bartt

I am in the market for a new 4x and like the looks and power of the 05 Xterra but I have a couple of issues...
Need to know if anyone else has sensed the same things that I have and if there are known fixes before I buy a new xterra.

I notice that the brakes have a squishy feel, which I find unnerving to say the least. Does anyone know why this is. I have test driven several 05 xterra's and they are all this way. Is there a fix?

Also, going over rough pavement I notice a resonation in the cab. The off-road isn't quite as bad as the SE. But it still makes that noise.

Both of the above issues would seriously drive me crazy in short order, so I am holding off on the buy. If anyone else has fixed these issues, please share..

Thanks in advance..

XterraLou

Break Issue - The brakes on the truck are great, yes they have a squishy feeling to them its just the way nissan made the pedal. Most people dislike it even the reviewers at Road and Track. They reffered to the brakes as having a "cottage cheese" feel. They go on to say how this is just how it feels as it brakes better/ or in the same range as other SUV's in its class. Ive have the truck over a month now and although i didnt like the lack of firmness the brake pedal has im used to it, not a big deal to me anymore.

The Resonation - Could be a number of things, remember this isnt a smooth handling SUV, if thats your bag go with the Pathfinder. It has its creaks and etc but its much better than past xterras. Could you describe it better? If that worries you that much opt for the fosgate system and crank it up....no more resonation then!!

bartt

Thanks for the reply Lou..
I appreciate your observations, but I can't help wondering if other people aren't put off by the issues that I raised. I think that Nissan is missing some sales on otherwise excellent trucks because of these things.

After a second test drive the issues are still there... So they are by design and not just a problem with one truck.
I did notice that the brake pedal felt great, with the engine off. So, I guess there is some dynamic component to this. The salesman tried to convince me it is the ABS system, but I don't buy that.

The vibration feels like I am in a drum. Its more a feeling than hearing thing, so its hard to describe - almost below audible in frequency. Ive experienced the same thing in other trucks with the windows in just the right configuration. The only reason that this is a concern is that I drive a pretty rough road everyday.

You mentioned the Pathfinder. I have not tested them. I thought they were built on the same platform and would have the same base issues? Please correct me if that is wrong.

XterraLou

no i dont think they are built on the same platform, ic ould be wrong, i test drove the new pathfinder before i drove the xterra. its much smoother, but in all honesty i liked the handle of the 01-04 pathfinder better. i also had no use for a 3rd row. but certainly go test drive it, really nice truck, well built. the 05 pathfinder has an independent rear, the xtrerra doesnt.

MyXterra

We are new to this forum. We just recently bought a Xterra 2005 Off Road. We love it other than break problems. The day after we brought her home, I had to run my in-laws to the airport. I noticed that when the brakes were applied some of the time that the steering wheel would vibrate. This continued to get worse. At first I thought it was just the country roads or bad road conditions. I mentioned to my husband and he said that something is wrong. So she had to go in for some minor body scratch repair that was agreed to before purchase. The service dept. took a look at her and found that the rotors needed to be turned down, already. She had less than 2,500 miles on her.
(Some background info. the dealer didn't have what we wanted, so they found it about 463 mile away. )
Since then my husband noticed that when going down an incline on gravel or loose dirt and applying the brakes hard, you get what sounds like grinding metal in the left front wheel, a vibration in the steering wheel, and the brake pedal. We complained to the dealer and they tried to reproduce it. Couldn't. Mainly because they were on flat pavement, not like what we were on. So they came out to the house and my husband showed the Service Manager. He said, oh that, that is the ABS and some other part of the braking system working when on gravel etc. They all do that. So my husband tried it with the other one and it did it to.
I sure do hope that's all it is, because it sure sounds rough.