NHTSA Complaint #751217 — 1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY FROM THE REAR END FROM SIDE TO SIDE. IT FELT LIKE I WOULD LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I REGAINED CONTROL BY TAKING MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS. THE PROBLEM CAME BACK REPEATEDLY -- AT LEAST 20 TIMES DURING MY TRIP ON INTERSTATE 80 WHILE BRINGING MY DAUGHTER BACK TO COLLEGE. THE PROPLEM WAS NOT RELATED TO ANY SPECIFICE ROAS SURFACE CONDITION. IT WOUL HAPPEN OUT OF THE BLUE. THE ROAD COULD BE FLAT AND SMOOTH. IT DID NOT MATTER. I AM SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IF IT HAD HAPPENED DURING THE WINTER AND THERE WAS SNOW OR EVEN WORSE ICE ON THE ROAD. SINCE I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, I TOOK IT THAT AFTERNOON AND HAD A WHEEL ALIGNMENT (FRONT AND REAR) AND I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED HOPING THAT THIS WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, ON THE WAY HOME THE NEXT DAY FROM THE COLLEGE THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND I CAN ONLY COMPARE IT TO WHEN YOU SEE A CAR TOWING A TRAILER BEHIND IT AND THE TRAILER BEGINS TO SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS TO MANY MODELS OF THE NISSAN PATHFINDER COVERING AT LEAST THE YEARS 1997, 1998 AND 1999 AND IT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY SPECIFIC MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. IT COULD HAPPEN AT 15,000 MILES OR 90,000 MILES. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND IS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FAILURE OF THE BUSHINGS (THERE ARE 4 OF THEM) THAT ARE PART OF THE CONTROL ARMS.*AK