AI Damage1999 Nissan Pathfinder: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Nissan Pathfinder filed 104 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 104
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 34% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 19% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 9% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- Suspension: 35 complaints (34% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 20 complaints (19% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 18 complaints (17% of all).
- Air bags: 11 complaints (11% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 9 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 104 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Tires | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The engine went off and the power steering was also locked -up and I lost control, the car spun out, and hit the jersey barrier with the back.
We had the car towed to our mechanic and they did a temporary fix but stated that the vehicle was so rusted out on the driver side that it needed to be welded back together with a piece of sheet metal. We spoke to three different sheet metal shops and all said that they would not do it because of safety concerns.
I'm repulsed @ the gross disregard for safety & life of consumers my 99 nissan --death trap hey im alive 3 crashes major steering lock up self acceleration problems electrical stalling shimmy seatbelts don't lock air bags do not deploy this vehicle is dangerous brakes lock up chronic check engine light issues despite…
1999 pathfinder's air bags failed to deploy when the vehicle struck two parked cars and a building. The consumer is requesting any information on recalls or problems associated with the air bags.
Vehicle was in a serious accident and airbags did not deploy. Vehicle was hit head on while traveling at a speed of 45 mph.
We were hit head on at 50+mph in our 1999 nissan pathfinder.the car was a total loss ,the air bags did not deploy.I contacted nissan and was told that some times the air bags work,sometimes they dont and we cannot put that in the owners manual because consumers will ask ,why have airbags ?was told by nissan that for…
While traveling consumer lost control of vehicle due to steering wheel locking up, resulting in an accident.
Consumer writes in regards to vehicle fire due to mechanical malfunction. The consumer stated the vehicle was fueled an hour before the fire and smelled gas. The engine compartment caught fire.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,479 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pathfinder has 176 complaints (42 years in the data). This year has 104, below average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
- Pathfinder 198719 sources
- Pathfinder 198817 sources
- Pathfinder 198915 sources
- Pathfinder 199038 sources
- Pathfinder 199139 sources
- Pathfinder 199230 sources
- Pathfinder 199349 sources
- Pathfinder 199491 sources
- Pathfinder 1995170 sources
- Pathfinder 1996159 sources
- Pathfinder 1997217 sources
- Pathfinder 1998149 sources
- Pathfinder 2000112 sources
- Pathfinder 2001230 sources
- Pathfinder 2002156 sources
- Pathfinder 2003110 sources
- Pathfinder 200467 sources
- Pathfinder 20051,050 sources
- Pathfinder 2006837 sources
- Pathfinder 2007561 sources
- Pathfinder 2008328 sources
- Pathfinder 200937 sources
- Pathfinder 201040 sources
- Pathfinder 201145 sources
- Pathfinder 201223 sources
- Pathfinder 2013891 sources
- Pathfinder 2014576 sources
- Pathfinder 2015321 sources
- Pathfinder 2016244 sources
- Pathfinder 2017349 sources
- Pathfinder 2018206 sources
- Pathfinder 2019189 sources
- Pathfinder 2020143 sources
- Pathfinder 202132 sources
- Pathfinder 2022280 sources
- Pathfinder 2023194 sources
- Pathfinder 2024119 sources
- Pathfinder 202570 sources
- Pathfinder 202621 sources
- Pathfinder 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Nissan Pathfinder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, steering, structure. Total complaints: 104. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (28%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%), vibration (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Nissan Pathfinder?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.