1996 Nissan Hardbody Pickup 2.4L from North America
Summary:
Dependable both on and off-road
Faults:
Wire to air flow sensor keeps breaking, and I keep soldering it back on.
E-brake wouldn't hold it on a hill when I bought it.
Ball-joints needed to fixed at around 84,000 miles.
Break lines replaced as soon as I got it. (Maine uses a lot of salt on the roads)
A number of other suspension and steering-related parts. Not a fault of the truck, but of the roads that I had to drive it on when I first got it. Every car I drive seems to have those things go wrong because of those rough roads.
Rust on the fenders and rocker panels.
General Comments:
I love this truck! It is a regular cab version, 4×4, and 5-speed.
Sure, it is not a speed demon with the four-cylinder. But a truck doesn't need to be. It is a basic utilitarian vehicle. About the only comfort feature it has is power steering. Just the way I like a vehicle. Less to break and cost me money to fix.
I can get to my favorite fishing spots in the Maine woods. This truck will take anything I throw at it. Logging-truck roads, snowmobile trails, no paths at all. Not too shabby for a stock 4×4.
It gets over 20 miles per gallon driving around town. 26 on back roads (40-50 mph, with little stopping), and about 18 on the freeway if I keep to 65. It's plain to see it likes speeds around 40-50 as far as fuel is concerned. But hey, it was built when the national speed limit was 55, so that makes sense.
It has a small fuel tank, so don't expect much range. About 230-250 miles and you'll be looking to refill the tank.
Overall, I love the truck. It's no luxury car, but I bought it knowing that. It gets me from Point A to Point B reliably, whether there happens to be a road connecting the two points or not. If you need dependable transportation, this truck is great.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th May, 2009
24th Oct 2008, 01:51
I have a 1996 Hardbody XE 4 cylinder, when it started rattling on start up (sounding almost like a machine gun) I replaced the timing chain and found the slack guide was broken. That sounds like what is happening to yours.