1997 Nissan Pathfinder Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1997 Pathfinder most often describe a side-to-side rear sway or 'wobble' at highway speeds, which many trace to worn rear suspension link bushings; this is the dominant theme in the sampled complaints. A second cluster involves corrosion of the front strut housing area, in some cases affecting steering. Remaining reports are scattered across fuel filler tube rust, engine/exhaust manifold cracking, and stalling or no-start conditions in cold or high-altitude use.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Highway-speed rear sway or wobble (rear link bushings)

   • 66 complaints (30%)
   • median 114,800 mi at 11.8 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2021

   Owners describe the rear of the vehicle swaying or rocking side to side, usually at highway speeds, sometimes with a sensation of the rear steering itself. Many say replacing shocks, struts and tires did not help, and that the problem eased when they lifted off the accelerator or braked. Several complaints state that replacing the rear upper and lower link or control arm bushings resolved the sway, and some cite a service bulletin describing worn bushings in the rear suspension links. Reported across a wide mileage range from roughly 50,000 to 200,000 miles, most often at highway speeds and sometimes worse with passengers or on wet roads.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, take the vehicle to highway speed on a straight, even road and watch for rear sway. Ask whether the rear upper and lower link bushings have been replaced, and have a shop inspect them for play before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder that has a very dangerous condition. At 55-65 MPH it shakes uncontrollably. It has been explained to me that this is a common problem with this model and the wobble is caused by bad bushings in the rear of the suspension system. There is no doubt in my mind that this condition will cause loss of life if it has not already. In my case I escaped injury when it caused me to lose control of the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10199012, filed 2007-08, 112,000 miles

   “I am having problems with the performance of my 1997 Nissan Pathfinder se (81,000 miles); at first I thought that the front shocks were shot; then a mechanic told me that no - it was the front struts. I have since found a web site with many owners of this vintage model that tell me the problem is with the 8 rear control arm bushings. Nissan should issue a recall on this - this is dangerous. At very least, they should notify owners.”

   NHTSA complaint #10208511, filed 2007-11, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Front strut housing corrosion and steering effects

   • 77 complaints (35%)
   • median 128,000 mi at 14.1 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,170 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2017

   Complaints describe rust in the front strut tower area, sometimes with the housing separating from the body or pushing upward toward the hood. Owners report that the strut can then contact the steering column or brake master cylinder, and some describe stiff or difficult steering. Several say the dealer declined to cover the corrosion under a recall campaign, or that symptoms continued after the recall repair was performed. Mostly reported on vehicles with roughly 90,000 to 190,000 miles, often in vehicles used where road salt is common.

   Recall 11V2440002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect both front strut towers for rust, cracking or separation from the body, and ask whether recall 11V244000 was completed. Have the steering and brake components near the towers checked for contact or damage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Hit a pothole and then started hearing a noise from the front driver side of the vehicle. I then noticed that my odometer was no longer working. Upon inspecting the vehicle I found that the driver's side front strut tower had a large rusted out area and that the spot welds of the panels were separating. This problem seems to be the same as those listed in NHTSA action number: pe11004”

   NHTSA complaint #10383815, filed 2011-02, 94,249 miles

   “I noticed that the steering in my 1997 Nissan Pathfinder se was pulling to the left and I had experienced some resistance while turning the steering wheel, so I began to inspect the engine compartment and wheel wells. I found that the driver-side shock tower has almost completely separated from the rest of the body of the vehicle. The way it has bent away has caused it to put direct pressure on both the steering column and the master cylinder. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10349436, filed 2010-08, 194,000 miles

Buying note. The 1997 Pathfinder is an older vehicle, so condition matters more than anything: check the rear suspension link bushings and both front strut towers carefully, and confirm whether recalls 11V244000 and 07V435000 were completed and whether they apply to the specific vehicle. A pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with this model is worthwhile given how often suspension and corrosion issues appear in the complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.