The vehicle swings left to right when cruising at about any speed. When the vehicle is pulling it does not swing or sway, however once the vehicle has got up to a desired speed and you try to maintain a steady speed it starts a “death wobble” which nearly cannot hold it on correct side of the road. You have to increase speed or reduce speed dramatically to regain control of the vehicle.
1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension problems
105 complaints (48% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 114,800. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 105
- of this car's complaints
- 48%
- typical mileage
- 114,800
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Rear28
- Front28
- Front: macpherson strut9
- Front: shock absorber3
- Multiple axle2
- Front: stabilizer bar1
- Front: control arm: lower arm1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Nissan Pathfinder suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front
- What is wrong
- 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, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington d.c., west virginia and wisconsin. In areas of the country in which heavy concentrations of road salt are used, a mixture of snow/water and salt may enter an assembly location hole in the upper strut housing, causing water to collect at the mating surface of the strut housing panel and the inner hood ledge assembly. Over time, this snow/water and salt intrusion may result in corrosion of the strut tower housing in some subject vehicles.
- Risk
- The strut housing may crack and pull away from the inner hood ledge assembly. This may lead to grinding noises, increased steering effort, and possibly the steering column to break, resulting in the loss of steering control, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- 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. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 11V244000 · Recall details
What 1997 Nissan Pathfinder owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle has a severe shimmy when letting off the accelerator, even at low speeds. Driving the vehicle on dry pavement on a straight stretch of highway: at around 55-60 MPH, the back end of vehicle sways violently, with no warning or apparent cause. Driver feels that if speed is not immediately decreased, the vehicle would go out of control.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 nissan pathfinder. The contact received the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v244000 (steering , suspension) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the contact observed an loud abnormal sound from the driver side and the steering wheel failed. In addition, the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 229,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 nissan pathfinder. While driving 40 MPH, the rear of the vehicle wobbled violently especially when making a turn. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
Driving truck got so bad it was hard to keep in road..would go side to side on highway and turns were not easy to say in lane.took to clarktire co ..they replaced lots of parts and said mounts for shocks and struts were pretty badly rusted causing excessive movement of those.
The trailer arms failed. This is what holds the rear axle steady and will cause the truck to sway or hula hoop the rear end. I replaced them myself $160.00 for the parts 3hours under the car. Also replaced the shocks 5 days later. Rides like new. Looks like the frame is also rotting out. Hope they open a recall on the frame. I will check the front strut housing for rust.
The frame, including chassis, suspension and body has extensive rust. The suspension is caving into the chassis due to extensive chassis rust. The rust is not due to normal wear and tear of vehicle. It is due to inadequate coating to prevent rust. The vehicles of same model (year) of other makes have minimal rust compared to this vehicle. Even the mechanics I have approached have similar opinion that this vehicle across the board is poorly built, and more rust prone. The vehicle can be potentially catastrophic if the rust eats through and makes suspension/axles collapse, especially while driving. This vehicle had a recall for rust issues, but the recall only covered part of the problem, while there is more extensive issues with this vehicle.
The vehicle starts swaying dangerously, at a speed of 20 MPH . At a higher speed the car will starts back swaying and fish tailing and would flip specially on a wet roads, no control to it.
At around 120000 miles the vehicle began to sway uncontrollably. Mechanics could find nothing wrong. Only way to stop the sway is to tap the brakes or accelerate. Happens quite often and is downright scary at times. Also the entire underbody / frame is extremely corroded. Vehicle should not corrode that quickly. All underbody parts are extremely rusted.
Questions about the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension
Does the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 105 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder, 48% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 114,800 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 11V244000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Nissan Pathfinder have bad suspension?
The Nissan Pathfinder model years with the most suspension complaints are 1997 (105 complaints), 2001 (68 complaints) and 1996 (64 complaints).
Other 1997 Nissan Pathfinder problems
Steering 26Transmission 19Body 17Engine 17Acceleration 16Tires 16Brakes 15Airbags 13Fuel system 10Seat belts 5Electrical 3Wheels 3Driver assistance 2Visibility 2
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