Hey guys, My name is Jack, im 22, live in the minnetonka area of minnesota. I am planning on picking up an xterra fairly soon, and am looking for YOUR knowledge. I've been a die-hard Jeep guy, but recently went and took a test drive of an 03 xterra, and liked the blend of ruggedness and comfort that the xterra's provide.

My Jeep was a ZJ (grand cherokee) with a 4.5'' lift of rubicon express goodness, arb bumper in front with a warn 9k, trailready rear bumper, ford 8.8 rear axle, dana 30 hd front, np231 transfercase, the works.

I'm an offroader, but I dont plan on damaging any vehicle I own again as badly as I beat on the Jeep. I'm no speed freak, but I like a vehicle that is comfortable, and primarily-quiet, on the freeway at 70.

I am hoping I can get some "been there, broken that" information from you guys on where weak links are on xterras. Things I should look for upon checking out a vehicle, common problems and repair costs. An example on ZJ's would be that the 249 transfer case's viscous unit goes shot at 100k.

Also, what do you wish you had on your xterra from the factory that you didnt get, bigger motor, different upgrade packages, etc.

I'm very mechanically enclined, and have done tranni swaps and rebuilds, full suspension lifts, and have even swapped a few motors, so dont feel the need to simplify anything you say, I should be able to figure it out. Also, is there an xterra club here in MN to be involved with? I'd imagine they would be a valuable asset to locating the right vehicle.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

Hello, Just purchase a use 2002 Xterra not to long ago. 2002-2004 most came with LSD units. Front ones can be purchase LSD.

2005 and up should have them too plus traction unit too(obtional) Plus a tire gauge in all tires (obtional?). Plus 2005's have more HP.

2005 may have better and cheaper lift kits too? Please research this!

Just to make sure After markets-off road parts you want to put on this X is what you want for off roading.

Not too much off-roading kits,parts are made for the Xterra's if you are planning to do some changes. Please research this more...

What is available is OK.....Not too many choices and brands...(don't tell anyone?...check out the 4-runners first! ) shhhhhh......Aloha

any manufacturer defects? spots where rust develops? Wheel bearings, Suspension components that wear out fast, etc..?

Im basically looking for things that I might notice during a test drive that could hint to bigger problems...

There aren't actually too many problems that you're likely to run into. These are actually pretty solid trucks, and have held up very well over the years due to to quality construction.

The earlier models had a problem with exhaust manifolds cracking, but they were changed in 02 to correct the issue. So the 03 you are looking at won't have that problem.

Make sure you check the 4wd, that was a mistake I made when buying my wife's truck cause we bought it in the summer. Then the first time I went to put in 4hi, i realized it had a blown auto-hub. (a 10 minute fix luckily to replace with a spare hub)

Take a look underneath for any obvious rust or damage, and pay attention to the passenger side rear shock. If the previous owner took the truck offroad with the rear swaybar still on, they probably whacked the shock body and dented it.

The only issues really so far with the 1st Gen X's are what Anthony said. I talked with a friend who is a Nissan Service Manager and he said to check your VIN and date of production. There might be a small chance that an early 03 could have the manifold problem (Nissan just getting rid of the old stock) but that should be rare and not much to worry about, the recall on the Fuel Sending Unit (Dealer can do a VIN check 4 you) simple fix really, and if you get one with a manual make sure that the correct gear fluid is in there. The manual calls for an API GL-4 but the dealer here put in a GL-5 and about 8 months later the synchros went and a new tranny was needed. Have fun.

Tim

ater rseveral weeks of study and research i decided to go with an xterra 2002.As Anthony and Xterra3202 said, this is a very solid truck. It is by far more reliable than Jeep and aftermarket accessories are available to suit it up just they you want it. If you are looking for a reliable 4x4 SUV without spending to much $$$$$ then the x is the best choice. And by the way, the x has a good resale value.

2005 and up should have them too plus traction unit too(obtional) Plus a tire gauge in all tires (obtional?). Plus 2005's have more HP.

2005 uses the brakes as the limited slip (they call it ABLS = Active Brake Limited Slip). The OffRoad model has a rear locker. All 05+ models have the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. It's not a "tire gauge" it just let's you know if a tire is low via a light on the dash.


2005 may have better and cheaper lift kits too? Please research this!

This is kind of incorrect. The 05+ models have a slightly nicer front suspension (using coilover shocks vs torsion bars). But for lifting, the 1st gens are actually cheaper up to 1.75" lift. between 2-2.5" of lift the new X's are easier and cheaper. After 3"+ of lift they both get expensive. The first gen X's also offer both 2" and 3" body lift kits. The new X's only have 3" kits currently.


Just to make sure After markets-off road parts you want to put on this X is what you want for off roading.

Not too much off-roading kits,parts are made for the Xterra's if you are planning to do some changes. Please research this more...

What is available is OK.....Not too many choices and brands...

That's not totally true either. For the 1st gen X's you can get just about anything you need, you just don't have much of a choice when it comes to brands. The 2nd gens are finally getting caught up now too.


(don't tell anyone?...check out the 4-runners first! ) shhhhhh......Aloha

Where is my tar and feathers?

Boo On Toyota,
Dont Get Me Wrong, Great Vehicle Quality, Oversized Price Tag For What You Get Imo

Hey guys, thanks for the knowledge.

So far:

1. Stay away from 00 and 01. Intake manifold problems.

2. Rear shock can be busted by sway bar offroad.

3. Earlier gens are easy to get 1.5'' lift out of with shackles and the front torsion bars. I can only assume that cranking your stock torsion bars up is going to stiffen the front suspension pretty drastically. (stiffer/bumpier)

4. Lifting the truck wouldnt be my first priority, as I really miss having the smooth performance of a stock vehicle. After awhile, I'm sure the mod bug will bite and I'll be onto lifting and the works. Its good to know that there is a lot of stuff out there for them in that case.

5. I'll be going with an A/T as I've kind of grown out of driving a stick. My last several vehicles have been manuals, and I guess I'd like to get back into something that I dont have to think about. I've also wheeled automatics and havent ever wished I had a manual in any situation.

So weak links on the vehicles arent really existent? Are there options that I should stay away from? (Jeep's quadratrac, the H.O. 4.7L v8...)

I would stay away from the Super Charge version 1st Gens. It's nice to have the extra power (the 1st gens are pretty underpowered) but the fact that you HAVE to run 91 oct gas in the SC version sucks with the gas prices as they are.

Cranking the torsion bars up don't stiff then the ride, it just changes your ride height. You will also need a frontend alignment after you do that. Firestone offers a lifetime alignment option (just FYI).

Hey guys, thanks for the knowledge.


3. Earlier gens are easy to get 1.5'' lift out of with shackles and the front torsion bars. I can only assume that cranking your stock torsion bars up is going to stiffen the front suspension pretty drastically. (stiffer/bumpier)

You don't need new torsion bars, and cranking the stock ones up doesn't effect the ride. There is a misconception that when cranking the tb's you are putting torque or tension on them. This is not the case, you are really just changing the position of the rear anchor. The torsion bars are DESIGNED to be adjustable. When you raise the front 1.5" you are still within the normal range of adjustability of the bars, so no real worries about CV's or balljoints either.


So weak links on the vehicles arent really existent? Are there options that I should stay away from? (Jeep's quadratrac, the H.O. 4.7L v8...)

The only complaint I have is the lack of power, but that's no suprise with 180hp. The ONLY thing I would tell you stay away from is the 4 cylinder.

2005 uses the brakes as the limited slip (they call it ABLS = Active Brake Limited Slip). The OffRoad model has a rear locker. All 05+ models have the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. It's not a "tire gauge" it just let's you know if a tire is low via a light on the dash.



This is kind of incorrect. The 05+ models have a slightly nicer front suspension (using coilover shocks vs torsion bars). But for lifting, the 1st gens are actually cheaper up to 1.75" lift. between 2-2.5" of lift the new X's are easier and cheaper. After 3"+ of lift they both get expensive. The first gen X's also offer both 2" and 3" body lift kits. The new X's only have 3" kits currently.



That's not totally true either. For the 1st gen X's you can get just about anything you need, you just don't have much of a choice when it comes to brands. The 2nd gens are finally getting caught up now too.



Where is my tar and feathers?

Hello, Thank-you for correcting me! I knew there are very knowledge people out there. (my experience with a Xterra is still NEW!) and very,very short on knowledge of X's. .....Aloha

PS: If you need tar and feathers? ...we have them here too! I love chickens too!

Good stuff to know about the torsion bars, I've never dealt with lifting a torsion'd vehicle, so thats good info.

I planned on staying away from the SC vehicles as I have a lot of experience with turbo'd and SC'd vehicles, and yeah, the gas prices are awful for the higher octane fuels. I also planned on staying away from the 4 cylinders, I'm still not sure why nissan even offered them after I tried one out on a test drive. Like I've already said, I'm no speed freak, but even my grand mother would have been bored.

Anything else? what do you guys average gas mileage wise? Too few cupholders? Good stereo system, bad location of buttons, yellowing/fading of exterior lighting, trim falling off, etc?

With my 2005

I am currently getting about 13mpg.
My front diff failed at about 15k miles.
My rear hatch is out alignment.
Odd overheating problem (it's from mud in the radiator and Nissan not giving you good access to hose it out).
My e-brake is so out of adjustment it doesn't hold (I think that was from the GF driving with it on).

I think those are about my only problems.

You have to keep in mind, I wheel it pretty hard so I am sure most of those problems come from wheeling.

As far as comfort and ergonomics, the only car I've had that was better was my Subaru WRX. This truck is very nice to the driver.

I find the seat to be very comfortable, the knobs and controls are right where I'd expect them to be if you could design the dash myself. The stereo is pretty nice, nothing crazy, but good for a stock system.

Kids like sitting in the back seat because it's up high and they can see everything :D (I learned this from an 8 year old).

The carpets and upholstery are very easy to keep clean.

I have manual transmission in one truck, and the auto in the other two, and I think I like the manual better.

Anything else you may want to know?

Why do you like the manual transmission more? Performance? More power to wheels?

I have heard these trucks had problems with their differentials. What is the issue exactly? On the LSD units, I'd assume their actually viscous, which could be what causes the problems..

The NEW generation X (05+) has had some problems with the front diff (which is not the same as the 00-04's). It's an aluminum body diff, which is what I think is causing the problems.

The LSD units on the first generation X's are clutch type, not viscous.

There are several 00's and 01's around here for a much more decent price considering their mileage, so here's my last question.

Did they ever do anything to correct the intake manifolds on the older models? What can be done to fix this problem if it comes up?

Yes, they changed the casting for replacement manifolds for the 00-01. It's the same part number, but an improved design.

You COULD swap in the exhaust manifolds from a 02+ model, BUT in these the cats are intgrated into the manifold, so you'll need to re-do the exhaust system.

ALSO, there was recall on some of the 15x7 alloy wheels on 2000 NISSAN XTERRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN OCTOBER 15, 1999, AND FEBRUARY 29, 2000. So if the truck fits this build time, have a dealer run your VIN to check if they've been replaced.

ONE MORE THING:
The timing belt should be replaced around 100k miles, so make sure any trucks over 105,000 have the timing belt replaced. While that is done, the water pump, thermstat, hoses, and timing belt tensioner should also be done.

Hey thanks anthony. Timing belts are something I'm not used to dealing with on trucks. My pickup and my Jeep both ran timing CHAINS, so thats a good thing to keep in mind.

Cranking the torsion bars up don't stiff then the ride, it just changes your ride height. You will also need a frontend alignment after you do that. Firestone offers a lifetime alignment option (just FYI).

Exactly. If when you adjusted your torsion bars the truck DIDNT rise, then you would be adding tension/spring rate theoretically.

Heres a write up I did (non related) about how to reindex the torsion bars on my 1997 Nissan pickup 2WD back when i had it:

http://70.98.54.31/~bellbott/howtorsions.html

What part of mtka do you live in? I service that area for Ikon, I work out of Bloomington and live in Waterville which is just south of New Prague. I had all the same questions that you've got when I bought my X new last march from walser nissan in Burnsville, having been a Ford driver all my life. I've got almost 40,000 miles on it (copier repairmen drive alot) and it's a very strong runner. I bought the 6-speed manual for reliability reasons, and am very happy with my purchase.

I actually live in the mound area. I noticed that you are in waterville, which is close. I'm hoping to pick one up in the next month or so, just trying to get a good trade-in on my truck, OR sell it before picking up an X. No reason to have two vehicles around, Ive done that for too long now.

I've seen a number of used X's at some of the local dealers. There was a yellow supercharged 2004 (I think) at Apple Valley Ford last month with 70k on it. There wasn't a single stone chip on the front end, and it was spotless inside. They were selling it for 14 grand, and it was gone in less than a week. I almost thought of getting it for my wife, but then I remembered how much she hates the yellow color of the Escape I gave here. By the way, I do service mound on occasion, did you live there back in the 80's and 90's when Tonka toys and then Toro had assembly lines in that long building right accross from the SA?

Well, I know in one of the tread people were talking about the engine in the new X's.. well, here is an article i found browing around this evening..

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

Introduction
The Nissan Xterra is a no-frills SUV, a purposeful-looking, purpose-built off-roader promising youthful adventure at a reasonable price. Totally redesigned last year, this latest Xterra is safer, more powerful, more sophisticated, and more off-road capable than ever before. It rides better on paved roads, too.
Xterra remains true to the original concept as the rugged outdoors type with everything you need, nothing you don't. Don't look for leather on the options list. Yet this latest-generation Xterra is a much better, much more substantial and much more sophisticated than the pre-2005 models. This starts with the basic structure: This latest Xterra is built on the same platform as Nissan's full-size Titan pickup and Armada SUV, which use a very well-engineered, fully boxed ladder frame. Sophisticated electronics helps maintain traction and stability over all kinds of uncertain terrain. Power comes via a 4.0-liter version of Nissan's acclaimed VQ V6 used on the 350Z.

I just found it interesting.. I thought the frame for the X's was the frontier.. for the new X's.. but, wasn't sure.

it is isnt it?
i thought the titan, armada, xterra, and frontier all shared the alpha platform

the info was taken from here..
http://www.internetautoguide.com/reviews/45-int/sport-utility-vehicles/nissan/xterra/2006/index.html

another article

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/38773/

I do service mound on occasion, did you live there back in the 80's and 90's when Tonka toys and then Toro had assembly lines in that long building right accross from the SA?

I have lived in the lake minnetonka area my entire life, aside from a year when we lived in bend, Oregon. I did see the tonka toys factory, its still up and running as an assembly line for something...not sure what though.

The SA is now a BP too. For reference, In 89 I would have been 5.

14 is still pushing my price range, but I do have a connection with a dealership in andover (I know the owners father) and he has agreed to find me a pretty nice 01 or 02 X at bank auction in exchange for me trading him my '95 chev k1500 at a lower price. We'll see if that ever pans out. I'd say I should have an X within...a month.

In regards to servicing mound, what company do you work/own?

I've been a tech for Ikon office solutions since back in the mid 80's. I've serviced mound off and on since that time. Actually as of this comming tuesday, my northern border shifts back up to 394, so I've got mound back again. Thats a long first call drive for me, I take 13 to 21 to 169 and then up 41 for western calls like that. It's always nice to drive on 15 also and see how the rich people live. I think I'll be servicing St. Boni and minnitrista too. If you bump into me, you can't miss my X, it's got anti-liberal bumper stickers all over the back end. If you're still on the fence for purchasing an X, go buy one, I've totally fallen in love with mine. I still think its and ugly vehicle as far as apperance goes though.

I always fall in love with ugly vehicles, because it seems like they always are the most utilitarian. I've looking to spend just south of 10k.

If anyone on the boards locally is selling, I might be interested...but unlike mnjeep, or mnsubaru...there arent any MNXterra forums...

15 is fairly crazy with the house that are all along side of it. My own boss lives on CR44 off of 110. If you are ever interested in looking at big houses, head down 44, and go into a neighborhood called hardscrabble.

The smallest house in there is my bosses. His houses Sq footage is unbelievable. 14,000 living space, 6,000 garage, 3,000 deck.