— A Nissan Pathfinder hood latch recall follows a federal investigation into why the hoods suddenly fly open while driving.
The 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder hood latch recall involves nearly 360,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada.
The government opened an investigation into Pathfinder hood latches in December 2021 after receiving 14 reports which said the hoods opened when the latches failed.
According to Nissan, the hood can open while driving if the primary hood latch is inadvertently released or the hood is not closed properly with the bell crank lever in the open position. Trying to drive your Pathfinder with the hood blocking your view may be a challenge.
"On certain Pathfinder vehicles, dust and dirt contamination may accumulate on and around the bell crank lever pivot joint. Over time, the build-up of contamination combined with a lack of proper inspection and maintenance of the bell crank assembly (as described in the Owner’s Manual), can create mechanical binding that could cause the lever to remain in the open position after it has been disengaged." — Nissan
Nissan also says the contamination can scratch the bell crank protective anti-corrosion coating which allows corrosion of the metal in the pivot joint.
Even though the investigation continued for months and Nissan has ordered this recall, the automaker is still trying to figure out how dealerships will repair the Pathfinders.
Nissan will mail interim recall letters to a selected sample of 40,000 Pathfinder owners beginning on June 30, 2022. This hood latch recall letter will invite the owner to bring their Pathfinder to a dealer to have technicians inspect the bell crank and hood lock assembly and replace them if needed.
But the replacement parts will be the same hood latches and components as originally installed in the Pathfinders.
The collected components will be used by Nissan to create a recall remedy.
Nissan will then mail interim Pathfinder hood latch recall letters to all other affected owners by August 3, 2022. The recall letters will show owners how to properly inspect the bell crank assemblies and hood lock levers for proper operation.
If the lever moves freely, the Pathfinder owner can clean the lever based on the Nissan Pathfinder owner’s manual. The owner can also bring the Pathfinder to a dealer for the cleaning and maintenance.
However, if the levers don't move freely, Nissan Pathfinder owners should take their vehicles to dealers to have the bell crank assemblies and hood lock levers inspected. The dealers will clean and lubricate the parts if the levers are working properly.
The components will be replaced with new like-for-like hood latch components if the levers and locks aren't working.
And finally:
"When the final remedy plan is available, Nissan will mail final remedy notification letters and include a statement concerning reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy for a subject vehicle that was no longer under warranty at the time of a repair." — Nissan
If you own a 2013-2016 Nissan Pathfinder and want to learn more, please call 800-867-7669 and ask about hood latch recall numbers R22A2 and R22A3.