Nissan X-TRAIL 2018 Problems

It sounds as though something is loose in the transmission and is vibrating (the noise you hear) when the brakes are applied and the load is taken off the transmission. Then, when the brakes are released, the load reapplies to the transmission (as the car begins to creep forward) and whatever is rattling is suddenly under load again and stops making the noise.

This could be down to something in the transmission itself, and if that’s the case, could be a worn torque converter. This is the component that actually turns the engine’s power into a force that drives the transmission and, eventually, the wheels. Inside the torque converter is a series of vanes. If one of these is loose or damaged, a rattle can be the result.

However, before you rush to that conclusion, have a good look under the car. There’s every chance the noise is a simple case of a heat shield, bash-plate or even part of the exhaust system rattling at a particular engine frequency. When you take your foot off the brake and the car starts to move, the engine revs change, the vibration frequency changes at the same time, and whatever it is stops rattling. An internally broken catalytic converter is also a prime suspect for producing a rattle at certain vibration frequencies.

It sounds like a characteristic of the CVT rather than a tuning issue.

The short answer is yes, but you would need to get another wheel to mount the new spare tyre on, and you might have to think about where you might carry it in the car.

It depends how "off-road" you actually want to go. Mild, well-graded fire trails and a little bit of light beach or snow work are easily handled by the X-Trail, but deep ruts, moderate 4x4 trails, or deep powdery sand and snow will catch the X-Trail out.

The current model Nissan X-Trail is the third-generation of the popular soft-roader and was initially unveiled in 2013. The range was updated for the 2017 model year with a thorough facelift, which should see it through to an expected replacement date of approximately 2020 - possibly debuting in mid-to-late 2019.

The third-generation Nissan X-Trail is 4641mm long.

Both petrol and diesel, two wheel drive and four wheel drive X-Trails are rated to tow 750kg unbraked and 1500kg worth of braked trailer.

While you can program traditional ignition barrel-based keys in the car, modern smart key fobs need to be coded to the individual car's computer as that controls the security system. This means the easiest way to program a new key fob to your X-Trail is to take it to a Nissan dealer or qualified locksmith as they have the specialist software to do the job.

The Nissan X-Trail is made in Nissan's facilities in Japan (Kanda, and Fukuoka), as well as Saint Petersberg in Russia, Dalian in China, Purwakarta in Indonesia, Serendah, Malaysia, Miaoli in Taiwan, Samut Prakan in Thailand, Tennessee in the USA, and Busan in South Korea.

The Nissan X-Trail is made in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive (4WD) variants. While it is not regarded as a serious 4x4 it is a capable machine in sand and light dirt situations.