d40 reliability?

[upthetigers]

Hi guys

New member here. Hoping you can help, I'm sure this has been asked before but need to know pretty quick as im deciding on what car to buy.

I am about to buy my first 4x4 dual cab and i have been looking at the mitsubishi triton glx-r and nissan navara. The tritons sharp price, good looks and 5-10 year warranty got me interested but was a little let down at the feel of the cabin. Felt a bit cheap and squished.

I then took a new 2012 st navara for a test drive and was impressed at the levl of comfort inside the cabin over the triton and the general feeling of being better built. At 42k driveaway I was impressed. I then got home and started some google searches and was quickly dissapointed with what I read. I have seen multiple posts on people having to replace clutches several times within warranty period and timing chains snapping causing engine damage!! Not to mention what i have read about nissan customer service.
I am upgrading to get rid of a car that is giving me constant grief so the last thing i want is an unreliable car that needs to be repaired constantly.
My question is, how likely is it that i will encounter these kind of problems or any problems? Is the d40 really this unreliable? I want a car i can keep for 10 years plus and hopefully not cost me much in repairs so now the triton has jumped ahead on my list.

 

[ourd40]

Hi, Welcome,
You have to think how long nissan have been making the D40 for now without any major changes and how many there are on the roads.
Im sure there are a few that have had problems etc, but what model hasnt?
I knew the risks before i bought mine 5 months ago so far its been a dream to own. Prior to this i had a ba fairmont and knew heaps of them had auto/radiator, ignition, electrical problems and i did 165000kms in it and 9yrs later not a single fault, i loved it.

 

[scottybobcat]

Welcome to the forum mate.

 

[LLadnar]

Welcome to the forum. I've had my d40 for a year and a half now and have had no problems at all.

 

[nathand22]

I dont think it matters what brand you look at, you will always get the odd lemon.

I have done 70k in my 2011 ST and no probs so far, (touch wood)

 

[user 10312]

Only had mine since November last year, done bugger all K's, no probs so far. Which probably dosen't help much but I know 2 other friends with D40's one is a 09 and manual, he probably does more K's off road than on. Tows camper everywhere and with 80,000 K's no probs with the clutch or anything else. The other bloke has an auto 06, done 150,000 and no probs at all.
There is D40 horror stories out there but dig deep enough and you can find them for all the 4WD's in this class.

Edit: However if you are going to tow somthing heavy an Auto may be the go no matter what you choose.

 

[morticus]

I heard that the Triton isnt very good when it comes to servicing, and the 5-10 yr warranty might only be applicable if you have Mitsubishi service it. Mate i looked at the Triton as well before buying our D40, because i needed something with a bit more room in the back for a baby seat. I think they look a bit plastic, the wheel arches look rediculous and instead of putting a step made out of metal at the back end, its just some black plastic. All this coupled with how much better the D40 sat on the road, it felt much more stable, made the desicion quite easy for me. IMO, there are only 2 manufacturers that make proper utes and 4x4. Thats Nissan and Toyota.

And lets not forget about this big family you will join by owning a Navara, one of the best utes on the road today!

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome to the forum.

I think the first challenge for you to do is to search the net for info on the Mishitibus Triton in the same way you searched for info on the Navara. Complaints Corner is filled with problems for both vehicles.

The newer Navaras are coming out with single mass flywheels so the clutch problems are being avoided. Timing chains (actually the tensioner is the fault) might be an issue but not always - mine are fine after 90,000km.

Fuel economy between the two models seems to be reasonably similar. They both tow the same capacity.

It'll come down to personal preference in the end. It doesn't matter which way you jump, you could still land a lemon, there's no predicting that part of it. A good dealer is important - some Nissan dealers have not performed as well as you would expect but I suspect the same is true for other makes - they are, after all, an agent for the manufacturer and not the manufacturer themselves.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[upthetigers]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like there have been good and bad stories with them.
Just seemed like on the product review website the tritons have much more happy owners than Navara and problems that are experienced are more minor.

Old Tony, the salesman also told me that the dual flywheel clutch has been replaced in 2012 models but I asked him to send me something to prove it and nothing came through.
Have you got any information on this? I have searched the web but cant find anything.

Any dealers you can recommend in Sydney? I was looking at ryde nissan

 

[Old.Tony]

Nissan issued a bulletin some time last year advising dealers that the Navara D40s during 2012 would lose their DMFs in favour of returning to the SMF. I've read from one person on this forum that their new D40 manual runs a SMF but apart from this you'd have to get them to check the build info on the vehicle.

Personally I drive an auto so the problem isn't a problem for me - the auto is superior for towing, and since the torque converter locks into a direct drive above 75km/h there's not a lot of difference in economy between the two out on the highway.

I can't help with Sydney dealers. I bought mine from Newcastle, and I am very happy with the service I receive from them.

 

[wade193]

I bought mine new in Dec 11 and love it. The only issue i have had is with the rubbers around the rear passenger side rubber and the drivers door. But they are being replaced without drama.
I go to Nissan at Sutherland and they have been really good to deal with (apart from the time they over filled my car with oil, lucky i checked)
If you search hard enough you will find problems with all makes and models of cars. I did what you did, then bought what i liked the best.

 

[upthetigers]

Thanks for the replies.
I've decided on the Navara. Spoke to a guy today who had the new stx550 and he said he was on his 6th Navara with no serious problems over that time so that's enough for me
Going to wait until the end of the month when I may be able to get the best deal and go for a black Navara ST 4x4. Now just need to decide if I want a hard top or canopy!

 

[Old.Tony]

Hard-top/canopy choice will depend on what you want to put in the back. If you're going touring then the canopy is probably the ONLY choice you can make - jerry cans will NOT fit standing up under a hard lid. Some fridges are too tall to fit under the hard lid too.

 

[ourd40]

Hard-top/canopy choice will depend on what you want to put in the back. If you're going touring then the canopy is probably the ONLY choice you can make - jerry cans will NOT fit standing up under a hard lid. Some fridges are too tall to fit under the hard lid too.

I just brought a couple of plastic 20lt jerry cans that sit perfectly under the cover and are harder to tip over from supercheap, they look pretty good quality and didnt leak.

 

[ourd40]

sorry bunnings..

 

[upthetigers]

I have the plastic jerry cans from supercheap which have lasted me almost 2 years.
Only other concern would be the esky as they are pretty big now.
Have any of you ever tried sleeping in the back of the tray? I do a bit of camping and wondering if I would be able to fit in the back on a small air mattress with the canopy and if it would be sealed off enough to not have to worry about waking up next to an eight legged friend?

 

[KraftyPg]

Obviously whether you can fit in the tub depends on how tall you are. DC's only have a tub length of about 1.5m (KC's are about 1.8m), a standard mattress wont fit in that size but you could make one fit. But sealing it from spiders is impossible even without Nissan thoughtfully installing the massive gaps between the body and the tailgate.

 

[upthetigers]

Quick follow up.
Went out today and bought a black ST auto 4x4 with hard tonneu cover, bonnet protector and floor mats. Pick it up on Monday Thanks for everyones help.