2006 Nissan Pathfinder

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE WITH HESITATION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO REMAIN IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT LATER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETECTED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS A BROWN COLOR AND THE RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,867. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED11/29/11 *BF UPDATED 12/14/11

WITHIN A YEAR OF HAVING THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT REPLACED AS PART OF A RECALL, THE SAME SYMPTOM APPEARED AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL AND AS WAS HAPPENING BEFORE THE INITIAL RECALL WORK WAS DONE. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFORMATION OF THE FUEL TANK THAT WOULD CAUSE THE SENDING UNIT TO "HANG UP". WHEN I RETURNED TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AGAIN, THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A BULGING FUEL TANK AND WANTED TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. I CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, THEY REVIEWED MY CLAIM AND DECIDED THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. IN MY MIND THE ROOT CAUSE WAS NEVER TRULY ADDRESSED AND NOW I AM PAYING TO REPAIR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INITIALLY REPAIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR

THE GAS GAUGE ON MY 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER READ 1/4 OF TANK OF GAS REMAINING AND SUDDENLY ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER MY HUSBAND EXHAUSTED ALL EFFORTS TRYING TO DETECT THE PROBLEM, HE PUT GAS IN IT TO SEE IF THAT WAS IT (BECAUSE GAUGE WAS READING 1/4 OF TANK REMAINING.) AFTER PUTTING GAS IN, CAR STARTED AND WE DROVE IT HOME. WENT TO GAS STATION TO FILL UP WITH GAS AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND GAS GAUGE NO LONGER WORKS PROPERLY. I USUALLY GET 330 MILES TO TANK OF GAS AND NOW THE GAS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON AFTER GOING 200 MILES ON A TANK. NISSAN DEALERSHIP WANTS $500 TO REPAIR AND AS IT TURNS OUT, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND NOT KNOW IF YOUR VEHICLE IS GOING TO SHUT OFF BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE GAS IN IT (WHEN YOU DO HAVE GAS IN IT...JUST NOT ENOUGH FOR SOME SENSOR IN YOUR GAS TANK TO RECOGNIZE.) I HAVE HELD OFF ON PAYING FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE I WANT NISSAN TO RECALL THIS FUEL ISSUE AND REPAIR IT. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL NISSAN CUSTOMER (2 MAXIMAS BEFORE THIS PATHFINDER) BUT THIS IS STARTING TO CHANGE MY MIND. *TR

AUTO FAILED TO START OR IF STARTED FAILED TO RUN WITH COMPUTER COORDINATED POWER PRODUCTION. ENGINE MISFIRING AND POWERLESS AND IMMOBILE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. GARAGE SAID THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OF THESE FAILURES ON NISSAN AUTOS AND EXPECT A RECALL TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PART FAILING WITH INCREASING REGULARITY. IPDM FAILURE DIAGNOSTIC IS COMPLETE ENGINE POWER FAILURE AND STOP AFTER EXTREMELY ROUGH IDLING, EVEN WHEN ACCELERATOR ENGAGED. THE PROBLEM IS WITHOUT WARNING, INSTANT AND ERRATIC ONSET WITH NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROTOCOL. THIS IS A PART FAILURE WHICH WILL STRAND THE DRIVER WHEREVER IT HAPPENS UNTIL THE PART (IPDM) IS REPLACED , AFTER WHICH THE VARIOUS COMPUTERS ON THE CAR WILL PERFORM AS NORMAL AND AUTO FUNCTIONS NORMALLY. THIS PART SHOULD BE IMPROVED, RECALLED AND REINSTALLED WITH DEFECT FREE REPLACEMENT TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE AND STRANDING OF OTHER NISSAN DRIVERS. NISSAN HAS NOT RECALLED THE PART AS YET BUT THE REPAIR COST ME $910 FOR DIAGNOSES AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE AND FAILED IPDM ON THE 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER AND PERHAPS OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES. THE RECORDS OF NISSAN SHOULD SHOW THE SPIKE IN ORDERS FOR THIS PART AS OTHER VEHICLES FAIL TO FUNCTION DUE TO FAILURE OF THE IPDM. A RECALL SHOULD BE INITIATED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECTIVE ESSENTIAL AND EXPENSIVE PART WHICH CANNOT BE MAINTAINED -JUST REPLACED WHEN IT FAILS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE, MAKING THE VEHICLE HARD TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 67,794.

NISSAN ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO REPLACE FAULTY RADIATORS AND TRANSMISSIONS AFFECTED BY THESE FAULTY RADIATORS YET DID NOT INCREASE THE WARRANTY BY THE NORMAL 12MO 12,000 MILE INSTEAD THEY INCREASED IT TO 96MONTHS AND ONLY 80,000 MILES NOT 96,000 MILES SIMPLY BECAUSE MOST FAILURES HAPPEN OVER 80,000 MILES. THEY ALSO CLAIMED THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY RECALL. WHEN THE RADIATOR AFFECTS THE TRANSMISSION AND THE VEHICLE CAN STALL DURING DRIVING. HOW IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS FROM THEIR LETTER INFORMING CONSUMERS: "IN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY MIGHT OCCUR AT HIGHER MILEAGES LEADING TO INTERNAL LEAKAGE OF ENGINE COOLANT. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES WILL NOT EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE, NISSAN IS EXTENDING THE WARRANTY AS IT APPLIES TO THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY TO DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCTS AND OUR CUSTOMERS. NISSAN IS EXTENDING YOUR VEHICLE'S NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY AS IT APPLIES TO THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS FROM 36 MONTHS/36,000 MILES TO 96 MONTHS/80,000 MILES, INCLUDING DAMAGE, REPAIRS, REPLACEMENT, AND RELATED TOWING RESULTING FROM THIS ISSUE."A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR IS CAUSED FROM THERMAL SCHOCK. WHICH NISSAN KNEW ABOUT BEFORE INSTALLING THE ORIGINAL RADIATOR IN MY VEHICLE. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY APPLIED FOR A PATENT ON JAN 24,2006 WHICH WAS PUBLISHED SEPT 2006 THEREFORE THEY KNOWINGLY INSTALLED RADIATORS THAT WOULD UNDERGO THERMAL SHOCK IE CRACK. SEE THE ENTIRE PUBLICATION WHERE THEY ARE FILING FOR A PATENT RECOGNIZING THE EXISTING PROBLEMATIC RADIATORS: VEHICLE COOLING SYSTEM,PUBLICATION NUMBER US20060196634,APPLICATION NUMBER US/11/337437,ASSIGNEES NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION,INVENTORS SATO YOUSUKE ISHIKAWA TAKAYUKI IWASAKI MITSURU FILING DATE 24 JAN 2006PUBLICATION DATE 07 SEP 2006. MAKE NISSAN REPLACE ALL DEFECTS. *KB

-1ST INCIDENT: AT 79500 MILES FUEL GAUGE DROPPED TO EMPTY ONCE LEVEL BELOW HALF A TANK. NISSAN TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. VEHICLE PAST 75000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT 450.00. -2ND INCIDENT: AT 107000 MILES DRIVE-SHAFT BROKEN IN TRANSIT MID-SPAN ACROSS 4 MILE 4 LANE INTERSTATE BRIDGE AT THE BEGINNING OF RUSH HOUR. POTENTIAL FOR A CATASTROPHIC MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH. VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. -3RD INCIDENT: AT108600 MILES VEHICLE FAILED TO START. VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNERS EXPENSE TO NISSAN SERVICE DEPT. TOLD NEXT DAY TRANSMISSION FUSE BLOWN AND "RADIATOR INTERNAL LEAK CAUSED CROSS CONTAMINATION INTO TRANSMISSION" NEEDS TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR. ADVISED WORK IS OUT OF WARRANTY. REPAIRED AT OVER 6000.00 AT OWNERS EXPENSE. VEHICLE RETURNED, OWNER NOTICED 20 AMP FUSE AND UNKNOWN RELAY IN CUPHOLDER CONSOLE. 1 DAY LATER OWNER NOTICES HIGH-BEAM LIGHTS INOPERABLE. -4TH INCIDENT 1 WEEK AND 3 DAYS AFTER TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR REPAIR LESS THAN 1 MONTH OLD BATTERY IS FOUND DEAD. BATTERY REPLACED VEHICLE STILL EXHIBITING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. DASHBOARD LIGHTS OUT, BATTERY, BRAKE AND 4WD WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. BATTERY TEST OK. ALTERNATOR TEST OK, STARTER DRAW TEST OK. OWNER BECOMES AWARE OF NISSAN RECALL CAMPAIGN PC068 REGARDING ECM RECALL. VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT OWNERS EXPENSE. OWNER REQUESTED ECM RECALL BE PERFORMED NO LESS THAN 4 TIMES, SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS NOT RELATED TO ECM AND WILL NOT REPLACE, THEN STATES NO KNOWLEDGE OF RECALL, THEN CLAIMS OWNERS ECM RECALL WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED. COMPLAINT LOGGED WITH NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS. 5 DAYS LATER OWNER TOLD VEHICLE READY, OWNER GOES TO PICK UP THEN TOLD VEHICLE IS NOT READY AS THERE IS STILL ELECTRICAL ISSUE. NOW 1 WEEK WITHOUT VEHICLE, NO CONTACT WITH SERVICE ADVISOR IN 2 DAYS. *KB

AT 86,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO STUTTER. I TOOK IT TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN FAIRFAX VA AND THEY JUST SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $7500. THEY MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT A POTENTIAL RADIATOR PROBLEM CAUSING THIS, THEY BASICALLY PLAYED DUMB ABOUT IT. IF I WERE TO HAVE THEM FIX IT WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID I MIGHT WANT TO "PUNT" ON THIS ONE AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO AAMCO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL WHERE THE RADIATOR FAILS AND FLUID IS CROSS-CONTAMINATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I PAID $5000 TO HAVE THIS FIXED. NISSAN SHOULD FESS UP TO THIS PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN DOING MY RESEARCH AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED WITH NUMEROUS PATHFINDER OWNERS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS WELL KNOWN, DOCUMENTED ISSUE. THIS TYPE OF ISSUE COULD LEAD TO A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THE TRANSMISSION WERE TO FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY OR A MAJOR PERSONAL SAFETY ISSUE IF FAILURE WERE TO HAPPEN ON BACK ROADS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE FAMILY ON A FOUR LANE FREEWAY, TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF SPEED IN A RAIN STORM. NO WARNING OR SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE RADIATOR FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT TO MIX WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. NISSAN ASSIST WAS NO HELP. COST TO REPAIR QUOTED AT $5700. NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THREE WEEKS DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, BUT IT WAS VERY DISTURBING TO MAKE IT OFF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND IN THE RAIN. MY WIFE'S VEHICLE AND SHE WAS VERY THANKFUL SHE WAS NOT DRIVING WHEN IT HAPPENED. *TR