30 complaints reported

1994 Nissan Pathfinder Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
30
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2003

RIGHT AND LEFT EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2003
Aug 2003

AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WAS VERY LOUD, AND THE EXHAUST SOUNDED AS IF T MARBLES WERE RATTLING AROUND. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR VEHICLES OF SAME MAKE/MODEL AND CERTAIN YEARS, BUT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE BOLTS TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD OVERHEATED AND BROKE OFF INTO THE MANIFOLD COVER. MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2003
Jun 2003

AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES, A BOLT ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD WARPING AWAY FROM THE ENGINE. BOLT WAS REPLACED, BUT FUTURE PROBLEMS WERE PREDICTED BY THE MECHANIC.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2002
Jun 2003

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS HAVE FAILED. RECALL NEEDED REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE AGE/MILEAGE. TSD HAS BEEN ISSUED SO COMPANY RECOGNIZES PROBLEM BUT IS NOT TAKING FULL RESPONSIBILITY. ALSO, MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE.*AK IN ADDITION, VEHICLE SOMETIMES "STICKS" IN 1ST GEAR (A/T). FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED AND PROBLEM IS INTERMITTANT. SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE AS WELL. SOLUTION WOULD BE HELPFUL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2002
Apr 2003

UPON TAKING IN THE VEHCILE FOR ROUTINE MAINETENCE, OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION, & WINETRISE SPECIAL. WAS INFORMED THAT MY EXAUSHT MANIFOLD BOLTS WERE BROKEN AND NEEDED REPLACING, AFTER THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH TWO MAJOR INSPECTIONS NOT OVER A YEAR AGO. 1) FOR PURCHASEING A USED VEHICLE AND 2) FOR OUT OF PROVINCE INSPECTION. NISSAN CANADA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2003
Nov 2002 Fire

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD AND THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONER VENTS ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME. THIS RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2002
Sep 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO START VEHICLE,HAD VEHICLE SERVICED.THE ENGINE HAD LOCK UP. DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO SPEAK TO CONSUMER.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2002
Jul 2002

THIS IS THE 13TH MANIFOLD STUD THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER THEY WANT TO REPLACE ALL 6 AGAIN AT A COST OF $636.00. I HAVE ALREADY HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS TWICE FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS ALSO AN EMISSIONS ISSUE AS THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD SEPAREATES FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE ASLO LOGGED A COMPLAINT WITH THE EPA. THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER MODEL YEARS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2001
Dec 2001

4 EXHAUST BOLTS HAVE SHEARED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS, BUT ONLY COVERED VEHICLES FROM 1995 AND NEWER AND UNDER 100,000 MILES.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2001
Jun 2001

IN DEC OF 1999 AN EXHAUST LEAK STARTED. COSTS $650 TO REPAIR SINCE MANIFOLDS WARP AND BREAK BOLTS OFF IN ENGINE BLOCK. THE BOLTS THEN HAVE TO BE BORED OUT AND THE HOLES IN THE ENGINE HAVE TO BE RETAPPED FOR THREADS. HE SAID IT WAS SURPRIZING THAT BOTH SIDES WEREN'T BAD BECAUSE PATHFINDERS WHERE "KNOWN" FOR THIS FAILURE AND HE SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKED LOOK AT THAT TIME, I SHOULD EXPECT IT TO FAIL ANYWAY SOMEDAY BECAUSE THEY ALL DO. ABOUT 1-YEAR LATER, THAT OTHER MANIFOLD DID FAIL IN THE EXACT SAME WAY AND IT COST ME $600+ AT ANOTHER SHOP TO GET THAT ONE REPLACED AND RETAPPED AFTER DRILLING OUT BROKEN BOLTS. THE MECHANIC AT THAT SHOP SAID THAT HE WAS SURPRISED BOTH SIDES WEREN'T BAD SINCE ALL PATHFINDERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM AND I EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED. WHY ISN'T NISSAN BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS???*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1999
Jan 2001

ACCORDING TO THE DEAL THIS IS A " KNOWN ISSUE " FOR PATHFINDERS AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I HAVE NOTICED ON THE INTERNET ALOT OF REFERENCES TO THIS PROBLEM, INFACT I GOT THIS WEB ADDRESS FROM THE NISSAN WEBSITE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2001
Jan 2001

HAD TO REPLACE BOTH LEFT & RIGHT SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BECAUSE A DESIGN FLAW CAUSED THE STUDS TO START BREAKING OFF.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2001
Jul 2000

I WOULD LIKE THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALERS TO TAKE THESE PROBLEMS SERIOUSLY. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2000
Jun 2000

EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILED TWICE ONCE IN DECEMBER 1998 AND IN MARCH 2000 DUE TO BOLTS BREAKING OFF WHICH WERE TOO SMALL AND NARROW,AND THEN WARPED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1998
Apr 2000

EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS ARE BROKEN FROM FATIGUE ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE ENGINE, POSSIBLE ENGINEERING/DESIGN DEFECT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2000
Mar 2000

ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 60 MPH. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BURNED UP. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2000
Jan 2000

HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE DESIGN DEFECT. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 1999
Dec 1999

RIGHT REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS FAILED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1997
Jul 1999

CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS CAUSED NOISE AND OCCASIONAL EXHAUST SMELL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT (WHEN ON FRESH AIR VENT). BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS ARE A KNOWN DEFECT WITH A TSB IN EFFECT (OVER 10% OF ALL COMPLAINTS REGISTERED IN THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT DATABASE RELATE TO THIS ISSUE). ONLY BECAUSE I HAD PURCHASED A NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOUR YEARS AGO WAS MOST OF THE REPAIR COST COVERED, HOWEVER, I WAS STILL REQUIRED TO PAY THE DEDUCTABLE. I DON'T FEEL ANY OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSE SHOULD BE INCURRED FOR AN OBVIOUSLY PREVALANT DEFECT OR ENGINEERING DESIGN FLAW.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1999
Apr 1999

COMMON EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT FAILURE PROBLEM/ GOV'T HELP NEEDED FOR CUSTOMERS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 1998
Mar 1999

WHEN DRIVING AND TURNING ON THE FRESH AIR, EXHAUST SYSTEM CAUSES FUMES AND VAPOR SMELLS TO GET INTO VEHICLE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 1998
Feb 1999

NO SUMMARY

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 1999
Feb 1999

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS FAILED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Oct 1998 Crash

VEHICLE JUST DIE WHEN RUNNING ON THE ROAD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 1998
Oct 1998

PASSENGER SIDE MANIFOLD STUDS FAILED AT 59000 MILES COVERED BY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. DRIVER SIDE STUDS FAILED AT 63000 MILES WILL NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. NISSAN IS AWARE OF DEFECT AND HAS ISSUED A TSB, YET FAIL TO ADMIT IT IS AN ENGINEERING FLAW AND WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1994 NISSAN PATHFINDER, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1998

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1994 Nissan Pathfinder has 30 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.