Why you shouldn't buy an Xtrail
dontbuyxtrail
10-22-2008, 03:57 AM
I'll keep this brief ... im writing this so that maybe one other person will avoid the disappointment and expense of owning an Xtrail that I have experienced. They are really, really poor off road - try doing anything more than a 30 second sprint through soft sand and you will find out why... first the 4wd warning light turns on, then 4wd disengages and then you are stuck up to the axle. This happened to me every time I went near the sand. Try Fraser Island or Double Island point ... you will see them regularly being towed out of very "normal" conditions by REAL 4wd's. Maybe all SUV's in the price range are the same.. but believe me, buy a tow rope - you will need it. And don't have any weight in the car - you will almost certainly get stuck.
All that is something I could cope with and probably jsut live with, as I haven't been on the beach for more than 1.5 years .... but my Xtrail has also recently required $3000 for a new gear box after just 66,000 km's. I complained to Nissan - they sent two "fob" off letters, saying it was just out of the 3 year warranty period, therefore - bad luck, they basically didn't give a toss. It was out of the time warranty, but 34% under the distance warranty, which is surely the most relevant indicator of usage anyway? Also, a new gear box after that number of km's? I have had 1980's cars that did 3 times that without needing anything like that in repairs. And a new car, made in 2005, come on - this isn't the 1970's is it? Ironically, I was loyal enough to get it serviced by a Nissan dealer, even though it cost more to me. Amazingly, they even said to me in writing we "give the customer the benefit of any reasonable doubt". So, they may not of even fixed it anyway! "reasonable doubt" quoted to you by a multi-national car company - that's hardly reassuring!
Don't be fooled by the type of marketing that puts crocodiles on top of cliffs in the advertisements like I was - in my experience - absolute LEMON. And it will cost you....
If all you are doing is sealed road, then your test drive around the block is fine for you, and what they want you to do. See what they say when you ask to give it a test on the sand....
Tell your friends!!
All that is something I could cope with and probably jsut live with, as I haven't been on the beach for more than 1.5 years .... but my Xtrail has also recently required $3000 for a new gear box after just 66,000 km's. I complained to Nissan - they sent two "fob" off letters, saying it was just out of the 3 year warranty period, therefore - bad luck, they basically didn't give a toss. It was out of the time warranty, but 34% under the distance warranty, which is surely the most relevant indicator of usage anyway? Also, a new gear box after that number of km's? I have had 1980's cars that did 3 times that without needing anything like that in repairs. And a new car, made in 2005, come on - this isn't the 1970's is it? Ironically, I was loyal enough to get it serviced by a Nissan dealer, even though it cost more to me. Amazingly, they even said to me in writing we "give the customer the benefit of any reasonable doubt". So, they may not of even fixed it anyway! "reasonable doubt" quoted to you by a multi-national car company - that's hardly reassuring!
Don't be fooled by the type of marketing that puts crocodiles on top of cliffs in the advertisements like I was - in my experience - absolute LEMON. And it will cost you....
If all you are doing is sealed road, then your test drive around the block is fine for you, and what they want you to do. See what they say when you ask to give it a test on the sand....
Tell your friends!!
nutshell
03-31-2010, 07:39 AM
ouch, thanks, I'm just chooing a 4x4 right now, so thats helpful stuff my friend!
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