1988 Nissan Pathfinder XE review from North America

Rear axle seal on driver's side started leaking a small amount of gear oil on the brake shoes on one side. Axle seal and brake replacement is necessary. Work will be done by owner.

The transmission started to go out after some heavy off-road use once, but a fluid change, aftermarket transmission coolers and friction modifier additive resolved that problem. An aftermarket transmission cooler is highly recommended, as the stock cooler tends to clog up after a while. This is a leading cause of automatic transmission failures in Nissan Pathfinders.

The driver's side window regulator cable broke while offroading once, it was replaced at home with a regulator from the junkyard for $10. Easy fix.

Right hand cam seal was leaking a bit at 133,000 miles, both cam seals were replaced along with the timing belt, water pump and misc other things.

It has a nicely laid out dash and interior. The exterior looks great even after 15 years. Interior parts still look like new.

Very useful, generally easy to work on, and parts aren't that hard to find. Aftermarket support is lacking, but there are places to look for performance items and offroad accessories such as lift kits and heavier duty suspension components.

The steering system is prone to failing/needing replacement parts with off-road abuse/hard use, this is another known weak point of both Pathfinders and Hardbody pickups. Aftermarket steering systems are slowly becoming available from off-road specialist companies.

The engine is somewhat lacking in power (145 HP for the 1987-1989 3.0 V6 models, 154 HP for 1990-1995 V6 models), but otherwise is considered bulletproof. Regular maintenance and tune-ups will keep this engine running well past 200,000 miles with ease. A mechanic was once heard saying "This engine still looks like new inside" after tearing down a 150,000 mile 3.0 V6.

Remember to change the timing belt every 60,000 miles! A broken timing belt will result in a broken engine. Very expensive to fix if the belt breaks.

Auto transmissions are very expensive to replace or rebuild as well. Fluid changes should be done regularly, as well as adding an aftermarket transmission cooler, because the stock cooler tends to clog up and cause the transmission to overheat. Overheated transmissions don't last long, that's a fact.