Nissan Pulsar Problems

The car world has changed a lot since your Pulsar Q was a top-drawer choice and these days I would recommend the Mazda2, which gets The Tick and should be similar money but slightly easier to handle.

It looks as if Nissan Australia has not communicated nearly well enough with its dealers. We've also had an update from the Juke owner with a similar issue — numerous dealers are still quoting the outdated service details.

If it's a manual it could be that she's trying to drive it in too high a gear and she should change down to a lower one. If it's automatic I would be looking at the engine idle settings to make sure that they are correct and the engine is not idle is not set too low. Changing fuel makes no sense at all.

Some dealers are using extra service items to boost their profitability but I have not had any manufacturer tell me about the need for fuel or air care cleaning. Never authorise work outside the official service and ask for replaced parts to be returned to you.

The GTI is a much better drive and a much better car. But if price comes first you'll will get a great fantastic deal on a Pulsar, including the ST-S that comes with the SSS engine and is still hugely overstocked.

$14,340 is at the upper end of the used car price range for the model, but it’s still a significant saving over the new car price and in my view it does represent a better deal than buying a new car.

It's not just about the 'plate" but about the build date. That is the start of a car's life. The build dates will depend on which model of Pulsar you want to buy. Since it's a calendar date, you'll have to wait for next year.

Just about every small car will match the space of the Tiida so you have two choices, go for a class leader such as the Mazda3 or return to Nissan for a value deal on the Pulsar. The Mazda gets The Tick but the Nissan is very good value.

If a car is built in 2013 then it's a 2013 model and that's how it will be judged at resale time. You're probably already getting a big discount because 2014 is nearly over and dealers are desperate to clear any cars from last year.

CVT transmissions in general have been the subject of criticism; it's not only Nissans that can be affected. CVT transmissions are not new; they've been used since the 1970s when they were fitted to DAFs. General Motors looked at them in the 1980s, but abandoned the plan to build them in France for use throughout the GM world, including Holden. The problem was the Van Dorn belt, which is the heart of the transmission. In those days they wouldn't handle high torque, so they were ok on small engines, but on larger engines, such as a six-cylinder. They've come a long way since those days and they are much better, but they can still have problems. The things to look for are slipping on take-off and shuddering. It's not something you should be overly concerned about, but it's something you should be aware of and conscious about. The use of fish oil is a good idea if you live near the sea. Even though cars today use good quality steel treated to prevent rust the extra protection of fish oil makes it worth doing.