1996-2004 Pathfinder / QX4 Strut Housing Corrosion Recall

[TCOUGHLAN]

UPDATE: I fought and fought Nissan, after I rejected the third offer Morley send me back to Nissan to arbitrate it. I held firm and got very close to book value for the car with a Vpp code to purchase a new one ( which I dont think I will use) I think they handled this so poorly, I dont think I can support Nissan. I dont check too often, I dont check this too often, but I would like to know how others are making out...My e-mail is [email protected]

[ashey030]

Anyone else get offers? I submitted my paperwork last week and am awaiting an offer. Would I be better holding out even if the offer is fair....to see how this thing shakes out?

[bbells]

It would be nice to hear from everyone who brought their pathfinder in for the recall. How many are deemed unrepairable, how many are ok, and how many are repaired? My 03 goes in tomorrow. I will post the results. Thanks!

[bberdel]

Morley told me 2 weeks - it has been over two weeks so I called again, and now they have NO time frame...I also called nissan to complain and apparently there is nothing they can do. Toyota Tacoma's were recalled earlier this year and those that were unfixable were bought back for 150% of Excellent Blue Book Value. this is the $$ I am going for, and I will refer to the Tacoma case, it is very similar.

[Towncivilian]

Mine goes in for inspection in an hour. According to an updated recall, Pathfinders in non-salt states get an inspection (but no free undercoating as salt states get if there is surface or no rust, apparently), and if they have any issues the route is obvious from there.

[ashish1971]

I took in my 97 Pathfinder in to dealer today to have them look at the corrosion problem. They told me that someone from Nissan factory will have to come and take a look at it. It will take about 48 hours for them to look at it. I got a rental for the time being. I have a big hole behind the driver side strut that I can see engine compartment and steering wheel shaft from outside. Area 2 in the recall is fine for me, but area 1 has rust that easily can be scraped off which is not good. I can take a screwdriver and scrape the rust in area 1 which can go deep into the chaise. The passenger side is in good condition. Let's see how this one goes...

[Towncivilian]

The dealer found no corrosion on my Pathfinder. They also didn't need to remove the airbox for inspection. Non-salt states have a different recall # (R1108), I assume the inspection instructions are different as a result, and I won't be receiving an undercoating. I can't find R1108 on the NHTSA site.

[Keyman1808]

Hi

New ti this forum but now have a similar problem

My 99 pathfinder was inspected by Nissan and they replaced a plate inside and said it was safe to drive and they would call me when the rest of the repair was ready.

I had to bring my pathfindervfor it's annual state inspection and asked the tech to specifically check the strut tower area specifically. Low and behold they failed it. Apparently under MA state inspection standard and frame rot ( rust on the unibody. Or in my case thru th unibody) is considered a fail. It's also deemed structurally unsound. So a quick call to the dealer and they asked for it to be brought right in. Now I'm driving a rental on their dime. A 2011 Mazda cx9. Only 60 miles on it. 10 I got o put on.

They claim it will be repaired in 2 days. We will see. According to my mechanic and I will confirm with my auto body guy, any rot in the frame or unibody and the vehicle is unsafe and structurally deficient. And is not supposed to be repairable. Thats what the inspector said.

If they band aid patch this I will next contact the MA registry on motor vehicles to have the trooper inspect and determine if jit passes MA inspection standards and Federal highway safety standards. Nf not back to Nissan it shall go.

BTW there was a hole in the wheel well big enough to pass a baseball. And they deemed this safe.

I urge all owners of these trucks to contact their state inspection units to make sure thru are safe and any repair passes muster.

Does anyone out there know what attorney or law firm handled the Toyota case. They are also on my to call list .

[K03sport]

I took my '04s VIN to the dealer and they said there were no recalls/bulletins outstanding for it.

Does this "voluntary" recall include 2004s too? Mine has spent time in Denver, CO and Dayton, OH; both places use some sort of ice melt - mag-chloride in Denver and salt brine in Dayton. I have received nothing in the mail from Nissan about this issue. Also, the dealer (service rep) did not seem familiar with this recall, unless he did and was just playing dumb.

I feel for all you other owners that have had your rigs pulled and are having to go back and forth between the two companies for fair compensation caused by this. I could have sworn the recall letter specified that book value would be paid if the vehicle was deemed unsafe.

It is also interesting that some repairs were still considered unsafe by state inspectors. My area of OH does not have vehicle inspections. In fact, I'm not sure if the state of OH has vehicle inspections, period. With this in mind, how would one go about determining if repairs performed on a vehicle were safe/unsafe?

[Towncivilian]

Yeah, 2004s are affected. As far as I know, every Pathfinder should be eligible for at least an inspection at this point, especially in a salt state! Print out the first page of this PDF and take it to your service adviser. If they still don't inspect it or don't even have the recall bulletin yet (how would that be possible?), I'd call 1-800-NISSAN1.

[Keyman1808]

After sleeping on this. I have a question which I doubt anyone here can answer but here it goes. Does anyone know if this so-called fix with the resin patches meets Federal Highway Safety Standards ?? I mean these MV have to meet certain crash test standards and a rotted UniBody/Frame with a plate and some resin just doesn't seem strong enough to stand up in a crash. I am concerned about a frontal collision and that whole area crumpling up and seriously hurting the driver because the reinforcing isn't there. Just wondering if anyone knows.

[Brewcity]

Hello all,

After inspection by myself...my 2000 QX4 does not seem to have any rust or corrosion in the spots outlined by Nissan.
I will be contacting an Infiniti/Nissan dealership to have it looked at this week (I hope) to find out for sure.
I will keep you all updated with the results.
Thanks for all your input and help with this crazy, unfortunate issue...it is extremely helpful.

[brev]

I just bought a beutiful 03 Pathfinder in April , private party, old lady , one owner.......
I was gonna blow off the recall because the truck is so nice, glad I didnt. I think they did a stage 2 repare.
I gave it a quick look and I could see fresh undercoating on the strut mounts in the wheel well so i figured thart was it.
Well I have been looking at recall info on line all day, I had no idea that this was such a problem.

I have been chasing down a vibration in the front end since I bought it, did an alignment and wheel balance, still there asked the dealer to look into it while it was there
(I hate dealerships) .......what a bunch of dopes. They basiclly didnt want to get into it .

It is now at another shop with a bad wheel bearing, no big deal , but they think that the rear drive shaft is out of balance, they recomend replacement not repair to the tune of $700 for the part. I can do that myself, But has anybody else run into this.
Its also using a ton of oil.
I'm starting to regret buying this thing. WTF

[brev]

By the way I am in Massachusetts.

Once they perform the recall do I own it even if it escalates or becomes a Class Action law suit ?

[captlars]

My 2k pathy in shop for a month now waiting on Morely offer. I can hardly wait. Truly disappointed in Nissan for the handling of this issue. I have been loyal Nissan owner since the Datsun days. I am curious as to what kind of offers have been put out there by this Morely group. Hopefully we can all get thru this with a positive resolve.

[bberdel]

I just bought a beutiful 03 Pathfinder in April , private party, old lady , one owner.......
I was gonna blow off the recall because the truck is so nice, glad I didnt. I think they did a stage 2 repare.
I gave it a quick look and I could see fresh undercoating on the strut mounts in the wheel well so i figured thart was it.
Well I have been looking at recall info on line all day, I had no idea that this was such a problem.

I have been chasing down a vibration in the front end since I bought it, did an alignment and wheel balance, still there asked the dealer to look into it while it was there
(I hate dealerships) .......what a bunch of dopes. They basiclly didnt want to get into it .

It is now at another shop with a bad wheel bearing, no big deal , but they think that the rear drive shaft is out of balance, they recomend replacement not repair to the tune of $700 for the part. I can do that myself, But has anybody else run into this.
Its also using a ton of oil.
I'm starting to regret buying this thing. WTF

I have an 03 as well - waiting on morely...Funny though, I have had a to replace the bearings amongst other things that have had my mechanic wondering. I was also burning a ton of oil and had a warranty in place, the dealer I bought it from ended up replacing the entire engine after 7 visits...My path has been a nightmare since I have owned it.

[CatGeek]

Update: My 1998 Pathfinder had been deemed fixable, but has now been condemned. My dealer's mechanic said once they started the repair, more pieces broke off and they couldn't secure the new parts to make it safe. So, now I wait to hear from Nissan with an offer.

[chrishere0]

I recieved my offer today. Its like buying a used car but backwards. Got the old let me talk to my supervisor a couple times. Excellent KBB is all you can expect to be offered. Makes me sick. Nothing for the inconvience plus now i will need to pay taxes on another vehicle along with dmv and dealer bs. Now i will be dragging my feet like they did to get this loaner back. Thanks nissan! I will not be back. Dam shame i've owned everything from a 280z to a couple pick ups. Now they are dead to me.

I have a feeling i will be signing away my right to sue so i can buy another vehicle to get to work so i can make a car payment AGAIN.

[qx4fan01]

Hello everyone. I am brand new to this forum. After dealing with Infiniti/Morely for the last few months I decided to do a little research and came across this discussion.

I have a 2000 Qx4 with just over 100k miles on it. Like many of you I didn't plan on replacing this truck any time soon. I put money into fixing some leaks, timing belt, water pump, cam seals, crank pulley and loose wheel bearings(among other things) with the intention of keeping it for at least a couple more years. There is nothing else wrong with my truck. The body is otherwise in good shape. No rust anywhere besides the left front wheel well (not sure about the right front). So when I was told it was not repairable I was a little worried but hoped Infiniti would do the right thing and take care of their customers. But it seems Infiniti doesn't care or want to take the time to make things right.

So here goes my story.

About a year ago I was driving through any area with heavy road construction. Going around 25 mph I ran over a large hole in the pavement that had been left unfilled by road crew. The truck veered off the road and the steering very unpredictable. My steering wheel was off a quarter of a turn while going straight and I could hear a loud knocking noise coming from the front end. It turned out my strut tower had been rotting out for some time and was only being held on by the crimp welds running along either side. Hitting the pot hole broke most of them loose and the top of the strut tower was now hitting the steering shaft and master cylinder! I was fortunate it was at low speed and the steering shaft didn't break. Not to mention the master cylinder. I could have lost the brakes too!

The truck didn't move for a couple months but having two kids my wife and I desperately needed our second vehicle. I took it in to a local body shop. I got a 4000 dollar plus estimate to replace the entire left front apron (also called a side skirt). Not having 4 grand to spare I had a friend weld a piece of sheet metal along the inside to keep the strut tower in place. Because of all the rust a good weld was not possible in all areas so It lasted for a month or two and started to separate. I had the welds touched up and the vehicle sat again only used in emergencies.

At the time I thought this couldn't be normal so I called Infiniti consumer affairs. I explained my situation and stressed to them that this had to be some kind of defect. They told me my vehicle was out of the corrosion warranty time frame so there was nothing they could do. They did offer to pay a portion of it but considering what had happened to me I figured this would have to be a safety concern. They didn't agree and my vehicle sat again.

A recall surfaces:

So this is where things get very interesting. In May, yes May, I take my truck in again to have the strut tower inspected as part of the recall. I was grounded because they said it was unsafe and not repairable. For several weeks I don't hear from anyone. When I ask for an update I am told pictures are being sent out to determine if my truck will be repaired. I am told pictures are sent out on at least two separate occasions. A few more weeks go by. I ask for another update. Infiniti tells me I will be getting a phone call soon. A week later I get a phone call from a Morley agent. She states someone will be out to inspect my car. A few more weeks go by, someone finally inspects the vehicle. It took almost two weeks from the inspection to get a phone call from a different Morley agent. My guess is they have the more aggressive agents make the call to buy the vehicles back.

The negotiations begin.

I would like to point out that having to negotiate the price on a vehicle that is being recalled by the manufacturer for a known safety defect is ridiculous to me. When a stroller or a baby crib is recalled you get your full refund back regardless of condition and time. Obviously this wouldn't apply directly to our situation. In this case I would like to point out again what others have already mentioned. The Toyota Tacoma recall for rusting frames. A friend of mine had his 2000 Tacoma bought back only a few weeks ago. He had his truck inspected a long time ago and was found to have no defect. Sometime later he was notified by his mechanic that it was starting to rust. Long story short he was told his truck was worth 10,000 dollars KBB in "excellent" condition but would be given 15,000 dollars for his trouble as the truck was deemed too old to repair.

Unfortunately that was not my experience. It seems Infiniti has assigned Morley Automotive Services to handle the buyback process. Conflict of interest, I think so. Here we have an outside company using "used car sales" tactics to buy my vehicle from me at the lowest possible price. On a side note, I was told at one point that Morley Automotive had manufactured the strut tower and therefore was handling the buybacks. I have not been able to confirm this but seems like just one more lie to deflect the blame and cause further confusion. From what I have been able to gather, both from Infiniti and Morley, there are no set parameters for how our vehicles value is supposed to be determined. They simply throw out a low number and hope you accept. If you don't then they raise it up a little. Before you get a "final offer" or "highest" they can go. I kept arguing that I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket to replace my truck and would not accept less than KBB excellent retail value. As such, I kept getting revised offers. I lost count of how many exactly, but it was at least 6. Finally I was told I would get a "decline" letter whether I wanted it or not.

Here is my argument to Morley and Infiniti. I should not have to pay anything out of pocket to replace a vehicle I had no intention of replacing. When I called Infiniti consumer affairs I was assured Morley was supposed to be offering retail, not trade in or private party value. I argued with Morley about that and I was told I had received false information. The supervisor I was talking to said he was dealing with over 1500 cases and that he couldn't possibly be wrong on all of them. I asked him if we could three-way call Infiniti consumer affairs but he declined. Stating it would not give him authorization to increase the offer. So I asked who then had the ability to make that decision, he said he did. But I guess not in this case. I called Infiniti consumer affairs again but this time the person I talked to said she had no information for me and that I needed to deal with Morley directly. This was very disconcerting as the last two people seemed to have a lot more to say. One of them even suggested I contact the Better Business Bureau, which I intend to do.

In the end I've gotten nowhere. I have a decline letter on its way, which I don't intend on signing, and neither Morley nor Infiniti want to talk to me anymore. They have both declined giving me anything in writing stating what the policy is on determening what people are getting reimbursed for their defective vehicles. Infiniti’s' final statement, even after being reassured by one rep. that I should be offered retail value, was that they had no involvement in putting into place any procedure or guidelines on how much people where to receive for their not repairable vehicle. I was told that after they were informed of a third party handling the buy backs they were no longer receiving any information and had no other information she could give me other than to call Morley back again. I left a message for Morley requesting something in writing but of course they never faxed it or called me back.

I would also like to state that on several occasions I suggested they simply send my vehicle to a body shop and have the left strut tower skirt replaced. It’s a win, win. I don't want to benefit from this I just want a safe car to drive. They could fix it for less than it would cost to buy it back from me and I wouldn't have to absorb any expenses (cost difference including taxes, title, dealer fees, etc.) to replace it. Infiniti told me that was not an option because they were afraid if it happened again they would still be liable. Which made no sense to me considering the repair most people are getting when their vehicles are found to be repairable and are getting a metal plate slapped on over the existing rust and large holes. Infiniti did suggest I bring that option to Morley’s attention, so much for being worried about future liability. Morley simply stated there was no set program set in place to even consider that as an option.

So what do we do now? Do we as owners have any rights when it comes to being compensated for a defective product? Do they have the right to offer us anything they want and make us feel like we have no other choice? I for one intend on finding out all my options. I am forwarding this message to the Better Business Bureau and my states Attorney general. I hope that someone can shed some light on this matter and we can start getting some answers soon. If this is happening to us, how many more are going or will be going through the same thing? How many have already been swindled out of a vehicle they didn't plan on selling? What Nissan/Infiniti are doing is wrong in so many ways and I hope that everyone holds firm and we get informed so that we can put a stop to this.

[Keyman1808]

I can tell you now that even though they claim it's repairable I have retained an attorney. We will accept a repaired MV if it's comes with a letter from Nissan stating the repair meets all federal highway safety standards as well as crash safety standards. They also assume liability if the repair fails. No letter no acceptance of the repaired truck. I am lucky I have an attorney in my family so it's free. But I can tell you I will not be strong armed or accept. Substandard repair. It will also be going to an inspection by someone from the state of MA so if it can't pass MA inspection for th second time they will have problems with me and the state. According to my dealer it would take two days to do so I expect to hear from them tommorrow. We will see

[MAD2000]

Wow, your story is very similar to mine [qx4fan01"] I now have morley making me their final offer which is less than excellent retail. I told them I need to wait for nissans response on the reimbursement for the strut repair. (They have not returned a daily phone call). The 6000 they offer will not buy me a reliable car. Does anyone know of a class action lawsuit in the works?

[poys97]

three days since I faxed them my offer - lol. Still waiting...... their first offer after they finally contact you will be kelley blue book trade-in value... Be sure to look up your retail value for negotiations... It was not our choice to be in this position - had no intention of trading in or selling. I submitted a proposal to them of 5200. retail value, plus recent major repairs and tires (ball joints, bearings, harmonic stabilizer...) which came to a total of 7,000... We will see what they come back with

[ashish1971]

I called nissan dealer today to check for the status. They told me that nissan will call me up for the next steps. They could not give me exact timeframe of when I will receive a call. Will update as I find out.

[jgserio]

Hi All - I've been following this forum for a while but just making my first post now.

I have a 1998 Infiniti Qx4 - it's been at the dealership for almost a month now since failing the initial inspection.
I have called Morley 2x asking when they will get back to me and they are currently waiting for the 2nd inspection to be completed. Intrestingly - at least in my area - Morley is not doing the inspection there is a 3rd party that is doing the inspection.

Right now they cannot tell me when the inspection will happen and when i can expect to have an update. So we sit and wait.

I have a 2012 Nissan Altima - which is suprisingly crap - that I am driving as a rental in the mean time.

I'll post again when i get a response and hopefully an offer.

[tigger]

Since I found out that my 1999.5 Pathfinder cannot be repaired, I'm still waiting to hear from Morley or Nissan for the offer.
A person I talked a while back at Morley said that the department that handles buyout offer only has 4 people. Pretty crazy if that's true.
Nissan had the nerve to email me Nissan Consumer Affair satisfaction survey.
What do I need to do to escarate this whole frustrating ordeal to the next level? Talk to MA Attorney General?
Is there a class action suits being prepared? If so I hope someone can post the information here how to contact.
I'm surprised this is not yet in the media.

[Buzzman]

I'm surprised this is not yet in the media.

I was thinking the same thing, so I wrote to a couple of auto journalists (Canadian) about this problem, and have yet to hear something.
Maybe they don't see it as a big problem like we do.
Maybe we (us, on this forum) should write to our local paper or automotive journalist as well.
The more this news gets out there, the better it will be for those of us that have been affected by this recall. (I've been lucky. My truck is OK).
Start writing guys.

[metalfabsteve]

I'm still dealing with Nissan Canada on my problem because part of the fix they do involves patching you're framerail with fiberglass mat & resin which has no structural integrety. This is done anywhere that the re-inforcing plate dosent cover, mine was repariable according to the dealer who wasn't very helpful on this problem the service manager just smiled and said its safe to put my 5 month old son back in this vehicle yea right! My problem is now there is a crumple zone directly in front of my left foot, seems inadiquate to me.

So I called the Ministry of Transportation about this, the first guy I spoke to was a roadside inspector he said no way is that safe and he would pull my plates if he sees that in his lanes. He tells me I should talk to the structural inspector and he gave me his number none the less the inspector said the same thing fiberglass is not to be used to repair frame components!So if its not good enough for the ministry its not good enough for me. Now I'm stuck with a truck that that I don't feel safe in, I have too much money in to scrap, and I don't want to flog it to someone saying its a good truck quite the issue I'd say.

Cheers
Steve

[JoannaC00kies1]

I dropped off my 1998 pathfinder today to have the recall checked out. They told me they were going to keep it until an inspector could come check it out and put me in a 2011 Nissan rogue suv at no cost. They said they have only seen one other one as bad as mine and he has been in a rental for three weeks so far. Im pretty sure mine is the worst they have seen so far.[*][*] well see what happens

[JoannaC00kies1]

Looking in on the strut from tire well

Looking down on the inner fender from the hood next to steering column.


I thought it felt a little loose

[Buzzman]

Judging from your pics, I'd have to guess yours is gonna be declared non-repairable.
Where are you located?
Keep us informed re: buyback offers, etc.
Good luck.