1997 Nissan Pathfinder Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED YET THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DETECTED AN EMISSION TROUBLE CODE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AND SOMETIMES SLOWER THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED BETWEEN 4 -5 TIMES. THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED NORMALLY. WHEN THE STALLING OCCURS, THE RPMS INCREASE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATES. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS, BUT THERE IS A TECH BULLETIN FOR THE 1996-1999 MODELS REGARDING IDLE SPEED FAILURES. THE CONTACT WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS PERTAINED TO HER VEHICLE AS WELL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 124,196. UPDATED 3/19/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE POWER AND IT WOULD ACT AS IF THE GAS WAS NOT BEING APPLIED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BAD MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE CONSUEMR HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. UPDATED 03/25/09.*JB

I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NISSAN (AS HAS MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS) REGARDING CHRONIC & PERVASIVE EMISSIONS PROBLEMS WITH MY SUV. MY VEHICLE IS REGISTERED WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AS CASE #5283891. AFTER THE LATEST REJECT STICKER DUE TO EMISSIONS SAFETY, A DIFFERENT MECHANIC BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLASSIFICATION FE98-001A/REFERENCE NTB98-062A ADDRESSING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THREE MECHANICS (INCLUDING A NISSAN DEALER) VERIFIED THAT THIS WAS THE LATEST PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I WAS SEVERAL WEEKS PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD, I WAS WAY UNDER THE MILEAGE LIMIT & THE MECHANIC FELT I SHOULD PUSH THE ISSUE WITH NISSAN, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE REPEATED PROBLEMS. NISSAN WOULD NOT HONOR IT SO I PAID FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF. WHEN I DID, THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A RECALL & ADVISED ME TO GO BACK TO NISSAN & PUSH. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM NISSAN ABOUT EXTENDED WARRANTIES OR RECALLS. I FOUND THIS ADDRESS ON THE WEB & THOUGHT I SHOULD SHARE THIS WITH YOU. I AM ADDITIONALLY LOOKING FOR OTHER CONSUMER AGENCIES TO HELP PURSUE THIS WITH NISSAN. *NM

BOUGHT A 97 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN SEPT. 03...SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS SINCE HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN, TURNING ON AND OFF DEPENDING ON THE CLIMATE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT IT IS THE EVAP VENT CONTROL VALVE AND O RING WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR INTO 3 DEALERSHIPS ON THE EAST COAST WHERE I WAS TOLD NUMEROUS OTHER ISSUES WERE CAUSING THE LIGHT. I HAVE PUT $4500 WORTH OF WORK INTO THE VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS A $122 PART THAT SUPPOSEDLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER NISSAN OWNERS (MANY WITH OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES-NOT PATHFINDERS) AND THEY TOO HAVE HAD THIS SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VEHICLE. THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH ANYBODY EXCEPT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIPS WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO WAY TO GET A COMPETATIVE PRICE. IN ORDER TO GET THE LIGHT TO SHUT OFF ONCE MY MECHANIC HAS REPLACED THE PARTS I WILL THEN BE FORCED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY THEM TO SHUT IT OFF. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT EFFECT THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE THAT IT WAS AN EMISSIONS SITUATION. ULTIMATELY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS NOR WILL IT GET DECENT GAS MILEAGE UNTIL THIS PART IS REPLACED.

I HAVE NOTICED A DIFFERENT SOOUND COMMING FROM THE EXHAUST. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACK. THIS IS WHY I WANT TO KNOW IF IT IS A SAFETY OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THE MANIFOLD WILL BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER OR WHAT SHOULD I DO. THANK YOU. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A CRACK IN THE MANIFOLD. THE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED BUT THE CRACK RECURRED. *AK THE FIRST MANIFOLD CRACKED AFTER 75000 MILES. THE SECOND MANIFOLD CRACKED AFTER 30000 MILES. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT IF THE MANIFOLDS CONTINUE TO CRACK THAT THE EXHAUST FUMES COULD ENTER THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

EXHAUST SYSTEM MANIFOLD CRACKED. NISSAN JUST MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR MY VIN NUMBER ON THAT PART TILL 2006. BUT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED!! MR

THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED. *JG

MY CAR HAD A NOISE ON THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED. HE REPLACED THE MANIFOLD. HE SAID THAT THE DEALER SAID THEY HAD CHANGED THE DESIGN DUE TO DEFECT. THE OLD PART NUMBER WAS 14004-0W000 U40 MANIFOLD - E. THE REPLACEMENT PART USED WAS 14004-2W600 WITH NO COVER AVAILABLE. THE COVER WAS NOT REPLACED . THE DEALER SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. NOW I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT MANIFOLDS. I FEEL THIS COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD BECAUSE IT CAN BECOME VERY HOT AND START A FIRE. NOW I AM AFRAID OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MANIFOLD CRACKS AND START A FIRE OR FUMES GET INTO THE CAR. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD CHECK ON THIS AND LET ME KNOW THE OUTCOME.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

DRIVER'S SEATBELT REPLACED 4 TIMES DUE TO LOCKING UP TOO TIGHTLY, WON'T RELEASE ONCE TIGHTENED. CONSUMER HAS NO MOVEMENT, DEALER KEPT REPLACING BELTS WITH SAME TYPE. ALSO, PROBLEM WITH FILLER TUBE, IT OVERFLOWS WHEN GETTING GAS, IT FILLS RESERVOIR. MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD CAUSE PROBLEM. CANISTER WAS REPLACED. *AK ACCELERATOR STUCK. *YH

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED. REPAIRED BY NISSAN AT NO CHARGE. *AK

EMISSIONS TANK AND SYSTEM FAILED.

EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE GAUGE SENSOR FAILED. NLM

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER TWICE FOR REPAIRS AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THEY SAID THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN BOTH THE 1996 AND 1997 MODEL YEARS. NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT PLANNING AN "FIX" FOR THIS PROBLEM NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THEY SAID WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE NOISE AND INCONVENIENCE. NOISE CLUNK/SURGE WHEN STOPPING