1999 Nissan Pathfinder — Known Issues & Recalls

Your strut tower brace has severely rusted and broken loose, causing it to rub against your steering column. You may hear grinding noises and experience difficulty steering as a result. The dealership wasn't able to help because your vehicle's VIN is no longer in their system. Fixing this will likely require replacing the rusted strut tower brace and having the steering column inspected for damage.

Your front strut housing cracked and separated from the frame at 130,000 miles. You found that this issue was covered under a recall (NHTSA ID 11V224000), but the manufacturer determined your vehicle doesn't qualify for that recall. The fix will likely involve replacing the damaged strut assembly and inspecting the frame attachment points for damage.

Your steering became difficult and made grinding and rubbing noises when turning. A repair shop found that rust and corrosion had damaged the driver's side suspension components, causing parts to rub against the steering column. The strut and structural supports were no longer safe. Repairs involved replacing the corroded strut and related suspension parts on the driver's side.

Your brake lights stay off and won't turn on, even when you press the brake pedal. This means other drivers won't see that you're braking, which is a serious safety hazard. The issue likely involves the brake light switch or its wiring and may require replacement or repair of the brake light switch assembly.

Your brake pedal went to the floor and all brake fluid leaked onto your driveway when you tried to brake. After exposure to road salt and snow in the Northeast, your brake lines corroded and failed completely, leaving you without front or rear brakes. Three years after a $1,500 repair of the brake lines, the same problem happened again with brake lines under the hood failing and losing all fluid. The fix will involve replacing the corroded brake lines and possibly the entire brake system if corrosion has spread.

During a crash, your airbags deployed and caused a severe burn on your left wrist. Airbags generate intense heat when they inflate to protect you in collisions. The burn injury suggests you may have had direct contact with the airbag as it deployed. Addressing this would require consulting with Nissan about airbag design and deployment characteristics.

Your Pathfinder has a history of being in an accident according to Carfax, but you're unsure if the airbags were ever deployed or properly inspected after the collision. Since you're not the original owner, it's unclear whether the airbag system was checked or replaced following the accident. You should have a mechanic inspect the airbag system to ensure it's functioning safely.

Your front passenger side steering control arm and its connection to the frame are severely rusted and weakened. You may notice noise and wobbling in the steering wheel. If this rusted control arm were to break loose, you could lose steering control of your vehicle. The repair will involve replacing the rusted control arm and possibly reinforcing or repairing the frame connection point.

Your Pathfinder had a recall performed on rusted strut mounts and corrosion over three years ago, but after experiencing three harsh winters on salty roads since then, you're concerned about whether the vehicle is still safe to drive. You have no way to verify if the previous repair still meets safety standards, and you're unsure whether to invest in major maintenance without knowing if the recall repair has deteriorated due to ongoing salt exposure.

Your 1999 Pathfinder has a safety recall for the strut tower, but your dealer has refused to perform the recall work. The dealer said they don't believe the repair would be adequate and that the work is beyond their capabilities. You may need to contact Nissan directly or visit another authorized dealer to have this recall completed.

Your Pathfinder has extensive rust and corrosion around the front driver's side strut housing and on the underbody framing that has gotten worse over time. Even though your vehicle was serviced under a recall in 2011 meant to address suspension issues, the rust problem wasn't actually fixed. You're concerned the corroded strut tower could crack and cause the suspension or steering to fail suddenly. Addressing this will likely require strut tower repair or replacement and rust treatment to prevent further corrosion.

Your strut housing is leaking fluid while you're filling up with gas, likely due to poor coating that's allowing metal corrosion. You may also hear grinding noises from the suspension. The strut assembly will need to be inspected and possibly replaced to stop the leak and eliminate the noise.

You brought your 1999 Pathfinder to a Nissan dealership to address a recall (11V-244) involving rust on the strut housing. The dealership inspected the vehicle, found no current rust, and declined to perform the recall work citing the vehicle's age. You're concerned that moving the car from Seattle to Illinois will expose it to snow and road salt, causing rust to develop in the future. The fix typically involves removing any rust and applying protective paint to the strut housing.

Your vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment about an hour after refueling, and you noticed a strong gas smell beforehand. This indicates a fuel system leak or malfunction that allowed gasoline to accumulate and ignite. The manufacturer declined to help because your vehicle is 19 years out of warranty and hasn't had recent dealer maintenance. A complete fuel system inspection and repair will be needed to identify and fix the leak source.

Your steering wheel requires about a quarter turn before your vehicle actually responds and begins turning left or right. On the freeway, this delay causes you to drift into other lanes before the car responds to your steering input, which feels similar to losing traction on ice. This steering lag is a serious safety concern that needs immediate attention. The fix will likely involve inspecting and repairing or replacing steering components like the steering box, tie rods, or steering column.

Your Pathfinder had a recall repair done on the strut tower in 2014, but the dealer only partially completed the passenger side repair. The unrepairedportion of the strut tower later failed, which caused your brake lines to separate and break — nearly leading to an accident with your family. Your mechanic believes the failure would not have occurred if the repair had been completed properly.

After putting 16,000 miles on a set of Pegasus Advanta all-season tires, you noticed a wobble at slow speeds (5-15 mph) that felt like the tire had separated, along with bulging in the tire sidewalls. At 60 mph, your car violently shakes. You've had the alignment checked multiple times, but the only solution offered was replacing all four tires. The worn tires may have also damaged your vehicle's struts.

Your engine is making a loud, abnormal noise that happens repeatedly. A dealer diagnosed the problem as corroded mounting struts that support the engine, and they indicated there's no fix available. The noise occurs at an unknown mileage.

After your 1999 Pathfinder was inspected at a Nissan dealership for a corrosion recall, you noticed a new noise and unusual feeling in the steering when you picked up the car. You're concerned the inspection may have caused this steering problem, but the dealership hasn't responded to your inquiry. The issue may involve worn steering components or suspension damage that should be inspected by a mechanic to ensure safe operation.

Your Pathfinder's left front strut housing developed corrosion, which was covered under a Nissan safety recall. The dealership kept your car for over 6 months (September 2011 to March 2012) attempting repairs, eventually completing the work. However, according to NHTSA regulations, when a recall repair takes longer than 60 days, the manufacturer should either replace the vehicle with an identical or equivalent one, or refund the purchase price minus depreciation. You believe Nissan is not following this rule by simply returning the repaired car to you without offering these remedies.