1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems
The 1996 Nissan Pathfinder has 214 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (32%) concerns suspension. Next are steering (12%) and engine (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 214 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 24 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 44 and 3
- Typical mileage
- 121,000 miles 70 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 13 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 15 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 14 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 7 |
What the data shows
Of the 70 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 120,000 miles. For suspension specifically, the median reported mileage is about 121,000 miles (39 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 24 complaints mention a crash; 44 injuries reported; 3 deaths reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 85% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1996 ranks 18th most-complained-about out of 36 model years of the Nissan Pathfinder with enough data (80 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Vehicle was hit head-on by another vehicle, and all airbags deployed. But seat belt detached from vehicle, and driver lost her life. Consumer felt that if seat belt had not detached, driver might still be alive.
While driving 56 MPH vehicle went over a dip in the road and lost control, and rolled over three times, ejecting the driver from the vehicle. As a result, driver died at the scene.
Consumer states that her son was driving when the vehicle hit a patch of ice, causing vehicle to roll and the passenger, consumers husband, to be ejected, consumer states that the passengers seat was reclined, however the seat belt was useless in preventing passenger from submarining under the belt and being ejected, passenger was killed in the accident. *slc
Pathfinder 1996 - all 8 rear bushings have failed - the whole rear end fishtails around; the rear end has nothing to keep the rear wheels square - sway bar stabilizer link - rubber bushings on the rear stabilizers are defective - causes total loss of control - driver & passenger neck snaps back and forth dangerously - rear upper and lower control link rod bushings defective - which could lead to a crash, serious injury and death - an internet search turns up people all over the country that have or are having the…
While driving at highway speeds of 65 MPH vehicle went into violent body rolling and shimmy causing driver to almost loose control. Body was rolling severely, as if steering wheel was being rocked back and forth, however steering wheel was steady. Unable to stop body roll until brakes applied. Unable to identify any damage at time if event, but happened several more times during trip.