IllustrationTHERE 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
1993 Nissan Pathfinder
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 97.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Pathfinder years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 10 of 49 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
25 reportsEXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAKS DUE TO POOR QUALITY EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND/OR BOLTS. *LA
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'…
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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
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.
BURNED THROUGH FLOOR, PAN OVER EXHAUST PIPE. FLAMMABLE PADDING UNDER CARPET CAUGHT FIRE.*AK
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
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
BROKEN ENGINE EXHAUST STUDS; ALSO, OCCURRED IN 1994,1995 MODELS. *AK
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
REF. SERVICE BULLETIN #: FC0009202 / NHTSA ITEM #: SB035797 -- EXHAUST NOISE AND EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS. AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THE RIGHT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AT 36,705 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN. AT 48,654 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AND WAS REPA…
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REF. SERVICE BULLETIN #: FC0009202 / NHTSA ITEM #: SB035797 -- EXHAUST NOISE AND EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS. AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THE RIGHT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AT 36,705 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN. AT 48,654 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AND WAS REPAIRED AT MY COST (APPROX $350). NOW, AT 113,500 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS APPEAR TO BE BROKEN AND REQUIRE REPAIR. NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR 1993 ENGINES. FOR 1995 & 1996 MODELS, THEY'VE EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES. THEN, IN 1997, THEY INTRODUCED A NEW DESIGN WHICH CHANGED THE BOLT SIZE FROM 8MM TO 10MM BOLTS (RECTIFYING THE KNOWN PROBLEM). EVEN WITH SUCH AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, NISSAN REFUSES TO WARRANTEE THE REPAIRS! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED REQUIRING NISSAN TO UPGRADE THE ENGINE/EXHAUST SYSTEMS IN THE PRE-1997 NISSAN PATHFINDERS (IN THAT, THIS BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO REOCCUR EVERY 50,000 MILES OR SO). THANK YOU. SINCERELY, MICHAEL J. *AKGALL. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.