The Nissan Path

Well, I just got my Pathfinder. Its an older one year 1998 with off road tires. Just the way I want it for off roading and exploring the beautiful southwest for hiking. Paid cash from a private sale, no stealership, interests or high insurance!
It has some 120,XXX miles but know nothing about its past history.
So, this tread is to inform fellow members of your story with your great or not so great Pathfinder. Word is they "take a beating and keep on ticking"! What issues have you had? Were they major? Are you overall satisfied?

Please share,

thanks

I bought my 02 LE 4x4 with 89k from a Nissan dealer in Indiana. Since I live in south florida, I had no idea exactly what I was getting and trusted the salesman. That being said, he told me the truth on everything. I now have 124k and have not had one problem except the oxygen sensors which is common on these and a broken exhaust pipe which cost me 40 to fix. It rides great and I love it. All the toys still work like new....Best of luck with yours!!

make sure the timing belt's been done; it's due at 105,000 miles.

1st job to be done it looks I have to replace the rear axle seal. Up to 129K miles now

I have a '97 currently at 165K miles. Asides for the valve cover gaskets leaking and bushings on the rack and pinion everything else has been basic maintenance. The next "big" job is the front struts then the AC.

We've got a 97 with 310,000 on it.
Never given us a lick of trouble.
Plenty of up keep work though. Had to replace all the rear suspension (not the axel) to cure death wobble.
Steering rack bushings went a while ago, easy fix.
timing belt every 100k.
Just shredded the 300k timing belt, tensioner gave up the ghost. Make sure that you change your tensioner when you do your timing belt. The bearing keeper is plastic and age equals lots of heat for plastic regardless of miles $40 part will save time, money and worries.

'00 Pathfinder at 315,xxx miles. Replaced exhaust from head back, valve cover gaskets, rear control links at 278k/mi. CV boots once (don't recall the mileage, and not home at the moment to check for receipts). Rear sway bar links and bushings next, still drives fine, but more of a "around town errands" rig until I get that addressed.

Otherwise mile 300k wasn't any different from mile 120k. Eats oil only slightly more that the rate as mile 1, gotta watch the timing belt (and tensioner) a bit more closely after 200k for some reason. The airbag light has stayed on from ~200k as well. Other than that, its a matter of brake pads every two years, oil change every 3k/mi (topping off every thousand or so though.

After a year of owning my 98, I changed the AC compressor and just had front struts put in. Have a small rear axle seal leak which I can live with for a while and a small rack and pinion leak from off roading or maybe caused from really bad old struts. Otherwise it runs really nice and like new with 140K miles now! Glad I got it and get the benefit of going off road.

UPDATE: 2.5 years later with 161k miles now I had some things done:

replaced the front struts.
Had a new rear axle seal just put in which I understand is not an uncommon problem.
Had a trans gasket leak and had that done with the fluid change.
Not mentioning the usual maintenance like brakes etc.
Rack an pinion still has a small leak hoping a stop leak will do the job

Hope that's it for a while.

Any other commons other owners think I might encounter?

Did you take it in for the recall for the front strut towers?

smj999smj wrote:Did you take it in for the recall for the front strut towers?

nope, did it last year. Was it too late?

I think the front struts somehow messed up the rack and pinion. Have heard this before.

As long as it was done, you're good!

Bought my '01 Pathfinder SE 4x2 in 2012 for $4k. Had 138k miles on it when I bought it, now has 177k. Body was in good shape other than a few scratches here and there but it needed work mechanically. So a week or two after I bought it, I did a complete tune up (drive belts, water pump, spark plugs, wires, rotor button, fuel filter) and also put new tires on it and since then, it runs like a brand new one. In the near future though, I will have to replace the timing chain which I will get done cause I plan on keeping this pathfinder for a long time.

Once I figure out how to get pics on here, I'll post a few pics.

I have a 97 Pathfinder with roughly 148,000 miles on it. Got it when it had 121,000 on it. It sat for a year or so and now it is back to being a daily driver. Need to replace the tires and the rear control arms. Just had to change the battery and change the oil on it and it has been solid. 0 issues other than the death wobble that is currently on going. I'm just dreading changing the control arms myself.... Not many are willing to do it.....