Used Nissan Pathfinder review and buying guide (2005 to 2014): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Nissan Pathfinder should you buy?

No year of Pathfinder gets a free pass, because both serious faults hit the core of the car: the 2.5 dCi's single-row lower timing chain, which can snap and wreck the engine, and the ladder-frame chassis, whose centre rails rot through. The fault records list 2005 to 2010 for the chain and 2005 to 2008 for the frame, but that's where the reports sit, not proof a later car escaped. Judge each one on its oil record and its chassis, not its plate.

The chassis problem is the one that can finish a car. The Pathfinder shares its frame with the D40 Navara, and early cars, including a 2005 and a 2007 example, have failed the MOT for rot in the middle of the rails, just forward of the back wheels. Nissan's inspection and buy-back offer was announced for the Navara only, so there's no goodwill to lean on if a Pathfinder's frame goes.

The chain's wear follows how the oil's been looked after rather than the miles, so a full, on-time oil-change history counts for more than the year or the mileage. A higher-mileage Pathfinder with every oil change on paper and a quiet cold start is a better bet than a low-mileage one with gaps in its record, and a seller who can't show the history doesn't get the benefit of the doubt.

Which Pathfinder engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 2.5 dCi diesel (YD25) is the engine to understand before buying, and its weak point is a single-row lower timing chain that can snap, usually between 45,000 and 100,000 miles, and wreck the engine. It wears according to the oil history, not the mileage, and the early warning is a metallic rattle from the front of the engine when it's started cold. A proper repair replaces the whole kit rather than the chain alone.

The single chain and sprockets can be swapped for a double-row (duplex) setup, though it's a costly job, so on a car that's already been converted you'll want the receipt. Beyond the chain, the pressure valve on the fuel rail is a part that can fail, and there's talk of a fluttering noise from the engine at 2,500rpm, so hold the revs there on the test drive and listen.

The manual's main complaint is a vague, floppy shift. On automatics, one report describes the heat exchanger inside the radiator cracking so coolant mixes with the transmission fluid and ruins the gearbox. One owner's 41,000-mile 2010 2.5 dCi auto failed outright: a dealer quoted £2,500 for a new torque converter and said it needed a new control module on top, while an independent quoted £1,500 for the module alone. Ask an auto's seller what's been done to the radiator and gearbox.

What should you check when viewing a used Pathfinder?

Get underneath first and look hard at the middle of the chassis rails, just forward of the back wheels: heavy flaking, holes, or fresh plates and welds there mean the frame is going, and that applies to any year, not just the early cars on record. Ask for the old MOT certificates too, since an advisory or failure for chassis corrosion tells the same story. While you're under there, look for weeping driveshaft seals and check the underslung spare wheel is still there, as they're a target for thieves.

Insist on a cold start and listen for a metallic rattle from the front of the engine that carries on once you drive off, because that's the timing chain. Pull the dipstick and rub the oil between your fingers: metal particles in it can point to a failing injection pump, injectors or turbo. A warning light along with the engine cutting out points to a blocked EGR valve. Try the four-wheel-drive controls too: one owner's 2008 car had its transfer box control module fail at 75,000 miles.

On the road, wandering and knocking from the front end mean worn upper or lower ball joints, though chunky off-road tyres can make it wander too. On a 2013 car, ask for proof of the recall work on the lower front ball joint, which could pull out of its housing, and on the front seat belts, which on some cars were swapped left to right. Listen for a noisy front wheel bearing, and feel for vibration from underneath, which can be worn propshaft joints.

Check the paint by the tailgate and rear window handles, both sides, for bubbling rust, and the top of the windscreen frame for rusty chips. Run the rear heater and air con, as their pipes can fracture where they pass through the chassis and a proper repair means lifting the body off. Feel for clunks in the drive and ask for proof of differential work: the owner of one 2011 car described its differential replacement as recall work, and a 2010 car had worn diff parts replaced under warranty.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Nissan Pathfinder R51 (2005 to 2014) a good buy?

Buy an R51 Pathfinder if you want a proper off-roader with room for extra passengers, but only one whose 2.5 dCi has its oil history on paper and whose frame is solid. It handles tidily for a body-on-frame car and it's very capable away from the tarmac. The back row is the compromise: there's nowhere for feet under the seats in front, so it's for children rather than adults on a long trip.

The big faults show up early. The 2.5 dCi's timing chain is on record failing between 45,000 and 100,000 miles on 2005 to 2010 cars, and the centre chassis rot hits 2005 to 2008 cars built in Spain. Later cars aren't trouble free either: one owner's 2011 Pathfinder, bought new and oil-changed every 9k miles, needed a dashboard switch module for dead backlighting, a heater matrix for a leak, and a new air con compressor in 2015.

What does a used Nissan Pathfinder cost to run?