NHTSA Complaint #738017 — 1993 NISSAN PATHFINDER

REF. SERVICE BULLETIN #: FC0009202 / NHTSA ITEM #: SB035797 -- EXHAUST NOISE AND EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS. AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THE RIGHT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AT 36,705 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN. AT 48,654 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE AND WAS REPAIRED AT MY COST (APPROX $350). NOW, AT 113,500 MILES, THE LEFT MANIFOLD STUDS APPEAR TO BE BROKEN AND REQUIRE REPAIR. NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR 1993 ENGINES. FOR 1995 & 1996 MODELS, THEY'VE EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES. THEN, IN 1997, THEY INTRODUCED A NEW DESIGN WHICH CHANGED THE BOLT SIZE FROM 8MM TO 10MM BOLTS (RECTIFYING THE KNOWN PROBLEM). EVEN WITH SUCH AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, NISSAN REFUSES TO WARRANTEE THE REPAIRS! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED REQUIRING NISSAN TO UPGRADE THE ENGINE/EXHAUST SYSTEMS IN THE PRE-1997 NISSAN PATHFINDERS (IN THAT, THIS BROKEN MANIFOLD STUDS PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO REOCCUR EVERY 50,000 MILES OR SO). THANK YOU. SINCERELY, MICHAEL J. *AKGALL. *AK