2004 Nissan Pathfinder Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Pathfinder report two clusters of trouble: early brake vibration and premature rotor wear, often within the first few thousand miles, and later-in-life issues around air bag recalls and warning lights, transmission/radiator fluid mixing or shifters stuck in Park, and a fuel gauge that reads empty later than the tank actually is. Complaints are split between low-mileage brake work on relatively new vehicles and high-mileage drivetrain, fuel and structural problems reported past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake shudder, vibration and early rotor wear

   • 15 complaints (22%)
   • median 5,600 mi at 0.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2018

   Owners describe the steering wheel or front end shaking and pulsating when braking, sometimes with a grinding noise, and rotors that were turned or replaced only to wear out again. Several say the dealer resurfaced or replaced front rotors and pads, in a few cases with an upgraded pad, while others report the symptom returning. Some complaints mention the brake or ABS warning light coming on and, in isolated cases, a soft or briefly unresponsive pedal. Mostly reported in the first few thousand miles, with later reports appearing at higher mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car and brake firmly from highway speed to feel for pulsation, and ask for rotor and pad service records. A service bulletin describes brake diagnostic guidance and on-car rotor resurfacing procedures.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall: I brought the vehicle new, and around the 4th year, I started to notice that the brake light would come on. The first few repairs the brakes pads changed, line, cylinder, and full brake replacement:, but the issue persisted over the years without any mechanic that could provide me with an explanation of this problem. My main reason for writing this is because of the inherent danger of this brake issue. This problem has occurred while I was driving at highway speeds. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11118630, filed 2018-08, 35,000 miles

   “I was driving slowly in perfect weather conditions in heavy traffic. I was far back from the car in front of me I then realized that the car in front of me had no taillights and was stopped , I stepped on the brakes and my brakes shimmied kind of like I was hydroplaining on water and then I hit the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle ran even though I hit them. This caused over 7,000 dollars worth of damage to my car and whiplash to me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10141771, filed 2005-11
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag recall parts and warning light

   • 8 complaints (12%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 9.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2024

   Many complaints center on the passenger-side air bag recalls: owners say the warning light stays on, that dealers had no parts or could not schedule the work, or that a recall notice arrived but the repair was never completed. A few describe air bags deploying without a crash, and one reports curtain air bags rupturing during a collision. Owners describe calling multiple dealers and the manufacturer without getting the recall completed. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 41,000 to over 150,000 miles, often years after the recall was announced.

   Recall 20V008000Recall 15V2870002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the VIN against open recalls and ask for written confirmation that any air bag inflator recall has been completed, not just that a notice was received.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “i made appointments at 2 different Nissan dealers and contacted Nissan corporate about my airbag recall. Dealers were neither able or willing to obtain parts Walzer Nissan, Coon Rapids MN and Miller Nissan, St Cloud Mn. Ive received several notices about the recall but im told Nissan is not obligated to fix the problem, just notify me”

   NHTSA complaint #11593579, filed 2024-06

   “Takata recall for airbags on 2004 Nissan Pathfinder. I purchased my vehicle in november of 2017 and was not advised of the recall issued may 14, 2015 at time of purchase. In december of 2017 I was waiting to pull out onto long pond rd and as I started to pull out my airbags deployed causing me to swerve and slam my driver tail light side into a mound causing tail light to bust and dent in side panel at tail light. I have contacted Nissan dealership and no one will return my calls or assist me in this matter. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11073856, filed 2018-02
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads low or empty early

   • 6 complaints (9%)
   • median 132,220 mi at 13.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2018

   Owners report the fuel gauge showing around a quarter tank when the tank is actually nearly empty, or dropping to zero after a fill, leading to running out of fuel. In the complaints, dealers diagnosed the fuel sending unit and quoted a replacement, and some owners say they had the fuel pump and sending unit changed without a lasting fix. A related report describes fuel leaking from the filler tube while refueling. Mostly reported between about 100,000 and 170,000 miles, with a corroded filler neck described on a vehicle long used in a road-salt state.

   What to check: Fill the tank and watch whether the gauge reads full, then note where it sits near empty; inspect the metal filler tube and tank area for rust or fuel staining.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The fuel gauge stopped working. I changed the fuel pump and the sending unit thinking this was the problem. I never received a warning that anything was wrong. I looked online for recalls and saw that there were recalls for this problem in the 2005 and older models of pathfinders. I took my car to a Nissan dealer and was told the fuel gauge not working is a problem with this model Nissan. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11114423, filed 2018-07, 117,000 miles

   “The fuel gauge read I had a quarter tank of gas, but I ran out. Upon searching the internet for issues such as this there are too many to list here. Google search for 2004 Pathfinder fuel level problem there have been multiple issues with the design of the sensor and this is known by Nissan. Being disabled and running out of gas is not safe and should be addressed by Nissan to resolve this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10715496, filed 2015-05, 112,751 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shifter stuck in Park

   Mentioned in 5 of 58 sampled complaints

   Owners report the gear selector locking in Park so the vehicle cannot be shifted into gear, sometimes requiring a tow. In the complaints, dealers replaced the shift mechanism or the shifter solenoid, and at least one owner says the lockup returned shortly after the solenoid was replaced. Others describe the transmission slipping or failing to engage reverse and drive. Reported from roughly 62,000 to over 200,000 miles, with several cases in the 60,000-140,000 range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: With the engine running, cycle the shifter through all positions and confirm the brake-shift interlock releases cleanly; ask whether the shifter assembly or solenoid has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2004 Nissan Pathfinder was stuck in park I had to have it towed to dealer. I'm told the whole shift mechanism needs to be replaced ($900). I searched for recall on this but found none. This vehicle has 62,000 miles, I feel such a defect should be covered by the manufacturer. As if this weren't trouble enough, it took the dealer two days to get the part and repair the vehicle, leaving me to rent a car at my expense.”

   NHTSA complaint #10247237, filed 2008-10, 62,000 miles

   “The shifter on my Pathfinder was stuck in park, they replaced the shifter solenoid which now the shifter is doing fine. I feel like this should not have happened so soon. I'm not sure if there is a recall on this but think there should be. I was so disappointed that I was having this trouble so soon. I don't know what they did with the old part. I know I have waited a while to report this but I have been trying to find out if there were any recalls on this. Please respond back asap. Thank you.”

   NHTSA complaint #10216046, filed 2008-01

Buying note. Check that open air bag recalls have actually been completed, look for transmission fluid contamination and a working fuel gauge, and expect brake work on a vehicle of this age. A pre-purchase inspection covering brakes, cooling system and underbody corrosion is worth the cost.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 58 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.