NHTSA complaint: 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WE BOUGHT A 2003 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN APR 2003. THE PATHFINDER'S BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SOFT. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT DIDN'T ENGAGE UNTIL IT WENT ABOUT HALF WAY TO THE FLOOR. WE HEARD THE NOISE & HAD BRAKE PROBLEM IN THE EARLY DEC 2003. WE TOOK IT TO A NISSAN DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANY NOISE & NO PROBLEM FOUND, BUT SAID THE NOISE MUST HAVE BEEN FROM THE TIRES, THEREFORE, WE NEEDED 2 NEW TIRES & AN ALIGNMENT. WHEN WE'RE PICKING UP THE VEHICLE(AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN $300 FOR 2 NEW TIRES & THE ALIGNMENT), ONE OF THE TECH'S CAME INTO THE OFFICE & TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT HE'D JUST HEARD THE NOISE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. THE ADVISOR TOLD US TO TAKE IT HOME & WATCH IT FOR A FEW DAYS. THAT SAME AFTERNOON, WE HEARD IT AGAIN, & TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK EVERYTHING AGAIN. WHEN WE PICK UP THE VEHICLE, ADVISOR STILL SAID NO PROBLEM & ASSURED US THAT IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE. TWO WEEKS LATER, WE TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, & TOLD THEM WE STILL HAD PROBLEM, ADVISOR TOLD US NEEDED TO SET APPOINTMENT. BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE. A WEEK LATER, I GOT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. ON JAN 25, 2004, I WAS GOING SLOWLY (THE TRAFFIC WAS MOVING SLOWLY), & HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN MY CAR & THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE TRUCK AHEAD OF ME BRAKED, I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO BRAKE, I HIT THE TRUCK & SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE PATHFINDER ( LUCKILY, THE AIRBAG DIDN'T E
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation