Nissan Problems

It’s more than the average kilometres for a 2013 Dualis, but that’s not necessarily a problem. If it’s been serviced regularly it should be fine.

Despite having numerous drivers, who might or might not care about it, it’s generally not something to be overly concerned about. Being a government car you can expect that it has been properly maintained and serviced. It’s quite normal to get a car inspected prior to purchase, and I would urge you to do that. The odometer reading is not high; it falls within the average band for cars of that age.

Yes, it is a good car overall. The best thing is to have it checked by a mechanic experienced in Nissans.

There’s no rule about when cars should or shouldn’t need repair. That Nissan has offered you a deal to cover half the cost of a replacement turbocharger is tantamount to an admission that the turbocharger shouldn’t have failed at that distance. If you feel that Nissan’s offer isn’t up to scratch take them to VCAT.

It is right in the middle of the price guide for that model, and with its relatively low kilometres and history of regular servicing it would seem a fair price.

They did to wear out clutches relatively quickly, and the cost to replace them was high because you had to replace the dual-mass flywheel as well as the clutch. The way around it is to fit an aftermarket heavy-duty clutch and solid flywheel.

You’re looking at the T30 X-Trail, which was a sound model, but it’s now an old car and needs to be assessed as that. On average a 2002/2003 model will have done 200,000 to 300,000 km, so you should expect it to showing some wear and tear. The body should be free of bumps and scrapes, the interior should be clean with no tears in the trim, the engine should be clean and with no oil leaks, and there should be no indications of off-road use. It should have a record of regular service. Expect to pay $2000-$5000.

The first thing to do is to give it a tune-up, with new spark plugs, replace the air cleaner, and clean the throttle body.

It could be that in their opinion the rotors will wear out before the next service, so to avoid the inconvenience of you coming in again just to have the rotors replaced they have recommended they be changed with the pads. But you should ask them why the rotors need to be changed, for instance, are they warped, or perhaps they’re worn-out. Have them tell why instead of just accepting it.