1998 Nissan Pathfinder consumer reviews

I bought my 1998 pathfinder in 2009 with 130,000 miles on it. Its now 2016 still have it and now has 240,000. Put 3 sets of tires on it. Distributor cap, battery new hoses and belts including the timing belt. Muffler, tune up new wires and plugs, blower motor brakes, and shocks and struts. No major engine work and no transmission work just changed the fluid. I can not complain at all, just every now and then a repair or common maintenance that would be done on any other car. I see 300,000 easy. 6 cylinder

Has a few mechanical issues but a good deal nonetheless but with some work it will be an extremely reliable vehicle

I purchased this vehicle used about 7 years ago and it now has 240,000 miles and ain't slowing down.

i had a 98 pathfinder from 2007-2010 it never gave me any issues and would still be on the road today had someone not totaled it the only thing on the outside i would have changed was the tailgate styling kinda bland but not a major thing interior was great engine felt slightly under powered but it was a 3.3l v6 trying to pull a 4500 pound suv and it got about 16-18mpg not bad for an suv built when gas was cheap great car buy it if you can afford gas bill but you shouldnt need much else for it just regualr scheduled maintainace

This SUV is as solid a vehicle as you will find. The first SUV to use a uni-body frame, it was the design that modern crossovers are based upon. Handles and rides better than any of it's comtemporaries, and most importantly, the thing will run FOREVER. There will be minor repairs with age (rear trailing arm bushings need to be replaced every 60-80K), but mechanically, it is as bullet proof as can be. BTW, when people complain about the highway handling on this vehicle, it's the rear bushings. You can't see them so they go unnoticed by many. A couple hundred, and she will drive good as new. Anyone who knows these cars knows about this issue. Thiose that don't, complain that it doesn't handle well. They don't know enough to replace a simple part of the suspension. It is VERY easy to work on as well. Most problems can be easily fixed with a few turns of a wratchet. Always amazes me that at 150K, I have no rattles, squeaks, or major issues. Once, I accidently left the radiator empty while doing a fluid change and rushed out to do something. I ended up trying to drive 35 miles with an overheated engine late at night on the highway. Steam flying everywhere, just trying to get to the next Thruway exit. It was red hot, and for a long time. I would have bet money that the gasket was blown or even the block should have cracked. $80 radiator and some Prestone later, she was absolutely perfect. Amazing. It has lots of room for people and cargo, and is very versatile. Not a sports car, but comfy on long trips. Usually the car falls apart long before the drivetrain will give out on these things. With good care, you can easily get 300K out of it. Figure on a couple hundred dollars in repair every year or so. Small things like ball joints, belts, etc. And, it will serve you quite well for a very long time.

My girlfriend bought her 98 Pathfinder last year for her first car. She didn't feel it was girly enough so she doesn't drive it anymore and now she has a different car. Rather then selling it, I bought it off of her and I love it. I use it as my daily driver and enjoy the ride everyday. The only thing I don't like is the 4WD sometimes is hard to engage, and the muffler is starting to get prety rusty. But neither of these are a direct reflection on the vehicle, but rather it being 11 years old. All in all I will say that I will never sell the Pathfinder, I will drive it until it can not drive any longer. But don't expect to get 30mpg. You can't have it all....

I bought my 98 Pathfinder with 103K on it. I was simply hoping for a reliable station vehicle, and was extremely surprised to find how much I liked driving this. Even with all those miles on it, it rode and handled very well. However, being handy with a wrench, I dedided to replace a few maintenance components like rubber bushings, tie rods, and ball joints. It already had good shocks and struts. WOW, this thing is as good as the day it came off the showroom floor. There are no rattles, squeaks, or thumps. It handles extremely well, and a K&N filter seemed to really help it get more out of the revs. The leather interior is top quality, better than I see on most new luxury vehicles. Also, having driven many AWD vehicles, I am still amazed at the 4x4 capabilities of this truck. And it doesn't give up a thing on the road. It is smooth, and handles like a new car. Very little lean in on turns, no harshness. Oh, and the most important part---it is built like a tank. As reliable as can be. This is one of those rare vehicles, that if you simply maintain it, it will easily give 200K+ without any headaches. Like I said, I wanted something I could beat up, and now I find myself babying it, because I can feel that it has tons of life left on it. I expect to take great care of it and get many years of service. You can't go wrong with this SUV.

My wife bought her 1998 Pathfinder brand new after graduating from high school. She still drives it to this day, has had no major problems, only thing we have had done is the replacement of struts and shocks on all 4 wheels, routine oil changes, brakes, rotors, and tires. Overall has been a very reliable truck. Now has 153,000 miles as of 6/2008. The only cons that I have noticed is when shifting into overdrive the transmission will studder a little before completely engaging into O/D (but has been doing this since about 65,000 miles). Could be a little more comfortable on long trips. Doesnt handle very well on the interstates at high speeds, especially when wind is gusty, tends to blow the truck all over the lane, thus the 3 star on handling.

I had a 1991 Pathfinder that I literally drove until it died with 280,000 miles on it. So I was very entheusiastic to get a used 1998 1/2 (1999) Pathfinder at a good price. The 1998 was not nearly as comfortable as my 1991, nor did I like the styling as much. The car felt very unstable if it was necessary to swerve at highway speeds. It slides / spins out on even the pavement that is even slightly wet. I was hoping that this car would have the same reliability as my 1991 Pathfiinder also but it died at 180,000 miles - a full 100,000 miles short of my expectations from my 1991. Recently I traded in the 1998 and pruchased a used 2002 LE. This vehicle is much more like the 1991 regarding styling, comfort, and handling. Much more the vehicle I had come to love and expect from Nissan. I think the 1998/1999 years were off years for Nissan. It is good to know the quality is back

I've own my 1998 Pathfinder SE for 6 yrs now and have put it through everything. What a fabulous vehicle! I've traveled across country with wife, 2 dogs, & 2 cats very comfortably. We've towed a 5x8 enclosed trailer across the country with great ease. I ran a few good offroad Colorado trail in it with only 31" tires. I slept in it with plenty of space for 2. Oh, and I wash it, wax it, have all the suggested maintance done, keep fresh oil in it, fresh tires on it, and always run mid-grade fuel. We've only put 50k miles on since we've owned it and have NEVER had one hint of trouble! Maybe we got a good one, I don't know, but it has been very reliable! Could use a slight increase in power, but it surely isn't bad. K & N helped. Bose radio also very nice, bucket seats are comfortable, manual transmission & clutch feel great at 100k.