Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Nissan Pathfinder problems

Owners filed 149 complaints about the 1998 Nissan Pathfinder with NHTSA between Dec 1997 and Oct 2018. The most-cited component is suspension (47).

Complaints
149
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
29
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension47
  2. Power train20
  3. Vehicle speed control16
  4. Structure14
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic12
  6. Steering11
  7. Air bags10
  8. Fuel system, gasoline9
  9. Tires9
  10. Engine and engine cooling5
  11. Electrical system5
  12. Fuel/propulsion system3
  13. Equipment3
  14. Seat belts3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19971
19988
199916
200011
20019
20029
200312
20045
20055
20063
20074
200814
20097
20108
201116
20125
20131
20144
20155
20160
20175
20181

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

47 reports1 crash
“OUR 1998 PATHFINDER HAS WHAT IS DESCRIBED BY MANY PEOPLE AS A "DEATH WOBBLE." IT BEGAN AFTER WE BOUGHT IT IN 2003 AND HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. IT HAPPENED AS RECENTLY AS 2017 AND I AM BEGINNING TO BE AFRAID TO RIDE IN IT. AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40-70 MPH THE CAR BEGINS TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. IT GRADUALLY GETS WORSE. REDUCING YOUR SPEED DOES HELP. IT APPEARS TO BEGIN BECAUSE OF A SMALL, UNEVEN PLACE IN THE HIGHWAY ROAD, BUT THEN DOESN'T STOP SHAKING BACK AND FORTH, SIDE TO SIDE. IT HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY EVEN AFTER HAVING IT SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. EACH TIME WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO BE REPAIRED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM CALLLING IT A "DEATH WOBBLE" AND REPLACE THE STRUTS AND OTHER AFFECTED PARTS. IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. WE'VE DONE THIS 2-3 TIMES BUT AFTER A COUPLE YEARS IT HAPPENS AGAIN. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP OWNERS OF THE NISSAN PATHFINDER WITH THIS DEFECT? IT'S EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND TERRIFIES BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. PLEASE SEARCH ONLINE: 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER DEATH WOBBLE AND YOU WILL READ HUNDREDS OF POSTS AND UTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2018Suspension, Unknown or otherODI 11141343

Power train

20 reports2 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER WAS SHIFTED INTO THE REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2015Power trainODI 10725792

Vehicle speed control

16 reports4 crashes
“DRIVING DOWN THE HWY AND SUV STARTED ROCKING BACK AND FORTH SIDE TO SIDE SEVERELY..I HAD TO BRAKE FAST ..THEN WHEN I ACCELERATED IT WOBBLED WORSE...I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO ROLL...COULD NOT GO OVER 30...VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY...I LOOKED IT UP ON FORUMS TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM....EVERYBODY THAT OWNS THEM HAS HAD THIS EXPERIENCE AT ALL DIFFERENT MILEAGES..THEY REFER TO IT AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE" ONLINE...MILLIONS OF VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM FROM FAULTY BUSHINGS AND TRAILING ARMS....YET THEY "NISSAN" REFUSE TO RECALL OR PAY TO FIX IT...HERE IS "NISSANS" BULLETIN I FOUND AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE....THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THIS AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL...I HOPE THAT THIS GETS SOME ATTENTION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED SERVICE BULLETIN CLASSIFICATION: RA97-002 REFERENCE: NTB98-001 DATE: APRIL 1, 1998 PATHFINDER VEHICLE PULL AND FRONT/REAR SUSPENSION EXCESSIVE PLAY APPLIED VEHICLE: 1996-98 PATHFINDER (R50) APPLIED VIN: VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE JN8AR05Y*WW256932 SERVICE INFORMATION IF A 1996-98 PATHFINDER EXHIBITS THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, THE CAUSE MAY BE FROM WORN BUSHING(S) IN THE REAR SUSPENSION UPPER AND/OR LOWER LINKS. * EXCESSIVE PLAY IN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2015Steering, Suspension, Vehicle speed controlODI 10712557

Structure

14 reports2 crashes
“I CANT EVEN DRIVE DOWN THE STREET OVER 40 WITHOUT THE VEHCLE DOING A DEATH SHAKE FROM HELL TO TOP THAT OFF DUE TO THE RECALL FOR THE STRUT PLACEMENT ERROR CAUSING MY STRUT TOWER WALL DIRECTLY BEHIND MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL TO ALMOST BE COMPLETLY GONE FROM RUSTING OUT. THIS IS TOTAL BULLSHIT. SOMETHING GOTTA GIVE. IM CALLING CORPORATE IN THE MORNING. HOPEFULLY THEY DONT TRY TO BEAT AROUND BUSH WITH ME LIKE THEY DO TO ALL THERE CUSTOMERS THEY DO WRONG.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2017Steering, Suspension, StructureODI 11033497

Service brakes, hydraulic

12 reports2 crashes
“LOAD SENSING VALVE ---BRACKET WELDED TO DIFFERENTIAL HAS RUSTED OFF. SPRING APPLYING TENSION TO LOAD SENSING VALVE IS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE BRACKET THUS MAKING THE VALVE INOPERABLE. REAR BRAKE PRESSURE NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY THE VALVE DEPENDING ON LOAD. INCREASED CHANCE OF REAR WHEEL LOCK UP AND LOSS OF CONTROL. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10417744

Steering

11 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCENE. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE CRASH OR THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,548.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2017Steering, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10983055
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.