1996 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Pathfinder years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 159 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder. That ranks 12th out of 31 Pathfinder model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (64 complaints, 40%), typically at around 123,183 miles. Complaints mention 20 crashes, 32 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 159owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 20complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 64 | 40% | 123,183 | “rear bushings” (8%) | — |
| Steering | 24 | 15% | 123,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 9% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 9% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 13 | 8% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 8% | 108,237 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 7% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 7% | 126,168 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 3% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 1% | 124,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 158,917 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 169,235 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Nissan Pathfinder recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front; steering:column
Problem: 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.
Risk: The strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. This may lead to grinding noises, increased steering effort, and possibly the steering column to break, resulting in the loss of steering control, which could result in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition could inhibit a driver from applying the brakes, increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will remove the carpet padding on the transmission tunnel adjacent to the accelerator pedal.
Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: Dealers are replacing the steering transfer gear assembly with a new assembly having different lubricant.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Frame/Body Structure Corrosion (PE11004) — opened Jan 28, 2011, closed Jun 30, 2011, led to recall 11V244000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 nissan pathfinder. While the vehicle was being inspected at the dmv, the mechanic informed the contact that the rear strut was rusting. In addition, the contact stated that the steering made an abnormal popping noise while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent…
Car has many after market parts which are old and rusted which causes the entire vehicle to break down even after replacing many parts also when searching gor parts its hard to find i have to get parts for a 1997 nissan pathfinder when my vehicle is a 1996 nissan pathfinder
I TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE NISSAN DEALER AND AFTER FINDING MY VEHICLE RETURN A POSITIVE AIRBAG RECALL ON AIRBAGRECALL.COM. THE LOCAL DEAL SAID IT IS NOT LISTED IN THEIR SYSTEM AND DID NOT OFFER TO LOOK INTO IT ANY FURTHER. I TOLD THEM THEY COULD LOOK IT UP ON AN INTERNET BASED SYSTEM TO SEE…
On a long road trip from indiana to north carolina, the rear-end of my vehicle began swaying or rocking from side-to-side as i was going 60 mph or more and whenever i changed lanes. It felt very unstable, as though it may rollover. Upon my return home, i took it in for repairs and was informed it…
Whenever i reach an excess speed of 40+ and take my foot off the gas the car rocks back and forth uncontrollable. I am a mother of four and the is a very terrifying experience for both me and my children.
Other Nissan Pathfinder years
← 1995 Pathfinder · 1997 Pathfinder →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Pathfinder | 11 | 0 |
| 2025 Pathfinder | 54 | 1 |
| 2024 Pathfinder | 85 | 2 |
| 2023 Pathfinder | 104 | 1 |
| 2022 Pathfinder | 136 | 5 |
| 2020 Pathfinder | 48 | 0 |
| 2019 Pathfinder | 76 | 2 |
| 2018 Pathfinder | 77 | 3 |
| 2017 Pathfinder | 186 | 2 |
| 2016 Pathfinder | 105 | 2 |
| 2015 Pathfinder | 321 | 5 |
| 2014 Pathfinder | 574 | 11 |
| 2013 Pathfinder | 890 | 11 |
| 2012 Pathfinder | 23 | 2 |
| 2011 Pathfinder | 45 | 2 |
| 2010 Pathfinder | 40 | 4 |
| 2009 Pathfinder | 37 | 3 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 328 | 4 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 561 | 1 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 837 | 3 |
| 2005 Pathfinder | 1,050 | 2 |
| 2004 Pathfinder | 67 | 3 |
| 2003 Pathfinder | 110 | 3 |
| 2002 Pathfinder | 156 | 5 |
| 2001 Pathfinder | 230 | 3 |
| 2000 Pathfinder | 112 | 2 |
| 1999 Pathfinder | 104 | 2 |
| 1998 Pathfinder | 149 | 2 |
| 1997 Pathfinder | 217 | 2 |
| 1996 | 159 | 3 |
| 1995 Pathfinder | 170 | 0 |
See all Nissan Pathfinder problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners most often report suspension, steering, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 64 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Pathfinder model years, the 1996 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.