1996-2004 Pathfinder / QX4 Strut Housing Corrosion Recall

A forum for the legendary Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4.
charl2013
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:46 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Patfinder LE, 3.5 L 6 CYL. WITH PATROL PACKAGE LOADED

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Only thing wrong with vehicle is recall items, my engine and tranny ran perfect, vehicle was maintained perfectly. I need help because blue book does not take my super engine into account. Need help


charl2013
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:46 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Patfinder LE, 3.5 L 6 CYL. WITH PATROL PACKAGE LOADED

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I brought my 01 Pathfinder LE, super black, black leather interior, dual heated seats, fully loaded to dealer for inspection of strutt towers. All options still function properly, some small dings and scratched paint, and a few minor cosmetics needed inside. My engine was upgraded with a patrol package when New, It functioned like a brand New car. I need help figuring out what kind of buy back I should accept. Blue book does not consider different engine. I LOVE MY CAR. ONLY THING WRONG

sauer420
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:06 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast; 2003 Nissan 350Z; Nissan Pathfinder

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My Pathfinder failed state inspection due to fiberglass used to repair the passenger strut tower on the holes not covered by the bracket. Although the steel bracket is there, I am told that the remaining holes filled with fiberglass are not safe. I am told this is a temporary patch, and it will not last more than a couple years. This vehicle is still low mileage so I was hoping to get several more years out of the ol' VQ35. Nissan should have repaired this properly or bought it back at the time of the recall. Now the recall is over and it is once again not safe for the road due to the same issue as before.

I am going to try getting a state inspection done at the Nissan dealer, however I am worried they will allow the strut tower to pass but find a whole bunch of unrelated items that require repair for the inspection sticker. I hate going to dealers, but now I have a fail in the computer system so I won't even bother going somewhere else with this crappy looking strut tower repair (even though the fiberglass was messily slapped on, it actually looks secure to me, but I am not a mechanic). Plus I've already had a bad experience with this dealer in the past on a different car - they refused to replace my bad catalytic converters under warranty, claiming it was something else, even though they were required to replace under federal law. I ended up buying some high flow cats instead.

Hopefully the Nissan dealer will just pass this thing. I doubt they will fix it again for free since the recall was already performed. It doesn't sound like people have good experiences with Nissan customer service, and this dealer will be particularly bad to deal with.

shark2
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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You should send a certified letter to Nissan explaining to them what's going on so they can't later claim "they did not know", and also send a letter to NHTSA telling them that the repairs they did pursuant to the recall are proving to be only temporary, and that they need to demand that Nissan immediately recall all the trucks remaining on the road to make sure that the prior repairs are continuing to be effective and/or make the repairs using a different procedure that is permanent. I'm sure they will be interested as it's sounds dangerous. In your case it sounds like the dealer may have not followed the repair procedure specified by Nissan, which appears to be the case with mine too.

sauer420
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:06 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast; 2003 Nissan 350Z; Nissan Pathfinder

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Pathfinder2002 wrote:
virg wrote:Hey all,

Hope I'm not too late to the party for some feedback - would love some advice.

2000 Pathfinder LE, 215k miles. Engine still runs like a gem.

Had it in to the dealership a year ago for an unrelated repair. They mention that there is a recall and I verified it was accurate information. Strut tower was "repairable" so I gave them the green light to "repair" at no cost. went on my way without much after thought (I know, I am kicking myslef now).

Anyway, brought it to a different mechanic last week (trustworthy guy) for some steering issues and he shows me the drivers side strut tower is totally rusted out and even the welds on the non rusted portions have come apart! Baically tells me that I'm lucky, to cease driving it immedilaty, and contact the dealer. I looked back at my paperwork and it turns out that the original "repair" by the dealership was only an application of paint/undercoat? (that apparently did no good) but no structural repair was done.

I am going to contact the dealership again, but I am wondering if the buyback option would still be on the table considering I technically already had my free recall "repair"? Anyone have a similar situation?
The Pathfinder is all ways consider part of the buy back program if damage from rust in strut towers. Regardless of dealership repairs. Read my earlier post...It should help with the buy back program and expectations.
People are stating that this issue is still covered even after repaired once, but the dealer service managers do not seem to think so. What can be done at this point if the car is deemed unsafe by multiple non-Nissan mechanics, while the Nissan dealer says it is fine? :gotme

I would be fine with buy back at KBB excellent value, but has anyone actually received the buy back offer after the level 2 repair had already been performed? Nissan just says recall already performed.

sauer420
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:06 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast; 2003 Nissan 350Z; Nissan Pathfinder

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shark2 wrote:You should send a certified letter to Nissan explaining to them what's going on so they can't later claim "they did not know", and also send a letter to NHTSA telling them that the repairs they did pursuant to the recall are proving to be only temporary, and that they need to demand that Nissan immediately recall all the trucks remaining on the road to make sure that the prior repairs are continuing to be effective and/or make the repairs using a different procedure that is permanent. I'm sure they will be interested as it's sounds dangerous. In your case it sounds like the dealer may have not followed the repair procedure specified by Nissan, which appears to be the case with mine too.
Thank you for the advice Shark2. I will send a letter to NHTSA this week and send a copy to Nissan via certified mail.

shark2
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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Send a certified letter to Nissan telling them that your car was improperly repaired and the dealer refused to correct the situation. Given how dangerous this is, one would think they would react immediately before someone gets hurt and they get sued. Alos send a letter to NHTSA explaining the situation. Given how dangerous this is, one would hope that NHTSA will immediately force Nissan to correct the situation. Wow.

aminol
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 5:31 pm
Car: 2002 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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Just got my 2002 Pathfinder LE back from the dealer for the strut tower and air bag recall. The vehicle only had 132,000 miles on it.

I ended up getting steel braces on both the driver and passenger sides. I got the following information from the service manager.

1. The strut tower recall is still open. I had brought the truck in for the air bag recall. However, they could not do the air bag recall without doing the strut tower recall. Apparently, Federal regulations require all recalls to be completed if the vehicle is in for one of them.
2. The driver side automatically gets a brace due to the danger of the steering column getting severed.
3. The passenger side gets the brace if there are any holes. I had a hole between areas 1 and 2.
4. The dealer actually makes money on the recall. The service manager told me he would love to get more in.
5. The service manager claimed they had only one buyback and they don't like them. The people handling the buybacks take their sweet time. In this one instance, the vehicle sat in their lot for over 2 1/2 months. The dealer was not happy.

I hope this information helps.

shark2
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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Regarding number 3, no doubt they get paid at the same hourly rate is they do for warranty work, which is significantly less than the hourly rate that customers pay. In fact, if you get your hands on the technical service bulletin pertaining to this, I believe it shows how many hours they get paid for each type of repair.

InfinitiQx45202
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:51 am
Car: 2003 Infiniti QX4

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In September, 2011 I had the level 2 repair done on both sides. However, I came to find out that the steel plate was only installed on the driver's side as part of this repair. Fast forward 4 years and the passenger side shock tower gives way severing a brake line, causing me to lose basically all braking ability. Had my QX4 towed to the dealership and they informed me that the service bulletin has been updated and the passenger side is now eligible for the steel plate - even though it was "fixed" with anti-rust coating before. Needless to say, I was surprise - shocked - that they would repair it again at no cost to me.

shark2
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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Wow, I'm surprised they would even try to repair a vehicle once the corrosion is so bad that the shock tower would collapse.

Infiniti4Me
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 3:25 pm
Car: 2000 Infiniti QX4 - 210,400 miles - 4th owner - he got teh gold one

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Hi guys! I recently got a 2000 QX4 with 216,000 miles, and immediately noticed scary driving conditions with regards to the drive-train. It sounded like I was dragging a very heavy chain when I'd hit 25-30mph; not your typical CV knocking while turning, etc. I read all the recalls (actually, my CarFax report pointed out which ones were completed and which ones were new and/or still open -- kinda cool perk if you ask me lol) and called a local Infiniti dealership here in San Diego to set up an appointment to address these recalls. I felt that since there is an open recall on something drive-train-related, and I had drive-train-related issues, it was worth looking into. The service tech said to bring it on in the following Wednesday, but, then after some muffled discussion with someone else in the shop, the tech informed me that my car would only fall under the "Inspection Only" category, since Cali is no a "SALT" state. He would only inspect my car.

Long story, short: I decided to take it to my nearby (non-dealer/non-Infiniti) mechanic the next day because the noise was too damn scary and it seemed, potentially, very dangerous. The mechanics were surprised I hadn't rolled, exploded, crashed, burned, and died lol ... they did the following repairs: new Front Rotors, new Front Brake Pads, new Inner Bearings, new Outer Bearings, new Bearing Seals-- to the tune of about $675.

My question is: Are these repairs part of repairs included in this recall? (I realize the first two are brake-related) If so, does Infiniti somehow reemburse me? Or, did I totally, totally screw and toss $675+ down the drain by not taking it in to the Infiniti dealer beforehand, even tho he said he'd only inspect my car?


thanks again guys!

shark2
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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No, they are not related. And actually $675 seems like a reasonable price for the work you had done. Too bad you didn't notice the problem before you bought it!

Infiniti4Me
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 3:25 pm
Car: 2000 Infiniti QX4 - 210,400 miles - 4th owner - he got teh gold one

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shark2 wrote:No, they are not related. And actually $675 seems like a reasonable price for the work you had done. Too bad you didn't notice the problem before you bought it!
oh good! whew! thanks for letting me know! (and for the quick response)

When I got it, I knew I was getting a good price, but I'd also have to put some more dough into it, so I'm not too bummed about a big cash cost in the first week of ownership :) the mechanic actually said it was in pretty solid condition for a 16yr old vehicle, aside from a few problems.

thanks again!

37jlsmith
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:31 pm
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4 4wd

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Hi guys! I'm new here but my wife just encountered this very same issue this morning. Luckily no one was hurt. We recently moved to Florida from Kentucky. She flew back Tuesday to pick up her car so she could bring it down to Florida. While driving thru Tennessee today, she hit a pot hole. She knew it messed it up right away. She was able to slow down and actually limp it to a brake, alignment and suspension shop (what are the odds) which was just down the road. The guy told her she was lucky that the wheel didn't fold under the car or break her steering column and wreck her. We were not aware of this issue until I did a search just a little while ago. The car is a 2001 that we bought used in I believe either 2003 or 2004. The car still only has 170k on it and looks really good. My wife is very down as she loves this car. So my question is, what are we really looking at as far as what Nissan/Infiniti will do? Or are we just out and going to lose out on the car? :confused:

adonovans
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:38 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti qx4

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Could this have anything to do with a rear end shake I have when I let off the gas. 01 qx4???

adonovans
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:38 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti qx4

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Could this have anything to do with a rear end shake I have when I let off the gas. 01 qx4???

heelsrtops
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:37 pm
Car: 2002 Infiniti QX4
1998 Infiniti I30

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adonovans wrote:Could this have anything to do with a rear end shake I have when I let off the gas. 01 qx4???
No i just had to deal with that on my 02 qx4. The problem is most likely rear trailing arm bushings. Look up death wobble or death sway and you will see its a common problem. Costs about $450-$550 to have all four rear trailing arms replaced.

mrichter
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:40 am
Car: 2001 Pathfinder
2006 BMW 330xi
2001 Ford E350 work beast

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Is this recall still open? I just bought an 01 today but will be calling Nissan about any open recalls that haven't been completed and i don't want to sound like an a**. I live on Vancouver Island BC CANADA

f33lmywrath
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:36 pm
Car: 1993 J30
Contact:

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Any luck with current buybacks? Looking at purchasing a questionable one and want to know if they will buy it back still if deemed "repairable". Thanks!

mrichter
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:40 am
Car: 2001 Pathfinder
2006 BMW 330xi
2001 Ford E350 work beast

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f33lmywrath wrote:Any luck with current buybacks? Looking at purchasing a questionable one and want to know if they will buy it back still if deemed "repairable". Thanks!

not sure why they would buy it back if its deemed 'repairable.' same as your insurance company wouldn't write off your car after an accident if they can repair it.

mrichter
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:40 am
Car: 2001 Pathfinder
2006 BMW 330xi
2001 Ford E350 work beast

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quick update. took mine in for the recall and they did what was classified as a "stage 2" repair. so it is still open and you can bring it in anytime they said. also, they still do the buy backs...

pete315
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 4:14 pm
Car: 2000 Pathfinder

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I bought a 2000 Pathfinder in Feb 2015. Just got it inspected today and mechanic says I have bad rot on shock tower.Both sides. Found this website and I have good size holes in area A. I can see engine thru these holes. I called NISSAN1 and they said previous owner had recall performed in 2011. There are no steel plates installed. It may have some fiberglass, can't really tell. It's just all rusted. Will I have a problem with Nissan when I bring it to the dealer next week because the recall was performed even though now it's in bad shape. Obviously the recall performed did not fix the problem.

Buzzman
Posts: 2070
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:35 pm
Car: 2017 Mazda 6 GT
2023 Kia Stinger Elite V6 AWD.

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pete315 wrote:I bought a 2000 Pathfinder in Feb 2015. Just got it inspected today and mechanic says I have bad rot on shock tower.Both sides. Found this website and I have good size holes in area A. I can see engine thru these holes. I called NISSAN1 and they said previous owner had recall performed in 2011. There are no steel plates installed. It may have some fiberglass, can't really tell. It's just all rusted. Will I have a problem with Nissan when I bring it to the dealer next week because the recall was performed even though now it's in bad shape. Obviously the recall performed did not fix the problem.
Don't have an answer as to whether they will still honour the recall or the previous work, but I'd be more than curious to see how this plays out.
Keep us posted.

bshomo63
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:05 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4
2010 Nissan Maxima

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I have a 2001 QX4 that is in the shop for the recall. I dropped it off this past Sunday night and as of today, they told me it was sent to a body shop for the strut recall and would not be available until Friday. Does it really take them a whole week to do the recall?

pete315
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2016 4:14 pm
Car: 2000 Pathfinder

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I hope you got a loaner car. According to the recall, you're suppose to get one.

paul2112
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:44 pm
Car: 98 Pathfinder LE 130k

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Welp, I just got a 98 Pathfinder SE from a used car dealer on 6/11. I found out about the recall on 6/13 and took the car into Nissan on 6/21. Non-repairable with 129,300 miles. What a giant pain the a**. I have to register and title the car to give it to Morley's (get plates that will never see the road). I paid $2500 + tax,tag,title of $240 = $2740. KBB Private Fair is $1876, excellent $2492 but the body has a bit of rust so they'll probably start me at the $1850 range. So after several hours of shopping and perhaps $900 later, I'm back to square one. :gotme


Image

bshomo63
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:05 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4
2010 Nissan Maxima

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Well, I was one of the lucky ones. My 2001 QX4 with 109,000 miles went in for the recall. They had it for a week - said a body shop had to do the recall. They told me mine was one the best they've had. Virtually no rust, although I'm very anal with it and clean the heck out of the wheels wells with each weekly washing. Been in PA for all of it's life. So there is hope for those in the "salt states". :)

Packrat_Junkie
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:28 pm
Car: Pathfinder - still to be bought

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Hello. New to the forum, as I'm contemplating a purchase of a used 2002 Pathfinder LE. I have the salesman's okay to let me drive it 20 miles to the nearest Nissan dealership for a pre-purchase inspection. But this issue has me concerned about what would happen if the strut housing is found to be unrepairable? Technically, it would not yet be my car to turn in. and I would still be 20 miles away from my car which the salesman may hold hostage, since I would not be able to return his vehicle. I really want this Path to be worthy of buying it, but the recall has me re-thinking buying any year Pathfinder.
The car is listed in Arkansas (a state not listed in the recall), but the Carfax report says it spent most of it's life in St. Louis, Missouri (which is part of the recall). Should I even spend the time and effort or look at other make/models instead of the Pathfinder?

Marksjewel
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 3:09 am
Car: Infiniti qx4 2002

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:crazy: I think we traded for a 2002 qx4 with this problem
Trying to figure out how to post a picture..


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