Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. 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. 19 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 gas gauge stopped working a few months ago. Had an appointment to have the fuel sensor replaced. The fuel sensor is fine. The mechanic said it was most likely the gauge. In researching over the past several months, this appears to be a huge problem with the 2003 Pathfinder. This should be recalled. I'm not sure why it it isn't since it is a wide spread issue.
FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY -- THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR 2 YEARS NOW. WHEN I FILL IT UP, IT SHOWS AS FULL, BUT WILL NEVER GO LOWER THAN JUST OVER 1/2 TANK OF GAS. I HAVE TO RESET AND WATCH MY MILEAGE EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE TANK, AND MAKE SURE I REFILL IT EVERY 225 MILES, TO ENSURE I DON'T RUN OUT OF FUEL. MY MECHANIC HAS DONE EVERYTHING HE CAN THINK OF TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT SO FAR NOTHING HAS WORKED. I NOTICED I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
FUEL GAUGE INDICATED FUEL TANK WAS AT LEAST HALF FULL. VEHICLE DID NOT START BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF FUEL. MECHANIC REPLACED MANY THINGS UNTIL IT WAS DISCOVERED CAR WAS OUT OF FUEL. COST ME CLOSE TO $1,000. CAR COULD HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL ON A HIGHWAY WHILE IN THE FAST LANE. MANY OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM 74 YEARS OLD AND NEVER HAD FAILED FUEL GAUGE. I AM TOLD THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NO WARNING WAS EVER PROVIDED BY NISSAN THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. HOW MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
FUEL GAUGE IS NOT READING CORRECTLY REPEATEDLY HAVE TO TOP OFF MY TANK THAT COSTS ME MORE MONEY THAN IT SHOULD TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK BECAUSE I RAN OUT OF GAS AND IT COSTED ME $200 TO FIGURE OUT THAT I NEED SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THE GAS GAUGE THERE'S SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WHY HAS IT NISSAN DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO JUST LET THIS PROBLEM GO ON AND STICK THE CUSTOMERS THAT PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THE VEHICLES. I WAS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AFTER BEING AT THE HOSPITAL ALL NIGHT WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND ME AND MY WIFE HAD TO WALK SEVERAL MILES JUST TO GET CELL SERVICE TO GET PICKED UP AND MY CAR TOWED.
STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FILLING TANK. A LEAK FROM FUEL FILLER NECK WAS THE ISSUE. REPAIR WAS MADE, BUT IT WAS OVER $400. SAW 2 OTHER COMPLAINS ON NHTSA #S 10781139 AND 10703027. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON PATHFINDERS THROUGH 2001. PERHAPS IT IS TIME THIS BE INVESTIGATED ON 2003S AS WELL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO HESITATE AND SKIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT NEEDED A FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE REMEDY DID NOT RESOLVE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.
EVERYTIME I FILL MY GAS TANK, THE GAS FILLER NECK LEAKS, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IT IS CAUSED BY CORROSION. I;VE CONTACTED MFCTR. NISSAN/MANUFACTURER DO NOT HAVE ANY OPEN RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE, THEY DO HAVE AN EXISTING RECALL SAME ISSUE/GAS FILLER NECK LEAKING ON MODEL AND YEAR OF 1997 THRU 2001
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED TO LEAK FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND PREVENTED THE CONTACT FROM SEEING THE FUEL GAUGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
THE METAL ON THE FILLER NECK ON THE GAS TANK HAS CORRODED TO A HOLE BIG ENOUGH THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FUELED GASOLINE SPILLS OUT OF THE HOLE ONTO THE BACK TIRE AND THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE FUMES IN THE CABIN. *TR
COMMON COMPLAINT FROM WHAT I AM READING. 03 NISSAN PATHFINDER WITH 82K MILES, WITH A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL GAUGE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP AND HE IS GOING TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF ISSUES I AM READING ABOUT, AND THAT NISSAN RECALLED THE 06 PATHFINDER WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE, ITS JUST IRRITATING THIS IS GOING UNRECOGNIZED BY NISSAN. GAUGE READS JUST OVER HALF A TANK ALWAYS AND SINCE I AM NEW TO THE CAR I AM REALLY GUESSING ON MILEAGE PER TANK, USING THE TRIP MILEAGE TO FIGURE WHAT I HAVE LEFT. BASICALLY I HAVE BEEN TOPPING OFF EVERY OTHER DAY. IS IT A GUMMED UP TANK AND THE FLOAT STICKING? A BAD GAUGE, A BAD FUEL SENDING UNIT? A SHORT BETWEEN THE GAUGE AND SENDING UNIT? WE SHALL SEE. AND I JUST BOUGHT THIS LESS THAN A WEEK AGO, CAN I HOLD THE USED CAR DEALER RESPONSIBLE FOR IT? *TR
2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER GAS GAUGE IS INACCURATE TO LEVEL INDICATED. ON EMPTY INDICATES FULL TANK. ONCE FILLED IT WILL REMAIN ACCURATE UNTIL 1/2 EMPTY THEN BEGINS TO CHANGE LEVELS EACH TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED. AT TIMES IT READS FULL, OTHER TIMES 1/2 FULL AND THEN JUMPING TO FULL. NO ERROR CODE. *TR
2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER GAS GAUGE IS INACCURATE TO LEVEL INDICATED. ON EMPTY INDICATES FULL TANK. ONCE FILLED IT WILL REMAIN ACCURATE UNTIL 1/2 EMPTY THEN BEGINS TO CHANGE LEVELS EACH TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED. AT TIMES IT READS FULL, OTHER TIMES 1/2 FULL AND THEN JUMPING TO FULL. MECHANIC REPLACED FUEL SENDER UNIT WITH NISSAN PARTS FROM DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM REMAINS. PRESENTING A PO462 CODE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER REPLACING OF FLOAT AND SENDER UNIT. *TR
CAR REPEATEDLY DEMONSTRATES 1/2 TO 1/4 TANK OF GAS BUT IS EMPTY CAUSING USER TO RUN OUT OF GAS WHILE DRIVING. NO FUEL LEAK, MECHANICS CONTINUES TO STATE THEY FIND NO PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE WAS PROVIDING INACCURATE GASOLINE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE WOULD INDICATE THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS HALF FULL WHEN THERE WAS NO GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO LACK OF GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FUEL LEAK. THE FLUTE WAS REPLACED ON THE FUEL TANK AS A PRECAUTION BUT NO AVAIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,764. *TR
I NOTICED MY FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE DID NOT CHANGE EVEN THOUGH I HAD DRIVEN MORE THAN 200 MILES ON A TANK OF GASOLINE. AT APPROXIMATELY THAT SAME TIME, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN WE HAD THE CODE CHECKED IT CAME BACK FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. IN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON LINE I FIND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF NISSAN OWNERS HAVE HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR AS THE GAS TANK NEEDS TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE SENOR. NISSAN HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR CERTAIN YEARS, BUT NOT CURRENTLY THE 2003. THIS PROBLEM COULD PRESENT SERIOUS ISSUES FOR DRIVERS IF THEY DEPEND ON THEIR FUEL GAUGE TO TELL THEM IF THEY HAVE FUEL. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE GAUGE IS FOR? *TR
GAS TANK FAILURE DUE TO CORROSION. AFTER SMELLING A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE I BROUGHT MY 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD RUSTED AT THE TOP OF THE TANK UNDERNEATH THE REAR SEAT ALLOWING GASOLINE VAPORS TO ENTER THE INTERIOR AS WELL AS THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE CREATING A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION. I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE GAS TANKS WERE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AS NONE ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
THIS IS MY SECOND AND A FOLLOW-UP COMPLAINT TO THIS WEBSITE. VEHICLE DIES RUNNING AFTER ENGINE REACHES NORMAL TEMP AND SO FAR ONLY IN FREEZING OUTSIDE TEMPS. RESTARTS, DIES, RESTARTS, DIES, ETC. DEALER UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED VEHICLE BACK FROM DEALER WITH A FUEL PUMP RELAY REPLACEMENT. ON THE VERY FIRST COLD DAY (15 DEGREES) SINCE IT WAS RETURNED, I HAD A REPEAT EPISODE OF MY PRIOR COMPLAINT. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER FOR THE FOURTH TIME. *AK
VEHICLE DIES RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY SPEED AFTER THE ENGINE HAS REACHED NORMAL RUNNING TEMP. SO FAR ONLY OCCURS IN BELOW 32 DEGREE OUTSIDE TEMPS. USUALLY RESTARTS (ONCE DIDN'T AT ALL) CONTINUES TO DIE AFTER ABOUT 1/10 OF A MILE 2 OR 3 TIMES AND MOST OF THE TIME I CAN INCH MY WAY HOME. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY DEALER BECAUSE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. THEY HAVE SO FAR REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR AND SWITCH AND HAVE A FUEL PUMP RELAY ON ORDER BASED ON A BULLETIN THAT THEY ADMIT DOESN'T MATCH MY SYMPTOMS. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS WITHOUT MUCH SATISFACTION AND CONSIDER THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER MORE THAN 30 DAYS SINCE DEC. 2003 AND IS CURRENTLY THERE FOR 2 WEEKS. BELOW IS CURRENT INCIDENT DATE. FYI SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS UNDIAGNOSED AND I WAS REQUIRED TO CHOOSE A COMPONENT TO SUBMIT COMPLAINT FORM, I PICKED FUEL DELIVERY BASED ON LATEST PARTS ORDER. *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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