1996 Nissan Pickup KSX review from North America

We bought the car as college gift for my daughter, and had no idea about check engine lights.

Here's a valuable tip; if you turn on the car, you must see the check engine light come on and then go off. If this does not happen, then walk away. Don't waste your money, no matter how good a deal or how good it looks. Do not go any further.

The bulb was out, we changed the bulb, learned about codes, check engine lights and emissions requirements. Sent it to the dealer, $800, and they still could not find the problem. They did offer, for $400 more to change another component but could not promise results.

We changed it with a dealer part for $300, did not work, changed charcoal canister, blew the lines, changed O2 sensor and had multiple rounds with motor vehicle dept. Put the vehicle on the all-data subscription to find out a way to trace the codes.

To date we have spent approximately $2500, and if this is higher, I am not admitting it, to find the problem, and it just keeps running us in circles. There is no way to ever re-coup the money.

We are fortunate to live in a partially exempt emissions area, and it is registered with stipulations. I have often thought about just watching it burn, especially the two years it sat in the yard, unregistered, useless and a huge burden.

The truck runs great. Have a small problem with a squealing when it is first turned on. Have performed general maintenance that is to be expected; the only problem is the check engine light. We think one of the pins is not grounding out on the ECU when it is supposed to (I highly recommend a subscription to all-data and no purchase of this year/model truck).

We tried to do the right thing by getting my daughter to college. If it accomplished one thing it was this, it got her started in college at a time when I didn't think she would go four years ago.