2021 Nissan NV

Extemely reliable

Sunday, March 29, 2020

265,000 and still going strong on my 13 Original Motor and tranny not missing a beat

Durable engine. Handles well even with high roof.

Monday, April 29, 2019

After 230,000 highway miles of cross-country critical deliveries, this vehicle is still in very good condition. I've used Mobil 1 full synthetic motor oil, changed at 5000 to 8000 mile intervals. The oil pressure is the same as when the van was new, and the engine uses 1 quart at a rate of every 5000-6000 miles, the same as when the van was new. This was my second NV3500SL and I love them. If I could offer design improvements, I would make the rear doors fold flatter to the sides and have stronger magnets. I would design a bumper stop to help prevent forklift damage. I would incorporate dual exhaust to help the engine breathe better. I would incorporate better cargo restraints on the floor and the side walls. The D-rings are flimsy and un-reliable. I would offer other flooring more suited for hauling freight, such as a wooden floor or a composite floor. I get about 12 MPG combined, and when towing, it only reduces to around 11 MPG. The engine is a beast. It tows 10,000 lbs. almost effortlessly. I have the high roof, and it handles well in high winds compared to the Sprinters I've driven. It handles better over-all, but the ride is slightly more firm. These vehicles would be great for use as ambulances.

Perfect van for a large family!

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

We bought this van in 2013 after our 2009 suburban gave us nothing but heartache. Many miles of trouble free driving. But before you buy one of these, know that there are 3 catalytic converters. The one’s in the manifold are prone to fail. When it happens, it’s $2600.00 to fix. Nissan knows it’s a problem so we called Nissan customer care and got some money back. If it happens after 70k miles you will not get any discount. Our’s went out at 63k and they only replaced the bad manifold’s cat. So I have to worry about the other side going bad on a long trip. That is not fun, basically ruins your vacation especially when you hear $2600.00 to fix and 3 days to get the parts and fix. Mechanic blamed me for purchasing cheap gas. I think that’s an excuse for shoddy engineering. I guess it was what they had to do to get it to pass 50 states emissions. Exhaust gases are extremely hot right when they leave exhaust ports. That’s where the cat sits, so it has extreme temp changes between engine running and not. Which equals wearing out before 100k. Mine looked like a gray rock stuck in manifold, supposed to look like a tiny honeycomb for exhaust to pass through. So it ran very badly this way.