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1996 Nissan Pathfinder Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Serious

214 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.19 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious11V244000

Steering:Column

THE STRUT HOUSING MAY CRACK AND PULL AWAY FROM THE INNER HOOD LEDGE ASSEMBLY.

Remedy & full details

NISSAN WILL INSPECT THE STRUT HOUSING AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. AN INTERIM NOTIFICATION LETTER WAS SENT OUT IN MAY 2011. THE SECOND NOTICE WAS MAILED ON JULY 25, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1996-2004 PATHFINDER AND MODEL YEAR 1997-2003 INFINITI QX4 VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN. IN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT ARE USED, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT MAY ENTER AN ASSEMBLY LOCATION HOLE IN THE UPPER STRUT HOUSING, CAUSING WATER TO COLLECT AT THE MATING SURFACE OF THE STRUT HOUSING PANEL AND THE INNER HOOD LEDGE ASSEMBLY. OVER TIME, THIS SNOW/WATER AND SALT INTRUSION MAY RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE STRUT TOWER HOUSING IN SOME SUBJECT VEHICLES.

Serious06E049000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Serious06E026000

Exterior Lighting

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Moderate96V031000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages

THIS CONDITION COULD INHIBIT A DRIVER FROM APPLYING THE BRAKES, raises the risk of A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CARPET PADDING ON THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL ADJACENT TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

DUE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE CARPET PADDING ON THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL, THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL COULD CATCH A DRIVER'S RIGHT FOOT UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL.

Moderate96V034000

Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)

THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN THE INABILITY TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE WHEEL, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS ARE REPLACING THE STEERING TRANSFER GEAR ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY HAVING DIFFERENT LUBRICANT.

DUE TO THE TYPE OF LUBRICANT USED IN THE STEERING TRANSFER GEAR ASSEMBLY, THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (LESS THAN -30 C) COULD INCREASE TO THE POINT WHERE SOME DRIVERS WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE WHEEL.

Complaint volume

214 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

24Crashes
0Fires
44Injuries
3Deaths

Across 214 complaints. Severity Index 1.19.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Suspension30 · 14%Suspension · Rear22 · 10%Steering13 · 6%Air Bags · Frontal8 · 4%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…7 · 3%Tires6 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…6 · 3%Tires · Tread/Belt6 · 3%
  1. Suspension — 30 reports
  2. Suspension:Rear — 22 reports
  3. Steering — 13 reports
  4. Air Bags:Frontal — 8 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 7 reports
  6. Tires — 6 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 6 reports
  8. Tires:Tread/Belt — 6 reports
  9. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System — 5 reports
  10. Electrical System:Ignition — 5 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1996 · 1997 (4) · 1998 (4) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (6) · 2001 (7) · 2002 (9) · 2003 (7) · 2004 (7) · 2005 (4) · 2006 (5) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (5) · 2009 (4) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (2) · 2012 (2) · 2013 (11) · 2014 (11) · 2015 (5) · 2016 (2) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (2) · 2020 · 2022 (5) · 2023 (1) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (1) · 2026

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.