Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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
WHILE DRIVING 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER I HIT POTHOLE ON A CITY STREET, HEARD LOUD BANG, SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETELY LOST ALL BRAKING ABILITIES, UPON BRINGING MY VEHICLE HOME AND EXAMINING I NOTICE THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT HOUSING HAD SEPARATED FROM FRAME SNAPPING THE BRAKE LINE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. APPEARS TO BE THE SAME CORROSION ISSUE AS THE RECALL ON THE LEFT FRONT STRUT HOUSING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE BRAKES HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKES AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE STRUT HOUSING PANEL WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V244000 (STEERING, SUSPENSION). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON FREEWAY WITH 1/4 TANK OF FUEL - ENGINE STALLED IN FAST LANE AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I WAS STUCK IN THE TRAFFIC LANE FOR 40 MINS UNTIL THE STATE POLICE HAD A TOW TRUCK TOW ME AWAY. TURNS OUT, THE FUEL GAUGE WAS INACCURATE BECAUSE MY TANK WAS EMPTY. MY GAUGE GOES ABOVE THE F WHEN I FILL UP AND IT IS EMPTY AT JUST ABOVE A THE 1/4 MARK. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OVER A FAULTY GAS GAUGE THAT SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM AFTER SEEING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. WHEN THE GAUGE GOES BAD - THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON SO I WAS COMPLETELY CAUGHT OFF GUARD. I WAS A SITTING DUCK ON THE FREEWAY WITH CARS SLAMMING ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME EVEN WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON. PLEASE HELP. *TR
THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DRIVER SIDE STRUT TOWER DUE TO SERVER RUSTING. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THAT AREA. I WAS HEARING A NOISE FROM THE FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE RUST HAD DAMAGE TO THAT STRUT TOWER. MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS FINALLY COME ON AND I HAD S LOST OF BRAKE FLUID. THE STRUT TOWER COLAPSE SEVERING THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE. THE DEALER INSPECTED IT AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS. I,M NOT SURE WHY THE LEFT FRONT STRUT TOWER WOULD BE COVERED AND THE RIGHT FRONT IN NOT. I HAD LEASED THIS VEHICAL AND WHEN THE LEASE EXPIRED WE PURCHASED THE CAR OUTRIGHT. WE HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL WHEN I HAD ONE REMAINING PAYMENT ON THE CAR. NOW WITH THE CAR PAID IN FULL IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF LESS THAN 30 MPH IN THE LEFT TURN LANE I HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE THAT FELT LIKE THE GEARS STUCK. THE CAR THEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, REVVED UP,SPEED FORWARD WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE NON RESPONSIVE, AND I HAD NO CONTROL. MY CAR, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, CROSSED THREE ADDITIONAL LANES STRIKING A TELEPHONE POLE(ACTUALLY SPLIT THE POLE IN 2 PLACES), TRANSFORMER, FIRE HYDRANT, AND FINALLY ROLLING DOWN A HILL WHERE IT CAME TO REST IN A PARKING LOT. THERE WAS FIRE FROM THE POWER LINES TOUCHIN AND WATER GUSHING FROM THE FIRE HYDRANT AT THE SAME TIME. MY FATHER WAS TWO CARS AHEAD OF ME AND WITNESSED THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT. WE HAD JUST LEFT FROM GETTING THE ANNUAL EMISSIONS CHECKED ON OUR VEHICLES AND HAD TRAVELED LESS THAN A MILE TOWARDS HOME, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I WAS TOLD BY THE PARAMEDICS THAT THEY NEVER SAW ANYONE WALK AWAY FROM AN ACCIDENT THIS SEVERE. I SUFFERED WHIPLASH, MINOR CUTS AND A 2ND DEGREE CONCUSSION BUT THIS MALFUNCTION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. *TR
VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD WHEN STEPPING ON BRAKES,SOMETIMES, LIKE STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEW MY WIFE AND I WERE BOTH HAVING PROBLEMS OF STEPPING ON THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS AT THE SAME TIME. I ASKED THE NISSON DEALER IN MY AREA TO FIX THE BRAKE PEDAL ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE THE PEDAL DEPRESSED SO FAR THAT IT WOULD BE AT OR BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL'S LEVEL. AT FIRST THEY DECLINED. AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND THAT IT WAS A "SAFETY ISSUE", THE NISSON DEALER FIXED IT. WE HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. THIS PROBLEM HAS SHOWN UP IN SEVERAL OF THE 2003 PATHFINDER COMPLAINTS. I HOPE THIS REPORT WILL SAVE SOMEONE FROM AN ACCIDENT.
2003 PATHFINDER WITH ONLY 14,000 MILES. BOUGHT NEW. FRONT BRAKE JUDDER LEADING TO STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION. *NM
WE BOUGHT A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN APR 2003. THE PATHFINDER'S BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SOFT. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT DIDN'T ENGAGE UNTIL IT WENT ABOUT HALF WAY TO THE FLOOR. WE HEARD THE NOISE & HAD BRAKE PROBLEM IN THE EARLY DEC 2003. WE TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANY NOISE & NO PROBLEM FOUND, BUT SAID THE NOISE MUST HAVE BEEN FROM THE TIRES, THEREFORE, WE NEEDED 2 NEW TIRES & AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN WE'RE PICKING UP THE VEHICLE(AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN $300 FOR 2 NEW TIRES & THE ALIGNMENT), ONE OF THE TECH'S CAME INTO THE OFFICE & TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT HE'D JUST HEARD THE NOISE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. THE ADVISOR TOLD US TO TAKE IT HOME & WATCH IT FOR A FEW DAYS. THAT SAME AFTERNOON, WE HEARD IT AGAIN, & TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK EVERYTHING AGAIN. WHEN WE PICK UP THE VEHICLE, ADVISOR STILL SAID NO PROBLEM & ASSURED US THAT IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE. TWO WEEKS LATER, WE TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, & TOLD THEM WE STILL HAD PROBLEM, ADVISOR TOLD US NEEDED TO SET APPOINTMENT. BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE. A WEEK LATER, I GOT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. ON JAN 25, 2004, I WAS GOING SLOWLY (THE TRAFFIC WAS MOVING SLOWLY), & HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN MY CAR & THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE TRUCK AHEAD OF ME BRAKED, I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO BRAKE, I HIT THE TRUCK & SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE PATHFINDER ( LUCKILY, THE AIRBAG DIDN'T EXPLODE), & THE TRUCK WAS OK. WE CONTACTED NISSAN MOTOR COMPANY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THEY TOLD US WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE WHILE IT'S AT THE BODY SHOP BUT DIDN'T DO IT UNTIL 2 MONTHS LATER AFTER WE TOOK IT HOME. AS OF TODAY, WE'VE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM YET. WE WANT THEM TO REPURCHASE THE PATHFINDER BECAUSE I HAVE NO FAITH IN IT & I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. *JB
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE PULSATED AND MADE A RUBBING NOISE. DEALER ROTATED AND REPLACED THE ROTORS, ABS ACTUATOR, AND THE WHOLE BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE SYSTEM. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *MR. WHEN THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND PULSATED AT SPEEDS ABOVE 20 MPH. THE ROTORS WERE TURNED TWICE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. PH *JB
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT RED LIGHT AND IN PARKING LOT. LOW BRAKE PEDAL WHEN APPLIED, FOOT HITS GAS PEDAL WHILE BRAKING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT OTHER PATHFINDER OWNERS REPORTED. *NLM
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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