Nissan Pathfinder (2005 – 2014) Review

Nissan Pathfinder (2005 – 2014) At A Glance

3/5

+Rugged looks. Seven seats. Strong build. Tidy handling and very capable off road. Good value for money.

-Adults will find the rearmost seats rather cramped. Vague manual gearshift.

Insurance Groups are between 31–32
On average it achieves 95% of the official MPG figure

Nissan is getting out of volume and into niches. Nissan's X-Trail has outsold its Primera and been much more profitable because it has sold at much closer to the list price asked. And demand for used X-Trails is even greater than for new ones.

So, unsurprisingly, one of the directions Nissan is following is the off-road route. Late last year saw the introduction of the extraordinary Murano, a Lexus RX300 competitor with a detuned Nissan 350Z motor. The enormous V8 Nissan Titan is by far the best big pick-up to drive and is also hugely capable off-road. Later this year we'll get a new ladderframe chassis Navara pick-up. And now, to grab a fat chunk of the 7-seater 4x4 school bus market, Nissan presents us with the large and perfectly formed Pathfinder, also on a tough ladderframe.

It's roughly the same size as the Discovery 3 and does pretty much the same job at prices starting £5,000 lower. These days £25,800 isn't a lot to pay for this much vehicle and, as with the X-Trail, Nissan stands a good chance of not having to discount.

So does it get the nod? Emphatically yes, because it's a huge 7 seater 4x4 that does all it is supposed to, is also very good to drive on the road, promises over 30mpg and at £25,800 is very good value for money. But if you need a 4x4 to take 7 adults any distance, you are going to have to fork out the extra £5,000 for a Discovery 3.

Nissan Pathfinder 2005 Road Test

Real MPG average for a Nissan Pathfinder (2005 – 2014)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

95%

Real MPG

19–38 mpg

MPGs submitted

127

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Satisfaction Index What is your car like to live with?

We need your help with our latest Satisfaction Index, so that we can help others make a smarter car buying decision. What's it like to live with your car? Love it? Loath it? We want to know. Let us know about your car - it will only take a few minutes and you could be helping thousands of others.

Help us with the Honest John Satisfaction Index now

Ask Honest John

What's the best used SUV 4x4 for reliability and performance?

"I am looking to buy a reliable 4x4 as our Volvo XC90 keeps getting stuck in our field. I'm considering either a Land Cruiser or a Nissan Pathfinder - which do you recommend?"
My money would go on the Land Cruiser. It's unstoppable off-road and will last forever. I wouldn't be concerned about high mileage provided it's been regularly serviced. The Pathfinder has a few issues particularly with corrosion: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/pathfinder-2005/good/
Answered by Andrew Brady

I bought a used car that didn't come with the promised warranty - what can I do?

"I bought a Nissan Pathfinder with a tow bar and 12 months warranty from a ltd company in Dec 2017. The guy handed me the documents and a leaflet about some bronze warranty and said he would get his secretary to email me all the details about the warranty (needless to say that never happened ). When I got the car home and washed it after a couple of weeks I noticed it didn't have a tow bar I phoned the guy who said he would look into it but he didn't bother coming back to me. All this happened on the run up to and just after the Christmas holiday period so there was lots going on at the time otherwise Id been a bit quicker to react to the situation. The car developed an oil leak from behind the diesel pump that also needed replacing the bill was £1600. I contacted the warranty company who didn't know anything about the car because it hadn't been registered for a warranty The limited company I bought the car from was in the process of being liquidated which had started around October / November 2017. So the guy was fully aware of what was going on when he sold me the car that came with 12 months warranty. When I contacted the guy he said he had paid for the warranty on the car and that he would contact the warranty company about it. To buy himself some time he told me all his paperwork was with his accountants and he would get in touch with them to get the bank statement as proof he had paid the warranty company. 10 weeks later ( probably more actually) the guy doesn't answer his phone when I call then text messages me to say he would get it sorted (we all know hes just giving me the run around). I then gave him the option of paying £500 towards the bill to clear the matter up and move on which he agreed to do again three weeks later still nothing. What can I do? "
You have been done over and you have been incredibly stupid. You wrote, "I bought a Nissan Pathfinder with a tow bar". Later you write that "when I got the car home and washed it after a couple of weeks I noticed it didn't have a tow bar". Your rights are here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ But enforcing them in the circumstances you describe, then getting a ruling in your favour that the High Court Sheriffs can act upon will be virtually impossible.
Answered by Honest John

I need a large 4x4 but only do short journeys - would a pick-up be suitable?

"I need a large 4x4 vehicle (we live on a farm), that will be used mostly for short journeys, that I can throw my gardening kit in - I'm a self employed gardener - and we can use to go to the tip, as well as throwing the dogs in. It will also be my family car so will do the odd 200 mile run to visit friends. I loved the previous Nissan X-Trail for space but it was blighted by the DPF. I like the look of the Pathfinder and Land Cruiser, but will never need seven seats. I'm thinking possibly a pick up instead? I've got a budget of around £11,000. Any suggestions?"
A diesel pick-up might not be a good idea if you only do short runs from cold because a modern DPF needs at least 15 miles per journey to operate correctly. And it doesn't get enough miles it will clog up and stop working, leaving you with large repair bills. Given there are no sensible petrol pick-ups in the UK, you might be better off with a petrol SUV like the Suzuki Vitara with AllGrip: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/suzuki/vitara-2015/ For more information on DPFs, see: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2017-10/everything-you-need-to-know-about-dpfs/
Answered by Dan Powell

Am I right to be concerned about rust on the chassis of my 2011 Nissan Pathfinder after news of the Nissan Navara chassis issues?

"I've been happy with my 2011 Nissan Pathfinder Tekna 2.5 manual, which has been owned from nearly new and has always been serviced by Nissan. I've become concerned by recent reports of failure of the rear chassis on the Nissan Navara and Pathfinder. A friend with a 2007 Pathfinder suffered this fault resulting in a write off. The Nissan garage we contacted said the issue is only with 2005 - 2007 vehicles but we could have the car checked at our expense if we wished. My car has no obvious problem other than light surface rust on the chassis. Should I be concerned? The car regularly tows a horse box so works quite hard."
Many thanks. First report I've received of this on a Pathfinder but, because it shares the same ladder frame chassis as the Navara D40 it was obviously vulnerable. You should be concerned about any surface rust on the chassis. The weakness is about two feet in front of the rear wheels.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions