NHTSA Complaint #10036981 — 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER

ON MARCH 11, 2003, MY NISSAN PATHFINDER WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT OF UNEXPLAINED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT TO CHANGE. SUDDENLY, THE PATHFINDER LURCHED FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING OUT OF THE MOTOR. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE THE ONE PRODUCED BY AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MOTOR REVOLUTIONS. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY WHEN I REALIZED THAT THAT I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE FOOT PEDAL. FORTUNATELY, NO PERSONS OR VEHICLED WERE AT THE STREET INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD. MY WIFE WAS IN THE PASSSENGER'S SEAT AT THE TIME. ON MARCH 12, 2003, I TOOK THE PATHFINDER TO NISSAN'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. NISSAN'S SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CLEAN-UP OF THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. SO, HE SCHEDULED A BG FUEL INDUCTION SERVICE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE PATHFINDER HAD 32,149 MILES AT THE TIME. MY RECORDS SHOW THAT MAINTENANCE ON THE PATHFINDER HAS BEEN PERFORMED AS SCHEDULED AT BILL SEIDLE'S NISSAN. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, A MAJOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED AND PERFORMED AT 30,000 MILES ON OCT. 16, 2002. NO ADDITIONAL FAILURE OCCURRED UNTIL AUG. 21, 2003 (THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT).*AK