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Teri C.

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So I went and looked at a loaded 05 Nissan Pathfinder 4wd with 60,000 miles last night. It was traded for a BMW. It was in great shape, clean carfax, new tires but I was checking the front bumper very closely and noticed where the bumper meets the body there is a small groove where those come together. The bumper is plastic underneathe and the paint matched but it looks like the bumper was painted at some point. Right along that groove the paint had peeled in a few places but there was paint underneathe, not black bumper. All connecting points where the bumper met the body were secure and no gaps or seperation. Should the paint bother me? It is 5 years old and I don't see the paint totally peeling or rusting. Thoughts?



05 Pathfinder 60,000 miles

06 Pathfinder 38,000 miles - certified

same equipment $6000 more for the 06. Which would you get? Is 60,000 miles too many?



And can I just say you guys are like having a bunch of big brothers that watch out for me. My own brother is too busy to help me with the little stuff. Thanks!
 
get the cetified,,, that extra warranty is worth it when you have extra(4x4) involved
 
Teri, I had a Pathfinder a while back (1990-1997), It had a minor, but hard to diagnose electrical problem. But I had a great dealer/service dept. Still took 6 weeks to fix. But when the tranny lost first gear/reverse (Automatic) and it was gonna cost about $4,000 to fix I let it go. Been in an Expedition since. ANd I swear by them !



If youre gonna get a "Car", look at the Ford Edge.



And, no Im not an employee of Ford !
 
Teri, a Carfax report will tell you if the 05 was in an accident. Ask the dealer if he/she is willing to supply the report.
 
Rich, carfax is clean. So was mine on my FJ Cruiser and then the dealer used Autocheck and said it shows an accident. If it isn't accident related and just repainted, I think peeling is pretty common. I just can't justify in my head paying $6000 for one year and 20,000 miles. Believe it or not I am cheap these days. I would much rather pay $6000 less for the same car. :p
 
Carfax only helps if it was repaired by a body shop that is licensed to do that work. Do you know how many cars get repaired "under the table" because of things like Carfax, or people wanting to save a dime and keep their insurance company out of it so their premiums wouldn't increase?



I wasn't trying to avoid Carfax reports or anything like that when I had to get my Blazer repaired (twice) - I was trying to get it fixed by the best paint and body person I knew - and at a discount too. He did it as a favor to me, on his own time, in his own private shop.



It will never show up on a Carfax report if that happens. I've known people with much worse damage than I had to my vehicle get theirs fixed by a friend with skills that met or exceeded professional shops. Those will never show up on a report.



Only my opinion, and I already stated this before - I wouldn't buy a Nissan. When it breaks (and it will eventually break like everything does), you're going to pay out the nose for parts and repairs. I put a ton of work into my truck, but the big stuff going out killed it for me. My manual transmission went out on my 1986 Nissan 4x4 pickup. This was in 1995, so the truck was 9 years old at the time. $2600 for a rebuilt one. $3000 for a new one... but new ones weren't available. I only paid $4000 for the entire truck!!!



Didn't take me long to buy a Chevy again. :)



All the best,

Glenn
 
Most used car dealer will have a "Detail Guy" touch up "parking lot" dings and scratches before they put a car on the lot. Ask the dealer if this is what they did. It might not be a big deal at all.
 
The BMW dealer didnt do it. He showed me their inspection papers and they put on tires and did an oil change. The rest checked out.



It has small peels all the way across that groove. Like the paint did stick and a small bubble formed then chipped off.
 
My own brother is too busy to help me with the little stuff
Click to expand...



I think he made up for it with superbowl tickets. :)



Gene
 
Yes, Gene, once in awhile he makes up for it. ha! I wasn't complaining.
 
Before you pull that trigger understand that those Pathfinders like the gas a lot. I have a buddy with one, and it is his only complaint.
 
You also can go to edmunds.com under used cars and appraise a car, and see if your deal is fair or not.
 
I dont think the Pathfinder gets any less MPG than other suv's with V6 or V8 4wd. Actually, I thought they were one of the better ones (not counting cross overs). Speaking more like trailblazer, explorer, jeep grand, etc.
 
Ya hell Teri, just get the Hummer H3 and be done with it..



Buzz
 
An accident will not necessialry be on carfax...only if you went though the insurance company...if Homer paid to have it fixed out of his pocket because he planted it in a ditch, it will not show up.



Any doubts pass, there are plenty of better vehicles out there....
 
My wife drives a Trailblazer, loves it. We also use it to tow the boat on occasion. Very comfy with plenty of room/power. Not too bad on gas. I agree with Glenn, stay away from Nissan SUV's. Not knocking them, they are fine automobiles, but when they break down so will your bank account.



Eric
 
One more thing, think around .20 a mile for depreciation, and around $1800 for the certified (warranty) in your decision. This is just math that can turn emotional. Good luck.
 
Teri my son bought a cool car, a Scion Tc (Toyota). He loves it and so do the girls. He had it until warranty went off and the throttle body went out (sensor) They could not just replace the $40.00 sensor and had to replace the entire throttle body due to the way it is made. It cost hime $1200.00. They mechanic said that in most other brands they could have just replaced the sensor for under $100.00 but to save money Toyota does things differently. Nissan is very similar. I also had a neighbor with a pathfinder and they hated the gas mileage is all they disliked about the vehicle. They have an explorer now and have not complained in two years.



For what it is worth Glenn is right as these cars cost an arm and a leg to repair!



Randy!
 
I have a 2006 Pathfinder...bought it new and it has almost 100K now. While it is not my favorite vehicle it has been very reliable both mechanically and electronically. I take good care doing preventative maintenance and that has not been any more expensive than the Fords I have owned in that regard. Maybe others have had other personal experiences where they can directly compare parts costs accross brands but I do not find it more expensive to own. I used to own a Nissan Titan; first model year with some problems not powertrain related. To be safe I got rid of that one before the warranty expired.



Now for what I don't like about the Pathfinder.



The V6: Adequate for towing but not as good as I would like. Maybe I was spoiled by my Titan as it had plenty of power. While reliable I do feel the engine is a little rough in the upper revs.



Wheelbase: See the comments from Mini above. It will not inspire the confidence of something longer especially if you need to stop fast. The 2007 and later are 5" longer overall so that may help some.



Gas mileage: Pretty poor. Lately I have been averaging about 17mpg on my work commute and that is 70% highway. I can get into the low 20's on an all highway trip. I'd hate to see what an all city driving mpg would be.



I can recommend it but there are better part time tow vehicles.



 
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