Reliability Trouble Spots 2006 to 2011 CR

[cesar33]

Consumer Reports April edition is all about cars, and lately the Pathy has been taking a beating on reliability. I'm on my third LE and hope I don't regret sticking with Nissan. I'd like to get some help in defining what the Trouble Spots are and any preventative measures I can take to save money. Thanks to this forum I have by-pass my radiator.

CR labeled the following areas "Worse Than Average" to Much WTA on 06.
Engine minor
Engine cooling
Drive system
Fuel system
Climate system
Paint/trim

Any experience on issues with Drive system? I think by-pass should cover engine cooling. Surprisingly Tranny got average and above markings.

[smj999smj]

The transmissions are good... It's the radiator that fails and pushes coolant into the transmission that's the reason they have problems, hence the bad cooling system rating.

[skinny2]

Until consumer reports tells you the numbers behind their ratings, I'll continue to ignore them when comparing different vehicles. At least with Jd powers and some others they give you relative comparisons. In most cases the fact is cars are so reliable today, the difference between best and worst is negligible. That being said it does give you some indication of possible trouble spots on individual vehicles. I agree the climate control is problematic. I would just drive your pathfinder and not obsess about what could happen. Even problems like the radiator will likely only affect a portion of the vehicles out there. When problems affect 20%of a model it's considered a HUGE issue and you'll see recalls and extended warranties. Of course there's also 80% of trouble free vehicles out there.