2001 PATHFINDER SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM PERTAINS TO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDAL ON THE 2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER. AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WITH OUR PATHFINDER DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE SPACING, THE GAS PEDAL WAS MISTAKEN FOR THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE ENTERING A PARKING LOT AND THE DRIVER PANICKED AND THE VEHICLE STRUCK A WALL. A SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH ME. WHILE DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE, I BRAKED BUT MY FOOT WAS PARTIALLY ON THE GAS PEDAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH. FORTUNATELY, I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM IN TIME AND PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED WAS THE DRIVER'S FIRST "AT FAULT" ACCIDENT IN 25 YEARS OF DRIVING. THE CLEAR DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL ON THE PATHFINDER IS 2 3/8". ON OTHER CARS, I MEASURED THE CLEAR DISTANCE AS 3". THIS EXTRA DISTANCE MAKES A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN DISTINGUISHING THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SPACING IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE PATHFINDER AND CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION. I RECOMMEND THAT NISSAN RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE EXISTING BRAKE PEDAL AND LEVER ARM WITH A LEVER WHICH IS OFFSET TO INCREASE THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. AT THIS TIME, I WILL DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT SHOES OR WEAR A SOFT SOLE SHOE SO THAT I CAN FEEL THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL. A HARD SOLE SHOE CAUSES BOTH PEDALS TO FEEL THE SAME, AND BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS, IS THE SOURCE OF CONFUSION AND SAFETY CONCERN.*AK
2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VERIFIED AT LOCAL DEALERSHIP THAT RADIATOR COOLANT IS MIXING WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID WHICH CAUSES ROUGH SHIFTING AND CAR TO SHAKE AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS CAR CAN SUDDENLY LOSE POWER/BREAK DOWN WHILE DRIVING. RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION NEED TO BE REPLACED. WE RECEIVED NISSAN'S EXTENDED WARRANTY (8 YR/80,000 MILES) ON RADIATOR LAST YEAR. CAR IS ONLY 800 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, HOWEVER NISSAN WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION. NISSAN NEEDS STAND BY ITS PRODUCT AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *JS
