Nissan Problems

We have a few reports of this vibration from readers, so we've asked Nissan for an update on what they're doing to fix it.

What you should take away from this experience is that not all dealers are the same. You should have gone looking for another dealer to do your work a long time ago, one that is closer to your home than the one in Warrnambool. In terms of the servicing of your vehicle, you can get it done at any competent mechanic, providing it is done according to Nissan's schedule. Repairs, however, would need to be done by a Nissan dealership if you wanted them covered by Nissan. If you want to pursue Nissan for lost earnings, then take legal action.

Yes, your issue does sound like it was caused by the torque converter locking up too early. The converter is locked to eliminate the slippage that you normally get when the convertor is not locked, which uses up fuel. Locking the convertor is done to reduce fuel consumption, but doing it too early, as it appears Nissan has done, makes the engine labour and vibrate.

We haven't had any other reports of paint peeling off on Navaras, but we note there are lots of reports of the problem overseas. I would certainly put it on Nissan to repair your car. If you want backup you could talk to a paint specialist like Graeme Cuthbert on 0422 444 335.

We did contact Nissan and asked them why it hadn't been changed, and we were told that there is a flash upgrade available that will correct your vehicle. The simplest solution, they suggested was for you to call Nissan's customer assistance centre on 1800 035 035. They are waiting for your call and I am told they will get arrangements underway.

I suspect you could be correct. I would certainly get the injectors checked.

We have been told the same thing, that it's the way it is set-up and that's it really. I don't believe it would be too big an ask for Nissan to have a service fix available for those people who, like you, find it annoying.

Fuel-injector problems are not confined to Nissan, all brands use much the same injectors and all suffer problems. I reckon you're going to struggle to get any sympathy from Nissan on this one, the vehicle is out of warranty, and you have followed your own service schedule, which at 10,000km intervals suggests you have serviced it every year instead of six months as per Nissan's recommendation. If you feel particularly aggrieved you could contact Nissan directly and express your concerns.

The problem relates to the lock-up torque converter. We have had a number of similar complaints, probably more with the Navara than the Pathfinder, but the same nonetheless. We contacted Nissan about it and were told, "the automatic transmission lock-up setting has been set to optimise fuel economy. Once the vehicle hits 60 km/h the driver needs to depress the accelerator further in order to activate a step-down in gear. This setting does not cause the vehicle to stall. In short, activating a step-down in gear on an incline above a speed of 60 km/h simply comes down to certain driving styles."