1996 Nissan Hardbody Pickup XE 2.4

Summary:

Unbelievable truck

Faults:

The grove guides and tensioner stay rattling all the time. Other than that, your regular maintenance, but I have replaced the grove guides and tensioners twice, and oil pump and water pump once.

Nissan needs to let me make a commercial for them. Other than that one problem, it has been a unbelievable truck, to be twisted like a dish-rag and put through what I have put it through for so long. No other truck could have withstood the torture I have done to this truck.

General Comments:

This truck is good for whatever you want to use it for.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 28th December, 2009

1996 Nissan Hardbody Pickup SE 2.4

Summary:

Awesome

Faults:

The coil went. Minor stuff.

General Comments:

These trucks are basically bulletproof. The little motor can't be killed. The body, on the other hand does not match the motor's toughness. If you find a 1996 Nissan Pickup in good shape, BUY IT! Not the best ride, but for a small utilitarian beasty, you cannot go wrong.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2009

1996 Nissan Hardbody Pickup XE 2.4L

Summary:

The truck is not a good truck at all

Faults:

Well it all started when I bought it. First thing, at 95000 I had to put all new shocks on it, "not a big problem."

Next at 100000 is when the crap hit the fan! First I started noticing a grinding noise, so I took it to the shop. Came to find out it was the oil pump and time chain. We special ordered a chain and oil pump from Nissan, well about two weeks later the chain broke. Since the chain broke, it screwed up the valves. So now I got a new chain, new oil pump, and a new set of valves.

The next thing that happened was the trans went out, so I went ahead and put a new trans and clutch in it. I drive it two more weeks and now the main bearing went out. Once they go out, it messes up the crank, so it's getting done now.

So once again I am without a truck, and it's really starting to make me mad. And keep in mind, this truck has been took care of, and has never been in the mud. I wash it once a week.

General Comments:

I advise every one to stay away from the 96 hard body style, it is a piece of crap!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th September, 2009

12th Sep 2009, 00:07

Sounds to me like you have a really bad mechanic.

18th Sep 2009, 12:45

I agree with the above commenter. My Dad has a '96 Hardbody, and it's never needed anything but fuel and routine maintenance. They're extremely reliable and durable, if you maintain them properly.

4th Jun 2010, 10:16

Bad mechanic, I'm guessing they incorrectly inspected then incorrectly reassembled your timing chain and guide. Many KA24e engines have a timing chain guide that gets worn away over time, makes a rattling noise and looks bad when inspecting, but nothing mechanically wrong. For your main bearing to go at 100k is just plain bad maintenance.

5th Dec 2010, 22:58

I have SE model with over 100000 miles on it, and have never had a problem other than a bad starter or battery.

26th May 2011, 12:27

It all depends on the previous owner if you buy it with 95k on it. Who knows what he did with it.

15th Mar 2013, 12:57

I have a 96 Nissan Hardbody XE King Cab 4x4 5 speed with the KA24e engine. It's an unbelievable truck. 115k right now with everything original. A/C still works and gets around 19 MPG. Bullet proof, bombproof, a little slow, but never fails me.

1996 Nissan Hardbody Pickup XE 2.4

Summary:

Dependable, reliable, but boring truck

Faults:

Air intake temperature sensor went out and caused check engine light to go on. Repair was <$100.

Rear brakes would squeal.

General Comments:

Nice truck. Very reliable and decent gas mileage. I thought it looked pretty cool too with the rims and the decals on the sides. I had a bedliner and toolbox in mine, so that helped add some extra storage space. I had a regular cab, so there wasn't much storage space in the cab at all.

An armrest would have been nice, and the bench didn't have enough rearward travel for me (I'm 6' tall). Acceleration was poor, but nobody buys a truck like this for performance. Reliability was great. Good little simple truck but not exciting at all.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 22nd May, 2009

26th Apr 2010, 21:43

I bought this truck in 1999, and have been driving it for 11 years with no problems other than recently replacing brake pads for the first time. I keep the oil changed every 3,000-4,000 miles. Check engine light came on around the time I purchased it (with 26,000 miles) and has been on since. Mileage now over 174,000.

In reply to 26th Apr 2010, 21:43

19th Jul 2023, 06:47

Why does that seem like a questionable idea to me to drive a truck with a check engine light for 150k miles? Says a lot about these Frontiers though that it still ran good despite that.

In reply to 19th Jul 2023, 06:47

19th Jul 2023, 22:31

Then they blame the manufacturer when it goes boom because they didn't heed the warning light.