1997 Nissan 200SX

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/13/2004· VISIBILITYFire

  I WAS DRIVING MY 1997 NISSIAN SENTRA TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND WAS APPOARCHING THE GUARD GATE. PUSHED THE SWITCH TO ROLLED DOWN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVE SIDE AUTOMATIC WINDOWS. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. PULL OVER ON THE SIDE THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. RAN UP TO THE GUARD GATE AND OBTAINED A FIRE EXTERISHER. TURNED TO THE CAR AND SAW A TWO TO FOUR INCH FLAME COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY. I PUT OUT THE FIRE. CHECKED THE FUSE BLOCK FOR A BLOWN FUSE AND THERE WAS NONE. THE FUSE DID NOT BLOW FOR THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW CIRCUIT. PULLED SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR. PLANNING ON REPLACING THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND SIDE PANEL.

• 11/06/1997· AIR BAGS

  THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON AND THIS IS THIS SECOND TIME THAT THE LIGHT CAME ON IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. *AK

• 10/05/2009· VISIBILITY

  TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 NISSAN 200SX. WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAIN STORM, HER WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE TOWED SINCE SHE HAD NO VISIBILITY. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE WIPER LINKAGE SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 98V093000; HOWEVER, THEY CONFIRMED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,036 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 156,000.

• 10/02/2012· AIR BAGS

  AFTER MAKING A RIGHT TURN, ABOUT 20 FEET AFTER TURN BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE, CHIN, THROAT AND CHEST. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, NO POT HOLES IN THE ROAD, NO OTHER CAR EVEN ON THE ROAD. I CANNOT FIND ONE REASON WHY THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY. IT HAS BEEN 48 HOURS AND I AM STILL SORE INCLUDING MY NECK AND BRUISING ON MY NECK AND CHEST. *TR

• 09/29/2005· STRUCTURE

  DRIVING SLOWLY IN PATHFINDER 4X4 '97 HIT POT HOLE. SPOT WELDS ON FRAME TO INNER FENDER BROKE LOOSE. ONE FOOT LONG SEAM SPLIT 3 INCHES WIDE VIEWED FROM THE LEFT FRONT STRUT. COST $1,500 TO WELD AND BRACE. PROFESSIONAL SAID PATHFINDERS NOTORIOUS FOR THIS WEAKNESS. STEERING COLUMN JAMMED FROM FAILURE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED HEAD-ON FATALITY INTO ONCOMING VEHICLE. SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR A M/V PURPORTED TO BE AN ATV! MY EXPERIENCE IN ACCIDENTS STEMS FROM BOSTON POLICE OFFICER'S ACCIDENT REPORTS FOR OVER A DECADE. INSURANCE AMICA CALLED IT A COLLISION AND INTENDS TO INCREASE MY RATE $600 PER YEAR AND RANK FROM PERFECT DRIVER 9 LEVEL INTO A 13 LEVEL FOR SIX YEARS. BELIEVE THERE IS A TORT JUSTIFICATION. OTHER OWNER MUST BE NOTIFIED. THIN WALLED STRUCTURAL METALS TO BLAME. *NM

• 09/04/2003· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  ELECTRICAL PROBLEM: ALTERNATOR IN 2000 THERE WAS A BULLETIN IN MY LOCAL NEWSPAPER OF A DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR IN A 1997 NISSAN 200 SX. I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR PRIOR TO THIS PRESS RELEASE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND NEVER RECEIVED THIS RECALL OR REPAIR NOTICE I WASN'T SURE IF THIS WAS COVERED SEEING IT WAS A USED VEHICLE. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM NISSAN OR THE DEALERSHIP SO I GAVE UP UNTIL I SEEN YOUR ORGANIZATION ON LOCAL TV. IS THERE ANY FORM OF REIMBURSEMENT I CAN RECEIVE? *AK

• 09/01/1998· AIR BAGS

  AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE DURING COLLISION.

• 08/06/1998· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  WHEN BRAKES GET WET THEY WILL LOCK UP, AND THE VEHICLE WILL SLIDE ALL ACROSS THE ROAD. *AK

• 07/07/2007· SUSPENSION

  1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER SE REAR SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE A RECALL ISSUED AS THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. NEAR FATAL SCARE WHILE ON THE FREEWAY RECENTLY @ HIGH RATE OF SPEED 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SWAY VIOLENTLY LEFT TO RIGHT. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL, BUT MANAGED TO GRIP STEERING WHEEL AND SOFTLY PULL VEHICLE OVER AWAY FROM SPEEDING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE IS NOW GARAGED UNTIL MECHANIC CAN REPLACE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL SUSPENSION ARMS. I HAVE GOTTEN 2 MECHANICAL ESTIMATES BOTH TOTALING OVER $800.00. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT INCLUDING PERSONAL BODILY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH!!*AK

• 06/23/1999· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  1) TAPPED ON BRAKE TO TAKE OUT OF GEAR AND STOP. CAME OUT OF GEAR, BUT CRUISE REMAINED ON AND ACCELERATOR STUCK. HAD TO STEP ON BRAKE HARD TO GET CRUISE OFF. 2) YESTERDAY, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, EXCEPT THIS TIME TACHOMETER WENT UP TO AROUND 6. WAS VERY FRIGHTENING FOR HER. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME A FEW TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT AROUND 6-1-99. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED WHEN WE HAVE BEEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAYS, ONLY IN TOWN. THE FAILED COMPONENT/PART SECTION INDICATES THAT THERE WAS 22,000 INJURIES, THE SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON 6-1-99 AND THAT THERE WERE 35 FATALITIES. THIS IS NOT TRUE. I ENTERED THE INFORMATION CORRECTLY TWICE AND IT STILL KEEPS COMING UP INCORRECT IN THE CONFIRMATION AREA.

• 05/31/2005· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  BOUGHT A 97 NISSAN PATHFINDER IN SEPT. 03...SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS SINCE HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN, TURNING ON AND OFF DEPENDING ON THE CLIMATE OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT IT IS THE EVAP VENT CONTROL VALVE AND O RING WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR INTO 3 DEALERSHIPS ON THE EAST COAST WHERE I WAS TOLD NUMEROUS OTHER ISSUES WERE CAUSING THE LIGHT. I HAVE PUT $4500 WORTH OF WORK INTO THE VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS A $122 PART THAT SUPPOSEDLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER NISSAN OWNERS (MANY WITH OTHER NISSAN VEHICLES-NOT PATHFINDERS) AND THEY TOO HAVE HAD THIS SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VEHICLE. THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH ANYBODY EXCEPT THE NISSAN DEALERSHIPS WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO WAY TO GET A COMPETATIVE PRICE. IN ORDER TO GET THE LIGHT TO SHUT OFF ONCE MY MECHANIC HAS REPLACED THE PARTS I WILL THEN BE FORCED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY THEM TO SHUT IT OFF. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT EFFECT THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE THAT IT WAS AN EMISSIONS SITUATION. ULTIMATELY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS NOR WILL IT GET DECENT GAS MILEAGE UNTIL THIS PART IS REPLACED.

• 05/26/1998· AIR BAGS

  WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT, HIT CURB AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHEN DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING 2 BROKEN FINGERS AND BRUISES. CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE HAND SURGERY DUE TO INJURY.

• 05/25/2000· VISIBILITY

  CONSUMER MADE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE RECALL 998-093 SERVICE PERFORMED AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD ONLY TAKE AN HOUR, UPON RETURNING TO PICK IT UP CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED. NLM

• 04/19/2004· VISIBILITY

  I HAD TO PAY $235 FOR A REPAIR THAT WAS PART OF A RECALL IN 1998. I WAS NEVER SENT RECALL INFO. REGARDING MY VEHICLE. I HAPPENED UPON THE NISSAN WEBSITE LOOKING FOR OTHER INFORMATION. FIRST NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE REPAIR HAD TAKEN PLACE IN SEPTEMBER OF 1998 AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHEN I PROVED THAT TO BE WRONG I WAS THEN TOLD THAT MY VIN # WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. NISSAN WEBSITE CLEARLY SHOWS A RANGE OF VIN'S AND MINE FELL WITHIN THAT RANGE, NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS TOLD THE RANGE IS NOT SPECIFIC. IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT VIN'S ARE INCLUDED.*AK

• 04/13/2015· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 NISSAN 200SX. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WITHOUT HAVING THE BATTERY RECHARGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FORMALLY DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

• 03/23/2001· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  ALTERNATOR KEEPS OVERHEATING, CAUSING IT TO DRAIN. ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE, BUT IT HAS DRAINED AGAIN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

• 03/16/1998· TIRES

  TIRES FAILED DUE TO LOSS OF TREAD RESULTING IN ACCIDENT DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.

• 03/13/2007· SUSPENSION

  TL*- IN MAY 2004 THE CONTACT RECEIVED A 1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER AS A GIFT, IT HAD AN ODOMETER READING OF 90000 AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO WOBBLE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 TO 70 MPH SOON AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, WHERE ALL OF THE STRUTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO WOBBLE ANY TIME THERE WAS A SMALL OBSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING IT TO ANY OTHER DEALERS SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED WITH THE FIRST VISIT. THE CONTACT DROVE LONG DISTANCES FROM TIME TO TIME AND THE WOBBLE ON THE VEHICLE CONTINUED. IN MARCH 2007 THE CONTACT CALLED NISSAN, AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NISSAN EXPLAINED THAT THE CONTACT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR CHARGES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106971.*AK

• 02/26/2004· VISIBILITY

  THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN MY 1997 NISSAN 200SX JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE IN USE. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR GOING TO MY MOTHER'S HOME FROM WORK AND THE WIPER JUST STOPPED. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND I COULD HARDLY SEE BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING SO HARD. I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN IN A TERRIBLE WRECK. I QUICKLY PUT ON MY BLINKERS AND WITH ONLY VIEW OF MY REAR VIEW MIRROR MOVED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF I-75. *AK

• 02/15/2002· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN

  IN 03/01 THE ENGINE WENT AT 69,000 MILES, THEN 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AXLE WENT, 06/01 THE FRONT CRANK SEAL WENT, 02/02 THE TRANSMISSION AND THE CLUTCH WENT ALONG WITH THE EGR SYSTEM CODE HOSE NOT BEING ATTACHED TO THE DASH.

• 01/26/2005· SUSPENSION

  SUSPENSION CAUSING VEHICLE TO SWAY VIOLENTLY WHEN GOING 50MPH. I TOOK MY SUV INTO THE SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER SHOP AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY CALLED NISSAN AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE LONG AND SHORT ROCKER ARMS FOR MY REAR SUSPENSION AND THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PRETTY DRASTIC CONSIDERING I HAVE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY TRUCK ON HIGHWAY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I CHECKED FOR A RECALL MY MY VEHICLE AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY LUCK. BUT DID FIND A REPORT OF THE SAME INCIDENT. APPLICATION EQ-8007455-YN.PDF. *AK

• 01/24/2005· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  HEADLIGHT LENSES PRODUCED A THICK FOG OVER THEM. AS A RESULT, THE LIGHTS WERE NOT AS BRIGHT AT NIGHT. *AK THE HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE SUNS ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS. *SC

• 01/24/2000· AIR BAGSCrash

  DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED CAUSING DRIVER TO STEER INTO CURB. ONLY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS DEEP SCRAPES ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE RIM AND MINOR SCRAPES ON REAR PASSENGER SIDE RIM. NO OTHER BODY OR SHEET METAL DAMAGE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DID ANYTHING HAPPEN WHICH WOULD HAVE OR SHOULD HAVE CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. WINDSHIELD BROKE AS A RESULT OF PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG. *AK

• 01/07/2008· FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  GASOLINE LEAKING FROM VEHICLE AT FILLER PILE WHEN TANK WAS > 75% FULL. *TR