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Comments
Based on experience here at the PF board, would this be a good bet for me? And, any recommendations on 2WD vs. 4WD in the Pathfinder?
Thanks.
Anybody end up replacing their front struts on a 1996-1998 Pathfinder? I saw lots of posts on shaking/vibration. I had vibration issues too - much later in truck life so I installed new struts at mechanics recommendation. Although very pricy (seems like $600 installed), put my vibration issue to bed at about 75k in miles. Ride is spectacular now - just like new. I tow alot, but hardly go off road and would count this as the only flaw I ran into in 6 years with the pathfinder. Exhaust was spent after 6 salty Wisconsin winters too - but that has happened in every vehicle I have ever known up here.
Hint for new Pathfinder owners. If you live in the north - go out now and get stainless steel hex flange screws to hold the brush guard on with. If left alone, the poorly coated ones will rot away and snap off in the threaded holes, making the joints useless without a drill and tap. I was down to just (5) functional bolts and finally went out and got some M6 x 18 mm along with stainless steel fender washers.
Great SUV otherwise - enjoy!!
I just changed the oil/filer and rotated the tires.
I miss my PF already. In my opinion it is a great vehicle.
What were your maintenance costs like? Is it a vehicle that will hang tough, for, say, 10 years? Utility is important to me, but so is reliability. I've been a sedan driver most of my life, so an SUV would be a big change for me. Just wondered whether it was worth considering this vs. a sport wagon or smaller SUV.
From what I've seen here, O2 sensors and ignition coils are about the only common failures, and they appear to be rare. Tires will be expensive as they are big. Mine are still original and wearing well. Tire balancing can be an issue (Hunter 9000 may be necessary to do it properly), though I haven't had a shimmy issue on mine. It goes through fuel a bit faster than smaller vehicles, but it is very powerful and heavy (4300 lbs) so that shouldn't be a surprise. I'm getting better mileage than my friends RX-8, and that's funny. Highway in summer of 13-14 L/100 km. City in summer 15-17 L/100 km. I don't want to talk about winter mileage ;-).
Got mine in June 2000, so that's 4 1/2 years so far. I expect better than 10 years without major problems.
In 6 1/2 yrs I have had the following non-standard service warranty items:
a) New front struts at about 75,000 miles - $750
b) New exhaust from just behind catalytic converter to exit pipe: about $600 installed after 72,000 miles
c) One reset of engine codes (wife forgot to put gas cap on - our fault)
Absolutely nothing else in 82,000 miles. The exhaust rotting out is normal in 6 salty winters in central Wisconsin - it might last forever in warmer climates. Only the struts, which gave rough ride and shimmying prior to replacement, was an issue.
To be honest, I bought it mainly to tow a 2700# boat and trailer where 4WD helps getting up steep ramps. Does great in snow as most will attest in 4WD. If you are just going to be running city/highway roads never towing, the sport wagons (Subaru/Lexus RX300) or a 4WD minivan are not bad options and give most of the functionality you get in an SUV, but with a more car like ride.
4WD will require rotations of tires every 3500 miles vs 7500 miles in 2WD cars/vans/wagons. There is maintenance cost here. Also, tires will be about $100 a set more expensive on average than minivan/sedan tires because of size. Some limited additional maintenance for greasing/changing fluids of 4WD transfer case.
A sport wagon would also offer better emergency handling - I once lifted a tire off the ground in my Pathfinder avoiding the rear end of a car that stopped for a pheasant in the road. Scary - but Pathfinder is the best handling SUV because of low center of gravity.
I like the Pathy and think it should be good for 150k at least. I knew a few guys who had early 90 Pathfinders and were in the 250k - 300k mileage range. These things can go and go.......
We keep vehicles 7 - 10 years & it sounds like this one'll do us proud. I drove a 240Z 226K miles in the 70's & early 80's, & it looks like I can do it again with the PF.
To some of the gearheads on this board, does this change in vibration pattern indicate a pair of out of balance front tires, or a pair of out of ROUND tires?
I shudder to think of the fight I would face trying to prove that I needed a new, full set of tires.
To those of you considering the Pathfinder - don't let me scare you off. ALL makes/models of vehicles haves problems - the differences between makes, american/foreign, etc are so miniscule it is counterproductive to worry about it. You are either lucky or you are unlucky -it's that simple (caveat - if you follow maintenance schedule properly). Today I saw a Toyota Camry broken down on the side of the road with coolant smoke billowing out of the hood on the road up to Big Bear. So much for the bulletproof Toyota myth. Buy what you like and what feels good and fun to drive - don't worry about the "reliability" issue in regards to most makes of automobiles. It is NOT worth an ulcer over.
AS far as perceptions about reliability go, I could go on to another tangent about the absurd prices payed for 3 to 7 year old Hondas and Toyotas - what are people thinking? My girlfriend's 99 Civic has 90000 miles and more squeaks, rattles, and groans than a clipper ship. I have owned 4 different american cars and never had major engine or transmission problems with any of them - all driven over 150000 miles. Those are the only types of expensive problems to fix that would justify paying the premium for an import.
However, resale value is clearly better for some makes such as Honda/Toyota. Again - I don't feel this is justified, but it is what it is.
You will like your Pathfinder - guaranteed. They are near bulletproof unless you're unlucky.
The interiors/seats are extraordinary, the engine is quite strong, and it does have some capability offroad if needed. If you are only going to drive it on snowy roads however there may be better choices for you in an AWD type of vehicle.
One more question: How about rear seat room? From time to time, I'll be hauling three kids - the oldest an 11-year-old girl. The others are smaller and are in booster seats. Will there be a space issue?
When loaded with rear cargo and passengers the 2001 Pathfinder bottoms out with factory coils and shocks. It was really bad for me. You would feel a thud when the shocks and coils gave out and collided with the body. Even worse when towing. There is a TSB (manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin, unannounced to public) for the known issue. Tradeoff for smoother/softer ride. The fix from the dealer is to install larger/longer rubber bumb stops inside the rear coil springs. Solved the issue for my 2001 LE.
Check out www.alldata.com for brief description of all the TSBs. If you pay, you will get indepth detail on it. I did not have too.
I don't mean to be callous, but welcome to the world of 4x4 SUV ownership. Have you considered buying a more fuel-efficient car for commuting to work?
Not too many other trucks burn premium.
The hp rating alone really doesn't tell you anything. You could be rated at 240hp with a less than optimal condition as well as an optimal condition. An optimal 240hp rating might come at 3000 rpm while a less than optimal 240hp might come at 3500. The same could be true of any measure; mileage, torque, emissions, etc. The 3.5 has knock sensors that retard ignition. The optimal ignition happens with higher octane fuel. When the engine starts metering itself, something has to give. Not from personal experience but from others on the board who have worked over the fuel comparison long ago, usually it is the mileage that suffers. That is why the previous poster told you that the offset for the increase in fuel cost was an increase in mileage. This may not be the case for your normal driving conditions, but the majority of people who have reported it to be that way. If you want to run your 30k car in less than recommended conditions for the sake of $300 a year, have at it.
Yes, I found it amazing as well. Kind of like where it says in the owners manual you will save fuel cost by using A/C instead of opening the windows (on the highway). I also found this was correct (didn't believe it when I read it).
tidester, host
RX300's engine has higher compression ratio than Path/QX4. RX's recommended gas is 89 therefore I believe QX4 using 89 is of no problem at all. With 89 I never have pinging problem. Idle smoothness, acceleration, MPG (calculated 89 and 91 for so many times and got bored and quit), whatsoever, I simply can't tell the diff. The only diff as someone else said is the money in our pocket...
Personally I don't want to pay more just for some peace of mind
Anything and everything that you've heard about the Pathfinder since it came out (in '86?) is irrelevant. Start following the Armada to see what to expect. Since it's a Nissan, the reliability is likely to be good to excellent, but the maturity isn't there in terms of little things.
This is one of the main reasons I got a PF when I did -- have no use for the big one.
Let me know what your experiences are in sales if you go.
2001 LE w/41K
www.nissanusa.com >> Future Vehicles
Maybe there's something more over in Synthetic motor oil.
(Edit - here's one re an Infiniti: ryoken "Synthetic motor oil" Apr 10, 2003 10:44am)
Steve, Host