FaultScore

1996 Nissan Pathfinder transmission problems

13 of the 214 complaints about the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder are about the transmission — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 108,237 miles.

C

13

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Power Train 3 23.1%
Automatic Transmission 2 15.4%
Axle Assembly 2 15.4%
Differential Unit 2 15.4%
Manual Transmission 1 7.7%
Pedal/Hand Lever(Motorcycle) 1 7.7%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 1 7.7%
Seal 1 7.7%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Nissan Pathfinder year

1990 13 0.5%
1991 15 0.6%
1992 10 0.4%
1994 10 0.4%
1995 21 0.9%
1996 13 0.5%
1997 20 0.8%
1998 23 1.0%
2002 11 0.5%
2005 591 24.4%
2006 451 18.7%
2007 337 13.9%
2008 155 6.4%
2010 11 0.5%
2013 371 15.3%
2014 215 8.9%
2015 76 3.1%
2017 34 1.4%
2018 12 0.5%
2022 17 0.7%
2023 12 0.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 148,599 miles Hurley, NM

POWER TRAIN

I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AGO,ON JULY 2ND WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I CAME UPON A FEW SLIGHT ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROAD,THIS SUDDENLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY,AS IF SOMEONE WAY ROCKING A BOAT OF JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH,AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES IT STOPPED FOR A BIT UNTIL MORE ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROAD OR IF SPEEDING UP OR SLOWING DOWN CAUSED THE SAME PROBLEM,I HAD MY GRAND KIDS IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE TIME,IT SCARED US ALL TO PIECES,BECAUSE I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE I NEED IT,HAS NISSAN CALLED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM? I'M SEEING MANY,MANY MORE PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MAKE AS MINE? THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY A PROFESSIONAL NISSAN MECHANIC,I NEED INSTRUCTION'S ON HOW TO GO ABOUT RECTIFYING THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10523182 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 193,000 miles Puyallup, WA

POWER TRAIN

I WAS DRIVING MY 96 NISSAN PATHFINDER STRAIGHT ON A 30MPH ROAD WHEN I LET OFF THE ACCELRATOR AND THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY, SHAKE AND TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH AS IF THE REAR AXLE WAS TWISTING SEPERATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS MOTION OF ROCKING A SWAYING THEN STARTED EVERY TIME I WOULD STEP ON OR LET OFF OF THE GAS AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT UP OR DOWN A GEAR. I THEN STARTED TO HEAR A POPING NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL WHEN I WOULD TURN A CORNER. I HAVE HAD THIS PATHFINDER INTO THE MECHANIC MULTIPE TIMES ALREADY WITH ISSUES DUE TO NISSANS SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. I WOULD NOT RECOMEND A NISSAN PRODUCT TO ANYONE. I HAVE ALREADY COMPLAINED TO NISSAN AND THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS FROM THEIR MANUFACTURER DEFECTS. WHERE ARE THE RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE? DO NOT BUY A NISSAN!!

NHTSA complaint #10495349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 456 miles Bessemer, AL

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

MY AXLE FELL OFF MY CAR AND IF I DRIVE UP TO 45MPH I CAR WOBBLES AN ROCKS SIDE TO SIDE REALLY BAD.

NHTSA complaint #10425583 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,875 miles Santee, CA

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)

CLUTCH STICKING - SUV TOWED TO DEALER - CLUTCH FLUID REPLACED AS POSSIBLE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, A WEEK LATER CLUTCH STARTED STICKING AGAIN WHEN DEPRESSED - DROVE SUV TO DEALER - THEY KEPT OVERNIGHT AND SAID THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM - PICKED-UP SUV AT DEALER STARTED IT NEXT MORNING AND CLUTCH WAS STICKING AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #10056179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pasadena, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WHILE DRIVING SHE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD ABOUT IT. PH

NHTSA complaint #10004243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pasadena, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATION PEDAL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA complaint #10001415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bennington, VT

POWER TRAIN

CONSUMER STATES ODOMETER WOULD ROLL, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A GARAGE AND WAS ADVISED IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAD ROLLED IT BACK, POSSIBLE ODOMETER FRAUD.

NHTSA complaint #561873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bennington, VT

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #561873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wyoming, MI Crash 2 injured

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

REAR AXLE DISCONNECTED FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 50 MPH. WHEEL WITH BRAKE SYSTEM AND AXLE WHICH CONTINUE ACROSS MEDIAN STRIP ONTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND IS REFUSING TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK

NHTSA complaint #865626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fresno, CA

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

NOISE FROM FRONT END DUE TO FAILURE OF THE SEALS ON THE HUBS. MJS

NHTSA complaint #545111 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hamden, CT

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SPIDER GEAR IN THE REAR DRIVE UNIT FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.

NHTSA complaint #539359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Torrance, CA

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #605152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

OAK Park, CA

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

DIFFERENTIAL FAILED, CAUSING A GRINDING NOISE FROM THE REAR.

NHTSA complaint #602747 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Nissan Pathfinder problems

← Full 1996 Nissan Pathfinder report