My 2000 SUV is awesome and runs well with some quirks. It’s a Nissan Pathfinder with 199,500miles…Can I make it to 200K?
At my last oil change at the dealer, I was just told the following:
adjust wheel bearings, front differential leaks, rear main seal leaks. I am hesitant to even fill up the gas tank let alone make expensive repairs…can I just ride this until the end or is it going to self combust on day on the way to the store?
You made it this far…why not farther still ?
’‘Cheaper to keep her’’ is often a relative term…so…
How much is leaking ?
– Front axle…do they need to add oil at every oil change ? What’s leaking ? pinion seal, diff cover, or axle seals ? time to re-seal or risk losing it.
– Engine oil …adding a quart between oil changes ? not so bad . . . two quarts or more and leaving a puddle in your driveway ? time for a new seal. This is a bigger job as the transm/transfer case has to come out to access the rear main seal.
– wheel bearings ? no big deal , fix those.
Whats the rest of the truck like ? 200k is not such a big deal anymore if those few repaires gets you another year…it’s cheaper to keep her.
Bad wheel bearings can cause an accident, these should be fixed quickly. Although I have never heard of them being “adjusted”. You might want to check on a different mechanic. I hope this was not a chain lube type of place.
I’d fix the leaks. Get a quote or two first.
edit: missed the bit about the dealer…
And remember it’s the dealer . . .
What may be a Niagara Falls sized leak to them, might be normal seepage/sweating to you
Often, even when a component is completely grime encrusted, the fluid level is nearly correct
If there are no spots on the driveway, it may not be a substantial leak
But definitely take care of the wheel bearings. Since they want to adjust them, I’ll assume they’re talking about the front . . . ?
Thanks for the replys! The car isn’t leaking a lot. I’ve noticed some drips every week or two under the vehicle. This was the dealer’s advice, adjusting the bearings they said would be about $200.00…worth it?
BTW, they also said I needed four new tires and fixed an old recall item, and they gave me a rental car while fixing…
Leaks are to be expected and fixed in a car as old as yours. Tires are a wear item, but also the biggest safety feature on your car. Wheel bearings hold the wheels onto the car. All normal mtc items. Fix the and roll on. It’ cheaper than 2 car payments.
I am not a personal expert on it. But, over the years it has been often stated on this board that older cars will usually cost around $1000 a year in repairs and maintenance to keep running, assuming any significant number of miles driven.
You either pay in buying a new car, or in maintenance and repairs on an older car. In my limited experience, the depreciation on a new car exceeds the repairs/maint on an older car. The limit is when the repairs make it dangerous or unreliable for your needs.
The repairs you listed do not seem significant to me
“I’ve noticed some drips every week or two under the vehicle.”
That doesn’t sound too bad
Check the fluid levels for yourself and top up as needed. If you like, hose off everything, to see how fast it’s leaking.
$200 to adjust the bearings . . . perhaps they’re removing, cleaning and repacking the bearings, and also installing news seals?
The bearings confuse me - this is a 4wd, right? So the front bearing are sealed, aren’t they? How can they be adjusted? Anyone familiar with 2000 Pathfinders?
Rockauto shows wheel bearings, races and seals for the front axle
You’re right. Here’s a diagram, looks like there’s an adjustable wheel bearing lock nut:
@Pamoola - I’d get the bearings adjusted, and monitor the fluid levels. I’d also find a good independent shop, you don’t need a dealer to do these items.
And get tires whenever needed, they’re a huge safety item.
At that mileage, I would not go to the dealer. Get a second op on all items from an independent mechanic; ask around for a good one or check on Mechanic files on this site. Don’t give them the dealer list, just have them go over the car. 500 miles is nothing, the question is how much is it going to cost to get to 250-300K miles.
Agree; taking a car that age with that mileage to a dealer is folly. Dealers want to restore this car to like new condition and this will usually exceed the value of the car.
Take it to a competent and responsible independent mechanic who will tell you WHAT IS AT RISK and what is worth fixing. Dealers are completely incompetent in that area.
Concur w/ @texases … monitor the engine oil and differential fluid levels frequently, and have the wheel bearings adjusted. With that you should be good to go and reach that magic 200K mark, and hopefully, with routine scheduled maintenance, well beyond.
Frequently? What does that mean? I do it every 2 to 3 weeks and my cars don’t leak oil. It’s worth the 5 minutes or so it takes. But some people are unwilling to lift the hood. One of my neighbors was complaining about how much servicing her Pilot cost, and I suggested a few thing she could do herself, including checking the oil level. I could tell by her reaction that she just wasn’t going to even lift the hood and I suggested that her son could do it and I’d show him how to check fluids and filters. She didn’t like that idea at all, either.
If you have kept up with the routine oil changes, then you have a good engine under the hood.
It would take little to keep this on the road, compared to payments for a new car. You could dump this one and get a used newer car. Maybe a 2008, but then you can never be sure of the last owners maintenance, so it would be more of a gamble.
As others have said, I’d find a independent shop and let them recommend what is truly needed to keep this car on the road. Some of those leaks may be so minute that they can be just checked once a year for fluid levels.
Of course this all depends as to the condition of the car in general.
My Dakotas has 250,000 miles and well maintained, which I expect it to make 300K to 350K, asdlong as I take good care of it.
Yosemite