You’re fully aware, of course, that the money you paid at the dealership when you bought your Nissan (or any other car brand, for that matter) is not the last sum you’re going to spend on your vehicle. Aside from operating costs like fuel, taxes, and rego fees, the biggest chunk goes to servicing, repairs, and Nissan auto parts, and that's what we're going to dive into today.
So are Nissan cars expensive to maintain?
It depends on the model. Nissans with a 4-cylinder petrol engine, e.g., the Qashqai, are reasonably affordable to maintain. An exemption to this is the Navara diesel, which proves to be very cost-effective maintenance-wise with its friendly service interval of 12 months/20,000 km. The servicing of Pathfinders, Patrols, and other V6’s and V8’s are generally expensive.
How often do I need to have my Nissan car serviced?
Manufacturers require regular servicing of new cars bought from them, and this is important for you to keep your vehicle in good health and prevent costly repairs in the future.
Nissan offers a capped servicing plan, called myNissan Service Certainty, which covers all Nissan models for six years. This program ensures that your car will be handled by technicians who are factory-trained to do the job and that parts used are genuine Nissan parts. The idea behind the capped servicing program is that you can calculate what you’ll spend for your next servicing—no surprises!
Servicing intervals measured in months or kilometres (whichever comes first) vary per model but are generally short. Why is this information important? Shorter intervals mean more frequent visits and more expensive maintenance. Take the following example comparing a Qashqai and Pathfinder Hybrid:
- Qashqai – average cost per servicing visit is $380.00 for an interval of 12 months or 10,000 kilometres
- Pathfinder Hybrid – average cost per servicing is $380 for an interval of 6 months or 7,000 kilometres
So while both cost the same on average to service, the Pathfinder will need at least two scheduled maintenance visits per year, which means twice the cost.
Do these costs include repair and replacement parts for a Nissan car?
No, these are only average costs for minor or major servicing, which will include tune-up for the first few visits, thorough check-up of all car parts, and replacement of worn-out Nissan auto parts during the advanced years of your car. The idea is to reduce the chances of costly repairs along the way.
When there is significant damage to your car due to accidents, repair costs and replacement parts for Nissan add to the total expense, but thankfully, you have your insurance provider to handle that.
The price of car parts and where you source them increase your maintenance cost, but these are expenses inherent to owning a car, so you should be prepared. The advantage of using genuine Nissan parts from authorised Nissan dealers is that a 12-month/20,000-km warranty covers them.
After the capped servicing period, which is six years for Nissan cars, you may opt to get your vehicle serviced by a trusted mechanic or auto shop. You can use our directory to find a reliable mechanic near you.
Nissan cars are reliable cars that do not use many specialty parts, so it's easier (and cheaper) to source non-genuine Nissan parts.
What are the usual maintenance issues of Nissan cars?
Maintenance issues are also model-dependent. For instance, Nissan Altimas of the 2013 model year get frequent complaints on its cooling and heating functions, transmissions, windscreen and windows, and interior trims.
Aside from the routine tune-up and fluids replacement, some of the more common issues addressed during regular servicing on Nissans are replacing brake pads and headlight bulbs and repair of AC and heater.
Bottom Line
Whether it’s a Nissan or another car, what’s important is that you don’t neglect it. Maintenance is the key to its longer serviceable life, so don’t miss any of its scheduled servicing in the first few years. In fact, you shouldn’t miss car servicing even during the lockdowns.
After the capped servicing plan period, you should continue with this maintenance routine, be it with Nissan dealerships near you or your chosen mechanic. You may even DIY it, but you should be aware of the pros and cons of servicing your own car. Another cost-cutting approach would be to use aftermarket Nissan parts or used Nissan auto parts and source them yourself.
You don’t need to grope in the dark because you can use online auto part locators these days, such as the CarPart Finder. It’s a no-fuss tool that you can use to locate sellers of new, used, aftermarket, OEM, or genuine Nissan parts. How does it work? It's no-fuss like I said, so simply fill out this online form and wait for quotes from sellers to come your way.