Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The vehicle swings left to right when cruising at about any speed. When the vehicle is pulling it does not swing or sway, however once the vehicle has got up to a desired speed and you try to maintain a steady speed it starts a “death wobble” which nearly cannot hold it on correct side of the road. You have to increase speed or reduce speed dramatically to regain control of the vehicle.
THE VEHICLE STARTS SWAYING DANGEROUSLY, AT A SPEED OF 20 MPH . AT A HIGHER SPEED THE CAR WILL STARTS BACK SWAYING AND FISH TAILING AND WOULD FLIP SPECIALLY ON A WET ROADS, NO CONTROL TO IT. *TR
I BOUGHT MY 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER A FEW MONTHS AGO AS MY SECOND VEHICLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK SOME 30 MILES ONE WAY. I CAN'T DRIVE IT MORE THAN UP THE STREET BECAUSE IT HAS DEVELOPED A SEVERE SWAYING DEFECT WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OVER 40 MPH. IT IS SO BAD THAT IT FEELS LIKE AN AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE!. IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET TO TRY TO GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE OVER SEVERAL YEARS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS "DEATH SWAY" THAT IT IS ACTUALLY APPALLING THAT NISSAN OR THE CONSUMER SAFETY DEPARTMENT HASN'T STEPPED IN TO CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE FOUND THAT IT IS A REAR UPPER AND LOWER BUSHING ARM THAT SEEMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT AT A HEFTY EXPENSE OF UP TO $1,000. A LIFE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE TAKEN FOR NISSAN TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS WELL DOCUMENTED DEFECT. NISSAN NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DEFECT IS INEXCUSABLE. *TR
THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THIS OCCURRED ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME UPON ACCELERATION FROM A COMPLETE STOP, AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING A TREE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED REAR END DAMAGE. *AK *SC *JB
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO VEER OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A CURB. THE VEHICLE'S AXLE BROKE AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ANALYSIS. *JB THE BRAKE SYSTEM RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOST OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD STICK, THERE WAS A RATTLING/BUZZING SOUND UPON ACCELERATION, THE BRAKES SLIPPED, AND THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT RESPOND AT TIMES. *SCC PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE STRUTS LEAKED AND THE LEFT FRONT STABILIZER BAR WAS REPLACED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING COULD STEP ON GAS PEDAL AND IT WILL STICK TO FLOOR IN A DOWN POSITION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CORRECT PROBLEM. BUT, NO SOLUTION HAD BEEN FOUND. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
ACCELLERATOR STICKS BADLY! DURING COLD STARTS AND IDLE TIME (EG. AT STOP LIGHT OR CRUISE CONTROL ON) YOU GO TO PRESS ON THE ACCELLERATOR PEDAL AN IT'S STUCK. YOU PUSH HARDER WITH YOUR FOOT TO LOOSEN IT UP, AND THE VEHICLE WILL JERK AND LURCH FORWARD BADLY. I'VE HAD 3 (THREE) NISSAN PATHFINDERS, ALL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. 1987, 1992 AND 1997 ALL THE SAME PROBLEM! NISSAN SUGGESTS YOU REPAIR BY A CLUTCH ASSEMBLY KIT, WHICH COSTS $200+ INSTALLED. BUT IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, IN ALL NISSAN VEHICLES, WHY DON'T THEY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM PERMANENTLY??? ANY IDEAS OR HELP, CONTACT [email protected] - THANK YOU!*AK
THROTTLE STICKS WHEN STARTING FROM STOP/IDLE. NOT IN CABLE LINKAGE FROM ACCELERATOR PEDAL. APPEARS TO BE IN THROTTLE BODY. SERIOUS CONCERN WHEN PARALLEL PARKED, OR IN STRING OF VECHICLES AT STOP SIGN. HELP!*AK
I'M JUST WONDERING IF MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PART BRAKE. NISSAN IS OFFERING TO PAY FOR 50% OF THE REPAIR, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A BIG PROBLEM FOR THEM SO I WANT TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS GOING TO BECOME A RECALL ITEM. THEY ALREADY HAVE A "NOTICE" OUT ON THE PROBLEM. THE THROTTLE STICKS AND COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS SO WE ARE NOT DRIVING THE CAR TILL THIS BECOMES RESOLVED. *AK
THE STRUTS WENT AT 52,000 MILES $800 TO REPLACE, EXHAUST MANIFOLD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED(WARRANTY). TODAY THE NEWS THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS JUST"WORN OUT " $235, THE REAR SUSPENSION LINCS WERE "WORN OUT" $350, THE INTAKE PINIUM(SP?) WAS LEAKING $660. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT NISSAN AND THEIR "WORN OUT" VEHICLES. IT'S NOT EVEN PAID FOR YET!
HAVE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE IDLING. ENGINE REVS UP AND TACH STICKS FROM 1500-2000 RPM ALMOST CONSTANTLY. WHEN VEHICLE IS IN FIRST GEAR IT WILL STICK AND TAKE OFF BY IT SELF AND EVEN SPEED UP EVEN THOUGH IT IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. DEALER HAS SEEN TRUCK 4 TIMES NOW AND "CAN NOT" FIND THE PROBLEM. NON DEALER REPAIR DIAGNOSED THE VALVE IN ONE VISIT. ARE THERE REPORTS OF ANY OTHER NISSAN PATHFINDERS OR VEHICLES THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM? IT'S DANGEROUS!!!!!!*AK
DRIVER'S SEATBELT REPLACED 4 TIMES DUE TO LOCKING UP TOO TIGHTLY, WON'T RELEASE ONCE TIGHTENED. CONSUMER HAS NO MOVEMENT, DEALER KEPT REPLACING BELTS WITH SAME TYPE. ALSO, PROBLEM WITH FILLER TUBE, IT OVERFLOWS WHEN GETTING GAS, IT FILLS RESERVOIR. MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD CAUSE PROBLEM. CANISTER WAS REPLACED. *AK ACCELERATOR STUCK. *YH
WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND SLAMMED INTO A BRICK WALL. *AK
GAS PEDAL STUCK OCCATIONALLY
GAS PEDAL STICKS AT A STOP OR WHEN THE PEDAL HAS BEEN AT A CONSTANT SPOT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THE ONLY WAY TO RELEASE THE PEDAL IS TO TAP IT WITH YOUR FOOT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP FORWARD. *AK
SUMMARY OF THE INCIDENT: IT WAS A NEAR-MIRACLE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED FROM THIS SCARY EXPERIENCE DURING THE RUSH HOUR LASTING OVER A MILE OR LONER STRETCH FOR MANY MINUTES. THE CAR HAD UNUSUAL, UNCONTROLLABLE, AND VERY DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS SITUATION WAS SO BAD THAT IT ALMOST COLLIDED WITH A FEW OTHER CARS AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS.EVENTS:(1) WHILE ENTERING HIGHWAY RAMP, GRADUALLY ACCELERATING (WITH SPEED AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH), THE ENGINE HESITATES. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ROARED AND ACCELERATED BY ITSELF WITH THE CAR QUICKLY GAINED SPEED ABOVE 55MPH - WITHOUT APPLYING ANY GAS PADDLE. NO CRUISE CONTROL WAS USED OR TURNED ON. THE DRIVER TRIED TO APPLY SERVICE-BRAKE BUT THE BRAKE WAS VERY STIFF WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE EVEN WITH EXTRA EFFORT. THE DRIVER NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS AT 6000RPM.(2) THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO SHIFT THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL. THOUGH THE SHIFT-LEVER-POSITION DID ENTER THE "NEUTRAL" INDICATION, THE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM STILL STAYED AT THE "DRIVE" AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND GAINING SPEED. (THE DRIVER CONTINUED TO USE SERVICE-BRAKE ALL THE TIME TO NO AVAIL.)(3) THE DRIVER TRIED TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN BY SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR ("2"), THE CAR SPEED SLOWED DOWN VERY GRADUALLY. AT THAT TIME, THE DRIVER APPLIED EMERGENCY HAND-BRAKE.(4) EVENTUALLY THE CAR STOPPED USING THE HAND-BRAKE. RIGHT AFTER THIS, THE DRIVER SHIFTED THE LEVER TO "PARK" THEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY (AND IMMEDIATELY) SHOT UP TO 6000RPM AGAIN - AND THE TRANSMISSION APPEARED TO RE-ENGAGE AND MOVED THE CAR FORWARD WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY TURNED-OFF THE IGNITION TO STOP THE CAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALER. *AK
GAS PEDAL STICKING. *AK
CAR WILL SURGE IN REVERSE AND DRIVE. TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES NOT ABLE TO FIX. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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