2005 Nissan Pathfinder Electrical System Problems

I am reporting a serious safety defect with my 2005 Nissan Pathfinder (VIN: [XXX] ). My vehicle has an open recall for the airbag emblem (NHTSA #23E-012 / PC948), which is scheduled for inspection. However, I am writing today because I am also experiencing a repeated and dangerous malfunction that is unrelated to that recall: Total loss of dashboard lights and instruments while driving No throttle response even though the engine remains running Temporary function restored only by turning the vehicle off and restarting it on the roas This behavior matches known electrical failures in this model year, often related to the IPDM, ignition switch, or ECM communication. These are not cosmetic or maintenance issues—they are life-threatening. My vehicle has done this multiple times, including at highway speeds. When I contacted South Colorado Springs Nissan, I was told they would only inspect the airbag emblem and would not evaluate this issue unless I paid for diagnostics. I find this unacceptable given Nissan’s history with these failures and the high likelihood this is a known and unresolved defect. I am requesting: That this issue be escalated within Nissan North America That Nissan consider this under a goodwill safety repair, if not covered by existing recall or campaign That the vehicle be diagnosed immediately, and Nissan be held accountable for any known defects I am also reporting this to NHTSA as a safety concern. Please confirm receipt of this email and provide next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DIGITAL FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED THE INCORRECT FUEL MILEAGE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF DUE TO NO FUEL BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WAS COMING FROM THE BRAKE LINES. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID LEAK DAMAGED THE BATTERY. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED BRAKE LINE AND REPLACED THE BATTERY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WITH THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE SECOND FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO ANDERSON NISSAN (3842 AZ-95, LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ 86404) WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A LOOSE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH THE BATTERY RELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO THE CONTACT HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED THE NEXT DAY. THE CONTACT HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED ONCE AGAIN HOWEVER, THE BATTERY FAILED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THEY DISCOVERED A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR WHICH CAUSED FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DIAGNOSED WITH ENGINE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

I DRIVE THE CAR AND PARK AND THEN WHEN I GO TO START THE CAR AGAIN IT DOESN'T START SO I HAVE TO CALL A TOW COMPANY TO GET A JUMP TO START THE CAR AND STARTS RIGHT UP. I HAVE TAKEN TO NISSAN MANY TIMES AND THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED MANY TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.I GOT STUCK THE LAST TIME AND IT WAS FAR SO I HAD TO LEAVE IT AT A FAMILY MEMBERS HOUSE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM AND NISSAN DOES NOT HONOR THEIR MANUFACTURE WARRANTY AND ALSO THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAD. I WOULD LIKE NISSAN TO BUY BACK MY CAR BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN SELL IT LIKE THIS AND I NEED A CAR TO GET AROUND I'M DISABLED ALSO. I'M TOTALLY DISCUSSED WITH NISSAN.

MY NISSAN CRANKS BUT DON'T START, DON'T KNOW WAS WRONG.

WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND SPORADICALLY AS I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WILL JERK AND THEN SHUT OFF, LEAVING ME WITH NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING OR BRAKES. SOMETIMES IT WILL BE HARD TO START BUT WILL EVENTUALLY START AND THIS IS ALSO A RANDOM OCCURANCE. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IT SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING AND LEAVING ME WITH NO CONTROL.

FUEL GAUGE IS FAULTY. FUEL LEVEL WILL READ 1/2 FULL AND YET APPROACH EMPTY. THE VEHICLE HAS RUN OUT OF GAS FOUR TIMES, PUTTING THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS IN A DANGEROUS POSITION.

AS I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 24 WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC,I WAS RUNNING THE SPEED LIMIT ABOUT 75MPH AND SUDDENLY IT JUST TURN OFF.MY STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP AND I DIDN'T HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE .ME AND MY FAMILY WAS TERRIFYING ABOUT THE SITUATION WE WAS GOING THREW.BUT WE WAS LUCKY NOTHING HAPPEN TO US.ITS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPEN IT DONE IT A FEW TIMES BEFORE.I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SHIP BUT THEY SAY THAT ITS NOT SHOWING ANY CODES.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, MECHANIC SAID O2 SENSORS WERE BAD, & REPLACE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF FOR A FEW DAYS. CAME BACK ON. THEN SUV STARTED RUNNING ROUGHLY, LOSING POWER. VDC/SLIP LIGHT CAME ON, TRUCK WAS DIFFICULT TO START, THEN IT CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC A FEW DAYS LATER. FOUND RESEARCH ON ECM RELAY. HAD IT REPLACED,TRUCK STILL HAVING DIFFICULTY STARTING. TODAY IT CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC AGAIN. MECHANIC SAID CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CMP BANK 1 BAD, CATALYTIC CONVERTER BANK 1 & 2 BAD. FUEL SYSTEM FAULTY AND IGNITION SYSTEM FAULTY. STILL PAYING ON TRUCK. *TR

CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. DEALER SAYS IT WAS CAMSHAFT AND CRANK SENSORS CHARGED ME $609.00 TO REPAIR. CAR HAD ONLY 86,261 MILES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. NO RECALL ON SOMETHING THAT CAN CAUSE CAR TO SHUT OFF? CURRENTLY HAVING TO GET THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR REPLACED COSTING ANOTHER $250 NOT INCLUDING INSTALLATION. CURRENT MILEAGE IS ONLY 106K.

2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER WAS LOCKING UP & STALLING AT LOW SPEEDS JUNE 2013. I TOOK IT TO NISSAN & PAID $400 FOR SUPPOSEDLY A BAD CAMSHAFT & BAD CRANKSHAFT. NOT MORE THAN A MONTH LATER THE VEHICLE IS STALLING YET AGAIN. FURIOUS I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A NON NISSAN DEALER. THE OTHER MECHANIC FELT ECM RECALL & FAULTY ECM WAS THE CAUSE. HE TOOK IT BACK TO NISSAN & INSISTED THE DO THE RECALLED PART & THE BAD ECM. SERVICE WAS UPSET THAT HE WENT IN THERE TELLING THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY FREE OF CHARGE GOT MY CAR GOING AGAIN. SUPPOSEDLY MY KEY HAD "RESET" ITSELF. WHICH "COULD BE CAUSED BY A BATTERY BEING DEAD FOR TOO LONG OR BEING JUMP STARTED". OUR BATTERY WAS NEW & ONLY MAYBE 6 MONTHS OLD. NISSAN SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMED SHE CHECKED THE GROUND & IT WAS ALL OK. JUST THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS NEEDED REPLACEMENT FOR ABOUT $2000 BUT WERE NOT THE CAUSE OF STALLING OR THE KEY RESETTING ITSELF. SHE INSISTED THE ECM WAS GOOD & THE RECALLED PART HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. A WEEK LATER & HERE I AM AGAIN WITH A CAR THAT WONT START. THIS TIME THE NISSAN TECH CAME TO THE STORE WHERE I WAS STRANDED AT. HIS MACHINE COULDN'T EVEN READ THE CODES & HE SAID MAYBE IT WAS GROUND WIRES IN MY DASH OR THE ECM BUT HARD TO SAY UNLESS I PAID TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AGAIN! OF COURSE I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. I WOULDN'T MIND AS MOST FOR MINOR REPAIRS/MAITENANCE BUT IT SEEMS THIS YEAR/MODEL IS PURE CRAP. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS I REALIZE THAT MY CAR SHAKING AT 60+ MILES WHEN I DO HIT THE FREEWAY IS A HUGE PROBLEM AS WELL! WE LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN WHERE WE DON'T USUALLY DRIVE THOSE HIGH SPEEDS SO I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT MUCH OF IT UNTIL NOW. NISSAN KNOWS VERY WELL THESE ARE HUGE PROBLEM CARS YET DOESN'T CARE! THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT SAFE. THE STALLING HAS HAPPENED AT INTERSECTIONS OR DRIVING!!

WENT TO CLOSE DOOR AND WOULD NOT SHUT. IT WAS STUCK IN THE LOCK POSITION, COULD NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR WITH THE KEY FOB. GOT DOOR SHUT, GOT TO DESTINATION AND COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. WOULD NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR WITH KEY FOB AND HAD TO GET OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT MY 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENT WAS "DEAD." THE CAR NEEDS A NEW IPMD AND ECM MODULES. THE DEALER QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $2200 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. MY CAR IS STILL WITH THE DEALER. I WILL ADVISE THEM OF THE RECALL ON MONDAY AND REQUEST THAT MY CAR IS REPAIRED.

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON THE LIE MY CAR STALLED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHILE I HAD MY SONS IN THE CAR. CAR COMPLETELY DIED WHILE MOVING ON THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD TO TOW MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT IS MY FUSE PANEL, THIS WAS IN DECEMBER 2010. I HAD THE FUSE PANEL REPLACED WITH AN ORIGINAL PART AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN JAN. 2011 WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE ROAD. *TR

2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. TWICE STALLED ON THE ROAD LEAVING ME WITH NO BRAKES. TWO CLOSE CALLS WITH MY FAMILY ON BOARD. IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY USELESS BECAUSE OF THE FEAR I MAY BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND STALLS ALL OVER AGAIN, THIS TIME AT THE WRONG PLACE OR TIME CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH!!!! *TR

2005 NISSAN IPDM PROBLEMS. AFTER READING ONLINE EVERYONE IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. WHAT ARE RECALLS FOR? 63,000 MILES AND A DEAD TRUCK. THE BIG COMPANY NISSAN NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS SMALL PROBLEM INSTEAD OF MILKING CONSUMERS FOR UNNECESSARY REPAIRS "TRYING" TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS THE LOST POWER / DIED RANDOMLY IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS ON THE NISSAN PATHFINDER 2005. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AT A LOW SPEED ACCELERATING INTO AN INTERSECTION, AT A STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, AT A STEADY SPEED ON A CITY ROAD, AND AT A HIGHWAY SPEED. THE FAILURE ALWAYS OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING OR FAILURE INDICATION. I LOST COMPLETE POWER; THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE OTHER LIGHTS IN THE DASHBOARD LIKE IF THE KEY WAS JUST TURN ON WITHOUT STARTING. THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN VERY SCARY FOR MY FAMILY AS IT HAS OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY. NO ENGINE CODES WERE FOUND, SO NO REPAIRS WERE ATTEMPTED BY THE DEALER. WHAT IS MOST DISCOMFORTING IS THAT WHEN I DID RESEARCH ON THE WEB, I FOUND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. HERE IS A ONE OF THE MANY LINKS I FOUND: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2005/NISSAN/PATHFINDER/ELECTRICAL+SYSTEM. *TR

VEHICLE KEEPS SHUTTING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. BUT RESTARTING INSTANTLY SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES 5 TO TEN MINUTES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. SHE WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTARTED THE VEHICLE BUT IT DID NOT START. SHE CALLED A TOWING COMPANY AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED HER THAT THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES FOR THE FAILURE BUT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A VIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

2005 NISSAN PATHFINDER. ENGINE CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN TRAFFIC, ONE TIME AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. VEHICLE STARTS ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT IT'S 'MOST LIKELY' IPDM FAILURE BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AS IT DOESN'T THROW A CODE. DEALER KEPT CAR 5 DAYS AND "TRIED" TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE TO POSITIVELY DIAGNOSE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO. THE DAY AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THE DEALER THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN IN TRAFFIC. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT OUR WARRANTY COMPANY WILL ONLY COVER IF THEY CAN POSITIVELY DIAGNOSE. MY TODDLER WAS IN THE CAR THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED AND OUR CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION BETWEEN 2 6-LANE ROADS. COULDN'T REMOVE THE VEHICLE FOR 30 MINUTES. JUST WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN WHILE MERGING ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. HOPEFULLY THERE ARE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE. *TR