1997 Nissan Pathfinder Problems, Recalls & Reliability
293 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 116,400 miles.
Typical
Where 1997 sits among all Pathfinder years
What owners report
“The struts went at 52,000 miles $800 to replace, exhaust manifold needs to be replaced(warranty). Today the news that the speedometer was just"worn out " $235, the rear suspension lincs were "worn out" $350, the intake pinium(sp?) was leaking $660. Something has to be done about nissan and their…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Pathfinder
“The vehicle lost struts, steering rack, and has serious issues that have not been resolved. I spoke with the dealer and they said they don't need to fix. The entire front end is falling apart.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Pathfinder
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 115 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 120,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 92,500 and 157,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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.…
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILLER TUBE ASSEMBLY WITH A NEW ONE WITH AN IMPROVED COATING PROCESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V244000.
Technical service bulletins
94 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1997 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 1997 Nissan Pathfinder reliable?
The 1997 Nissan Pathfinder drew 293 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 1997 Nissan Pathfinder problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder are suspension (114 complaints), steering (26), and transmission & drivetrain (20).
At what mileage do 1997 Nissan Pathfinder problems show up?
Owners most often report 1997 Nissan Pathfinder problems around 120,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 92,500 and 157,000 miles.
Does the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 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.