Pathfinder / QX4 Reliability (Post your mileage)

[rsilva800]

2001 3.5 LE 4x2 with 174k and counting, bought with 120k in 05
No major issues what so ever.
Regular maintenance done.
Just developed a squeaking noise on the dash.
Rear hatch/door has been ratteling like crazy for the past 7 months . Have yet to find out what it is

Rob

[InfinitiEric]

Loose locking mechanism possibly.

[Towncivilian]

License plate rattling? Tighten it and add some adhesive foam behind it.

[mhechtor]

2003 Pathfinder SE bought new in 2003, currently have 162K and going strong, completed routine maint only, replaced charcoal filter for fuel at 115k. shocks and struts replaced at 120k, still running on original exhaust system. Very Happy with the 03 and plan to run it to its end.

[rsilva800]

Loose locking mechanism possibly.

You might be right, however the door closes completely and if I try to pull it doesn't move. I took the interior panel out and drove it around to see if I could locate the noise, but for some reason it didn't do it (drove it through the same place where I've notice it sounds the most). Before I put the panel back I took the opportunity to tight things up a little, after the panel was replaced and drove it through the same place, there it was again, the same freaking noise!!! So now I'm lost, and the rattling is driving me nuts. Any other ideas? (sorry for the rant, just venting my frustration)

License plate rattling? Tighten it and add some adhesive foam behind it.

Was the first thing I did and it did not help

Rob

[InfinitiEric]

Rob,

If you've taken off the interior panel and found that the noise is no longer produced then simple deduction says that the rattling must be caused by some component or securing with that very interior panel. I'd most definitely take a detailed look over that panel and see what may be causing it. Please also reference the Factory Service Manuals (http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/QX4/) for diagrams that may help your case.

Best of luck,
Eric

[Arenea74]

120,000 miles on mine. Nothing major wrong except it's recalled for the rusting strut housing

I thought they have a timing chain, not a timing belt?

-Alicia-

[Towncivilian]

I thought they have a timing chain, not a timing belt?

R50s with the VQ35DE (2001-2004) have timing chains. I would imagine the R51s do as well.

[menucho]

233,xxx and counting, no mayor issue at all, i have 6 years now with her, a lot of travel, the only problem since i bought
is the rear bushing's set, i already replace 4 bushing for the upper bar's, now it moves more than before, but i get used to that, i think when i finish repair i'll miss that movement...

[menucho]

sorry i forgot, my pathy is a 1996

[keepitornot]

I have a 2001 Pathfinder LE with 112,000 miles on it and it has been great to us. We've done the usual maintenance (just did oil change and brand new tires). Only problems have been cd player died right after warranty expired and 02 sensor issues. Backseat windows are a bit slow now and I think the brakes could need replacement.

Unfortunately, we had an accident with our 6,000 mile Honda Ridgeline. While it was very minor incident (no airbag deployment), the damage was structural. Now we would have to write a $9K check to get rid of the Ridgeline (leaving approx $15k into it and $22 to go). It took a while (14-weeks) to repair the Ridgeline and it seems to be fine. The Pathfinder has been great and no payment makes it my favorite. Should I cut my losses and get rid of the Ridgeline and keep the Pathfinder? Or vice versa? Thanks for your help!

[ecoaltVIII]

1999.5 Nissan Pathfinder SE Limited Edition with Titanium Package. Leather and loaded, 113,332. All we have done to it was change oil, brakes and other fluids. We did have the original brakes on it till 50,000 miles and the original rear brakes are still on her. Body is perfect on it. We did have a new 2005 LE Pathfinder but traded that one in and keep the 99.5!

[ecoaltVIII]

Definitely keep the Pathfinder!

[18pukas]

99 Path 162k Blk Auto
This SUV is still pulling strong, no leaks, no major issues, conduct most of the maintenance myself. Here are some of the aging high mileage details: Missing left rear flare mud guard ( still looking for a decent replacement), rear window lift shocks are gone, some small chips and shopping mall dents, no rust, just replaced the starter - solenoid clicks with no starter motor, interior is great except for front driver seat has some wear. Good luck with yours. Aloha

[billt102]

2000 pf vg33e. 2wd. 267k... struts fuel pump. water pump. timing belt. radiator only because hit something. pesky coolant reservoir.

[QXR99]

okay so I've got a 99 Infiniti QX4 bought it used from a family friend who lived up north and moved down to Florida. so it has some underbody rust. not much though. its my first car. has 208k miles on it and runs fine. But my girl friend slammed into somebody about 1yr ago luckily i have that stupid chrome brush guard on it and it actually saved it from some damage. i gotta replace the hood, grille, and front bumper on it but small price to pay for what it did to the other kids car lol the only problem I've had with the car is the power steering went out because the dust boots on the rack tore open and the seal got mud into it and destroyed the rack. cut the belt to the power steering pump so it wouldn't burn out and drove that way for 2 weeks before i found a rack that would swap out right. fixed it and its fine. but i have one complaint. The 3.3 doesn't have enough get up n' go so if any body has any tips for me to get more power out of it id be greatful
thanks

[diablo9420]

01 Pathfinder Se 4x4 167000m (had since 165000), 3rd owner, i have replaced the rac and pinion, left tie rod end, diff fluids, oil, belts, u-joints (rear shaft), some repairs the previous owner did was both front wheel bearings, plugs, coil packs, brakes, tires, the check engine light is on p1491 bypass cut control valve or somethin like that, and has a vibratation when driving 35+ mph, but its pretty strong for 167k, had a 96 maxima before 218xxxm

Love the VQ engine..Love Nissan in general

[Swanicyouth]

01 PF LE 4x4 86k. Just bought it last month. Everything works perfect. Previous owner replaced radio with Alpine head unit with CD and IPod adapter. In the process of changing all fluids to synthetics. Did the oil, trans, TF case, both diffs. Next is the coolant. Anyone know if Nissan brand coolant is anything special? What coolant do you guys reccomend? Also, plan on getting KYBs shocks and struts all around soon. Any common problems DIYing the front struts? Or, is it as straight forward as it looks? I'm planning on keeping this PF till 200k. I bought it for the PA winters and snow. My other car, an 08 BMW M Roadster is pretty useless in the winter.

[Towncivilian]

01 PF LE 4x4 86k. Just bought it last month. Everything works perfect. Previous owner replaced radio with Alpine head unit with CD and IPod adapter. In the process of changing all fluids to synthetics. Did the oil, trans, TF case, both diffs. Next is the coolant. Anyone know if Nissan brand coolant is anything special? What coolant do you guys reccomend? Also, plan on getting KYBs shocks and struts all around soon. Any common problems DIYing the front struts? Or, is it as straight forward as it looks? I'm planning on keeping this PF till 200k. I bought it for the PA winters and snow. My other car, an 08 BMW M Roadster is pretty useless in the winter.

I don't know if OEM coolant is anything special, but I used it anyway. Considering all the coolant types out there it's easy to get confused. It's about $20 for a gallon of OEM coolant - full strength, so pre-mix with distilled water only. I ended up with a couple quarts left over after draining & filling the radiator only.

Change the fuel filter and cabin air filter too.

[kingwoodqx4]

I own a 1999.5 QX4 with 247,000 miles. I bought this car used from the original owner when it was 1.5 yrs old with 27k miles. Nothing went wrong with this vehicle untill 185k miles. Since than I have replaced the following:

AC-185k miles
transmission-185k miles
struts/shocks-200k
cv joints-225k
valve cover gaskets-230k
distributor, rack & pinion and wheel bearings-246k

*timing belt/water pump every 110k...........and Mobil 1 synthetic every 5k.

Because this car has been so great I bought a 2007 M35 sport used in 2010.

[Adnan]

01' LE 4x4,235km and its a complete POS

Things replaced in the last year :
-new brake pads/rotors
-gas lines
-A/C blower fuse
-headlight socket
-baljoint (x2 defective unit replaced under warranty)
-Alignment (x2)
-Alternator + battery

on going problems :
-more rust then a 20yr old honda
-huge power drop after 4k rpm,refuses to shift (only on WOT)
-cluster works when it feels like
-remote transmitter never works
-all sorts of squeaks and rattles

and the icing on the cake : blown headgasket

[kntkyboy71]

2009 Pathfinder. Bought it with 29000 miles on it. Now pushing 85,000. Never been in the shop other than routine maintenance. Still have the original tires on it at 85,000 miles and just now getting to a point where I'm looking to replace them.

[easypoint23]

I bought my 1999.5 Nissan Pathfinder SE about a year ago now with 60K on it and it now has 84K on it and so far not problem. Besides the standard maintenance (oil changes, brakes, tires, etc.) it has never been to the shop. My rear shocks are getting a little rough but I'm going to replace those myself and hope for many more years out of my Pathfinder.

[easypoint23]

Forgot to add I had to replace the front and rear stabilizer bars to improve the ride.

[swamiCJ7]

2001 Nissan Pathfinder bought new and now with 224,000 miles and counting. So far, just the normal stuff - tires, brakes (rear drums were not fun), belts, fluid changes, and in the last few months the radiator (a coolant flush went terribly wrong).

Now dealing with diminishing mileage and replacing spark plugs. Perhaps it just age? What sorta MPG am I expecting with this sort of miles on it?

[Towncivilian]

2001 Nissan Pathfinder bought new and now with 224,000 miles and counting. So far, just the normal stuff - tires, brakes (rear drums were not fun), belts, fluid changes, and in the last few months the radiator (a coolant flush went terribly wrong).

Now dealing with diminishing mileage and replacing spark plugs. Perhaps it just age? What sorta MPG am I expecting with this sort of miles on it?

Why did you replace the drums? Mine had 60% life left at 125k without any previous maintenance (at least to my knowledge) when I got a rear brake service done at Nissan for $40. I'll be getting that done yearly. As for the mileage, if you're using the OEM spark plugs and changed them around 210k per the change interval, try changing the fuel filter, air filter if it's looking very grungy, throw a bottle of Redline SI-1 fuel system cleaner in the tank, and if that doesn't help, perhaps the front O2 sensors are getting lazy and it's time for new ones.

I just broke 130k miles in my 2001.5 Pathfinder 2WD.

I recently had the oil pan gaskets and rear main seal replaced. This is the second time it's had to be replaced - first was at only 1,720 miles and covered under warranty, second was at 127,826 with a Fel-Pro gasket. Oil pan gaskets done at 128,072, and the rear main seal was replaced again with a Nissan part this time (same shop for all that work).

Replaced both camshaft position sensors around 110k miles and a rear O2 sensor at 128,788 miles, but other than that it's just been fluids, filters, tires, and front brakes.

[swamiCJ7]

LIke you, the drums measured about 60% at roughly 100K miles, so assuming equal measurement at 200K miles it was due for change. I figured at 200K, things would need more attention.

The O2 sensors were changed a couple of years ago when I changed the MAF sensor, and I've done the usual fuel filter, air filter, and bottle of fuel system cleaner within the past year. I'm hoping that changing the spark plugs will add some mpg improvements - I have been averaging roughly 15 mpg over the last few fill ups with 80% highway driving where i was usually getting 17 mpg up until just recently. No check engine light currently, but if all else fails I will hook it up and see if any codes pop up.

I can't say that I've needed my pan gaskets or main seal replaced - I've had it happen on other cars, but so far not this one.

I'm teased with the idea of getting a new car, as certainly this pathfinder has served me well. It is starting to feel tired, and the mpg is a strong indicator of it.

[Towncivilian]

When were the spark plugs changed last? What brand of fuel system cleaner did you use? Have you changed the differential fluid regularly (30-50k intervals or so)? Do you run at least 91 octane fuel?

[bucksluts]

2001 Pathfinder has 191,000 and no major issues, bought it at 87K, replaced shocks/struts and plugs around 140K (plugs were fine, would have lasted the life of the car), front bearings and control arms/ball joints (sold together) at 170K, fixed leaking oil cooler o-ring, replaced left camshaft position sensor and left secondary o2 sensor, no loose power valve screws left inner tie rod end is due to be replaced, mystery transmission fluid leak (minor) which leave a mist of fluid on the right rear underside of the truck - no drips on or around the transmission or engine, replaced cd changer with ipod adapter, installed tow kit and brake controller, manual locking hubs, gets 17.5 mpg mixed, 22+ mpg on the highway if you stay under 65 (tires at 32psi cold), UOA each oil change (last 50K miles) running MaxLife 5/30 on 8,500 to 10K intervals with less than a quart burned

[Towncivilian]

The banjo bolts have crush washers IIRC, check those for your mystery leak perhaps.

I'd be interested to see your UOAs with MaxLife. Does it stay in grade? How's the TBN after all those miles?