2002 Nissan Pathfinder Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the front strut housings and surrounding frame area rusting in states that use road salt, and about the rear suspension feeling loose or wobbling at highway speed. A second cluster of complaints concerns the exhaust front tubes and resonators cracking or rusting and leaking, often noticed as a louder exhaust and exhaust smell around the front floor area. Many reports arrive at high mileage, so condition and where the vehicle has spent its life matter more than the odometer alone.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front strut housing and frame rust (salt-belt corrosion)

   • 39 complaints (25%)
   • median 125,500 mi at 13.9 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2024

   Owners describe rust eating through the strut tower and inner fender area, and in some cases the front apron or frame rails. Several say a dealer or independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and told them it should not be driven, or that the housing had torn away from the body. Some had the front strut housing campaign repair performed and later reported the area cracking or coming apart again, with brake lines pulling loose in the same area. Mostly reported from roughly 100,000 to 230,000 miles on vehicles driven in states that use road salt in winter.

   Recall 11V2440002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the strut towers, aprons and front frame rails closely for bubbling paint, flaking metal or soft spots, and ask whether the front strut housing campaign work was ever done and where. A car that has lived in a salt state needs a lift inspection before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I wrote a letter and filed a complaint about a perforated rust frame on my 2002 Nissan Pathfinder with 118,000 miles. I had problems with the front end brought to where I purchased 18 years ago to have a recalled performed on the air bag for safety but my rusted frame is not recalled. The smithtown dealership owned by joseph o rubio that I purchased and just brought my to car to get it serviced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11316447, filed 2020-03, 118,000 miles

   “Brakes failed. Took car to mechanic to repair 7/24/15. Mechanic replaced brake line and bled system but recommended we contact Nissan regarding severe corrosion in the right front strut housing area. The inner fender had pulled away causing the broken brake line. We were unaware of the extent of the corrosion until our mechanic pointed it out to us. We have photos of the area. We took the car to great neck Nissan on 9/2/15. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10763742, filed 2015-09, 121,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Exhaust front tubes and resonators cracking or rusting

   • 30 complaints (19%)
   • median 61,500 mi at 5.8 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2024

   Complaints describe a loud exhaust and rattling that a shop traced to cracked or rusted front exhaust tubes, resonators or converter seams under the front floor area. Owners report being told the parts were not covered and being offered a patch or repair kit instead of replacement, and some say the repair did not last. A few mention exhaust fumes entering the cabin. Mostly reported between roughly 25,000 and 80,000 miles, often on vehicles several years old.

   What to check: Listen for exhaust noise or rattling on a cold start and after warm-up, look for soot or rust streaks along the front tubes and resonators, and ask whether any patch or repair kit has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Exhaust system problem on 2002 Nissan Pathfinder. Just paid $645.00 to have two co2 oxygen sensors replace on vehicle and then was told that I needed to have my resonators replace in order to pass the emission control test. I have been smelling emission from the car for a year and was informed that it was co2 sensors that need to be replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #10277675, filed 2009-07, 35,000 miles

   “Both catalytic converters seams blew out which made the oxygen sensor go bad. I called Nissan dealer in jamestown n.y. To see for recalls, he said there was a service bulletin. They had me bring vehicle in and they cemented the seals. They said they had many complaints on them, and had a kit to fix them, they charged me $150.00 to fix it. Which lasted about 5 months ,and they blew out again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10190874, filed 2007-05, 80,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering pull, shake or loss of control (front end)

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the steering wheel pulling to one side, a continuous front-end shake at around 40-45 mph, or sudden veering that required hard braking to control. Some say these symptoms appeared or returned after the front strut housing campaign was performed. Others report a snapped front coil spring or a strut tower that had separated and was pressing on the steering shaft. Spread from very low mileage up to about 170,000 miles; several reports involve vehicles serviced under the front strut housing campaign.

   Recall 11V2440002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at steady highway speed and check for pull or vibration, look at the front springs for cracks, and ask for records of any campaign repair to the strut housings.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Shortly after entering freeway I heard a loud pop and the steering wheel grabbed to the right. Due to light snow and icy conditions at the time I almost lost control of the vehicle. After pulling over I noticed the front right coil spring had snapped at about the first coil up from the bottom.”

   NHTSA complaint #10490923, filed 2013-01, 120,000 miles

   “I was driving my 2002 Pathfinder to work on monday of this week when I started to feel a slight shaking in my steering wheel and chatter in my brake pedal while driving at 55mph on the highway. After I got off the highway I could barely make a right turn as the steering wheel was very stiff. I checked my front end and what I found was frightening. The drivers side strut tower had torn from the frame and body and was now pushing against both the steering shaft and master cylinder which was bent up at an angle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11256630, filed 2019-09, 165,000 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Rear suspension wobble or instability at highway speed

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the rear of the vehicle rocking, wobbling or feeling unstable at around 55 mph and above, sometimes with a vibration felt through the body. Owners often had to slow down to keep control. In several reports the rear frame or suspension mounting area near the coil spring and shock was found rusted through, and mechanics advised repair before it worsened. Typically reported between about 96,000 and 165,000 miles, at highway speeds.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and note any rear-end shake or float, then have the rear frame, spring and shock mounts checked for rust and looseness on a lift.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car had viration during test drive before purchase. Dealer said minor problem and would be fixed. 8 trips and many repairs and parts by dealer over 3 month period, same vibration problem still exists. Car is impossible to drive over 55 MPH due to constant viration that I fear may develope into a larger problem and could cause loss of control on hwy. Dealer now calims he drove same make, model vehicle and it has same viration therefore he claims vibration is normal for that year vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10129683, filed 2005-07, 25,580 miles

   “Vehicle becomes unstable and starts to wobble (rear suspension) at 55 MPH and at higher speeds.. Feels like vehicle will lose control.. Need to bring speed down to control vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10565091, filed 2014-02, 145,000 miles

Buying note. Corrosion is the main thing to look for on this model year: have the front strut towers, frame rails and rear suspension mounts inspected on a lift, especially if the vehicle has spent time in a salt state or shows signs of an earlier campaign repair. Also start the engine cold and check for exhaust leaks and fuel smell before deciding.

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.