Should I purchase a 2001 QX4?

[bv2685]

I want to purchase a 2001 qx4, but want to know if it would be a good idea. The one Im looking at has 150 000 km. Are there any things I should be checking for when I go see it?

[fueler]

They are generally good cars. The only thing with that VQ35 engine is they sometimes have very minor problems with O2 sensors and spark modules. You cant check them, they just fail sometimes. Most are problem-free though. Theres really nothing else to look out for! Definitely better than a 4runner Good luck on the purchase, you will love the Qx4

[bmlawless]

I just bought a 99 with 112,000mi (180,000km) in december and I have loved every minute behind the wheel. They have great reliability ratings from Consumer Reports.

As with any vehicle purchase, you should run it by a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection. My long-time mechanic did mine for free. They really went into the car and were able to find a small oil leak on the main seal and a broken oil pressure switch. I later discovered that the tape deck doesn't work, but who cares about cassettes anymore?

The 2001's seem to have a few issues that are not present on the 99.5 and earlier models. The oxygen sensors seem to need replacement from time to time and the in-dash CD changer will almost certainly fail. I haven't owned one, but that is what I can get from reading other posts here.

the 3.5L engine in that vehicle has high praise from owners and they should run forever with maintenance. At 150,000km, the biggest thing that needs to be done is the timing belt. Around here that will run about $650 including the replacement of the water pump which should be done at the same time.

I would definitely run a CarFax report to identify if the vehicle has been sold a lot (indicating a lemon) or if it was registered in Texas or Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina.

I also ask a seller how long they've had it, why are they selling it, where did they get there price from, etc. My favorite question is, "If you were going to keep the vehicle, what repairs would you want to do to it?"

[timmack]

3.5L has a chain....its the 3.3L that has the belt.

[bv2685]

The problem is, the one I want is at a repossessed car auction lot, which means I cant test drive it. Every car there is sold as is. After you win the bid, which I did, you are allowed to go in the car and turn it on. Thats about it. So I would need to know if I can find out anything bad about the car from just doing that.

[fueler]

itll probably run fine for the years to come just change the oil my QX4 was also a repo, bought it with 70k miles, it had nasty, filthy oil, i just changed all the fluids and its been running like a dream. I have 140k now and still havent had any mechanical problems with the engine!

[bv2685]

[QUOTE=fueler]itll probably run fine for the years to come just change the oil my QX4 was also a repo, bought it with 70k miles, it had nasty, filthy oil, i just changed all the fluids and its been running like a dream. I have 140k now and still havent had any mechanical problems with the engine![/QUOTE

Did you also buy a 2001? Ive noticed that almost everyone who reports problems on this website has a 2001. Im thinking maybe I should look for an 02-03 instead.

[bmlawless]

3.5L has a chain....its the 3.3L that has the belt.

Good to know. What's the maintenance interval on the chain?

[fueler]

Did you also buy a 2001? Ive noticed that almost everyone who reports problems on this website has a 2001. Im thinking maybe I should look for an 02-03 instead.

No, mines a 99 with a weaker engine. The weaker engine is the more reliable one, but you have to do a timing belt service every 100k miles ($500+) The 01-04 has a 3.5L with a timing chain which is more powerful, but yeah they have some minor problems. BUT since its a chain, you dont have to do that timing belt service at all. If you think about it, the costs for maintenance probably equal out, if you consider t he belt vs the o2 sensors and spark modules. But the weaker one from 97-00 QX4's is more reliable.

[Empty V]

I've got a 2001 QX4 and love it. I bought it a while back when it only had 45K miles on it and now it's got 160,000 and not a single problem with the engine. I've read of the o2 sensor problem but so far it hasn't hit me. I've pretty much only performed normal maintenance. It started to ride a little rough at about 158K so I changed out the shocks, struts and the rear bushings and it rides just like new. I'm pretty sure the bushings are regular maintenance at that mileage, probably a lot sooner. I love this car and I'd run it into the ground but I don't think it'll ever die. I love this car so much that I just invested in a whole new makeover of the audio system, I wouldn't normally do something like that on a car with so many miles but I trust my car and believe that it will last for many miles and scuba diving trips to come!

Good luck!

Billy

[KoukiS14]

This is my 3rd Nissan product. I had a 92 240sx, and a 97 240sx. Both were 100% problem free, other than very very minor things (clutch problem in 92 and clutch replacement, which is normal, on the 97). The QX4 I have a strut that's leaked the oil, but it drives fine with that. . strut replacement is normal wear and tear anyway.

In addition to these, my family has owned a 90 Stanza, a 94.5 Sentra LE, and a 97.5 Altima GXE -- all have been 100% reliable.

Cliff notes: buy it.

[timmack]

[Buzzman]

I have an 02 Pathy that I bought at 43,000 KMS. I now have 180,000 and it runs great.Other than oil changes. O2 sensors and other normal maintenance, it has been trouble free.Go for it.

[Chris92SE]

I have a 2001 QX4. The only problem I have had is a bad MAF sensor (~$100 fix). Mine has about 102k miles on it.

Runs and drives perfectly. No oil consumption issues and no o2 sensor problems (knock on wood).

I change the oil every 3-4k miles. I have changed the transmission fluid with synthetic and I put in new spark plugs and fuel filter at 95k miles.

My only complaint is the mpg, but mostly that is due to the high price of gas. The mpg was the same when I bought it (about 14/17) but when I bought it, premium was about $1.40 a gallon and now it is $3.75 a gallon here.

I absolutely love my QX4, but I might be getting rid of it for something a little more economical. The Rogue is high on my list right now.

[ubpsanity]

Keep in mind that people just love to ***** about their vehicles, you'll get 10 complaints for every 1 praise (I made that statistic up on the spot just now) So for an average vehicle, you'd see 10 complaints and 1 praise. Look at this history of this post and you'll only see praise, it seems people actually do like them.

Oh btw, I like mine as well. I'm at the point where I want to trade it in on something newer, so I'm looking at '04 Pathfinders since that's the last year of that style. Or upgrade to a QX4, but Nissan in all their infinite wisdom stopped the QX4 in '03.

[bv2685]

I just went to go check it out and the driver side window will not roll up all the way. When you let go of the button, the window rolls back down about 4 inches. Does anyone know how much it costs to fix this problem? Also, the check engine light was on, so I dont think it would be smart to buy this truck.

[02QX4ME]

"window rolls down ~ 4 inch" sounds like the safety feature with the window. During auto rolling up, if a person's arm is in its way, it will roll back down about 4 inches.

I remember somewhere around here, people were talking about how to reset or reprogram the windows...

Check Engine Light could be a major fix, or could be as easy as MAF sensor cleaning up. If you have the code reader you can see what problem it is.