My ol 05 Pathy

[Xmas]

Back in 2006, I went out and traded my 2002 Tahoe for the new all-mighty pathfinder SE.

 

Claiming that I could tow up to 5000#'s

 

Since my uncle worked @ the Nissan Dealership he got me out of the HOE and into the pathfinder.

 

Before I looked into getting the Pathfinder I owned a new boat. It was a 4000# deck-boat that was needed to be pulled by the Pathy and to replace my Hoe.

 

So I trusted the specs and signed the dotted line.

 

Owning the rig for couple weeks, we decided to take the boat out w/ our new official tow rig (Pathy).

 

Sad to say at the boat launch the pathy was getting dragged. Got scared and tryed to pull out. Pathy spinning rwd tires and putting up smoke. I swear it looked like a forest fire going on @ the boat launch/ramp. Finally getting it out. I was pretty upset! Maybe it can tow up to 5000#, but IMHO it was not safe. So not that I just lost my original tow rig (Tahoe). I had to go out a find another tow rig (I got a older Z71 just to pull the boat/ which sucked to use for that main reason). Keep in mind I do-not live far from the lake. Keep in mind I did try better rated rubbers and floor mats for the wet launch ramp. No help!!

 

So if you ever plan to tow w/ the pathy, do-not go over 3000#'s sorry, the pathy is not a really good tow rig. Maybe fine w/ pop-up trailer, jetskis or some bikes.

 

Reliability - Damn... only about 15K miles on her. Taking longer trips to Colorado or Louisana the ac unit would stop blowing cold air. I had to turn the AC off for about 30 min and turn it back on the get it to work. I think the ac lines froze. Dealership could never fix the problem b/c it only happen is long distance travel and use of AC. So yep a gremlin is hidding. Not picky, I did own a JEEP GC so I can tolerate this issue, but for 3 year lease. NO WAY!! Not here in 100+ temp in Texas.

 

So where is it now? I broke the lease. I had to pay a early termination fee. I think about $2K. It was the best decision I ever did!!

 

So what I will say is this, I for one did not have any luck w/ this rig w/ the choices I made. I am sure there are plenty of ownes of it that are happy, but IMHO I am much happier w/ the previous style Pathys.

 

To end this review I will say that for a standard own use SUV it has a lot to be offered and I really liked the power of the new designed engine, but I don't think I can be happy to be a long owner of one. It's just really boxy for the new trend of designed vehicles that is out there now days~

 

~End.

Bye, bye pathy

Edited October 11, 2007 by Xmas

[Xmas]

Oh yea, luckly my trailer has tandem axel w/ surge brakes ,b/c there is no he(( in way that the pathfinder would stop it quick enough in a emergency situation.

[GreenEnvy94Pathy]

Is your Pathfinder 4wd?? If so why not put it in 4 high and pull right out?

By the way our 05 and up Pathfinders are rated to tow 6,000 lbs not 5,000... just FYI

 

I have owned mine 05 SE 4x4 since new, no issues, no breakdowns of any kind. I now have 40,000 miles and all I have had to do was oil/filter changes, new tires, and could use some new brakes within the next 10k miles. I would say that my PF has been as reliable a vehicle as I have ever owned. Maybe you got a bad one?

[Xmas]

Is your Pathfinder 4wd?? If so why not put it in 4 high and pull right out?

By the way our 05 and up Pathfinders are rated to tow 6,000 lbs not 5,000... just FYI

 

I have owned mine 05 SE 4x4 since new, no issues, no breakdowns of any kind. I now have 40,000 miles and all I have had to do was oil/filter changes, new tires, and could use some new brakes within the next 10k miles. I would say that my PF has been as reliable a vehicle as I have ever owned. Maybe you got a bad one?

Bad one, can be very true.

 

Oh mine was not 4wd. It really was hard to pull my boat due to boat vs suv @ the ramp. It just dragged it down the ramp. I mean i locked the brakes and I slid at least 2' before it stops. It really was sad b/c what I was paying for the promised performance and scary b/c it was not honored to what it was advertised to do

[adamzan]

Or maybe you shouldn't have sat there and spun your tires. For future reference, starting off real slow on the gas and keeping it in first gear usually works well. Although, I wouldn't buy a 2wd SUV

 

not meant as an insult, just my 2 cents

[NismoSkyZ]

Well if you had 1000hp in your pathy you would still be sitting there spinning the tires. Just because you lost traction in a 2wd vehicle in on a boat ramp does not make it crap. As far as the a/c and stuff goes, it looks like you got a lemon.

[nige]

I don't know what your uncle was thinking when he suggested a 2wd pathy (maybe he wanted to sell a car?), but you should be in 4x4 and reverse (not neutral) when backing in a boat like that on a wet launch to prevent sliding. You should also be using a 4x4 heavy-duty pickup truck to safely tow a boat of that size and weight for frequent long distances. Surge brakes are barely adequate for a load that size.

 

Your dealership should address the a/c issue. There's nothing wrong with that pathfinder as it is. The problem lies with what you're using it for. Your uncle should have sold you at least a Titan, or told you to go to the chevy dealership for a 2500HD

[amr40509]

Have you taken that boat to a scale or are you going w/ the published weight? I'd guess you are at about 5500 lbs if that is what I think it is (21' Four Winns Funship).

 

I tow a boat that, ready to go to the lake, scales on a truck scale at about 4500lbs. Going camping in Kentucky's mini-mountains with the boat I've had about another 500lbs of gear in the boat and the truck full. I have NO problems with my '06 (just like the '05) Pathfinder. I have towed the boat about 6K of the 31K miles I have on the truck, and have had no problems at all.

 

Pulling out at the ramp I take it slow and easy. When the ramp is wet/slick all the way up I put it in 4HI, but would bet that I could get out w/o it if I needed to. My father in law pulls the same boat up the same ramps w/ a 2wd pickup, just keeps fresh tires (Bridgestones) on the truck and goes EASY on the gas. The only time I've really needed 4wd at the ramp was a camp ground ramp that was covered in wet sand/mud from the water having recently dropped.

 

Regarding going down the ramp, I also use "N" when backing down so that the truck isn't pulling too. I have slipped backwards a few times, everyone does this from time to time w/ a big boat. Just keep in mind that when the boat floats, it won't be pulling you anymore, so you won't go in the drink.

[Xmas]

Yep, my uncle is an A-Hole. I told his this past Thanks-Giving and I will remind him again when I see him this Thanks Giving!!

 

I liked it, but for a 27K Suv, not worth it! I was happier w/ my old MDX. But then again... I driving a pos WD21 Pathy now. LoL. Kinda sucks when you loose a good paying job.... lol