My 2000 nissan pathfinder started handling bad so I took it to a mechanic and the problem was that the front passenger side control arm bracket that holds the control arm to the frame had totally rusted away and the control arm was not connected to the frame. I took the car to the dealership and they fixed a rust problem associated with the front strut recall but did not acknowledge the control arm issue. I contacted [xxx] at nissan north america consumer affairs and she was of now help as she continually said that the recall was performed and she wouldn't do anything else. I went back to bermans nissan in chicago we put the car on the lift and the service manager acknowledged that the car was unsafe to drive. He tried to get his boss to fix the problem but he wouldn't so I'm stuck with a car that is unsafe to drive. I see that frame rust is an issue for pathfinders. Also, there is another complaint exactly like mine pertaining to the passenger side control arm corrosion and separating from the frame. I think that this should be investigated before someone dies, unfortunately it may be to late. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2000 Nissan Pathfinder: ball joint or control arm failure
6 of the 112 complaints about the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 132,649
- recalls
- 1
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan pathfinder. The contact stated there was rust and corrosion on the right side of the frame where the control arm bolts were located. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated there was no recall for the failure and the vehicle was inoperable, nor will they repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 139,000.
My 2000 pathfinder started to sway back and forth in the rear of the car violently when going over bumps. Especially at higher speeds then 45mph and especially when there are turns in the road or freeways. Really happens on freeways when there is a turn to the left and there seems to be those bumps that big rig trucks seem to make in some of the lanes. The car starts swaying back and forth in the rear real bad and seems like the car could flip over if in the right circumstances! Very scary! Very unsafe!. Have read thousands of the same complaints online everywhere that it is the rear control arm bushings that seem to wear out and need replacing.
I own a 2000 nissan pathfinder le, with 149,000 miles, which is now out of warranty. Tues 7/27/10, while pulling out of a parking space, I lost steering control. Find steering column is snapped. Tow to mechanic, who discovers the shock tower, which is part of the frame (uni-body design), has sheared away from the rest of the wheel-well. The shock tower has pushed up into the steering column, causing it to break. Mechanic gave estimate of $640.00 for steering, and at least $1700.00 for the wheel-well, which is a body shop repair. Also suggested to call nissan to see if there a recall on wheel-wells as this is a safety issue, and is not the first time he has heard of this problem. This is not normal wear and tear, it is a design flaw. Control arms just below tearing in frame, if tearing continued, wheel could also become dislodged, in addition to loss of steering. Nissan was called, and wants vehicle towed to dealership for verification at my expense, and in addition pay for diagnostic service. Apparently, I am at their mercy, however how can they give me an unbiased diagnostic, as I am sure the results will be in their favor. I am now at a standstill as the repairs will apparently outweigh the value of the vehicle, which is $4125 trade-in value. However, if this happened on one side, it is reasonable to believe that will occur on the other, doubling cost of repairs.
I have a nissan pathfinder le 2000 that in the past 8 mo have rocking or wobbling from side to side (or left to right) when driven at freeway speed (55-75). If you do not let off the gas or make a slight correction with steering wheel, it will get really bad to a point the it might fishtail. It's been progressively worsening even at lower speed, it's been happening. Aside from speed, it can be triggered by slight uneven road or bumps. I have had my alignment, wheel balanced, front end struts replaced which helped a little. I still have to get rear control arm bushings replaced. I have researched this online and there ar thousands of people complaining of the same exact symptom of my care. It seemed to be a common problem with the pathfinder (high mileage-- mine is 121,000) and it appears that the control arm bushings on rear suspension is the problem. This is a very dangerous problem and it would not surprise me if there have been fatality involved. What has been done to correct this problem and I believe that there should be a recall with all nissan pathfinder to correct this dangerous and potentially fatal flaw in their suspension design.
While driving my SUV I heard a loud bang, inmediatelly after that, the SUV turned abruptly to the right. I tried to maintain on my lane but it was useless. The vehicle kept turning right. I pressed the brakes, and then the vehicle skidded on the wet pavement slamming the vehicle against the bridges wall. The vehicle hit against the wall with the rear right side of it. Then it slowed down. There were no flat tires. The rear axle shifted to the left due to the crash. Other parts where damaged. I guess the crash was due to the front right lower control arm because it was loose and broken. I had no problems before with this vehicle. It did not gave any signs of wear, neither made strange sounds so one could take it for a preventive check. This vehicle (nissan pathfinder 2000) is only 2 years old!!!
Service bulletins that may apply
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
Questions about the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder?
6 of 112 owner complaints about the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder (5%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder?
There is 1 recall and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
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