1993 Nissan Pathfinder

Routine

Owners filed 49 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe15
020
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System7
000
Structure › Frame and Members4
000
Tires3
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine2
000
Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Tires › Sidewall1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Jan 28, 2011176,613 milesIA

THIS IS THE SECOND 1993 NISSAN PATHFINDER I HAVE OWNED AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FRAME. THE REAR CROSSMEMBER COMPLETELY RUSTS OUT AND FALLS OFF THE PROBLEM IS VARY DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO OTHER DRIVERS BUT IT ALSO SEVERS THE REAR BRAKE LINE. I WAS DRIVING IN MY ALLY HIT A POT HOLE DOING MAYBE 10 TOPS WENT TO STOP AND COULD NOT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE OR MYSELF. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL THE OLD MODEL FRAMES CUS IT IS A CONTINUES PROBLEM. *TR

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Feb 2, 2009100,000 milesMO

REAR SUSPENSION HAS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO EXTREME RUSTING OF FRAME RAILS. EXCESS MOVEMENT OF REAR AXLE FROM SEPARATION DAMAGED THE BRAKE LINE AND CAUSED LOSS OF REAR BRAKES. *TR

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Nov 23, 2007197,043 milesNC

*NOTE: THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE SIZE 235/75R15...THIS SIZE OPTION WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE DROP DOWN BOX./// BLOWOUT AND NEAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION IT WAS DETERMINED THE SIDEWALLS OF THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE HAD COLLAPSED UPON ENTERING A SLOW CURVE. THE CONDITION HAD EXISTED EARLIER AS THE SIDEWALLS WERE WORN TO THE THREADS BEING EXPOSED. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION ;ALL FOUR TIRES SEEM TO HAVE A VERY FLIMSY AND SUB-STANDARD SIDEWALL CONSTRUCTION. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL ALL FOUR TIRES CAN BE REPLACED. *TR

Tires
Filed Oct 1, 2005171,357 milesNY

I'M A CONSUMER WHO JUST HAD FOUR NEW COOPER DISCOVERER AST II TIRES INSTALLED ON A '93 NISSAN PATHFINDER. ALL FAILED WITHIN 709 MILES, APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH OF DRIVING. AFTER DRIVING TWO WEEKS AND 555 MILES, THE FRONT LEFT TIRE SUDDENLY BLEW OUT IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT APPEARED TO FAIL AT THE BEAD. MY TIRE DEALER TURNED THE TIRE OVER TO A COOPER REP WHO EXAMINED THE TIRE AND SAID THE SHOP INSTALLED IT IMPROPERLY, LEADING TO THE FAILURE. THE SHOP DISAGREED WITH THE FINDING, BUT THEY REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. TWO WEEKS AND 154 MILES LATER, I NOTICED THE THREE OTHER COOPERS WERE FAILING. THE REARS HAD SOFTBALL-SIZED BULGES ON THE TIRE WALL EXTENDING FROM THE BEAD TOWARD THE TREAD. THE RIGHT FRONT HAD A BASEBALL-SIZED BULGE IN THE SAME LOCATION. ALL THE BULGES WERE ON THE INBOARD, WHITEWALL SIDE OF THE TIRE. MY SHOP'S OWNER PERSONALLY PULLED THE TIRES, EXAMINED THEM, AND FOUND BARE BEAD WIRE ADJACENT TO THE BULGE. THE BARE WIRE WAS 1-2 INCHES LONG. HE SAYS THE LOCATION OF THE BARE WIRE/BULGE FALLS ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE TIRE DURING MOUNTING--A SPOT NOT CONTACTED BY THE MOUNTING BAR DURING INSTALLATION. FURTHERMORE, HE SAID HE FOUND NO SCUFFING INSIDE THE TIRE INDICATING CONTACT WITH THE MOUNTING BAR AND NO LOOSE RUBBER INSIDE THE TIRE, FURTHER INDICATIVE OF DAMAGE DURING MOUNTING. HE TRUSTS HIS INSTALLER, A 10-YEAR EMPLOYEE WHO INSTALLS 100 TIRES A WEEK. HE'S CONVINCED THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVELY MANUFACTURED. MY DEALER HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH COOPER. THE COMPANY INSISTS THE

Structure
Filed May 8, 2005OH

FRAME VERRY RUSTY AND BROKE IN REAR OF VEHICLE

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Nov 9, 200436,705 milesCA

THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE MANIFOLD STUDS BREAKING, RESULTING IN AN EXHAUST LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH CAUSES EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Nov 13, 200356,500 milesHI

EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAKS DUE TO POOR QUALITY EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND/OR BOLTS. *LA

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Sep 4, 2003105,000 milesCA

EXHUAST MANIFOLD STUDS KEEP BREAKING CAUSING LEAKAGE, FUMES, AND NOISE. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN 45K MILES AT $500 TO $1200 PER INCIDENT. HAVE FILED COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS (INCIDENT 4259794). NISSAN DECLINED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THEY SAID VECHICLE WAS BEYOND USEFUL SERVICE LIFE. EVEN IF THAT WERE TRUE, THE REPAIRS I'M PAYING THEM FOR OVER AND OVER SHOULD HAVE A USEFUL SERVICE LIFE. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL DEALERS THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. COMMON NISSAN, FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. I JUST WANT TO HAVE IT FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL WITHOUT HAVING TO KEEP ON PAYING FOR THIS. CHECK OUT THIS FORUM HTTP://FORUMS.VMAG.COM/SUVPATHFINDER0200 WHERE THERE ARE LITERALLY 100'S OF COMPLAINTS.*AK

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Mar 6, 2003133,000 milesNH

CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE REAR END FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OF BODY ROT, AND IF IMPACTED IN AN ACCIDENT, IT WOULD DISINTEGRATE.*JB

Structure › Frame and Members
Filed Feb 19, 2003165,000 milesPA

THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAD RUSTED ON 2 OCCASIONS.*JB

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 13, 2003TX

ODOMETER FRAUD.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Feb 9, 2003150,000 milesIL

EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS ARE BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. DEALERSHIP WANTS $1400.00 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT NISSAN HAS BEEN AWARE OF AND DOES NOTHING TO COMPENSATE THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR. CAUSES EXHAST LEAKS INTO THE CAR.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail PipeFire
Filed Jul 31, 2002VA

BURNED THROUGH FLOOR, PAN OVER EXHAUST PIPE. FLAMMABLE PADDING UNDER CARPET CAUGHT FIRE.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Jul 23, 2002CO

EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED,AND BOLTS WERE BROKEN, CAUSING EXHAUST FUMES TO LEAK INSIDE VEHICLE WHEN OUTDOOR VENT WAS OPEN.CONTACTED DEALER.THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Apr 9, 2002ID

EVERY TIME VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP ENGINE DIES OUT. TAKES NUMEROUS TRIES TO GET VEHICLE TO RESTART. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Jan 7, 2002CT

BROKEN ENGINE EXHAUST STUDS; ALSO, OCCURRED IN 1994,1995 MODELS. *AK

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Oct 29, 2001TX

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Structure › Body
Filed Oct 2, 2001IL

BOTTOM OF VEHICLE/ RUNNING BOARD, AND REAR BUMPER BECAME RUSTED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jul 17, 2001CA

THE TIMING BELT OF THE VEHICLE BROKE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. THE DEALER REPLACED.THE PISTONS STUCK IN A CLOSED POSITION AND IT BENT THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER WAS SEEKING PARTILA REFUND FOR BENT VALVE AND PISTON THAT WERE REPLACED. *YH

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock SwitchFire
Filed May 23, 2001FL

I HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH DESTROYED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: RADIO, TRANSMISSION, ALTERNATOR, REAR DEFROSTER, REAR WIPERS, REAR WINDOW LOCK, POWER WINDOW MOTOR, TURN SIGNALS, RELAYS, TRANSMISSION SENDING UNITS. AT APPROXIMATELY 82000 MILES THE BATTERY EXPLODED EATING THE PAINT OFF THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER. WITHIN A MONTH, I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN I SAW SMOKE IN THE INTERIOR ACCOMPANIED BY ELECTRICAL SHORTING SOUNDS. THE WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN, HORN WENT OFF, POWER LOCKS POPPED, AND THE SOLENOIDS IN THE TRANSMISSION BURNED OUT ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPONENTS. ONLY THREE FUSES WERE BLOWN SO THE FUSE BLOCK WAS INEFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING FIRE. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE EXCEPT INTERMITTANT SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT RADIO SPEAKERS UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.*AK

20 of 49 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20269000Routine
202549100Routine
202477200Routine
2023103100Routine
2022135510Routine
202047000Routine
201976210Routine
201877300Routine
2017186220Routine
2016105200Routine
2015320510Above average
20145741130Above average
20138901110Above average
201223210Routine
201145210Routine
201040500Routine
200937400Routine
2008328500Above average
2007561220Above average
2006837500Above average
20051,050461Fatalities reported
200467700Routine
2003110710Routine
2002156910Routine
2001230721Fatalities reported
2000112621Fatalities reported
1999104520Routine
1998149412Fatalities reported
1997217421Fatalities reported
1996159503Fatalities reported
1995170066Fatalities reported
199491220Routine
1993 — this page49030Routine
199230020Routine
199139130Routine
199038220Routine

Compare every Pathfinder year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.