Faults:

Only one thing. The transmission.

General Comments:

I want to start out by saying that I LOVED this vehicle. It is a very capable and comfortable SUV. Lots of power. Great ride height. Very masculine looks.

However, Nissan made a mistake. 2005-2008ish, Nissan had a flaw in their radiators for the 4.0 family engines. It's a fatal flaw and destroys the transmission. If you were lucky enough to catch it before it happened, you will have a reliable truck well past 200k miles. Unfortunately, it's usually too late. That happened to me. It's my fault for not doing enough research in the beginning. Nissan didn't stand behind this problem like they should have, and have really hurt a lot of people. I still like their products, but it really makes you think twice before you buy their vehicles. If you don't know about the flaw, just search for "SMOD". Tons of information. Hopefully this will help someone like myself. Someone that loves used cars, as I have no interest in depreciating a new vehicle and dealing with the dealer for 5 years.

Faults:

U-joint needed replaced prior to end of manufactured 60k miles.

Front brakes & rotors at 60k.

New tires at 60k.

General Comments:

Quick, reliable, and quiet.

The wife likes driving this SUV, as it sits higher than her previous car. She also likes the heavier feel, as it's 4x4. My 2005 Nissan Frontier 4x2 is too light in the back, and dangerously light-ended in rain, etc.

Faults:

Leaking rear shock at 21,645 miles.

Nissan emblem decal in front overhead deflector pealing off at 21,645 miles.

Service light for a bad fuel sending unit. Replaced sending unit at 48,458 miles.

A/C went out due to a bad manifold pressure hose at 41,093 miles.

A/C went out again at 51089 miles due to a leak in the A/C condenser.

General Comments:

The rear shock leak and the decal pealing off was when vehicle was still under warranty. It was after the 3 years, 36,000 miles when I started having expensive problems with this vehicle.

The bad fuel sending unit was later a recall item; thank goodness for that.

The real problem that I have had with this vehicle is the A/C. At 41,093 miles it developed a leaking hose. Why they use a hose with clamps on an A/C unit is a little hard to understand. That cost me nearly 600.00 to get fixed at the Nissan dealership.

Then a year later, the A/C went out again, and this time it was the condenser that developed the leak, costing 800.00 at the Nissan dealership. I have never taken this vehicle out to climb hills or to do any offroading. I am afraid to think of the problems that may have developed if I had.

The people at Nissan are understanding and helpful. The product is not what I expected, and I would NOT buy another Xterra. I miss the perks that I had with my Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Faults:

Hard turns are a little unstable, but I bought it used. Also, although I like the stadium seating, the back seats are a little stiff and uncomfortable on long trips.

General Comments:

Great value, can be driven just about anywhere, I really enjoy it.

Faults:

Nothing. Thank you Nissan!

General Comments:

I have always owned Japanese, but for some reason last year I thought it would be a good idea to get a Land Rover. What a mistake! Once I got used to the dependability, comfort, and performance of a Nissan, going to the Land Rover was like moving to a third world country where nothing works.

I got rid of my Land Rover and test drove 3 4x4s: Toyota FJ Cruiser, X-terra, and Toyota Rav. I had my heart set on the FJ Cruiser, but when I drove the X-terra nothing else came close. Visibility was 1000% better than the FJ, and the X-terra handles like a car. Supposedly the older X-terras were lacking in power. Not so with my 2006--the thing leaps forward if you breathe on the accelerator pedal.

The interior controls are nothing fancy--it's basically 3 controls in the middle and a radio. But it's nothing gimmicky either, they're more utilitarian than I've ever felt in other models. Nissan evidently spent time thinking about this car design--for example, they've put a step into the rear bumper to allow you to step up to reach the roof rack. It's a lifesaver! Another example--the back of the rear seats and the rear storage area are plastic. When you fold the seats down, which takes 5 seconds to do, you have an entire plastic bedded storage space where you can throw wetsuits, skis, dirty dogs, etc. and can be cleaned with a wet towel.

The truck rides nice and high so you don't scrape, and my off-road model has nice shocks that make driving over bumpy dirt roads a breeze. The only less than stellar thing about the x-terra is the mileage, but I don't drive during the week so it's not a concern for me. When you factor in the lack of hassel you will have with this car, it's still cheaper than many competitors.

I just can't say enough good things about the X-terra. It's not sexy, and there's nothing that's overly cool about it. But it just makes sense.