

Jul 1, 2001

I HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH DESTROYED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: RADIO, TRANSMISSION, ALTERNATOR, REAR DEFROSTER, REAR WIPERS, REAR WINDOW LOCK, POWER WINDOW MOTOR, TURN SIGNALS, RELAYS, TRANSMISSION SENDING UNITS. AT APPROXIMATELY 82000 MILES THE BATTERY EXPLODED EATING THE PAINT OFF THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER. WITHIN A MONTH, I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN I SAW SMOKE IN THE INTERIOR ACCOMPANIED BY ELECTRICAL SHORTING SOUNDS. THE WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN, HORN WENT OFF, POWER LOCKS POPPED, AND THE SOLENOIDS IN THE TRANSMISSION BURNED OUT ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPONENTS. ONLY THREE FUSES WERE BLOWN SO THE FUSE BLOCK WAS INEFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING FIRE. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE EXCEPT INTERMITTANT SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT RADIO SPEAKERS UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.*AK

NHTSA ID

745796

Incident

Apr 15, 2001

REF. SERVICE BULLETIN #: FC0009202 / NHTSA ITEM #: SB035797 -- EXHAUST NOISE AND EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS. AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THE RIGHT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AT 36,705 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN. AT 48,654 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AND WAS REPAIRED AT MY COST (APPROX $350). NOW, AT 113,500 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS APPEAR TO BE BROKEN AND REQUIRE REPAIR. NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR 1993 ENGINES. FOR 1995 & 1996 MODELS, THEY'VE EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES. THEN, IN 1997, THEY INTRODUCED A NEW DESIGN WHICH CHANGED THE BOLT SIZE FROM 8MM TO 10MM BOLTS (RECTIFYING THE KNOWN PROBLEM). EVEN WITH SUCH AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, NISSAN REFUSES TO WARRANTEE THE REPAIRS! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED REQUIRING NISSAN TO UPGRADE THE ENGINE/EXHAUST SYSTEMS IN THE PRE-1997 NISSAN PATHFINDERS (IN THAT, THIS BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO REOCCUR EVERY 50,000 MILES OR SO). THANK YOU. SINCERELY, MICHAEL J. *AKGALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

738017

Incident

Dec 12, 2000

BOTH MY MANIFOLD HAVE FALLEN DOWN BECAUSE OF A BROKEN BOLT ON THE MOTOR, THEY TELL ME THIS IS A FAULT ON THES CARS. *AK

NHTSA ID

736777

Incident

Nov 20, 2000

ON JUNE 14, 2000 MY SPOUSE AND I WERE RETURNING FROM VACATION DRIVING APPROX. 70 MPH ON I-35 EAST OF GREENVILLE, TX AND HAD JUST PASSED AN 18 WHEELER WHEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. WE WERE IN THE LEFT HAND LANE AND WERE VERY FORTUNATE IN MOVING IN FRONT OF THE 18 WHEELER AND OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WITHOUT ROLLING THE VEHICLE. IT WAS VERY SCARY. THE TREAD CAME OFF AND TORE UP PART OF THE FENDER AREA AND WRAPPED UP OVER THE REAR BUMPER AND BROKE THE RIGHT REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THE PROCESS TO BE REIMBURSED BY FIRESTONE FOR OUR REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE REGIONAL FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. IN FORT WORTH SUGGESTET THAT IN ADDITIONAL TO THE $400.00 AMOUNT REQUESTED FOR NEW TIRES THAT WE ALSO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE $80.00 EXPENSE TO HAVE THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY REPLACED. WE SUBMITTED ALL APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK ON AUGUST 16, 0000. AS OF OCTOBER 4, 0000 (SEVEN WEEKS) WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM FIRESTONE. WE ARE VERY UPSET WITH THEIR LACK OF RESPONSE. PLEASE ADVISE. BY THE WAY, WE HAD NINE TIRES ON TWO VEHICLES WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED. FIVE OF THE TIRES (GOODYEAR) WERE REPLACED VERY QUICKLY AFTER WE RAISED CANE AND NO REIMBURSEMENT IS REQUIRED ON THESE FIVE TIRES. THANKS! (TIRESIZE: 23575R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )

NHTSA ID

733418

Incident

Jun 14, 2000

THE REAR BUMPER IS SEVERELY RUSTING AT THE CRASH PROTECTION SPOTS-- CHROME IS PEELING AND RUST IS PREDOMINANT, LIMITED TO THE 2 AREAS WHERE FASTENED TO THE FRAME-- EACH RUST AREA APPROX 5 INCHES SQUARE; ALSO, BOTH SIDE STEP RAILS THAT RUN THE LENGTH OF THE VEHICLE HAVE SEVERE RUST HOLES FORMING. *AK

NHTSA ID

731039

DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE BLOWOUT ON FREEWAY, DAMAGED REAR OF CAR( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

NHTSA ID

728735

Incident

Aug 19, 2000