2000 Nissan Pathfinder Body & Structure Problems

After hitting a pothole while driving to the dealership, your Pathfinder couldn't go faster than 40 mph. The dealership discovered your frame was broken, but refused to repair it because they said the rust causing the damage was outside the recall area. You believe the frame was weakened over time rather than damaged by the pothole, and you want either the frame repaired or compensation for your vehicle. A frame repair typically involves welding or replacement of the damaged structural section.

Your driver's side strut tower has rusted through because a previous recall repair wasn't done properly. This structural damage could affect your vehicle's handling and safety, especially during cornering or impacts. The repair will likely involve replacing the strut tower or having it welded and reinforced to restore structural integrity.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME ABNORMALLY LOOSE AND HARD TO MAINTAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT END FRAME WAS RUSTED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE RUST FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,400.

I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE STEPS ON THE SIDE OF THE SUV. THEY ARE IN THE SHAPE OF TUBES, AND HAVE RUSTED OUT. I HAD THEM REMOVED, AS THE RUSTED STEPS COULD NO LONGER SUPPORT A PERSON'S WEIGHT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL 2000 PATHFINDERS WITH THE STEP TUBES ARE EITHER RUSTED OUT, OR HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR WATER TO GET INTO THE TUBES AND CREATE RUST. *TR

I JUST FOUND ACTION NUMBER PE11004 AND WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAS JUST HAPPENED TO MY 2000 PATHFINDER (117,000 MILES). I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT STRUT AREA AND WHEN I AND A MECHANIC LOOKED THERE WAS A VISIBLE, LARGE HORIZONTAL CRACK EXTENDING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IN WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS THE SIDE MEMBER BEHIND THE STRUT TOWER. IN THE COURSE OF ABOUT A WEEK THE CRACK GOT NOTICEABLY LARGER AND THE CAR IS NOW NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THERE IS NO REASON THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE STEERING ROAD IS NOW RESTING AGAINST THE FRAME AS DESCRIBED IN THE NOTED ACTION. TWO MECHANICS HAVE NOW SAID THAT THIS IS HAZARDOUS AND THE CAR IS NEITHER SAFE TO DRIVE NOR REPAIRABLE IN THEIR OPINION, GIVEN THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL RUSTING APART BY THE STRUT. MECHANIC SAYS IT COULD COMPLETELY FAIL CAUSING STRUT TO SHOOT UP THROUGH THE HOOD. PATHFINDER HAS 153,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE FRAME / WHEEL HOUSING RUSTED THRU TO TOTAL DETERIORATION. *TR

WE BROUGHT OUR 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN FOR THE YEARLY INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO AN EXTREMELY LARGE CRACK THROUGH THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WELL AND ALONG THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE INNER FENDER WERE THE STRUT MOUNT IS LOCATED. THEY ATTEMPTED TO WELD IT TOGETHER BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO THE ROT AND THINNESS OF THE FRAME. WE ARE NOW LEFT WITHOUT A CAR. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL DEALER, QUIRK NISSAN, FOR EXAMINATION. THEY TOLD US IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. WE THEN BROUGHT IT TO A THIRD MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND TO AVOID ALL POTHOLES. IF WE HIT A POTHOLE WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE STRUT. THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE FIRST MECHANIC TOLD US AS WELL. NISSAN IS THE ONLY ONE TO SAY IT IS SAFE. THIS HAS BEEN OUR PRIMARY CAR FOR THE LAST YEAR. ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CAR ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW, BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER FOR THE FIRST 100,000 MILES FOR ALL MAINTANCE AND WORK. WE NEVER TOOK IT OFF ROADING OR ON TO THE BEACH. IT HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO SALT WATER. WE ARE APPALLED THAT NISSAN HAS NOT CONDUCTED A SAFETY RECALL. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. FROM WHAT WE HAVE READ ONLINE AND FROM SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC AT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP TOLD US WHAT WE WERE READING WAS FOR PREVIOUS MODELS NOT OUR MODEL. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE, MY HUSBAND, 5 MONTH OLD BABY, AND I WERE NOT INJURED OR KILLED. NISSAN NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND ITS PRODUCT AND CONDUCT A RECALL. *TR

MY 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER SEEMED EXCESSIVELY BUMPY AND THE STEERING SEEMED VERY STIFF AT TIMES AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE. I TOOK IT INTO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH WHERE THE WHEELWELL IS ATTACHED TO A STRUT MOUNT. THE STRUT IS LOOSE (CAUSING THE BUMPY RIDE) AND THE STRUT IS PRESSING AGAINST THE STEERING SYSTEM CAUSING THE STEERING TO BE STIFF. THE NISSAN SHOP TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIX IT AND REFERRED ME TO A BODY SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE. THE BODY SHOP TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL NISSAN AND/OR LEXUSES (LEXUS PATHFINDER MODEL - I THINK IT IS THE RX330). I WAS TOLD THAT IF I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT AND WENT OVER A BUMP, THE STRUT COULD PLUNGE THROUGH THE HOOD. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT IF I WERE TO HIT A POTHOLE AT ON A HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY (STATE FARM) AND WAS TOLD THAT IF A POTHOLE CAUSED THE DAMAGE THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT. HOWEVER, AFTER INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT ISSUE WITH PATHFINDERS AND THE LEXUS RX330 AND THE CAUSE WAS THAT THE FRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND THE POTHOLE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THIS DAMAGE TO A NON-DEFECTIVE FRAME. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN THE PATHFINDER "OFF-ROAD." I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH ANY REPAIRS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CAR. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS IS ABOUT $1,800. I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. *TR

THE STEERING IN MY 2000 PATHFINDER SEEMED TO BE RUBBING. I TOOK IT TO A TRUSTED MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS RUSTED METAL RUBBING AGAINST THE STEERING COLUMN AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE A BODY SHOP LOOK AT IT. I TOOK IT TO THE BODY SHOP AND HE SAID HE'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE BUT MY FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT AND WOULD COST MORE TO FIX IT THAN THE TRUCK IS WORTH. HE ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE MY WHEELS COULD LITERALLY FALL IN CAUSING A BAD ACCIDENT. I JUST PAID THE TRUCK OFF LAST YEAR AND NOW UNLESS NISSAN DOES SOMETHING I JUST OWN IT BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE NOISE WORSENED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SALVAGEABLE. THE FRAME WAS BUILT INSUFFICIENTLY AND WAS ROTTED OUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD MOLD THE FRAME BACK TOGETHER, BUT IT WOULD ONLY LAST TEMPORARILY. THE CONTACT FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON HIS VEHICLE FOR THIS EXACT FAILURE. HE BELIEVES A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED SINCE IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 135,000.

A RUSTING OF THE LOWER AREA ON THE SIDE RUNNING BOARDS. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT THE SALT IN THE NORTHERN STATES (I USED TO LIVE IN PITTSBURGH PA) CAUSED A RECALL OF INSUFFICIENT COATING IN THE GAS TUBE AREA. I BELIEVE THIS SAME REASON FOR THIS RECALL (SALT USED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS) IS THE SAME REASON FOR THE RUSTING THAT HAS SHOWN UP IN ONLY TWO SPOTS ON MY VEHICLE (SAME EXACT SPOT ON BOTH SIDES). *TR