1996 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
214 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 121,000 miles.
Typical
Where 1996 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
“1996 nissan pathfinder wobbles intensly at 50 - 65 mph. Took to repair shops and had struts replaced, tires balanced many times. I understand it is the rear arm bushings. This is a defect and extremely dangerous.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Pathfinder
“Power steering had just been replaced, vehicle traveling at 40-50 mph when loss of control (spinning) due to possible steering failure causing vehicle collision, no deployment of air bags during collision resulting in head injury. Mjs”— owner report to NHTSA, 1996 Pathfinder
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 68 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 122,092 miles. Half of those reports fall between 100,000 and 155,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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,…
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.…
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
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.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE CARPET PADDING ON THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL ADJACENT TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
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.
Fix: DEALERS ARE REPLACING THE STEERING TRANSFER GEAR ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ASSEMBLY HAVING DIFFERENT LUBRICANT.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V244000.
Technical service bulletins
87 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and suspension — are on file for the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1996 Pathfinder TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 1996 Nissan Pathfinder drew 214 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder are suspension (68 complaints), steering (25), and brakes & stability (17).
At what mileage do 1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 122,092 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 100,000 and 155,000 miles.
Does the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.