considering buying a 1996

Attack of the unibody snatchers! Styling and handling refined or bland? You decide.

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genxie
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considering buying a 1996

Postby genxie » Tue Apr 30, 2013 3:18 pm

Can anyone here tell me about the 1996 or 97 model....? I might buy one that is very clean andealer warrantied . I have a '92 and my understandingis that the first gen pathfinders were built tough and for off-roading. And I can confirm that. How is the second generation?good for off reading or not ? Not really made for that? I hear they have better gas mileageand more engine power at the very least.


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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Tue Apr 30, 2013 8:41 pm

1996 was the first year of the R50 model. Unlike your WD21 or the later R51, it had a unibody chassis. The VG engine from your WD21 grew to 3.3L and had a little more power. They corrected the broken exhaust stud problem of the 3.0L by using 10mm studs, however, they started have a lot of problems with cracked exhaust manifolds, especially on the right side. Nissan updated the manifold to resolve the issues. Other than some problems with fuel injectors getting dirty and an occasional intake gasket leak, the 3.3L was dependable, just like the earlier 3.3L. The first two years saw its share of new model "bugs," so, Nissan came out with a quality assurance campaign to address a lot of the issues and update it to 98 R50 specs. One of the issues addressed was adjusting the LSV and replacing tires, as needed, as the early models had a tendency to nosedive at stops and feather the tires. Holes were drilled into the post muffler to let the water leak out (or replaced, as needed). New rear shock nuts were installed and some other things; I can't remember all that was addressed. They did have some problems with the air bag control units failing, which was common to all of the mid-90's Nissans. Another problem was the bushings failing in the upper and lower, rear suspension links, which would cause them to wander badly all over the road. Even though Nissan came out with a TSB instructing to replace the links around '98, the problem still occurred with later models. Some have replaced them with polyurethane bushings. In '99, it had a mid-year refresh where they changed the hood and grille and changed the rear shock arrangement, among some other things. Also, the 3.3L got a small bump in power. In 2001, power was greatly increased when the VQ35DE engine replaced the VG33E. With the VQ, a bunch of other problems came with it, including power valve screws falling into the engine, ignition coil failures, O2 sensor issues and issues with the variable cam timing actuators and/or sensors. All of the R50's fell under a recent recall for corrosion problems of the front strut towers. On the whole, the R50 was pretty good and while they can be capable off-road (especially with some mods), I can't say it's as capable as the early WD21's. It really depends how far you go when it comes to off-roading. Obviously, with a unibody, body-lifting is impossible. Suspension lifting is all you can do if you're looking for lift. If the rear suspension links are in good shape, it's a more comfortable truck on the highway than the WD21. I like the 99.5-2000 model year over the earlier R50's. They were better looking, better optioned, handled better and still had the dependable VG33E. If you need the power, 2001-2004 is the way to go.


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