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Nissan's reliability concern for the future...When will they be back? - READ ONLY

17 messages,  Last post on Sep 17, 2012 at 2:09 PM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan, Automotive News

Messages Page 3 of 3

#12 of 17 Re: Yep... [dtownfb] by steve_ HOST

Jun 26, 2009 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: dtownfb (Jun 26, 2009 11:16 am)
Mine's the 3.3 V6.
 
I was reading on Inside Line or somewhere around here last week that interest in minivans is back up. It's tough with Honda and Toyota dominating the import side and, while I like Caravans, you still have to wonder about the company viability.

#13 of 17 Re: Yep... [steve_] by dtownfb

Jun 27, 2009 (8:16 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Jun 26, 2009 1:45 pm)
It's hard to beat the minivan for practicality and space. they are more fuel efficient than vehicles like the big 3 row SUVs or crossovers. The Caravans have nice toys but this model's reliability has been pretty bad. Company aside, I would not buy a GC or TC with better vehicles available no matter if it is cheaper than the Odyssey or Sienna. I bought based on price back in 2001 when I purchased a Malibu over the Accord because it was $25 a month cheaper. Big mistake which I will never do again. Worst car I ever owned and the only car I ever traded in before it was paid off.
 
Nissan needs to focus on consistency esp. with the way the auto market is going.

#14 of 17 Nissan reliability in general by averagecarguy

Oct 25, 2009 (8:17 am)

First - regarding the original poster - reliability is graded D by whom? And for which model or models? I guess I could just as easily say they are rated A or B? or F?
 
Next - 2004 Canton built vehicles - Quest, Titan, Armada (and it's twin Infiniti QX56) - all had more than their fair share of problems. In my view (and I've worked with Nissan for over 15 years), they were asking for trouble there. Building three brand new vehicles, in a brand new plant, staffed with people that had never built cars before. Considering the deck stacked against them, it should be said that it's good that more vehicles that year did not have problems. That plant's products have improved in quality every year since.
 
Every manufacturer (Including Toyota and Honda) has problems. Every manufacturer (Including Nissan and Chrysler) builds vehicles that run like a clock. They also build a lot that fall in between. My gauge of long-term reliability has always been Consumer Reports ratings. Not the written articles, which present the particular bias of the author, but the ratings of the owners themselves which show problems in several areas of the vehicle. Pick up any of the specialty automotive CR magazines provided throughout the year, or pick up the April automotive edition and flip to the "Reliability Ratings" section. Just flip through the pages. Lots of red - good long term reliability. Lots of black - not so much. You'll see that the above three vehicles have created the largest issue with Nissan's longer term reliability. Remove that history and things aren't as bleak as painted above.
 
Generally speaking - the Asian brands (especially the big three) typically offer better long-term reliability than either domestic or European brands. And Hyundai is making great strides.
 
If you lease or buy every two or three years, you'll be fine with most anything. If you keep your cars longer, check out those reliability ratings.

#15 of 17 Re: Nissan's reliability concern for the future...When will they be back? [smarty666] by kms1990

Sep 04, 2012 (8:51 am)

Replying to: smarty666 (Jun 22, 2009 4:20 pm)
i disagree with your assessment of nissan from late 90s early 2000s as i had a 96 sentra i bought for 1500 bucks in 06 with 276k miles and she ran like a dream never a problem in the 2 years i owned it, sod it to neighbor in 08 when i got a 98 pathfinder and he drove it to 400k miles and sold it again i still see it around, as it had a black bumper from a wreck before i bought it and that 98 pathfinder i had til 2011 when i go hit by a woman turning into me pulling out of a mall parking lot and totaled it i got it with 125k miles and 3 years ater it had 156k and no issues except a bad fuel filter that clogged up the injectors ended up costing me $10 for filter and $130 for a professional fuel rail/injector cleaning with some strong solvent

#16 of 17 Re: Nissan's reliability concern for the future...When will they be back? [kms1990] by steve_ HOST

Sep 04, 2012 (8:54 am)

Replying to: kms1990 (Sep 04, 2012 8:51 am)
My '99 Quest is just about to turn over 178,000 miles. Been a dependable ride, and still do a few road trips in it every year.

#17 of 17 Re: Nissan's reliability concern for the future...When will they be back? [waltchan] by waltchan

Sep 17, 2012 (2:09 pm)

Replying to: waltchan (Jun 21, 2007 12:02 pm)
Edited in 2012.....Too many accidental grammatical errors I made in original 2007 post:
 
I'm concerned with Nissan's future, and I don't know if Nissan's reliability score will match Toyota and Honda ever again. Today, all Nissan and Infiniti vehicles receive similar reliability scores found in American cars, and, often, worse than some American and European cars. Most of Nissan's problematic vehicles (Titan, Quest, Armada, QX56) are built in Canton, Mississippi, but there are other Nissan models as well (Maxima, Altima, Sentra, Murano, Frontier, 350Z, etc.) seeing decline in reliability as well. The overall reliability grade mark for Nissan/Infiniti vehicles this year for 2007 is a D (below-average). I think this is a joke. Why buy Japanese when you can buy American with similar quality but at a lower cost.
  
I've been following Consumer Reports auto reliability charts for 20 years now, and it turns out that the 2000 Infiniti QX4 could be the most-reliable Nissan vehicle ever made in history. After 2001, reliability fell hard, along with all Nissan/Infiniti vehicles, and they haven't returned back to their original status. If this is true, then I may pick up a used 2000 Infiniti QX4 and baby it for years to come.
  
Does Nissan actually no longer care for reliability, and is Nissan now focusing towards performance and style? What do you think? It's been seven years already without a true Nissan Japanese quality vehicle. Do you already miss Nissan good old days?
 
Thanks to anyone who can respond.

Messages Page 3 of 3

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