1996-2004 Pathfinder / QX4 Strut Housing Corrosion Recall

[Luv2ski35]

"As for the way Nissan is dealing with it, the process may suck, but at least they're doing something about it."

thats was kinda my point.... and remember there is a 3rd company involved!!!

chrishere0: thanks for the childish name calling. Like I said, was subaru (my frame completley rotted out to the point that it was unsafe to drive... and the Brat was not even 10 yrs old... I had to pay a scrap yard to tow it off) responsible for all the rusted out cars they had in the late 80s early 90s? I have a 1994 pathfinder that the rear of the frame has HOLES in it too... is nissan responsible? NO... I feel more for the owners of 2002-2004s than people with 1997s, that is for sure.

the rest of you, I am calling Morley this morning, I will keep you informed on how the process goes from a service advisors view. I have a feeling that being in the south, it is going to take a long time to get an inspector down here.

In all honesty, the pathfinder I have in here with the rust, should not be repaired even if the car is deemed repairable for the strut tower, this thing is a POS... leaks from every seal, bald tires, rust in the body, nasty interior... and the owner even said he doesn't care if he has to get a new car as he bought this one from auction for dirt cheap.

It is however 4wd, and I am eager to see if Nissan takes it back and crushes it or if it just sits here at our dealership... I have a 93 4wd 4 cyl hardbody that could use a v6 swap. ;-)

[Buzzman]

I've been wondering throughout this whole ordeal about what happens to the rigs that are deemed as scrap?
Who gets the title, and what happens to the actual truck?
Can it be robbed for parts?
Does it end up in a junkyard somewhere?
There must be a few rigs that still have good interiors, or a stereo, or tires/rims etc., that are salvageable.
Just thinking.

[Chuck Tribolet]

There must be a few rigs that still have good interiors, or a stereo, or tires/rims etc., that are salvageable.

Or low-mileage engines/transmissions/etc. that could go in a California car.

[Buzzman]

There must be a few rigs that still have good interiors, or a stereo, or tires/rims etc., that are salvageable.

Or low-mileage engines/transmissions/etc. that could go in a California car.

Exactly what I was thinking:

Power valve screw lets go (3.5), timing belt lets go (3.3), engine destroyed, get new engine from low mileage writeoff......priceless.

[breathingjrw]

just got my offer...pretty pleased with my results... granted it did take a couple months, but it wasn't my primary vehicle anyways, so no real harm with transportation issues. my 97 was starting to rust on all 4 wheelwells also had some 4 wheeling scratches and a cracked windshield. Yet Morley skipped the fair offer price that my vehicle was probably worth, and offered me excellent value for it + approx 600 reimbursement for recent repairs...I obviously agreed to settle.

just ready to be done with this whole process.

[JoannaC00kies1]

Yeah can I strip mine of its parts? My Catalytic converter has alot of sentimental value!

[chrishere0]

Mine is gone, check is in the bank. I was told nissan has a company in ny fixing them for 1500 a piece. After that they will wind up with salvage titles and be sold overseas and mexico. My next question was what if it winds up back here and was told if the dealer comes across the vin # again service will be refused and it will be PUSHED out of the shop.

[Luv2ski35]

that doesn't sound like it is correct information. THe cost of shipping vehicles would negate any profit for any company..... much less that no one in mexico or oversees is really going to want a rust bucket that was deemed unrepairable.

[eafin]

Faxed my info to Mike North...Waiting for the next step....Sure enjoying the 2011 Altima...lovin the excellent gas milage as well.....Hope everyone gets the deal they all want....Good luck to all....

[eafin]

Mine is gone, check is in the bank. I was told nissan has a company in ny fixing them for 1500 a piece. After that they will wind up with salvage titles and be sold overseas and mexico. My next question was what if it winds up back here and was told if the dealer comes across the vin # again service will be refused and it will be PUSHED out of the shop.

So did you get what you wanted and satisfied with how the whole thing went down? Mine is a 99 Pathfinder would be interested in your outcome....Thanks...

[chrishere0]

Not exactly what i wanted but close. What i really wanted was to keep my pathy and not have a car payment however that was not an option. When morley calls with your offer, treat it like a a** backwards car sale, do not take their first offer, they will pull the ol i need to talk to my manager BS. The process took me 3 months. A couple weeks were my doing, wanted to keep the loaner as long as possible to avoid putting miles on my new vehicle.

I did not mean to make it seem they were sending them where ever. Just assuming they would be worth more repaired with salvage titles to the mexicans then here in the us. My guess the dmv down there is a little more leaniant.

[Luv2ski35]

when morley calls treat it the same as you would if your insurance company calls when a car gets totalled in an accident... my 2000 frontier CC first offer was 12K...I ended up getting 16k (that was in 2001) when I totalled it... took a little longer, but it was worth it. They had "neglected" to remember that is was a fully loaded SE crewcab and were basing there offer on 4 cly king cabs in the area.

[chrislrob]

Dropped my 1997 Nissan Pathfinder off on Saturday. I had a complete failure last year, had it patched and have been afraid ever since. Never put the wife and child in it, though I have driven it occassionally. Expecting it to be unrepairable and I could live with excellent private party KBB.

Like many,I do not want a car payment. Frustrated about that.

[hmqx4]

Hi all,

Sounds like everyone is having different experiences.

Here is my situation...

Recently purchased the 2001 qx4 about 4 months ago. Prior to purchasing, I was aware of the recall but I determined that the Pro's outweighed the Con's, afterall QX4/Pathfinders have an excellent track record and are great vehicles. I had the PO have their dealer inspect and determine if the vehicle passed inspection prior to my purchase, it did pass. I have the invoice in hand.

Now that there is a repair in place I decided to contact the dealer on my own and have it "preventively" fixed (regardless if it needs it or not, the way I see it, all of these vehicles will have this issue at some point, it is just a matter of time). Currently there is some surface rust from what I can tell but nothing extreme like some of the photos on here.

I inquired if they would provide me a loaner and they advised, "No". Apparently it is different for all dealers? (Since dealers are franchises I believe they have certain freedoms from Nissan Corp. that allows them to make their own decisions). Anyone elses thoughts?'

My car is in pretty good shape, I am probably guessing it will only take a level 1 repair. But I am looking for negotiation power in the event that they keep my car more than one day and I do not have a loaner. Does anyone think that if I complain enough, I can get a loaner if needed?

Wish me luck!

[meatwad]

Hi everyone. I have been reading this forum for the past couple days and it has really helped me know what to expect. Thanks to everyone who have shared their story.

I am currently waiting for morley to put together an offer on my 99.5 pathfinder. I will be asking 7,600 (6,100 exc. KBB + 1500). The 1500 is for the repairs I had done a few months back on BOTH passenger and driver's side strut towers. My mechanic basically cut out the rust and welded in new steal plates. However its not up to morley's standards since it was deemed unrepairable.

Anyway, I just thought of something. Why not look around for old pathfinders/qx4 for sale for dirt cheap, buy em up, and sell em off to morley for excellent KBB price? I know I'm not the first person to think of this. Any thoughts?

[leftfromcenter]

Dealer told me the soonest they could get me in was Jan. 23rd. Said they only do three a week. Does that sound strange to anyone else? You mean Infiniti is willing to let me dirve it for three months before they will even look at it?

[pathfinder2003]

here is my story with my 2003 pathfinder LE. Have approx. 114K miles. got the recall notice a few weeks ago. took it to local nissan dealership in Denville, nj. they said they do 4-5 recalls a day. They said they were able to repair it. took them 1 day but needed extra time. no worries there. drove it today and HOLY s***! It is not driving at ALL like it used to..it feels like it is totally messed up. feels like the transmission is totally gone. going from stop to GO...the car shakes and keeps jerking...won't let me even drive to the point where i have to pull over. Tried it on a major highway. while i was driving..twice...it started jerking and the gage was moving up and down and going haywire. Had this SUV for 2 years and NEVER had any issues with transmission or anything. now after the dealership claims to have fixed it...it is all messed up. I brought it back today and they said they would look at it. said it was not likely they did any harm to it. I find this HARD to believe. Again, had I not brought it in...i would not have this "driving" issue. Not sure what they will say or how they will handle this. will keep you all posted. did anyone else go through this? I am very concerned. i need to drive with my two kids in the car and am now afraid to drive!!!!

[Chris.m]

Anyway, I just thought of something. Why not look around for old pathfinders/qx4 for sale for dirt cheap, buy em up, and sell em off to morley for excellent KBB price? I know I'm not the first person to think of this. Any thoughts?

I almost wonder if morley would not just do this themselves.

I remember hearing about a "silent" recall of some food item in the 80's or 90's in which the company actually hired people to go to stores to buy the inventory so others couldn't. Although in this food case, it was so the company could avoid some bad publicity. But you would think that if you could save a couple of grand on each PF, they'd do it.

If not, you know what to do.

[meatwad]

Hey everyone.

Just got off the phone with morley and I am surprisingly very pleased. KBB excellent is 6400 on mine. First offer was 4000. Then I said it was way too low. We went through all the options one by one on the KBB website together. She said it was in fair condition and offered good condition. I said I want excellent she said OK. I said OK, but how bout the 1500 I put towards strut tower repairs. She said to contact Nissan, gave me phone number. Apparently they can only add on value for new tire purchases. I said what about my inconvenience and the fact I didn't wanna get rid of the car in the first place. Brief 3 minute hold and bam 7K offer.

Called Nissan 5 minutes later, and will be faxing over my repair invoice tomorrow. Will see how that goes.

I know this is stressful for everyone as it has been for me, but there is NO WAY I would get even close to 6400, let alone 7000, selling it on the street. With 7K, I can easily purchase a comparable vehicle from a private party, so I am extremely satisfied with the way Morley and Nissan (thus far) have handled my particular case, and I wish the rest of you the best of luck.

[hmqx4]

Meadwad - Happy to hear it was a success for you. Seems like as Nissan moves through this process with more customers, it becomes faster and easier to have these issues resolved.

I dropped my 2001 QX4 off at the dealer last night for the repair and I will be picking my from the dealer later Today. So far the service technicians have been very helpful and quick with the repair. They advised that they were doing the fiberglass piece, sealant along with the metal plate over that.

I will let everyone know how it turns out.

Looks like there will be less Pathfinder/QX4's on the road now, the newer ones probably being the survivors.

For those of you who are going through the buy back process, what are you going to buy? I cannot think of any other SUV that is better that falls in the 6-8k price range.

[eafin]

Hey everyone.

Just got off the phone with morley and I am surprisingly very pleased. KBB excellent is 6400 on mine. First offer was 4000. Then I said it was way too low. We went through all the options one by one on the KBB website together. She said it was in fair condition and offered good condition. I said I want excellent she said OK. I said OK, but how bout the 1500 I put towards strut tower repairs. She said to contact Nissan, gave me phone number. Apparently they can only add on value for new tire purchases. I said what about my inconvenience and the fact I didn't wanna get rid of the car in the first place. Brief 3 minute hold and bam 7K offer.

Called Nissan 5 minutes later, and will be faxing over my repair invoice tomorrow. Will see how that goes.

I know this is stressful for everyone as it has been for me, but there is NO WAY I would get even close to 6400, let alone 7000, selling it on the street. With 7K, I can easily purchase a comparable vehicle from a private party, so I am extremely satisfied with the way Morley and Nissan (thus far) have handled my particular case, and I wish the rest of you the best of luck.

Excellent deal I'd have too say!!! I like what you said about the inconvenience aspect...I feel the same way.....I'd be interested to hear what your Pathfinder was and year...as this could set the trend for many of us....
Thanks Eafin
Again, great deal....

[JoannaC00kies1]

Im still waiting to hear from the rep that has been assigned to me. Hopefully by the end of next week?

[meatwad]

Excellent deal I'd have too say!!! I like what you said about the inconvenience aspect...I feel the same way.....I'd be interested to hear what your Pathfinder was and year...as this could set the trend for many of us....
Thanks Eafin
Again, great deal....

It was a 99.5 LE with most of the options. Just check KBB excellent value for ur vehicle, and keep pushing price up. BTW. whole process took about 6 weeks total so far.

[meatwad]

Im still waiting to hear from the rep that has been assigned to me. Hopefully by the end of next week?

took me 3 weeks after sending in paperwork.

[hmqx4]

To anyone who is curious about the repair process. I found what I believe is the tech bulletin online. This might clear up any confusion as to how your vehicle is handled. It shows step by step instructions as to how your vehicle is repaired. I was surprised how many variables there were that might cause your vehicle to be unrepairable. (current as of July 28).


http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docse ... 4-1111.pdf

[chrishere0]

WOW! What a BS repair!

[hmqx4]

You would think Nissan would provide an entire wheelwell/inner fender cover replacement, But you have to remember the repair has to probably be easy for a technician to do and also require inexpensive and easy to use tools.

For example, it is probably very difficult for Nissan to provide welding tools along with welding training for technicians in order to provide a more substantial fix. Also, in some cases it might be over kill. I guess I am just looking at it from both sides...

But still, I am amazed that if a couple nuts cannot be full torqued during one of the steps of this repair, your vehicle is deemed unrepairable. What a waste!

[chrislrob]

My truck has been deemed unrepairable. Enterprise gave me a rental car yesterday. It is a late-model Dodge Nitro. They are insisting that Nissan only pays $35/day for Nissan cars otherwise it's $28.99/day for Non-Nissan. Have not seen anyone else have this problem.

Anyone?

Also, is it $35/flat or plus taxes? I do not want to pay a DIME to rent a vehicle. I want MY vehicle, if I can't have it, what am I going to do, but I want at least a full-size car and apparently they don't have many.

Like the Nitro, too.

Advice?

[Luv2ski35]

Update on the process from a service advisor view. Faxed Morley the "unrepairable" sheet tuesday and the inspector will be out tomorrow, Friday.... not too long of a turn around so far. We will see what the inspector says.

Nate

[Shoe]

I have a 1998 and the dealer in Hadley Ma has it and it is deamed not repairable! They gave me a loaner but Now I have to deal with these Morley people Who are these people? They started offering low and went to up I put new tires on it $500 cv joints,brakes, and this doesnt matter.I have lost my car and i just want a dependable vehicle a used one at that .I feel Nissan used inferior metal and it has taken them 11yrs for this recall . The media has not covered this enough to make them wake up and do the right thing like Toyota did Trpl over kbb With incentive to buy a Nissan.