2001 Nissan Pathfinder Suspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT HE EXPERIENCED HEAVY RESISTANCE. HE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY TURN THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THE STRUT TOWER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135,000.

I NOTICED A LITTLE PULL IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TAKING A TURN, SO I STOPPED IN TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP AN WAS ADVISED THAT THE SHOCK TOWER HAS FAILED. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NISSAN HAS KNOW ABOUT AN HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. I DID CONTACT NISSAN AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY $1100. TOWARDS THE REPAIR, WHICH WAS $2100.00, I TAILED THEM THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. LUCKY FOR ME AN OTHER PEOPLE I WASN'T DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AN HAD THIS FAIL COMPLETELY. THE WHEEL WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF AN HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAVE DECIDED NOT TO TAKE ACTION. I HAVE ARGUED WITH NISSAN, THEY DO KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM, OTHERWISE WHY WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO PAY WITHOUT LOTS OF QUESTIONS. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE SINCE 2001 AND HAVE DONE ALL THE OIL CHANGES, BRAKES, TIRES, IT IS IN GREAT SHAPE, AN THIS FAILED BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM IN WORKMANSHIP. YOU CAN FIND MANY PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY GETS HURT OR KILLED WITH A SHOCK TOWER FAILURE. *TR

NO CRASH YET BUT I DO HAVE A FISH TAILING, SIDE TO SIDE WOBBLING THAT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT FROM NISSAN. I OWN A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER WITH 99,000 MILES AND AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MILES AN HOUR, THE TRUCK WILL START WOBBLING SIDE TO SIDE DUE TO A RUT IN THE ROAD OR A GUST OF WIND. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL NISSAN MECHANICS, THE REAR UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ARE BAD AND DETERIORATE PREMATURELY, CAUSING THE DANGEROUS WOBBLE IN THE TRUCK. THE COST TO REPLACE THE BUSHINGS IS $700.00 PLUS AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. VERY POOR DESIGN WHICH WILL END UP CAUSING SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. THANK YOU. *TR

REAR SUSPENSION SWAYS VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN DRIVING OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR, ESPECIALLY WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS USED. SEVERAL MECHANICS COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM SO IT HAS CONTINUED TO GET WORSE OVER PAST 2 YEARS. NOW, THROUGH INTERNET, LEARN THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL, REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF BUSHINGS AND IS KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO HAS TAKEN NO ACTION. *TR

I HAVE 2WD NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CAR HAS BEEN VOBBELING LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT AT SPEEDS OF 50MPH AND OVER. SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS ARE EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE REAR AXLE ESPECIALLY DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION. A VEHICLE PULLING AT A CONSTANT SPEED EXCESSIVE SWAY AND ROCKING MOTION IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THERE ARE ABOUT 100 + PEOPLE THAT I FOUND ON ONE WEBSITE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/T5LSTPR50NPCO9CTL THERE ARE MANY OTHER SITES LIKE THE ABOVE SITE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED THEIR PROBLEM AND SOLUTION. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER 4X4 SE. FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS NOW I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE HANDLING OF THIS TRUCK. THE CAR BEGINS TO SHAKE EXTREMELY HARD BETWEEN 55 - 65 MPH. THE SHAKING IS SO BAD IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE STEERING BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES JUST AS MUCH. I HAVE SEEN THAT IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE GONE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. THEY TOLD ME IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE ALIGNMENT OR THE BALANCING OF THE WHEELS AND I PAYED TO GET THAT DONE TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS EVEN WITH NEW WHEELS AND TIRES. I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS TO SOMEBODY BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK

BROKEN LEFT FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD BEEN REPLACED. *BF THE CONSUMER NOTICED A SLIGHT METALLIC SOUND WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING HAD SHEARED OFF AT THE BASE BUT WAS STILL RESTING ON THE PAD. *SC

FRONT END IS ALL RUSTED. THIS MIGHT CAUSE THE WHOLE FRONT END TO FALL WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DT

BOLT BROKE IN FRONT STRUT TOWER, AND FEEL OFF IN THE DRIVEWAY. WE HAPPENED TO DRIVE 60 MILE TRIP AND SON CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE BROKEN BOLT. WE TOOK TO NISSAN IN MARIETTA, AND GOT NO SERVICE PERIOD. WE HAVE CALLEN NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REGISTERED A COMPLAINT.

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE PULLED SHARPLY TO LEFT AND STRUCK DIVIDING WALL. NO PRIOR WARNING BEFORE INCIDENT. DRIVER WAS WEARING SEATBELT. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS. DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED. TIRES WERE INTACT. DRIVER SUFFFERED MINOR INJURIES. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN STARTED TO FEEL LIKE LIGHT TRAVEL TRAILER WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH .THEN TRAILER IMMEDIATELY FLIPPED OVER, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FLIP OVER. VEHICLE WAS ADVERTISED TO PULL A TRAILER UP TO 5000 POUNDS, AND THE ONE THAT CONSUMER WAS PULLING WAS ABOUT 3100 POUNDS AT MOST. DEALER CLAIMED THAT BENT WAS SO BENT UP THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME CONSUMER PULLED TRAILER WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET APPROX. 2,000 MILES.*AK