1997 Nissan Pathfinder Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder, 48% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 114,800 miles. The words owners use most often: “strut tower” (15% of reports).
- 105suspension complaints
- 114,800median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 60%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Strut tower: mentioned in 16 of 105 complaints (15%)
- Front struts: mentioned in 8 of 105 complaints (8%)
- Rear suspension: mentioned in 8 of 105 complaints (8%)
- Upper lower: mentioned in 7 of 105 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical suspension repair on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder at $1,750, and half of them between $1,050 and $2,150.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 105 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Nissan Pathfinder suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pathfinder | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2024 Pathfinder | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Pathfinder | 3 | 2% | 24,000 |
| 2020 Pathfinder | 3 | 6% | — |
| 2018 Pathfinder | 1 | 1% | 19,000 |
| 2017 Pathfinder | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2016 Pathfinder | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2015 Pathfinder | 2 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Pathfinder | 14 | 2% | 7,500 |
| 2013 Pathfinder | 29 | 3% | 75,273 |
| 2012 Pathfinder | 5 | 22% | 144,500 |
| 2011 Pathfinder | 6 | 13% | 44,289 |
| 2010 Pathfinder | 4 | 10% | 52,000 |
| 2008 Pathfinder | 7 | 2% | 135,000 |
| 2007 Pathfinder | 5 | 1% | 104,000 |
| 2006 Pathfinder | 9 | 1% | 81,662 |
| 2005 Pathfinder | 9 | 1% | 27,800 |
| 2004 Pathfinder | 3 | 4% | 182,706 |
| 2003 Pathfinder | 21 | 19% | 143,000 |
| 2002 Pathfinder | 43 | 28% | 120,000 |
| 2001 Pathfinder | 68 | 30% | 134,000 |
| 2000 Pathfinder | 41 | 37% | 132,649 |
| 1999 Pathfinder | 35 | 34% | 145,000 |
| 1998 Pathfinder | 47 | 32% | 134,500 |
| 1997 Pathfinder | 105 | 48% | 114,800 |
| 1996 Pathfinder | 64 | 40% | 123,183 |
| 1995 Pathfinder | 16 | 9% | 143,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The vehicle swings left to right when cruising at about any speed. When the vehicle is pulling it does not swing or sway, however once the vehicle has got up to a desired speed and you try to maintain a steady speed it starts a âdeath wobbleâ which nearly cannot hold it on correct side of the…
Vehicle has a severe shimmy when letting off the accelerator, even at low speeds. Driving the vehicle on dry pavement on a straight stretch of highway: at around 55-60 mph, the back end of vehicle sways violently, with no warning or apparent cause. Driver feels that if speed is not immediately…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 nissan pathfinder. The contact received nhtsa campaign number: 11v244000 (steering , suspension) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the contact observed an loud abnormal sound from the driver side and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Nissan Pathfinders have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 105 owner complaints about suspension for the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder (48% of the 217 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension?
Yes: 1 safety recall list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 114,800 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix suspension problems on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,750 (half paid between $1,050 and $2,150), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder?
The most frequent phrase is “strut tower”, in 16 of 105 complaints, followed by “front struts” (8).
See all 1997 Nissan Pathfinder problems or suspension problems across all Pathfinder years.