Nissan owners please read!

[geoch_09]

I'm looking into buying a Nissan PU (90-96) 4x4...

I'm just wondering if there are any Nissan owners out there who can give me some info on their rigs... (or past owners) I'm not asking you guys to do all my homework for me cause I have read reviews on this vehicle but I want the opinion of long time owners...

I would like to know:
-hows the gas mileage?
-how much to fill a tank?
-expensive repairs?
-many repairs?
-anything to look for when buying?
-reliable?
-what are your general feelings on the vehicle?
-rust issues
-engine life (i know many of my friends chevys just quit on them around 180kms!)

Basically if you could go back in time what would you tell yourself to do when you were looking for a Nissan... and maybe lessons or info you had learned...

thankyou in advance for the help/info...

~josh~

[mtnman]

I have an '85 4x4 PU that I still have that is totally reliable. It would damn near climb trees if I asked it to.

I bought a 1995 4x4 PU in December and I don't have any complaints. My buddies drive Pathfinders and we did some tough trails last fall moose hunting with them.

The Pathys and the 95, have a V6 and the exhaust manifold bolts have a reputation for breaking, producing a clatter or rattle in the engine that sounds worse than it really is.

There are a few Nissan 4x4 websites on the Internet that would be able to answer a lot more of your questions.
My V6 recently tolerated a severe overheating without any apparent ill effects. (my fault it overheated by the way)

check here:

http://www.nissan4wheelers.com/

[allstone]

I used to own a 1990 Pathfinder V6 LE.

-Fuel mileage was horrible. I got 350 kms on a tankful of gas, and it didn't change much between city and highway driving. Ran very smooth and Nissan techs could never find anything wrong with the engine, so I figured that this was typical for an automatic V6 Pathfinder.

-Even though it wasn't economical with fuel, it didn't have much power either. New Pacific Nissan rented a newer F150 for me to use for a week or so while they replaced the tranny in my Pathfinder, and the F150 got about the same fuel economy as my Pathfinder...but it had the 5.4L Triton V8 in it with lots of power.

-I went through 2 transmissions, a full suspension (minus torsion bars), a starter, broken exhaust manifold studs, and a blown cap and rotor. Some of those were my fault for using cheap parts. Otherwise, the truck was relatively reliable.

-I also didn't care for the rear doors and how awkward it was for passengers to get in and out of them.

If you do get one, I would highly recommend the 5 spd. Last time I looked up the VIN at www.aircare.ca , this truck was still on the road and did fairly well in Aircare...I thought that was pretty cool.

[0pti0n]

I beat the hell outta my pathfinder on a regular basis, I am amazed as to the abuse it takes without things breaking! IFS is out now as is the entire suspension, so we'll see how she handles now. But My pathy is a 90 doesn't burn oil at all, and is a bute. Hope we changed your mind

[geoch_09]

yeah im soo stuck on what to buy its either a nissan or cherokee but im still in the dark as to which one to buy...i think ill just look at both and buy the first killer one i find!

[0pti0n]

BUY A PATHFINDER!! haha the Japanese do it right the first time, who wants a heep anyways?

[RunNGun]

I'm just putting my Pathfinder up for sale this week. It's lifted, with a 4cyl 5spd and buncha other offroad-friendly mods. Reply here or better yet email me at bobmeeson@hotmail.com

[Brendo]

Ive had 2 pathfinders (90 92) and i have no complaints. I beat the hell out of them and it just seems to keep goin and goin. Neither burn a drop of oil and no problems whats so ever with aircare. I have no regrets, ill always have one. Do it!!

[Glen from Crany]

I had a 92 pathfinder and I had no complaints. Was the V6 and auto. I would get about 500k to a tank of fuel and it took me some crazy places. After 235,000K all I had replaced was the hubs with warn manuals, the alt, and the wheel bearings in the front. It is true that the exhaust studs like to let go but it doesn't really hurt anything, you just get a bit of a ticking sound. It is nothing for one of those engines to run well past 300,000K. I would take one again in a second.

[Shawner]

My buddy is selling his 1994 Pathy, email me if you're interested in more details.

shawnandamy@shaw.ca

[sasges]

pathfinders own jeeps any day of the week. Every one of my buddies that owns a jeep has it in the shop every other week getting something fixed... seems those things break down without even driving them. Pathfinders, and 4x4 90-95 trucks as well i would assume, can and will take so much abuse it is sickening. I've seen one of my buddies jump his pathfinder off a berm at the dunes on the fraser river. It landed like a tank and plowed through a couple bushes and trees. After we pulled it out and looked it over there were only a couple scratches and dents in the front end but was otherwise unhurt. Gas mileage is piss poor but no worse than a cherokee or tj. For hardcore rock crawling you might be better off going with a jeep because of the abundance of parts. For everyday on road driving you are definately better off going with a nismo.
Look in all the normal places for rust. For a pathfinder look especially under the rear seats as those sometimes get cancer in them.
I get about 350-400 kms to a $~60 tank although do drive with a pretty heavy right foot.
My 3.0 L v6 has 220,000 kms on it and still running strong, its needed a new clutch (2 new drivers learning on it) and a thermostat in the 100,000 km that my family has owned it
I would without a doubt buy another one

[derogate]

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, consider looking at the 5 spd pathfinders, WAY before the auto's. Its the weakest point on the truck, and i have heard from many many people that after about 250K (sometimes less, sometimes more) the tranny's like to drop the reverse gear or start to slip. This is due to poor cooling of the tranny oil on the stock set up. If you get an aftermarket cooler, it will help exponentially, but its still not as a rugged as a 5 spd. keep that in mind.