I bought one of these less than 2 months ago. The 1st gear needs revving and is a nuisance before engaging - otherwize the engine simply stalls. (I'm not technical in these matters and I may be using the wrong words/terms to describe the problem.) Nissan is trying to fob me off with 'it's a Nissan thing, etc'. I have had zero experience with Nissan or pick-ups before now.

Would be most grateful for comments on this by Nissan owners. I want to establish the facts and then decide the best course of action with the dealer.

This is in Chiangmai.

Sounds like the clutch is ''dragging' IE not fully disengaging when you depress the pedal fully could be the clutch unit itself or linkage/hudraulics/cable whatever type operates it. I would have thought a course of action of 'It's a Nissan thing' so Nissan better fix it or ill do a 'falang' thing showing the service manager a depiction of the truck draped in 'This is rubbish' placards outside the showroom would be appropriate.

Sounds like the clutch is ''dragging' IE not fully disengaging when you depress the pedal fully could be the clutch unit itself or linkage/hudraulics/cable whatever type operates it. I would have thought a course of action of 'It's a Nissan thing' so Nissan better fix it or ill do a 'falang' thing showing the service manager a depiction of the truck draped in 'This is rubbish' placards outside the showroom would be appropriate.

Thanks for your comment. Does your hunch fit the fact that the problem does not occur with the higher gears? And is this a serious problem or one easily remedied?

Tomorrow I'm going there when I will

a) drive the garage's demo truck to establish beyond doubt that the flaw is not a universal Nissan thing, and

ask them to fix or change the relevant part - failing which I want to take it to the higher level, including Nissan

c) and failing that yes, I will tell them that I shall publicize as widely as I can their failing not only of the truck but also the garage.

Are you able to put the transmission into 2nd gear without any problems? I'm talking about putting it into second gear first rather than trying first gear.

It is possible that there is a synchronizer problem with first gear.

Well the latest step in this piece of bad luck in my purchase is:

- I was shown a ring about 9" diameter (sitting on a contraption of the same diameter and some inches high).

- This ring's surface apparently had burn marks and I was told this happens because the truck was being driven with overuse of the clutch

- I told him that I do not, after 30 years of driving, drive in that way and there had to be some other reason.

- I was told that I should leave the truck at the garage to await the arrival of the Nissan own technician (from Bkk) who would look over the gearbox and

if he found a flaw there would authorize putting in a new gearbox under warranty - otherwize.....well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Unfortunately it might be as long as a month before he turns up, with the truck laid up there for the duration.

I think there must be some connexion with a faulty gearbox because I did on one occasion hear loud noises changing even higher gears - which they fixed, but still left me with the shudder when engaging 1st from stationary. Here's hoping the Nissan man knows his onions better than the dealer's man here and/or will have the decency to authorize the replacement.

Thanks to all who responded to me, and to whom I felt I owed this update.

Well the latest step in this piece of bad luck in my purchase is:

- I was shown a ring about 9" diameter (sitting on a contraption of the same diameter and some inches high).

- This ring's surface apparently had burn marks and I was told this happens because the truck was being driven with overuse of the clutch

- I told him that I do not, after 30 years of driving, drive in that way and there had to be some other reason.

- I was told that I should leave the truck at the garage to await the arrival of the Nissan own technician (from Bkk) who would look over the gearbox and

if he found a flaw there would authorize putting in a new gearbox under warranty - otherwize.....well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Unfortunately it might be as long as a month before he turns up, with the truck laid up there for the duration.

I think there must be some connexion with a faulty gearbox because I did on one occasion hear loud noises changing even higher gears - which they fixed, but still left me with the shudder when engaging 1st from stationary. Here's hoping the Nissan man knows his onions better than the dealer's man here and/or will have the decency to authorize the replacement.

Thanks to all who responded to me, and to whom I felt I owed this update.

Appears you were shown your clutch plate and cover (faulty for whatever reason perhaps a Nissan technition slipped it like mad to fix your higher gear fault? ). Think you need to put pressure on dealer via direct negotiations only with Nissan Thailand in future to remedy problem speedily and should insist on being present when Nissan technician inspects parts with somebody perhaps with mechanical knowledge to even up the two sides, also i would tell them it's pretty poor that in Thailand's 2nd largest city Nissan has what appears to be a "knob" running their service dept who can't even approve repairs as simple as a straight clutch/gearbox problem and this could affect any future vehicle purchases via correspondence or verbally depending on the outcome of the inspection.

Let us know how it works out. If the clutch pressure plate is burned, someone has slipped the clutch BIG time for one reason or another.

Premature clutch and/or gearbox wear common in Navara :-

http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/update/d...ay.asp?aid=1462

http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/nissan/...eviews/25502-14

Cheers

Those models with the clutch/gearbox problems are the ones assembled in the Spain factory for Europe, where are the Aussie models built?,. Nissan also build Navara's in South Africa & Phillipines.

The complaints are from mainly the 4x4 model -D40 owners too..

My 07 4x2, 88k,km's now, still sweet, not heard any probs with the Samut Prakan assembled one- but I do'nt get out much

Those models with the clutch/gearbox problems are the ones assembled in the Spain factory for Europe, where are the Aussie models built?,. Nissan also build Navara's in South Africa & Phillipines.

The complaints are from mainly the 4x4 model -D40 owners too..

My 07 4x2, 88k,km's now, still sweet, not heard any probs with the Samut Prakan assembled one- but I do'nt get out much

Yes, mine is a 4x4.

As a further report, some days ago Nissan dealer here changed the clutch and the Nissan people in Bkk rang to tell that 1) i shouldn't worry about the gearbox because the clutch shudder wouldn't have anything to do with it, and 2) the noises I had heard once from the gearbox must have been a one-off because i handled the gear change very roughly, and 3) if anything serious did develop I had a 3-year warranty on the pick-up.

The clutch judder in 1st gear has gone. However I find the gearing in 1st gear very low. Is this normal? Perhaps because there are 5 more gears up. I'd be very interested to have the comment of another owner of this pickup on this point.

As a further report, some days ago Nissan dealer here changed the clutch and the Nissan people in Bkk rang to tell that 1) i shouldn't worry about the gearbox because the clutch shudder wouldn't have anything to do with it, and 2) the noises I had heard once from the gearbox must have been a one-off because i handled the gear change very roughly, and 3) if anything serious did develop I had a 3-year warranty on the pick-up.

The clutch judder in 1st gear has gone. However I find the gearing in 1st gear very low. Is this normal? Perhaps because there are 5 more gears up. I'd be very interested to have the comment of another owner of this pickup on this point.

all tests I have read on Navara, state 1st 2nd and 3rd gears are unusual low, and then a too large gap to 4th.

As a further report, some days ago Nissan dealer here changed the clutch and the Nissan people in Bkk rang to tell that 1) i shouldn't worry about the gearbox because the clutch shudder wouldn't have anything to do with it, and 2) the noises I had heard once from the gearbox must have been a one-off because i handled the gear change very roughly, and 3) if anything serious did develop I had a 3-year warranty on the pick-up.

The clutch judder in 1st gear has gone. However I find the gearing in 1st gear very low. Is this normal? Perhaps because there are 5 more gears up. I'd be very interested to have the comment of another owner of this pickup on this point.

all tests I have read on Navara, state 1st 2nd and 3rd gears are unusual low, and then a too large gap to 4th.

Thank you for that response, kata - very helpful and fits what I see in mine.