Looking at purchasing a 2008 Xterra

[Flyfish71]

Hi all... I am looking to pull the trigger on a 2008 Xterra OR with the 6M (no SMOD). It has low miles at only 68000. Speaking with the original owner, he replaced the clutch at about 50000 and other than that has kept up on all maintenance.

I've been reading some information that these may have still suffered from the timing belt tensioner issue if the build date is in 2007..? Can anyone chime in on the reliability of these 2nd gen Xterra's? If I get it I'd like to keep it until it's in the 200k mile range. Anything I should look for on these? I'm looking for something that can get the family to some more remote camping spots - nothing too extreme.

Thanks!

 

[theBostonianX]

Lots for Xer's here but also check out

Thenewx.org


The issue was with the timing chain guides. Im not sure when they resolved it but Its roughly a $1k shop bill to have it swapped out.

Im a 2007 with 150k miles and no sign of the problem. But will probably do it soon....just in case.

 

[tarditi]

I had a 2006 and it did suffer from the SMOD, which I fixed. Nissan ended up assisting paying for the repair due to a class-action.
That said, the truck was great. Very comfortable, extremely reliable. I almost bought a new Pro-4x, but opted for a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

It's a shame that they pulled the plug on the platform. Aftermarket support is not nearly as robust as some other makes/models, but there are sources for just about anything you might need, if you decide to add to the rig. Great community of support

There are a couple great forums for information, too:

http://www.clubxterra.org/
http://www.thenewx.org/forum/

 

[jhberria]

As others have mentioned, thenewx is probably your best source for 2nd generation Xterra technical knowledge and troubleshooting. I can't speak specifically to the timing chain guide issue, as my model year wasn't afflicted by it, but I do know it's a regular topic of discussion over there.

Outside of the known issues (SMOD, timing chains), this platform is robust and reliable. Obviously "wear" items will need to be addressed, but if the truck you're looking at has been maintained you shouldn't have any other major issues. There's plenty of these on the road (including Xterras that have seen a lifetime of off-road use/abuse) with 200k+ miles. There's even one over on thenewx.org (an '05 I think) with 300k+ miles with little more than regular and routine maintenance.

The aftermarket offerings, while paling in comparison to the Jeep and Toyota crowd, is strong enough to provide you with anything you will or might need. There's several manufacturers of bumpers, sliders, skids, roof racks, and other exterior protection and accessories. Although there is only one snorkel manufacturer for the 2nd gen Xs.

There's also several options that exist for suspension upgrades that currently exist, ranging from simple spacer/shackle lifts to full extended travel coilover and leaf spring upgrades. For the most technical off-road applications, you can even go as far as "Titan Swapping" the Xterra. This involves taking control arms, extended tie rods, CVs, and coilovers from a Nissan Titan and bolting them directly to your frame/differential. This gives you the track width and travel of a full sized truck on a mid size SUV, and is essentially comparable to a mid-travel IFS setup available for most Toyota platforms. Even the stronger M205 front differential from a Titan bolts right up to a 2nd gen Xterra. Again, all of this isn't necessary (depending on your application or wants), but it is an existing option.

If you're just looking for a reliable, seasoned SUV with an good trail chops and a unique look, the stock xterra (especially in the offroad trim with the rear locker and M226 rear diff) is plenty capable out of the box and will get you most places with nothing more than a good set of A/T tires.

I hope this helps.

 

[broncobowsher]

The '08 has a timing chain, not a timing belt. Last timing belt in an Xterra was '04
The timing chain guide wear is not a sudden failure, but a gradual one. You get months of warning as the engine starts zinging like an electric motor.
The timing chain guides are better in later years. I forget when changes were made. And even early ones are not guaranteed to go bad. A co-worker has an '06 (which is suppose to be a bad one) that is closing in on 150k and is still good. From what I have seen, keep fresh oil in the engine and it will be fine. It's the ones that stretch the oil changes way too long that go bad first. Yes, this is now an internet oil thread.

It is NOT a timing belt that works perfect up to the day it breaks and destroys the engine.

Yes, they will last 200k if you take care of them. In that time you will probably do some well documented repairs. The U-joints don't last that long, but only 3 to do. The fronts generally go first, even if you don't use 4WD. They free spin in 2WD. Another thing that will probably need replacing in 200k is the front wheel bearings. Maybe rear wheel bearings which are a little harder to change but doable. The rear axle vent is well known for being a POS, relocate and all is well. Just use good vent line instead of the crappy aquarium tubing. I would also skip a filter, there isn't enough flow to need one and they can clog from oil mist or even moisture swelling fibers (depends on what kind of filter). Putting a filter on can negate extending the vent.

'08 is a good year. The real locker is upgraded to 4-pinions. Those hold up well. The early ones were only 2-pinion and are known to fail. If you see complaints about a locker failing it is almost always the '05 to '07.

If you quest more power, aftermarket intakes and tuners, expect early cat failures. If 260 HP and 280 torque isn't enough, you are starting with the wrong vehicle.

 

[kootenay]

Make sure the locker does function properly. When in 4lo you engage it and the light might flash for a few seconds but then should turn solid. When test driving used vehicles we found most did not engage properly. My guess is from a lack of use.

 

[Airmapper]

Make sure the locker does function properly. When in 4lo you engage it and the light might flash for a few seconds but then should turn solid. When test driving used vehicles we found most did not engage properly. My guess is from a lack of use.

You might need some clarification with that advice.

It's easy to think it's not functioning properly, especially when just testing it and not actually in an off road environment, because there has to be an alignment within the diff for it to lock in. This is difficult to achieve on hard surfaces with both wheels on the ground. If you do check, turn gently (turning sharply on hard surfaces in 4LO is not recommended) to make the rear wheels rotate at slightly different speeds for enough turns to give the diff an opportunity to align with the locking mechanism. On a slow sweeping turn that might be a signifigant distance.

I've noticed that same doesn't want to lock behavior on mine just checking it, but whenever it's been a real off road situation on slippery surfaces or wheels in the air, it kicks right in because I have enough wheel slippage or slack to allow it to align and lock. You never want to try to lock it going very fast, but it rarely locks up right when stationary unless you are lucky and it happens to be aligned at the moment.

 

[Flyfish71]

Thanks for all the great information - I'm picking the X up this afternoon.

The tires are still fairly new, Firestone Destination LE's - not my favorites, but they're only about 6 months old and convincing a pregnant wife I "need" new tires is a challenge I'm not up to taking at this time... I'm figuring on keeping the suspension stock until I need to change something out - at which time I'll probably go with an OME, full dakar spring setup.