Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I too have an engine noise upon excelleration, and the catal-converter seems to be very loud.
I have taken it into service 5 times in 13 months, and have contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs, NC Attorney Generals Office, and the BBB Autoline (which is required by NC). But beware--the Autoline and the Lemon Law are very different. Autoline will arbuitrate for you (with a neutral person), but replacement of a vehicle requires deductions for warrantys, taxes, interest, and mileage, which could just be "fair market value", which you could get just trading in. The Lemon Law, however, will replace and includ all interest from the first service, taxes, warranties paid for and any extras you may have incurred.
I am awaiting an arbitration now, after a meeting with the GM of the Dealership(who states that these items are only cosmetic, and I do not have a fighting chance in h$%#). But, now I am determined, mainly because I never had 1 problem with the GM car I traded in that had 140,000 miles on it. I believe that my vehicle was made on a Friday afternoon at 4:30p.m.
If anyone has dealt with an arbitration or the Lemon Law, I would like suggestions...thanks.
Nice to see this board active again.
Go over to www.xterraownersclub.com
do a search for "pulling to the right" in the tire, wheels and suspensuion forum and a few good threads will show up.
I couldn't link the threads directly due to the length of them
Steve, Host
Meade
I own a 2000 chevy suburban and its great, but I want to buy a 2001 Xterra XE V6 4x4 for my son. So anyone that has this car can you tell me any problems that have occured and whether you would recommend it for a first time driver. How does the 4x4 work and is it a lever or button. How much should I expect to pay for this car with low mileage (under 25,000). Thanks for help
When I complained to the dealership about this happening, they tell me that it's environmental, and that it's a normal driving condition for this to occur. It's something along the lines of picking up metal flecks from the road as I drive. They suggest that I need to wash the truck specially once a year and apply this plato like substance all over the body to remove these little metal flecks. So Nissan doesn't cover this, but they do admit by not removing these flecks over the long haul it will damage the body of the vehicle.
I have heard a second story ("unofficially") indicating that following transportation of new vehicles they are suppose to do some sort of treatment process to the brakes (I'm not sure why). If this process isn't done correctly the side-effect is that the brakes release small metal chips that heat up and will stick to the panels of the truck and begin to rust on the surface.
Does anyone have a similar problem on their XTerra? Could someone verify if this "unofficial" story might actually be true, and that I should work harder to get Nissan to do something about this. Has anyone heard of this 1 year maintenenace that we're suppose to do?
I have owned previous new vehicles in the past and I have never seen this on a 2 year old vehicle. I'd love to hear your responses as soon as possible since my warranty is coming up quickly and I have limited time to address this.
Steve, Host
It happens to all cars and is very difficult to get rid of.
Take a look at white cars in your area and you will notice the same thing.
A detail shop can help take it off with a clay bar.
Just for extra info, a few X's have had issues with rust on the hatch, more like pin sized spots in the indent by the hatch window, depending on the dealer, some have actually had it repainted under warrenty, without involving Nissan Canada.
XCanuk, it's interesting you mentioned the pin sized spots on the rear hatch though. I actually have a spot rusting from my metal on the rear that the dealership has agreed to repair under warranty. I think they must be aware of this problem because they are going to repaint the entire rear panel including lifting the rear glass to do it properly, so I may have been one of those people affected.
A few owners in Ontario had to go to one particular dealer to get it repaired under warrenty, while their own dealer refused to cover it. You found a good dealer.
Has anyone tried the BFG A/T TA KO yet?? I noticed they don't come in 265/70/R15 (as the original BFG Longtrail) but are available in 235/75/R15.
I've got BFG A/T K/O's.. (31x10.5x15), I was happy with them on other trucks, and still like them now. Slightly more aggressive without being loud, nicer handling over the LongTrails. I didn't mind the longtrails for road use, but the A/T's are still a nice improvement. BTW 31" will fit a 2000 with some minor trimming in the front mud flap area (very easy to do and no one will notice)
*** being in a snow & ice belt, I do not like A/T's for winter, but I also seem to be one of the few that doesn't not like them in winter, most do. I have a second set of Winter Deulers for winters.
I've also been very happy with my X, up until now that is...50K miles and now I have a tranny problem. At about 25K I started having trouble getting into gear when it was cold (sitting overnight in the garage), the problem continued to get worse and no service center was able to duplicate the problem (I've heard that one before). So I finally got so sick of hearing that one that I made them prove to me that it couldn't be duplicated and low and behold they witnessed the same problem I've been complaining about for a year and a half.
They diagnosed it with a pressure plate problem and with some negotiating I got them to cover it under warrenty. I got a new clutch disc and pressure plate, the problem went away but now I have some concerning new problems. Loss of torque, whinny noise in the transfer case, squishy clutch and the list goes on.
It's going back in tomorrow, the kooks at the dealership want to take another crack at it. We'll see how it goes.
I did have a more exagerated problem once, turned out that my rubber mats slipped foreward just enough and was blocking my clutch engage point... d'oh
So I dropped it off this morning and now they're saying it might be a clogged fuel/air system. Wright! so I bring it in one day and it's fine, sit's on their lot for two days and now it's a fuel system (which they are eagerly trying to pin on me)
Can you tell I'm a little bitter about this. I expected some minor problems with a brand new design but every time it goes in for something it takes and act of God to get it fixed. Just like when my auto locking hubs wouldn't disengage, it took months to get it fixed.
I love the truck but Nissan has got to work on their customer service.
Found a new one, and they have been super, covered all my concerns and even gave me an extra 15% discount on parts. Difference is like night & day..
So after a lot of fighting and short of a costly law suit and still getting no where I sold my X and bought a Pathfinder. Soo disapointed with it, it's way to cushy, auto tranny, crappy tires, and not nearly as rugged...I'm afraid to haul my garbage or drive over a curb with it. Well that was a hard learning experience I guess.
So if anyones interested I already listed it for sale.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Like anything else, there is room for improvement, and can be a building process.
Better Tires with more agressive thread, slight lift with AAL's, Cranking T-bars... or you can go full out with suspension/body lifts, ARB bumpers.. the list goes on.
http://www.nissanusa.com/HomePageStatic
select owning >recall info > and input year
nothing major in my book
Its a solid truck, mpg not the greatest, but average for a mid-sized SUV. Mine has been problem free for 3 years.
Here a link for one that might fit the ticket
http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/vdetail.jtmpl?car_id=122289081- &dealer_id=&search_type=used&make=NISSAN&model=XT- ERRA&transmission=&distance=10&address=45458&adva- nced=n&certified=n&max_mileage=&max_price=&min_pr- ice=&end_year=2004&start_year=2000&body_style=&ad- vcd_on=n&color=&car_year=2000
if the link is too long.. search autotrader
2000 SE Model 27500 Miles $17,350 Price seems good, but I'm not used to U.S. $$
Nissan replaced the engine and the transmission (two separate occasions) only after I contacted the Maryland State's Attorney. The state wrote Nissan a lemon letter and they FINALLY did the work. The work took months because Nissan had to send an engineer to the dealership and order the parts from Tennessee.
Everything mentioned in the other posts is correct. The underbody rails rust and Nissan says it is "environmental"?
Nissan of America in California will "say" they are working with the dealer to resolve issues; when, in fact, they are doing nothing. They already have your money.
Nissan employs recent college grads who are trained to tell you anything. They eventually get sick of the job and leave Nissan. I made friends with one ex-worker and we still talk. The real story is once the truck is sold, it is YOUR problem in Nissan's eyes.
Disclaimer: I seem to be one of the only people who had the engine "blow-up" two weeks into ownership. Read the other posts and look for common problems such as underbody rust, bad transmissions, paint peeling and poor alignments that cannot be rectified.
Many like Xcanuk have great experiences. It is when problems arise and how the manufacturer handles them that you really learn what to expect. Expect nothing from Nissan of America and you will be fine.
Lucky for Nissan, most of their vehicles never need major service.
If you purchase the X, the tranny problems, the sluggish fuel sucking engine, the leaky flip-top sunroof and the lousy General Grabber tires may be the least of your worries. In my humble opinion, there are many better SUVs for the same money. There are also many manufacturers who care about customer service and customer retention.
Forgot to list in the last post that the X left me stranded twice, once on a busy interstate, when the fuel tank read 1/2 full when it was really EMPTY. Nissan did not come to tow the vehicle and on both occasions, the truck sat in the shop waiting for a new fuel float mechanism..another common problem in "XTerrables."
The only thing that works with Nissan is arbitration which I see a lot of fellow posters are discussing. It works and takes HOURS out of your busy day!!! That is what Nissan counts on!
The Forester is fantastic, but ugly and bland-looking. Our neighbors swear by Suburus and claim they are trouble free. My mother has the Forester and loves it. No problems at all and it is awesome in the snow. Very functional and affordable..just blah looking. It looks like a mini UPS truck.
The CRV and RAV 4 are ok, but not really off-road vehicles like the X. Was never really impressed with either model. Do not know much about the Rodeo.
My mechanics tell me the new Ford Explorer ('02 to present) is the best SUV going for the money. Pat Goss, Producer of the Motor Week Television show and host of Gosse's Garage Radio Show, also loves this truck along with the new Ford Expedition. If price is your driver, then the Explorer is your best bet.
Some Explorers list for around the same price as the X. Wholesalers everywhere want the '02 model and are paying premiums because they know they will resell easily. I am not saying Ford is any better at rectifying issues, but every article lists the Explorer as one of the premier SUVs.
Still have my '96 Ford Explorer: no major problems (always had the GoodYear tires - not Firestone), no repairs (knock on wood), great off-road, great in the snow, no rust, better than the X on fuel consumption and now payment free :-) My mechanic tells me the Explorer has another 100,000 left before it dies if I choose to keep it. It will be out of style before it needs to goto the junk yard.
Maybe the Americans have something on the Japanese in this one case? Emphasis on the "ONE." I still feel Nissan makes good models of other vehicles including the Altima and the new Z. Drove the Z and got a Jaguar instead because Nissan still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. BTW - what a difference in service. Simply no comparison.
Hope this helps you with a decision.
One other thing to keep in mind on boards like this is usually the people who post are very passionate about their vehicle experiences, so you tend to get extremes. I have a few friends that have had nothing but wonderful experiences with their Xterras, as have many of the other people who have posted here. So, though I feel very badly that msiseng has had such a horrible experience and only hope that it is resolved quickly, there are many other stories of just the opposite viewpoint. Usually the overall population's experience is somewhere in the middle.