1997 Nissan 240Sx Problems & Complaints

MY CAR (1997 NISSAN 240 SX) BEING DRIVEN BY MY SON WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY IMPACT. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT YET THE LIGHT CAME ON SAYING THEY DID. IF THEY HAD MY SON MAY NOT HAVE SUFFERED FROM A SERIOUS CONCUSSION WHICH WE'RE ABOUT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL THE 2ND TIME FOR NOR THE NECK SPRAIN THAT HE DID. I'VE E-MAILED NISSAN TO SEE IF I CAN GET AN ANSWER AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE LIGHT INDICATES THEY DID BUT I'VE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM YET. *TR

THERE IS A LEAK FROM THE TOP OF MY 1997 NISSAN 240SX'S FUEL TANK THAT SEEMED TO SPRING UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FROM WHAT I'VE RESEARCHED, THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE AND IS NOT EASILY FIXED. I AM PETITIONING FOR THIS TO BE A MANDATORY REPAIR FOR NISSAN, AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO FAULTY CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS. *TR

GASOLINE LEAKING FROM VEHICLE AT FILLER PILE WHEN TANK WAS > 75% FULL. *TR

1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE REAR SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE A RECALL ISSUED AS THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. NEAR FATAL SCARE WHILE ON THE FREEWAY RECENTLY @ HIGH RATE OF SPEED 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SWAY VIOLENTLY LEFT TO RIGHT. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL, BUT MANAGED TO GRIP STEERING WHEEL AND SOFTLY PULL VEHICLE OVER AWAY FROM SPEEDING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE IS NOW GARAGED UNTIL MECHANIC CAN REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL SUSPENSION ARMS. I HAVE GOTTEN 2 MECHANICAL ESTIMATES BOTH TOTALING OVER $800.00. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT INCLUDING PERSONAL BODILY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH!!*AK

TL*- IN MAY 2004 THE CONTACT RECEIVED A 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER AS A GIFT, IT HAD AN ODOMETER READING OF 90000 AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WOBBLE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 TO 70 MPH SOON AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHERE ALL OF THE STRUTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO WOBBLE ANY TIME THERE WAS A SMALL OBSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING IT TO ANY OTHER DEALERS SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED WITH THE FIRST VISIT. THE CONTACT DROVE LONG DISTANCES FROM TIME TO TIME AND THE WOBBLE ON THE VEHICLE CONTINUED. IN MARCH 2007 THE CONTACT CALLED NISSAN, AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NISSAN EXPLAINED THAT THE CONTACT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR CHARGES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106971.*AK

DRIVING SLOWLY IN PATHFINDER 4X4 '97 HIT POT HOLE. SPOT WELDS ON FRAME TO INNER FENDER BROKE LOOSE. ONE FOOT LONG SEAM SPLIT 3 INCHES WIDE VIEWED FROM THE LEFT FRONT STRUT. COST $1,500 TO WELD AND BRACE. PROFESSIONAL SAID PATHFINDERS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS WEAKNESS. STEERING COLUMN JAMMED FROM FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED HEAD-ON FATALITY INTO ONCOMING VEHICLE. SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR A M/V PURPORTED TO BE AN ATV! MY EXPERIENCE IN ACCIDENTS STEMS FROM BOSTON POLICE OFFICER'S ACCIDENT REPORTS FOR OVER A DECADE. INSURANCE AMICA CALLED IT A COLLISION AND INTENDS TO INCREASE MY RATE $600 PER YEAR AND RANK FROM PERFECT DRIVER 9 LEVEL INTO A 13 LEVEL FOR SIX YEARS. BELIEVE THERE IS A TORT JUSTIFICATION. OTHER OWNER MUST BE NOTIFIED. THIN WALLED STRUCTURAL METALS TO BLAME. *NM

DT: TOYO PROXY 4, TIRES ARE HAVING KNOTS COMING OUT ON THE SIDEWALL, AND THE OWNER HAS HAD ALREADY 1 BLOWOUT ON THESE TIRES. THE ONE THAT BLEW WAS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD, AND THE OTHERS ARE LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD. THIS IWASTHE FIRST TIME THAT THE OWNER HAS OWNED THIS BRAND OF TIRE. THE OWNER HAS CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD THE TIRES TO THE OWNER, BUT THEY WOULD NOT HELP. THE OWNER HAS ALSO CONTACTED TOYO MANUFACTURER AND THEY REFERRED HER TO A DIFFERENT TIRE DEALERSHIP. THE OWNER IS PLANNING TO DO THAT ON 6-21-2005.*AK

BOUGHT A 97 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN SEPT. 03...SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS SINCE HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN, TURNING ON AND OFF DEPENDING ON THE CLIMATE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT IT IS THE EVAP VENT CONTROL VALVE AND O RING WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR INTO 3 DEALERSHIPS ON THE EAST COAST WHERE I WAS TOLD NUMEROUS OTHER ISSUES WERE CAUSING THE LIGHT. I HAVE PUT $4500 WORTH OF WORK INTO THE VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS A $122 PART THAT SUPPOSEDLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER NISSAN OWNERS (MANY WITH OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES-NOT PATHFINDERS) AND THEY TOO HAVE HAD THIS SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VEHICLE. THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH ANYBODY EXCEPT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIPS WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO WAY TO GET A COMPETATIVE PRICE. IN ORDER TO GET THE LIGHT TO SHUT OFF ONCE MY MECHANIC HAS REPLACED THE PARTS I WILL THEN BE FORCED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY THEM TO SHUT IT OFF. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT EFFECT THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE THAT IT WAS AN EMISSIONS SITUATION. ULTIMATELY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS NOR WILL IT GET DECENT GAS MILEAGE UNTIL THIS PART IS REPLACED.

SUSPENSION CAUSING VEHICLE TO SWAY VIOLENTLY WHEN GOING 50MPH. I TOOK MY SUV INTO THE SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER SHOP AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY CALLED NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE LONG AND SHORT ROCKER ARMS FOR MY REAR SUSPENSION AND THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PRETTY DRASTIC CONSIDERING I HAVE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY TRUCK ON HIGHWAY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I CHECKED FOR A RECALL MY MY VEHICLE AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY LUCK. BUT DID FIND A REPORT OF THE SAME INCIDENT. APPLICATION EQ-8007455-YN.PDF. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY 1997 NISSIAN SENTRA TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND WAS APPOARCHING THE GUARD GATE. PUSHED THE SWITCH TO ROLLED DOWN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVE SIDE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. PULL OVER ON THE SIDE THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. RAN UP TO THE GUARD GATE AND OBTAINED A FIRE EXTERISHER. TURNED TO THE CAR AND SAW A TWO TO FOUR INCH FLAME COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. I PUT OUT THE FIRE. CHECKED THE FUSE BLOCK FOR A BLOWN FUSE AND THERE WAS NONE. THE FUSE DID NOT BLOW FOR THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW CIRCUIT. PULLED SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR. PLANNING ON REPLACING THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND SIDE PANEL.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HIT AT 45MPH IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

PARKED VEHICLE, SHIFT LEVER POPPED OUT OF GEAR/SOCKET. SIGNAL SWITCH ON & STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS RATTLING NOISE WHEN DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER FOR ENGINE LIGHT & SHIFT LEVER. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. SAID RATTLING COMES FROM HUB CAP & CHANGED THOSE. *AK

TIRES FAILED DUE TO LOSS OF TREAD RESULTING IN ACCIDENT DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.