Hey guys, I"m new to the forums and I joined to do some research. I'm looking at picking up a used Pathfinder (or possibly a crew Frontier), but honestly after reading the radiator/tranny issue, I'm really gun shy. I have an 06 Pathfinder LE w/ 65K miles negotiated and ready to go, but it's at a little dealer and pretty far so I can't have my mechanic check it out.
I was going to check it out and try to find a local mechanic, but I'm doubtful I can do that and walk in. My credit union offers an extended warranty which I would purchase if I get this guy, but I'm worried about the details on how that would work (faulty radiator = new tranny, will they cover that?)
I test drove it yesterday and it seemed fine to me, got up to 80 no problem, I slowed down & punched it and it seemed to not want to go into OD, or maybe I just didn't give it enough time. No chatter or rumble strip feel. I'm going back today to check the radiator to see if there are signs of oil in the coolant. The tranny dip stick won't really show the "milkshake", right? Any other tips or things I can look at?
Great forums, thanks guys!
-Aaron
Should I Buy a Used Pathy?
Moderator: volvite
If it's contaminated then the milkshake will show on the dip stick as well. You can go to a Nissan Dealer and have the service history pulled using the VIN. It may show that it had the issue and was fixed under warranty. Also, the warranty extension is 96mo and/or 80K miles if memory serves so it would be safe for about 15K mi.
aadadams wrote:If the radiator breaks the transmission that's covered as well.joe mamma wrote:Thanks guys, I just hope the problem hasn't happened yet, I'm OK with doing the bypass or getting a new radiator .The way I read the extended warranty was the radiator was covered, not three transmission, right?
straight from the horses mouth.............http://www.nissanassist.com/web/Radiato ... hp?menu=20
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BattleWagon
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:20 pm
Well I spent the day with the truck and took it to two mechanics. Both looked at the trans dip stick & said it was ok, just dirty. Myself and one mechanic drove it and it checked out ok, shifted fine and no other problems. It needs brakes and missing a few odds & ends (floor mats, spare tire, jack, etc), but overall I'm much more confidant that I was last night (I spent 4 hours reading about the radiator/trans. threads on CF forums).
Hopefully I'll be ok with this guy! I think I'm going to try and head back tomorrow and pick it up, 06 LE 4x4 w/ 65K for $14K. I may add the warranty just for peace of mind.
So this sentence from Nissan tells me that they'll replace the tranny, if it's damage is a result from the radiator issue up to 8years/80Kmiles?
"Nissan is extending your vehicle's New Vehicle Limited Warranty as it applies to the radiator assembly and its component parts from 36 months/36,000 miles to 96 months/80,000 miles, including damage, repairs, replacement, and related towing resulting from this issue"
I've seen guys say they got reimbursed for the radiator, but I haven't seen anyone say they got reimbursed from a tranny or was covered by this extended warranty. I guess I need to read more
Thanks again for your input guys!
Hopefully I'll be ok with this guy! I think I'm going to try and head back tomorrow and pick it up, 06 LE 4x4 w/ 65K for $14K. I may add the warranty just for peace of mind.
So this sentence from Nissan tells me that they'll replace the tranny, if it's damage is a result from the radiator issue up to 8years/80Kmiles?
"Nissan is extending your vehicle's New Vehicle Limited Warranty as it applies to the radiator assembly and its component parts from 36 months/36,000 miles to 96 months/80,000 miles, including damage, repairs, replacement, and related towing resulting from this issue"
I've seen guys say they got reimbursed for the radiator, but I haven't seen anyone say they got reimbursed from a tranny or was covered by this extended warranty. I guess I need to read more
Thanks again for your input guys!
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dared3vil00
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:23 pm
- Location: Canada
Not discussing the transmission problems with these trucks here... BUT i did come to say if you get it and it is running well you will LOVE it. Lots of power, good towing capacity, great ride quality for a BOF, low body roll ( IF you install the airlift 1000, highly recommended) looks good, and last gen of the pathy BOF. BUY IT and bypass it, best 14k you will of spent on a vehicle, i guarantee it! my 2 cents
What he ^^^^ said! I've had mine for a year now and it's the best vehicle I've ever owned. I got the "comfort" of also gettting a Nissan Certified Pre-Owned, which also helped put my mind at ease a bit. The only "bad" thing about the vehicle is the gas mileage, which, in reality, is comparable with other vehicles in it's class (14/20). But, let's face it, you don't buy this vehicle for the gas mileage... If you want gas mileage, go buy something else. This truck rides well, can haul the whole family, pull the boat, recover stuck Hummer H2's (my personal favorite), handle 15 inches of snow with no problem, and provide a whole hell of a lot of fun! I'm usually a person that trades a vehicle in after 2 years, but I plan on driving the wheels off of this thing!
Gond....have you done the radiator / tranny bypass?gond34 wrote:What he ^^^^ said! I've had mine for a year now and it's the best vehicle I've ever owned. I got the "comfort" of also gettting a Nissan Certified Pre-Owned, which also helped put my mind at ease a bit. The only "bad" thing about the vehicle is the gas mileage, which, in reality, is comparable with other vehicles in it's class (14/20). But, let's face it, you don't buy this vehicle for the gas mileage... If you want gas mileage, go buy something else. This truck rides well, can haul the whole family, pull the boat, recover stuck Hummer H2's (my personal favorite), handle 15 inches of snow with no problem, and provide a whole hell of a lot of fun! I'm usually a person that trades a vehicle in after 2 years, but I plan on driving the wheels off of this thing!
No I haven't yet... I've only got 46k on mine right now, so the way I see it, if it fails it's still on Nissan's bill and I get the peace of mind that knowing once it's replace I should never have to worry about it again. If I get to 78k and haven't had an issue, then yes, I will definitely be doing the bypass. As easy as it looks, it's well worth my 30 minutes to save myself a few grand!
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BattleWagon
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:20 pm
X2, I'm waiting to do my bypass as well.
We bought ours new in '07, been a great rig, no issues, power is great, mileage kinda sucks for a turbo V6 (even the new F150s get 20-23 Hwy with a turbo 6).
If I had a time machine I would go back and buy a used one as these bitches they take a hit off the lot. sounds like you found a good truck, have fun.
and do the Airlift 1000s, it makes a huge difference.
We bought ours new in '07, been a great rig, no issues, power is great, mileage kinda sucks for a turbo V6 (even the new F150s get 20-23 Hwy with a turbo 6).
If I had a time machine I would go back and buy a used one as these bitches they take a hit off the lot. sounds like you found a good truck, have fun.
and do the Airlift 1000s, it makes a huge difference.
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