The Nissan Path

Whelp... after years of my Pathfinder's realiabilty unquestioned, I went to parallel park and out of the blue the old girl wouldn't reverse. I got out of the car to see what I must have backed into (because that must be the answer, right?) but there was nothing there. She simply wouldn't reverse.

My regular mechanic told me it's $2100 to rebuild my trans and suggested it's time to move on. I called around trying to see if any parts shops would be interested in buying her (new tires, brakes, stereo) but they were only offering $400. Except one guy... He offered me $150 and I began gasping for air because he told me he was just sending my baby to the crusher after he pulled a few things. He then asked me why I'm not fixing her. I told him what my mechanic said and he offered to put in a used, working trans for $900. He said he'd guarantee it for 60 days.

So now I'm seriously considering doing this so I can continue the love affair I have with my once trusty old Pathfinder.

Any opinions out there? Or buyers?

It's a hard question to answer without knowing what the rest of the vehicle is like. If the body is in good shape without rust and is mechanically sound, otherwise, I would say it's worth the investment to fix the transmission. You have to consider the cost of replacement for something similar in good shape. If the frame is starting to rot or there's rust starting to bubble up on the sheet metal or there are other major mechanical issues you can see on the horizon, I would say it's time to move on.
You also have to consider how you use it: whether you keep it generally local to where you live or it's something you make long trips with and need to be very reliable?

It's in decent shape, body and frame wise. The exhaust?... not so much. It has a leak up near the manifold and I've been just letting that ride because, again, my mechanic said it's going to be costly to fix. The interior is OK. Seats are in great shape. 4x4 works fine. Heat and AC do too. Sigh...

I have a 5 speed 1993 Ford Festiva that I use locally and take the Pathfinder for anything an hour or more (& for tailgating). She's driven from Philly to Montreal & Ottawa in the last couple years and most recently Jacksonville, FL. Many trips closer as well.

I've never owned a car from the 2000s and don't even know what to avoid in terms of modern vehicles. I've heard the CVT in the Rogues is questionable. Too bad because there are a ton of those for sale locally.

What to do, what to do...