Looking at buying a used 1998 QX4 and have some questions

[Freeze Time]

Hi, I recently sold my Camry and have been looking for a new car. Long story short, on Monday I should be getting a used 1998 QX4 with only 125,000 miles on it. What are some things to check out before I buy? I saw a 1999 QX4 with 300,000 miles on it. Is that the norm for this SUV? It's a private seller and from the looks of the pictures and from talking to him on the phone, it sounds like he did a good job at maintaining it. I have tried to find youtube links and google searches but can't seem to find anything the first time 98 QX4 buyer needs to check out and look for. If somehow I don't get the QX4, I will then probably get a salvaged 04 Sentra 1.8s with 89k miles for only $700 more. Thanks in advance for any help regarding my QX4 question.

[Towncivilian]

Other than ensuring that the strut housing corrosion recall has been taken care of, there isn't too much to look for that you wouldn't in any other car - generally check the condition of fluids, etc. If you are really interested in purchasing it, it may be worth going to your local Infiniti dealer with the vehicle's VIN to get a printout of all of the service the vehicle has had done at any dealership.

Welcome to NICO!

[Freeze Time]

I will be sure to ask him. If he has not done it, would I be able to take it to any Infiniti/Nissan dealership after I buy it? Should I not buy it until he takes care of it? He is going to get the car smogged when I go over there so should I ask to swing by a dealership too? I am not sure if he is the original owner or not. I will ask. I will google and see if I can get answers to my question.

He is asking $2500 for it but I will probably be able to talk him down to like $2200-$2300. The Sentra is around $3000 or so. Should I stick with the QX4?

Thanks for responding and welcoming me.

**Edit** I just read through the thread you linked me to. It seems that if I do buy the QX4 and they can't repair it, I would end up making money. I have read that they pay you the blue book value for the car in very good condition but is that the trading into a dealer price or selling it price? I will call up a dealership right now and see what they say.

[Freeze Time]

Well I have gotten a lot of views but only 1 reply. I will be going in the morning to look at( and probably buy) the QX4. I am in Southern California so I might not be affected by the recall and will own an awesome vehicle. If I am affected, I will get to drive a very new loaner car while my QX4 is either fixed(GREAT!) or retired which means I will profit and have money to buy another car. Unless I misread the recall thread, most people came out of the mess with a healthy profit. If I get to drive a rental for free and profit from getting a dangerous QX4 off the road, it seems like a win win situation.

[Freeze Time]

If anyone even cares, I bought the QX4 yesterday for $2100. It has a moonroof and a trailer hitch which I assume is the towing package so I did really well. The interior needs some work and it needs a paint job but other than that, it seems good. I checked for rust and didn't see any but will have another look later. I drove the car with the seller a lot and had no issues. As I was driving home on the freeway, I noticed that the 4 solid green lights came on. The ones next to the lock under the RPM. I saw the thread here about the issue but it doesn't look like it's a big deal. I will be taking it to my mechanic soon and I hope he tells me everything is good.

Quick question about 2WD and 4WD. I never plan on using 4WD. Is it better to switch to 2WD and off of auto to get better gas mileage? Does it even matter? The sound system is extremely impressive for a car this old. So far, I am really liking it although I am 6'6 and I don't have as much room as I hoped. My head is very close to the top even with the seat down as far as it can go. I am also still learning all the digital knobs. I am used to manual ones. Any help and tips would be appreciated

[atraudes]

A 2WD vs Auto discussion:

post6558500.html?hilit=2wd%20auto

[Freeze Time]

Thanks for that link although I'd hardly call it a discussion lol. I will just be leaving it in 2WD. My options are 2WD, Auto and lock.

[Towncivilian]

If you haven't yet, download a copy of the owner's manual and factory service manual, they'll be invaluable:

Owner's manual
FSM
To save a copy of the FSM, right click -> Save As on every PDF, save them into a single folder, then use fwd.pdf to navigate.

[Freeze Time]

I already downloaded it last night to my laptop and computer. Thanks for the suggestion though. I am going to my mechanic at 4. I will post again after he checks the car out.

[Buzzman]

One other thing jumps to mind:
At 125K miles, I'd check/verify whether the timing belt has ever been replaced.

[Freeze Time]

One other thing jumps to mind:
At 125K miles, I'd check/verify whether the timing belt has ever been replaced.

Funny you should mention that. It was one of the first things he asked me. According to the guy I bought the car from, the previous owner had the timing belt changed last year. That is great news if its the truth.

My mechanic says I need a new air hose, $30-80, transmission fluid and filter change, $100-150 and that my tires & brakes have about 6 months to a year left. I was also down 2 quarts of oil so he filled me up. He says once I have that work done, he can check and see if the timing belt is good.

BTW, he only charged me $5. Overall, he said the SUV was in good condition but he didn't like the exterior or interior and not to waste money painting it. He says that for $2100 I got a pretty good deal. Bluebook has the car listed just under $3000 in fair condition so im still happy. The air hose has been "Mickey Moused" and doesn't need an immediate replacement but he recommends me getting the transmission fluid and filter changed soon.

[Freeze Time]

I went in for an inspection a couple days ago at the Infiniti dealership. Turns out the filler tube had a recall too. They told me my front brakes needed replacing and I have a major oil leak from the upper oil pan seal. What's odd is that they didn't say anything about needing a new air hose, and a transmission fluid and filter change like my mechanic told me. The car doesn't leak oil so I assume this is a leak I can't see and they said it was a costly fix, like $2000 but as long as I make sure there is oil in it, I should be fine. I have included a picture of the invoice. As you can see, I passed both recall inspections so I'm glad about that. They told me my tire pressure was too high. Even though my tires say 44 psi, they put it to 32. I never knew that. So anyway, I will probably just get some seat covers for the front 2 seats since there are starting to get worse and keep watch on the brakes and oil for now.