Nissan Problems

While the later Y62 Nissan Patrol was petrol V8 only (and a thirsty one at that) it’s also way out of your budget. Go back in time to the old faithful GQ model, and you’re going too far back, as these are now quite old vehicles. Which leaves you with the GU model which fits within your budget but is still new enough to be around in good numbers and in good condition.

Within that GU model-window, the version I’d recommend is the earlier 4.2-litre turbo-diesel model built from 1997 to 2007. While there were other turbo-diesel engines offered in the GU, they were problematic, especially compared with the tough 4.2-litre unit. There was also large-capacity six-cylinder petrol engine, but that has a monstrous thirst as well. Given that you want to tow a camper and do some off-roading, the extra range and fuel efficiency of the turbo-diesel will be a bonus.

The only catch is that this engine was only ever tied to a five-speed manual gearbox, and if you want an automatic, you need to look elsewhere.

We'd recommend the Nissan T32 X-Trail Series II from mid-2017-onwards and Subaru S4 Forester (2013-2018), since they both make strong secondhand buys due to their reliability, economy, ease of operation, spacious interiors, practicality and strong resale values.

The reason why we'd buy the 2017-onwards X-Trail Series II is because it standardises Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). With the Forester, you'll need to skip the lower grades 2.0i-L (manual-only) and 2.5i-L (auto only) for the S and XT for that important safety technology Subaru calls 'EyeSight'. 

The X-Trail comes in front-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations, but the Forester is AWD-only. All automatics are of the continuous variable transmission (CVT) variety, which priorities fuel economy but can make the engine drone under hard acceleration. Subaru calls its CVT Lineartronic while Nissan dubs its version X-Tronic.

Our recommendation is to check the service and maintenance history of any car you buy, to ensure every interval has been met and carried out by a proper dealer or brand specialist. This is especially important with the Forester, as it is a slightly more complicated vehicle mechanically. Note that all Subarus of this generation require six-monthly service intervals, not 12-monthly ones like the Nissan, which might be an inconvenience. 

We'd steer clear of ex-rentals as they tend to have a very hard life (both models were popular with such agencies), though they're almost always the base X-Trail ST and Forester 2.5i-L grades that end up as rental fodder.

If you're thinking about diesel engined versions, the X-Trail in middle-range TL and up-spec TS guises switched from the earlier (2014-2017) Series 1's 1.6-litre turbo-diesel to a much more powerful and effective 2.0-litre unit, so that's worth remembering. In the Forester the 2.0D equates to the mid-level petrol models in terms of equipment levels.

Finally, we recommend a mechanical check-up to see that your potential used-buy has not been subjected to punishing off-road treatment. While both the Forester and X-Trail offer good ground clearances, they're not for off-road use, only light gravel, snow or trail driving.

We hope this helps. Good luck. 

I assume you mean it’s higher than normal, because these were thirsty trucks to begin with. The 4.8-litre petrol six-cylinder engine could easily consume 20 litres per 100km at freeway speeds and a lot more around town or in the bush. Even the turbo-diesels were no sippers.

But a sudden jump in fuel consumption can often be traced back to either tuning or a glitch in part of the fuelling system. Make sure the car is serviced and has a clean air filter and new spark plugs (if it’s a petrol engine). You can also have the fuel-injection system checked to make sure you don’t have a stuck injector that is pouring fuel into the engine when it doesn’t need it.

If the engine is fit and healthy, you can then make sure the car doesn’t have a dragging brake or another mechanical problem that is – literally – dragging it down. Don’t ignore the other basics, either; under-inflated tyres can also cause high fuel consumption. And, have you fitted a roof rack lately? These can easily add a full litre per 100km to your overall consumption figures, just through wind-drag.

Let’s start with the black exhaust pipe. All cars that run on unleaded petrol have a sooty black exhaust. The soot will be thicker if the car isn’t tuned properly, but really, the blackness is just a by-product of burning ULP.

Your oil use of about a litre every 1500km is getting towards the top of what is acceptable. Even then, it’s more than this engine should consume. The fact is that all engines use some oil, but it’s usually not enough to require topping up between oil changes. But with your usage rate, you’d need to keep a close eye on the dipstick.

The oil is clearly going somewhere, so check on the ground under where the car is parked each night and look for a pool of oil that suggests the problem is an external leak rather than internal engine wear. From there, have a workshop conduct a compression and leak-down test. The results of this will tell you if the engine’s internal parts are worn and leading to the oil being consumed.

While the Mitsubishi Outlander is spacious, reliable and easy to drive, our experience testing it against rival medium SUVs have found it to be noisy and a little too firm riding to be truly comfortable and relaxing. At your price point, there are better alternatives out there. 

Have you considered a Mazda CX-5? In petrol or diesel, we have found it to be a superior and more economical proposition, and is definitely quieter and more refined. Plus, the Mazda's all-wheel-drive system is more sophisticated and better at dealing with loose surfaces like sand.

A late-model (post 2014) S5-series Subaru Forester 2.5i petrol is far more economical than the earlier iterations, since it switched to a more efficient CVT continuously variable transmission. And there's also the 2.0D turbo-diesel which is economical. This, too, is a fine SUV on-road or for light off-road driving.

Finally, the Nissan X-Trail diesel is a roomy and capable choice, especially from 2017, when it received a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel to replace the older 1.6L unit.

I’m afraid to say, David, that it sounds like you’ve prematurely ended the engine’s life. I’d say a blown head gasket is just the beginning of your woes here, and it’s likely you’ve `cooked’ the engine; a mechanic’s description for getting the engine so hot inside that the piston rings have lost tension (hence no compression) or parts of the engine have even melted internally, with obvious results. It’s also common for this type of thing to have the engine more or less weld itself together, at which point it won’t even turn over on the starter motor.

You might be lucky and simply have to replace the head gasket, but even then, you’d be wise to have the cylinder head checked for straightness. If the cylinder head is warped (as a result of the heat) then you might need a new one, at which point you might find the cost of repairs suddenly goes beyond the actual value of a 2006 X-Trail. The moral of the story is to keep an eye on the temperature gauge and not to ignore the first signs of the engine beginning to run hot. Pulling up to add water after the thing has overheated is a classic case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

If you do wish to keep the car, my advice would be - once you’ve established the extent of the carnage - to find a good second-hand engine from a wrecked X-Trail and have that fitted. It would almost certainly be the cheaper option in the long run.

It sounds as though the vibration you’re experiencing is coming from the driveline. Perhaps it’s the engine but more likely it’s something in the transmission since the problem is worse when the car changes gear. That the problem occurs when climbing a grade suggests that it’s related to the engine being under load at which point the whole driveline – gearbox and driveshafts – are also loaded up.

It could be something within the transmission itself, a bent driveshaft or even something relatively simple like a worn CV joint. Carefully, and when it’s safe to do so, find a big, open area like a deserted car-park, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left and drive slowly in a tight circle. Now do the same on full right-hand lock. Can you hear any clinking or clunking noises? If you can, you have worn CV joints. If not, you need to dig deeper into the cause and that will require getting the car on a hoist and inspecting the driveline.

If it’s the front indicator globe that’s blown, you need to open the bonnet and work from inside the engine bay. The front indicator globe is held in a plastic component that forms part of the whole headlight assembly. The bit you need to find is right at the outer edge of the headlight assembly, right in the corner of the engine bay. Once you’ve located that (it will have wires coming out of it), a half clockwise twist will allow you to remove the plastic globe holder and change the globe.

If it’s a rear globe, you need to open the hatchback, remove the screws that secure the tail-light assembly and then slide the tail-light free of the car. Turning it over, you’ll see the wiring and some plastic clips that fasten the globe-holder to the whole assembly. By unclipping this holder, you can remove it from the rest of the tail-light and reveal the globes which can then be removed and replaced.

While the later Y62 Nissan Patrol was petrol V8 only (and a thirsty one at that) it’s also way out of your budget. Go back in time to the old faithful GQ model, and you’re going too far back, as these are now quite old vehicles. Which leaves you with the GU model which fits within your budget but is still new enough to be around in good numbers and in good condition.

Within that GU model-window, the version I’d recommend is the earlier 4.2-litre turbo-diesel model built from 1997 to 2007. While there were other turbo-diesel engines offered in the GU, they were problematic, especially compared with the tough 4.2-litre unit. There was also large-capacity six-cylinder petrol engine, but that has a monstrous thirst as well. Given that you want to tow a camper and do some off-roading, the extra range and fuel efficiency of the turbo-diesel will be a bonus.

The only catch is that this engine was only ever tied to a five-speed manual gearbox, and if you want an automatic, you need to look elsewhere.

For a few years from 2005, Nissan sold two types of Navaras in Australia - the all-new big D40 series and the old D22 that dated back from the latter 1990s. 

If you want an inexpensive, compact and hard-wearing truck that's reliable but not very refined nor comfortable, the old D22 is it. Its 3.0L turbo-diesel has proven strong and reliable in this application and the Nissan has a reputation for being as tough as nails.

The larger and newer D40, meanwhile, is the much better choice if space, safety and refinement are priorities, and remained a class-leading proposition right up until the current-generation Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50 and Volkswagen Amarok all moved the pick-up truck game on in 2011. The Spanish-built ST-X is the choice grade, especially in turbo-diesel and 4x4 guise.

The Navara is considered a reliable and dependable truck, but many are also workhorses that lead tough lives and are often neglected or mistreated. If you're after one, please consider having it checked out first by an experienced mechanic.

Known issues include fuel-injection failure, roof rust, premature clutch wear in manual  models, electronics issues, turbo-charger failures and sagging rear springs.

Such problems can apply to any similar truck, so don't be too put off by the D40 Navara. It's a firm used-truck favourite for good reason.