Nissan Plays Down 'Snapped' Navara Fears After Facebook Group Hits The News

Nissan is facing tough questions after a number of Navara pickups appear to have snapped between the cab and load bay.

On a disputed number of units, the central point of the chassis is apparently prone to rusting, and since it’s a stressed part of the car’s principal structure, it eventually snaps. Nissan has allegedly known about the issue for a year, according to two national newspapers.

Pictures of several snapped Navaras have been posted to a dedicated Facebook group for affected owners. Several look to have snapped when being loaded with trailers, and others snapped while being driven.

The 4x4 drivetrain should stop the two parts of the chassis separating at low speed, but this is clearly still a significant problem.

Nissan is now being urged to recall the D40 model wholesale to reassure owners of unaffected models that they have nothing to fear. Conservative MP Huw Merriman, a member of the Parliamentary Transport Select Committee, is leading the call.

He said: “To reassure the public, Nissan would be well advised to recall all affected vehicles.

“If, as they say, there are only a small amount impacted then it shouldn’t be a costly exercise in ensuring that these vehicles really are safe to be on the road.”

The D40 was built between 2004 and 2015. It suffered a blow to its reputation in 2008 after scoring a ‘one-star strikethrough’ crash safety rating before a vital software upgrade raised that to three stars, and, in fairness, the highest overall score for a pickup at the time.

The company has so far ‘strongly disputed’ the idea that all D40 Navaras are affected, and has told The Sun and MailOnline separately that measures are in place to help owners with Navaras rusting in this way.

No specific remedy is on the table, but Nissan has told CT that:

“As long as these vehicles are properly maintained, serviced and MOT’d they are safe to drive, and therefore we are dealing with each customer on a case by case basis. As is standard industry practice, we only recall a vehicle when there’s a safety issue.

“Depending on the age of the vehicle, measures include a free and independent inspection of the vehicle where appropriate on older vehicles. If that inspection shows there’s an issue, we’ll do the right thing by the customer under our warranty and customer service policies.”

Remedial action could include simply telling the customer what repairs need to be carried out but not paying for them, part-paying for repairs, covering the whole cost of the fix or even replacing the broken vehicle, a Nissan spokesman has told us.

“We’ve put measures in place to quickly resolve the concerns of any customers who have contacted us about this.

“Any concerned customers should contact the Nissan Care team on 0330 123 1231. Our team is on hand to help and can advise on the most appropriate course of action for each customer and their vehicle.”