2004 Nissan Pathfinder FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE ADDING FUEL IN THE TANK, THE FUEL WOULD LEAK OUT BEFORE THE TANK WAS FULL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS FUELED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING. TURNED THE TANK WAS OUT OF GAS WITH FUEL GAUGE SHOWING RIGHT AT QUARTER MARK FULL. THE GAUGE SEEM TO SHOW FULL WHEN FILLED UP BUT FOR THE LAST THREE TIMES IT SHOWS A QUARTER TANK LEFT WHILE I AM ABLE TO PUMP IN OVER 18 GALLONS OF FUEL.

THE FUEL GAUGE READ I HAD A QUARTER TANK OF GAS, BUT I RAN OUT. UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR ISSUES SUCH AS THIS THERE ARE TOO MANY TO LIST HERE. GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "2004 PATHFINDER FUEL LEVEL PROBLEM" THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SENSOR AND THIS IS KNOWN BY NISSAN. BEING DISABLED AND RUNNING OUT OF GAS IS NOT SAFE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY NISSAN TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

AFTER A GAS FILL, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FUEL INDICATOR SHOWED ZERO FUEL EVEN WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL. NISSAN DEALER SAID THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST $350! DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS BEEN BAD ON SEVERAL OF THESE VEHICLES. NISSAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS BUT WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY BY MILEAGE (BUT NOT BY VEHICLE AGE) AND HENCE THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST. THIS IS A *SAFETY* ISSUE, REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE THAT WE THINK NISSAN SHOULD FIX AT THEIR COST. IT'S SIMPLY A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT THAT WAS INSTALLED ON THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES. NISSAN NEEDS TO BE HOLD ACCOUNTABLE! *TR