The Nissan Path

I'm going to look at a 2005 pathfinder LE tomorrow but I cannot get the transmission issues these have off my mind, I will be using this vehicle mainly for long road trips from TN to FL with my wife new born baby and my 3 year old so I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road.

1. Will any transmission from a 2005-2010 pathfinder fit as long as its the auto/4wd model? (reason for asking is that a used transmission for a 2005 is extremely expensive.

2. Should I bring this vehicle to a nissan dealership and get a pre purchase inspection?

Not only would the replacement transmission have to be from a LE, it would also matter the production date of the vehicle the trans came from and would likely need to come from a V6. They would all physically be the same on the outside, but Nissan used several different valve bodies. That said, the automatic transmission, itself, is not the problem; they are actually very good. It's the radiator's integral trans cooler that's the problem, which have a problem leaking and causing cross-contamination which can ruin the transmission. If the radiator has been replaced or bypassed prior to any cooler failure, chances are you won't have anything to worry about.