Considering a 2005 X S

[sevenhelmet]

Hello all!

I currently drive a lifted Jeep Liberty (hold your comments, please) that I was planning on replacing in the next 2-3 years. Along comes the deal below:

A friend of mine is selling his "solar yellow" 2005 XTerra S (4x4) with 58,000 miles on the clock. He is asking $11,500 for it- private party blue book is about $12,000.

I have a wife, two kids, and two dogs, so the slightly bigger interior of the XTerra could be a plus. I like the look and color of my friend's Xterra, and it already has most of the equipment installed that I'd want anyhow since we share similar interests in off roading and camping. (Tires, tow hitch, trailer brake control, roof rack, brush guard, CB radio) He takes care of his vehicles, and he's an honest broker so I'm not concerned about him sticking me with a lemon. I just want to make sure this is a price worth jumping on, and learn more about common issues with the X that I might have to deal with at or near the 60,000 mark. I will be test driving his Xterra next week before I make a final decision. Are there specific things I should look at on the vehicle before buying? Is this a deal worth having?

[Tarditi]

That's a decent deal - especially if you like all the stuff he's done to it already.

Do check out the transmission and trans fluid - do a search on SMOD ("Strawberry Milkshake of Death") on the forums to know what to look for and what can be done to prevent it.

[sevenhelmet]

Thanks for your response! God, that SMOD sounds horrible.

There is no Nissan dealership in my town, so hopefully it's already been fixed/modded to prevent the "SMOD" or I will need to mod it myself if I buy the truck. Can you confirm this is just a hose swap to "close the loop" in the radiator? It sounds simple enough to not be a deal-breaker.

[ShiftingSkys]

It is pretty simple. Most people jut buy an aftermarket transmission cooler from advanced or autozone and stick it in there.
Sounds like a good purchase especially if you trust him and You like the stuff he has done to it. saves you time and money/hassle.

[sevenhelmet]

Sounds good- I think I'm going to take the deal unless something comes up on the test drive tomorrow.

[sevenhelmet]

She's mine! I found a couple of minor issues that he's taking care of, and he came down to $10,500.

Issues were the rear pass. door not opening, and the trailer hitch wiring plug needs to be replaced. Since he's taking care of those, I am very happy with this deal and the price.

[cbxterra]

congrats on your purchase. maybe you can offset the purchase a bit by selling the "Heep"

[sevenhelmet]

That's the plan

Pics and avatar to follow when I take delivery of the X in the next day or two.