Nissan Navara 2015 Problems

The simple answer? There are probably better alternatives. While the Nissan Navara of this era was very popular when brand-new, these days, many of them are getting pretty long in the tooth and are beyond economical repair. Throw in the fact that they weren’t the longest-living ute in the world, and you can see how you might wind up with a donkey if you’re not lucky.

Some of the Navara’s problems come from the way it was typically used, combined with its design. The radiator, for instance, hung under the bottom of the chassis, so it was pretty vulnerable off-road. But even the basic design of the engine and transmission mean that problems like clutch failures and rattling, worn out turbo-diesel engines at 160,000km are a reality.

Better options? Things like the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and, of course, the Toyota HiLux all have been reputations in the trade.

The Jumbuck only got a two-star safety rating from ANCAP and the Mighty Boy was regularly rated in the bottom 10 cars sold in Australia for safety. You should not consider either but get something like a pre-loved Nissan Navara.

You could get a copy of the service schedule from a dealer, but why not just buy another service book. That way you can record future services as they’re done.

Both are capable vehicles, they’re both comfortable to ride in, and they will both tow your caravan. Either one would be a good choice, so I would suggest you test-drive both and decide which you like the best.

The Navara seems to be the forgotten one when it comes to the ute market. The Toyota HiLux is the perennial favourite of ute buyers, with the Ford Ranger a tough rival. The Nissan is refined, comfortable, and a willing worker. A Silverline SE with 99,000 km for $19,000 sounds like a bargain.

It's genuinely not Nissan's doing, as it takes a couple of years for local mapping to be collated and updated into a format for the satnav fitted by overseas makers. We're all being spoilt by Google maps.

It's impossible to diagnose the noise without actually hearing it first hand; the dealer is best placed to sort it out for you. The shudder is something I would be concerned about; it's in the range of city driving and would be annoying. Also, you have to be concerned about it getting worse over time and kays travelled. Certainly press the dealer, and Nisan, to sort it out.