Nissan X-TRAIL 2014 Problems

The engines in the 2014 X-Trail were tuned by Nissan to run perfectly on 91 RON unleaded petrol. That means that if you use the more expensive Premium ULP available (95 or 98 RON) you’ll basically be wasting money. That’s because an engine that isn’t tuned for the Premium brew won’t run any better or use less fuel on PULP.

The other bit of good news is that your vehicle is also compatible with ethanol-blended petrol. That means, you can fill up from the E5 or E10 pump at the service-station and maybe save a few cents per litre in the process.

The CVT transmission in the X-Trail has caused plenty of owners problems over the years. Jerking or shuddering is usually down to one of two things: Either the metal belt inside the transmission which provides the drive is worn and is slipping, or; the transmissions valve body is faulty and needs replacement. Either way, it’s a fairly major repair.

But what you haven’t told me for certain is that your car is, indeed, a CVT-equipped example. In the off-chance that your car has the much rarer conventional manual transmission, then the problem is more likely to be something wrong with the engine that is causing the problem at a particular engine speed (2000rpm in your case). Changing the plugs is a decent first step, but in the longer term, you’ll have more success by having the vehicle scanned and seeing what fault codes are thrown up by the car’s computer.

I would always approach a car’s manufacturer in a case like this, if only because 90,000km is not, in my estimation, an acceptable distance for a transmission to last before it needs total replacement. That said, I wouldn’t hold my breath in this case because the vehicle is well and truly out of warranty.

The other people I’d be talking to would be the RACV. The club will be very concerned to hear that a car it inspected has had such a major malfunction and may have some consumer advice of its own. Then again, if the inspection was a full 18 months ago, then again, I don’t like your chances. But it’s got to be worth a shot.

The other thing that bothers me is that the vehicle is an ex-fleet car, probably a rental car, so despite a full service history, that has to rate as a chequered past. The other part of the problem is that the mechanical layout of the X-Trail makes some repairs very time-consuming, and that’s a great way to jack up the price of any repair work. If it does turn out that you’re on your own, a second-hand gearbox from a wrecked X-Trail might be a better bet than a brand-new one.

It sounds like a problem with the Continuously Variable Transmission, and I would suggest you have it serviced and the transmission oil changed.

The transmission you've got is a CVT type auto, and I would suggest it's got a problem, possibly the computer that controls it. Take it back and demand they properly assess it.

The three cars you name all have merit, none has any major issue to be concerned about and all fit your needs, but you will have to shop around to find them within your age and budget limits.

For your main requirements, I'd avoid all four of your shortlisted models and go for a Subaru Forester or Outback. They are more car-like but will still handle the rough roads.

The CX-5 is the one that gets The Tick. You should only go for diesel for heavy towing or if you drive more than 30,000km a year.