2003 Nissan Pathfinder Brakes Problems

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.

VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD WHEN STEPPING ON BRAKES,SOMETIMES, LIKE STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

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

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.

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

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