What I Wish I'd Known Before...

[KellyGee]

All,

I am about to take the plunge and purchase a Pathfinder. I have never owned a Nissian SUV before, so this is a new experience for me. I have test driven an '06 LE and was very impressed with the smooth ride and the responsiveness of the engine. I would have considered purchasing it on the spot if it weren't for the beat-up interior.
I want to take the question to you all...what should I look for when making my purchase? The oldest model I am looking to purchase is an '05. Are there models I should avoid? What types of maintenance issues should I expect? In general what I am dying to find out is what do you wish you had known before purchasing your Pathfinder?

From what I have experienced, it is a great ride.

Thanks,

Kel

[vatrumpet]

KellyGee,

I purchased a 2005 SE that is Nissan Certified Pre-Owned back in August of 2008. I have owned it for 9 months now and have not had any problems with it. The only thing I am regretting is that I wish I had bought the 4x4 model. I am moving to Virginia in a few weeks and figure I could probably get some good use out of it in the snow next winter.

Mine is black with a black interior and had 65K on it when I bought it. If you purchase one that is certified, just make sure they put the proper tires on it. Mine should have come with BFGoodrich Radial Long Trails but they put General Grabbers on it. The Generals are fine tires but I would have preferred the BFG's.

I think the PF is typical Nissan dependability. I am planning on driving it until it falls apart.

[coom1986]

Hi Kelly, ive got a 08 SE so its still pretty new..But from what ive seen on this site, most of the problems seem(very rare) to come from 05 models, probably due to some teething issues, 06 models and on should be ok..
Look for things like the tensioner replacements, it should be covered under warranty or fuel sending unit problems, these seem to be the most common..apart from that its all good..
Cheers and keep us posted..

[Cr@2y Gr33k]

As long as you take care of it, and service it, the Pathfinder will not give you problems.

[Captain]

I had my 08 for a year and a half with 27k miles and not one problem with the engine or dive train. I do have small beefs with the Pathfinder.
-back plastic scratches
-back plastic cargo cover is to week for kneeling on. It get small cracks under neath
-rear springs too week for real SUV duty's the leaf springs can support.

[HillbillyJake]

i agree with the captain. I have an 08 with 36,000 and not one problem with it.

[Cr@2y Gr33k]

I've had my 08 for almost two years now, and not one problem or issue with it. 28,000 miles strong and going.

[untamed05]

I have an 05 LE 4X2 and the only option i don't have is 4wd and I really want it now that I have to deal with the harsh winters in Germany

[IcedTeasley]

I have an '06 with 82,000 miles. It still runs like the new ones. I would know. I've driven brand new PFs just so I could feel the difference the milage makes. I've been off-road and towed a 4000lb load with it so far. The engine and transmission are great. I purchased an extra warranty with mine to give me peace of mind in case anything goes wrong. So far, so good. I'm very happy with mine.

[boogyman]

Well I'll chime in here. I have about 60k on mine and have only had a few issues. The accelerator position sensor went at about 40k and the fuel gauge sender is on it's way out. I'm just waiting for the newer part to hit the dealer, rather than installing one that will die in 30k. Only thing i wish i didn't have was the rear control ac. Don't use it and from what i hear around the boards, the lines corrode and the body needs to be lifted to replace them. Not looking forward to that if it happens to me while i still own it.

Everything else with the truck has been great. 4wd is handy when we actually get snow or if i want to go off road. Purchased my own Garmin instead of getting a $1500 dash mount. You can see and set a few things with the indash nav, but it's kind of trivial. I keep a code reader in the glove box, so i can find out what is happening and clear the code to see if it pops up and is a valid code or just a fluke. I guess I've rambled long enough. Good luck with your search.

[KellyGee]

All,

Thanks for the replies. We have narrowed down our search to a 2008 LE...or something with leather seats...kids spill, what can I say? Now we are just trying to find the golden goose for the right price. Please continue to post things to look out for throughout this process.
Much appreciated.

Thanks,
Kel

[cruzstyle]

i picked up my 06 se 4wd for 15,000 flat we found about 6 of them at this price all with no more then 40k miles

dont rush into it and take your time im not sure what your price range is but these cars are everywhere. our limit was 28k and we got ours for 15 with the bose and 4wd .

[KellyGee]

Well we finally found one! We were dead set on getting a 4Runner, thinking we could capatalize on all the trouble Toyota is having at the moment. We quickly realized that this was more of a compromise because of the lack of options that came with the 4Runner. They were great SUV's but just lacking on the inside. We had an appointment to meet with a very nice Toyota salesman and then I did one last search widening my search to 75 miles and then I came across an '08 Pathfinder LE with a V8 and 31K on it. the best part was that it was starting at $24. This was lower than we were able to find the V6's at in previous searches. We took a drive down south to check it out and it was great...a LOT more power than I was expecting so I used that to negotiate price down even further. Apparently they just want to move it off their lot so they were happy to work with us. We had it inspected and everything checked out great.

Thanks for all your comments...We feel we are getting a great vehicle for a good price. I will overlook the fuel economy as long as I can
Please let me know your thoughts on the V8 if you have any...this thing is a BEAST! 310 hp and 388 lb/ft of torque...

Thanks,
Kel