Nissan Navara 2008 News

Nissan is recalling 40,400 (out of as many as 90,000 4x4 models it sold in the time period) of its Navara D40 series, manufactured in Spain between July 2005 and January 2010, for an inspection.A redesigned Nissan replacement towbar (with additional mounting points) and welded repairs to any chassis cracks - some as wide as 2.5mm according to owners - will be completed for those with faulty genuine Nissan towbars.But Navara owners who opted for an aftermarket set-up with cracks in the chassis rails could face repair bills of $1000 or more.The company said the problem relates to faulty towbar designs specific to the Spanish-built D40 ST-X and RX model Navara and while 40,400 vehicles were being recalled for inspection under this campaign, around 9800 were fitted with the affected Nissan genuine towbars.The D40 Navara starts from around $35,000 and was launched here in late 2005 - all bar one 4x2 model is listed with a towing capacity of 3000kg when towing a trailer fitted with its own brakes, which has made the vehicle popular with tradesman and drivers towing heavy recreational vehicles.The Pathfinder SUV - also built on a ladder-frame chassis and rated to a braked towing capacity of three tonnes - was not impacted by the recall, according to Nissan.Spokesman Peter Fadeyev said the attachment points on the Navara's genuine towbars could cause excessive stress upon the chassis frame rails over time.``As a result, cracks can occur at the ends of the chassis rails,'' he said.``In extreme cases, sections of the chassis rails around the towbar may bend when a heavy tow load is applied,'' he said.Mr Fadeyev said the vehicle's towing capacity was not being altered.``The vehicle can still tow exactly what was identified in the owner's manual - that's the specification of the repair, the vehicle can still tow exactly what is identified as its capability in its manual from the start,'' he said.The company has agreed to inspect customer vehicles fitted with a non-genuine towbar at no charge to the customer, but any chassis repair or replacement to a new revised-design genuine Nissan towbar will be at cost to the customer, Mr Fadeyev said.The company said the inspection takes under 20 minutes to complete or the worst-case-scenario of inspection, repair and towbar replacement would be completed in under two hours.Navara owners looking for more information are being asked to contact their local Nissan dealer or call the Nissan Customer Assistance Centre on 1800 035 035.Nissan said it began recall proceedings following legislated procedures earlier this month, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) product recalls website as yet has no mention of the safety campaign.Nissan Navara 4WD utility annual sales:2005 -    9,6272006 - 14,3622007 - 18,2452008 - 16,1922009 - 16,4552010 - 19,424Total - 94,305 

Key among the changes is the addition of the V6 turbodiesel to more models in the D40 Navara line-up, given a few more customers access to the 170kW/550Nm powerplant from a lower price point.Safety has been improved, with the Japanese brand adding stability control - it's Vehicle Dynamic Control in Nissan-speak - and lap-sash belts for all five occupants, helping to get it a four-star NCAP crash-test rating.The 2012 ST-X dual-cab 4WD will be offered with the torquey three-litre V6 turbodiesel and a seven-speed automatic from $56,990, which Nissan says is about $4000 cheaper than the 2011 ST-X 550.Also on the features list for the ST-X is a SUB port for the sound system, fog lights and an alloy sports roll-bar.The 550 flagship has not gone unchanged, with the flagship "workhorse" getting a hard-drive-equipped satnav, leather trim, seat heaters, a satin-black sports roll-bar, a Bose sound system and a reversing camera, but the price has dropped by $2000 to $62,990 - Nissan says that's as a result of increased supply, but price cuts and new models from its primary competition might also have something to do with it.The volume seller of the range - the ST dual-cab 4WD has been endowed with the more powerful 140kW/450Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder (previously there was 128kW and 403Nm on offer), gets a six-speed manual or five-speed auto, Utili Track load restraint system, dual-zone air conditioning, six airbags and sits standard on 17in alloy wheels.Both the turbodiesel V6 and 2.5-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder models have a braked towing capacity of 3000kg.Even the entry-level RX single-cab model has had the once-over, upgrading from a bench to bucket seats and adding carpet floor covering and rubber mats.Nissan Australia managing director and CEO (until the end of March) Dan Thompson said the revisions to the Navara range further strengthened Navara's aim to wrest leadership from Toyota in the highly competitive market."Navara is one of Nissan Australia's cornerstone products aimed at giving us No.1 importer status," he says."Despite the recent arrival of several newcomers in this highly competitive segment, Navara has comfortably maintained its popularity and market position."With the new Navara ST-X V6 turbo-diesel, the enhanced D40 Dual Cab 4X4 and keener pricing, we have new and sharper tools to maintain this momentum," he says.Nissan Australia has confirmed the appointment of William Peffer as incoming CEO and managing director from April onwards, when Dan Thompson takes up his new role as Vice President (Finance) for Nissan Europe, based in Switzerland.Mr Peffer, currently marketing, communications and media director at Nissan North America, holds a Bachelors Degree in Advertising Communications from Michigan State University and a Masters Degree in International Finance from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. 

... including some 29,000 of the D40 ST-X dual cab models on Australian roads. The issue is with cracks appearing in wheels in some isolated incidents, first noticed in Europe and with a handful of cases reported to dealers here. Nissan says no accident or incidents have been reported but, in rare cases, the alloy's spoke may crack if the vehicle is used under full-load conditions and cornered at high lateral acceleration. Owners are asked to take their Navaras to dealers for checks; if cracks are found the wheels will be replaced immediately. All wheels on the June, 2005 to July, 2008 models affected will be replaced at a later date as supply become available.

The onslaught has already begun with the compact Dualis family wagon but will pick up pace with everything from a tougher Navara to the prestige Maxima, sporty Z and diesel-powered X-Trail.Godzilla, the Nissan GT-R supercar, will cap the action early in 2009.“This is the biggest product push we've seen from Nissan since the alliance with Renault in 1999,” says the general manager of marketing at Nissan Australia, Ross Booth.“We are now investing much more in future technology and innovation. That has resulted in a serious global product push. In a year we will have a major onslaught. That gives us a huge opportunity to lift sales, because our range has been ageing.”Booth says the diesel X-Trail will be up first, with a 127kW turbodiesel engine with a manual gearbox and 110kW as a six-speed auto, followed by the King Cab version of the Navara. He hopes to get the same diesel engine into the Dualis.“X-Trail diesel is on sale in July. The Dualis is down to global supply.In Europe the wait in some countries is out to nine months,” Booth says.“This engine gives us class leading power and torque in the manual and a very competitive automatic. There is no other major player in Australia and that's interesting, because diesel has been available with most big players for several years in Europe.“We didn't perceive a demand for diesel in compact SUVs, but the tide has shifted. It became very clear to us, to deliver what customers want. And that's a powerful diesel engine.“Suzuki have a diesel in the Grand Vitara, but that's only 98kW, and the Land Rover Freelander is technically not a rival for X-Trail.”Booth says the updated Navara is the first Nissan with clamshell doors, freeing extra space for a pair of small back seats.“The King Cab is definitely a growing segment, up by 40 per cent in the past three years,” he says.“It's still definitely a vehicle for the tradesman, but the younger guy who can throw cricket gear in the back and take kids to school. It's the only major player with automatic, with RX the workhorse and the ST-X the work-and-play model.”Further into the future, Nissan Australia is expecting the new Murano, Maxima, 370Z and GT-R before the halfway mark of 2009.“Murano is early in 2009. That's new and based on the D-Platform from Nissan, which is also used for the Altima in the USA,” Booth says.He will not be drawn on the other newcomers, even though the new Maxima has already broken cover and the GT-R is on sale in many countries, but believes the expanded and refreshed range will give Nissan Australia the chance to challenge Honda for fifth place in the sales race.“Our target this year is 70,000 sales,” he says. “It's our best result, in volume and market share, since 1991, from the time we came out of local manufacturing.“We haven't officially set targets for 2009, but we need to consolidate before we can expand our range — particularly in passenger vehicles.“The next-generation Micra is also coming up, later in 2009. Our Micra range is quite efficient with one model line-up, but it would be good to have a manual option and potentially a three-door as well.” 

NISSAN has begun a mailout to 22,000 Navara owners asking them to return their cars for work on airbags found to be dangerous during recent crash testing.But Navara owners contacted by The Australian are not rushing out anxiously to watch their letterboxes — they are unconcerned by the findings and happy with their choice of four-wheel-drive ute.The recall follows testing that found the Navara had serious safety flaws that could cause fatal injuries.The European New Car Assessment Program testing revealed the Navara's “passenger compartment became unstable” in front-on crashes.“The airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners were triggered late in the impact,” the testing body found.ENCAP, a partner body to Australia's crash test organisation, gave the Navara a rating of less than one star in its latest review.Nissan has responded with a mailout asking Navara owners to contact their dealerships to arrange for upgrades to their cars' airbag software.Adelaide plumber Gabriel Virag, who is on his second Navara, was surprised by the results.“It doesn't sound real flash but I feel perfectly safe in it,” he said. “I've got nothing but good things to say about the car.”With its striking silver duco, spotlights and bull bar, his car turns many more heads outside worksites than his mates' utes.“The blokes on the site all say the Navara looks better,” Mr Virag said.“It's not like a trade vehicle, so to speak; it's like driving a car.”He said the diesel engine was quiet and delivered good fuel economy.“It only gets a bit sluggish when there's a really big load,” Mr Virag said.Adelaide construction worker Kevin Gartner had heard of the poor testing result, but was unconcerned as airbags were not high on his list of priorities when weighing up the range of dual-cab utes on offer.“I'm very happy with the car and I've recommended it to heaps of people to take it for a drive, and they've come back impressed,” Mr Gartner said.The vehicle is the second most popular pick-up in Australia after Toyota's HiLux, with more than 18,000 sales Australia-wide last year.In crash tests of light commercial vehicles by the Australian New Car Assessment Program, the HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton scored four stars, while the Holden Rodeo received three.