2003 Nissan Pathfinder Complaint Log

THE VEHICLE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WITH THE HORN AND LIGHTS GO OFF UNEXPECTEDLY ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR MORE AFTER THE CAR IS PARKED AFTER IT IS BEING LOCKED MANUALLY AND/OR VIA THE REMOTE. MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE, UNWILLING TO FIX THE GLITCH. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS RATHER SPORADICALLY BUT FREQUENT ENOUGH THAT IT HAS BECOME AN ANNOYANCE. PLEASE TAKE A NOTICE OF THIS ISSUE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU. *JB

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.

2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. IT JERKS INTO GEAR OR DRAGS BEFORE SHIFTING. DEALER HAS BEEN NON-RESPONSIVE AND HAS CLAIMED NO EXISTENCE OF SERVICE BULLETINS.*AK

I NOTICED AFTER I HAD STOPPED CAR AND TURNED IT OFF THAT I WAS NOT AS CLOSE TO CURB AS I WANTED TO BE. I RESTARTED VEHICLE AND PULLED FORWARD APPRIXIMATELY 1 - 1 1/2 CAR LENGTHS. PUT VEHICLE INTO REVERSE TO SLOWLY BACK UP WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN TO REV AT AN EXCEEDING HIGH RPM RATE AND RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. ATTEMPT TO BREAK AND STOP THE VEHICLE WAS FUTILE RESULTING IN MY VEHICLE HITTING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED BEHIND ME. OTHER VEHICLE WAS UNOCCUPIED. I DO NOT TRUST THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. I DROVE IT HOME CAREFULLY AND THEN HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AT THE END OF APRIL 2003. ACCORDING TO SERVICE DEPT. AT DEALER, THEY CHECKED FOR TROUBLE CODES AND NO CODES ARE STORED. THEY ROAD TESTED VEHICLE AND VEHICLE IS OPERATING NORMAL. THEY CALLED NISSAN TECH LINE AND THERE IS NO RECORD OF INCIDENTS LIKE THIS. PRINTOUT OF TEST INDICATES "NO DTC DETECTED. FURTHER TESTING MAY BE REQUIRED. DEALER WILL NOT DO ADDITIONAL TESTING - THIS WILL REQUIRE NISSAN INPUT. NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REP DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER REPORTED INSTANCES OF RAPID ACCELERATION IN 2003 PATHFINDERS. I WANT TO GET RID OF THIS VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT ONLY HAS 2000 MILES ON IT. IF I GET ANOTHER VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM SINCE ANOTHER OPERATOR MAY EXPERIENCE SAME SITUATION WITH THIS VEHICLE RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.

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

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *JB

2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER WITH EXHAUST LEAK. CONSUMER STATES THAT TECHNICIAN STATED THE PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED CATALYTIC CONVERTER. MANUFACTURER STATED THE DEFECTED PART WAS RESONATORS NOT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *KB

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

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