1997 Nissan Altima Water Pump

Its worth it because the cost of getting another vehicle is much more.
I have a 96 Maxima with 140k miles on it. I had the water pump and thermostat replaced and it cost well over 800 dollars due to the fact that the Maxima's water pump is nestled between 3 timing chains. You have to remove a plate that has 30+ screws in it that have to be tightened in a sequential order. Took the mechanic 6hrs to do this.
Hopefully your not driving the car with the bad water pump because you could cause serious engine damage to your car if it overheats. I.E: Blown head gaskets and warped heads; easily costing well over 600 dollars to fix. Luckily u have a 4 cylinder so its not so bad.

Joe