2001 Nissan Pathfinder Brakes Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO AN UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED THEN IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP WHILE EXTENSIVE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED SEVERE BODY DAMAGE. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. UPDATED 07/08/11 *BF

2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER HAS EXPERIENCED TWO EVENTS WHERE THE BRAKES HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. THE FIRST EVENT INVOLVED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ACTIVATING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH WITHOUT THE DRIVER PULLING UP ON THE EMERGENCY HANDLE. IMMEDIATELY UPON THE BRAKE LOCKING UP, THE DRIVER PULLED UP AND DOWN ON THE HANDLE AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THANKFULLY RELEASED ITSELF. THE SECOND EVENT OCCURRED TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN ALL FOUR BRAKES FAILED TO ACTIVATE WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHED DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL - IT WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ENGAGING ANY OF THE BRAKES. AFTER PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL OVER AND OVER, THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED JUST SHORT OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM AT THE INTERSECTION. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NISSAN DEALER AND THEY ALLEGEDLY ANALYZED ALL OF THE BRAKING SYSTEMS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ABS SYSTEM THAT MIGHT BE MALFUNCTIONING, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM(S) COULD BE. SINCE THE VEHICLE IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR DAILY USE, WE ARE DRIVING IT WITH SOME CONCERN AND CONSTANT WORRY. *TR

WHILE PARALLEL PARKING VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARD AND HIT A BRICK WALL WHILE THE BRAKES WAS STILL BEING APPLIED BY THE CONSUMER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED , AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

WE PURCHASED A NEW NISSAN PATHFINDER (VIN #[XXX]) IN JULY 2001 FROM WHITE PLAINS NISSAN, INC. IN WHITE PLAINS, NY. OCTOBER 12, 2003: THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A SCREECHING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. I REMOVED THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT PART OF THE CALIPER BROKE OFF, AND WAS LEANING AGAINST THE INSIDE PART OF THE RIM, AT WHICH POINT I PUT THE TIRE BACK ON, AND BEGAN CALLING NISSAN TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT (THE CAR IS STILL UNDER ORIGINAL MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY). OCTOBER 13, 2003: WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALER IN STAMFORD, STAMFORD MOTORS, INC., NISSAN DIVISION. WHEN MY WIFE OLGA DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT THE DEALERSHIP, SHE STATED CLEARLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS (BROKEN CALIPER) AND ASKED HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO GET IT FIXED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. SHE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT, ACCORDING TO THE PIECE OF PAPER GIVEN TO HER BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, SHE COULD GET CHARGED FOR THE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, WHILE IT WAS OBVIOUS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT WAS STANDARD PROCEDURE, AND SHE HAD TO SIGN IT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, NOBODY CONTACTED ME OR MY WIFE AND WE HAD TO CALL OURSELVES. WHEN MY WIFE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN UPDATE, THEIR SERVICE MANAGER [XXX] SAID THAT THE PART WASN'T GOING TO BE COVERED, BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THE PART HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH. WHEN MY WIFE ASKED [XXX]. TO ELABORATE, HE SAID THAT THESE PARTS RARELY BREAK UNLESS TAMPERED WITH, AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A SCRATCH ON THE OUTSIDE ON THE CALIPER, THEY THINK THAT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO CHANGE THE BREAK PADS HIMSELF, AND BROKE THE CALIPER. WE HAVE ALREADY SHOWN THE PART TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT SHOPS, INCLUDING A METAL EXPERT, ALL OF WHICH RECOGNIZED A FATIGUE FAILURE AND NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY TEMPERING. WE ARE INTENDING TO PURSUE THIS MATTER FURTHER, UNTIL NISSAN DECIDES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS VERY SERIOUS CUSTOMER CARE ISSUE. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. ALSO, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATE AFTER BEING RESET BY A TECHNICIAN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

PREMATURE WEAR AND WARPAGE OF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE 34,000 MILES AND HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS MACHINED 2 TIMES. *PH

EXCESSIVE EFFORT NEEDED TO ENGAGE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHER THAN 30 MPH SPEEDS OR WHEN VEHICLE LOAD IS HEAVY, DRIVER HAS TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL ALL WAY TO FLOOR TO GET THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO ENGAGE. *AK THE MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND INDICATED TO BE NORMAL. *YH

THERE IS AN EXTREMELY LONG AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL( APPROX 1/2 WAY TO FLOOR) BEFORE THE BRAKES ENGAGE. ALSO, AFTER THE BRAKES ENGAGE IT REQUIRES A LOT OF PRESSURE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS OCCURS ON ALMOST EVERY TIME I ENGAGE THE BRAKES. *AK

BRAKES FELT VERY SPONGY WHICH CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND MA Y RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE CHARACTERISICT OF VEHICLE. *AK PEDAL MOVEMENT BEFORE BRAKES ENGAGE WAS EXCESSIVE. CONSUMER HAVE TO PUMP PEDAL BEFORE THE BRAKES BECOME FIRM. *YH

ABS BRAKE SYSTEMS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM AUTOMOBILES OR THE OWNER SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM REMOVED. *AK