21st Feb 2001, 15:07
Have to agree that the GX is a total waste of money. I have the GTSE and find it to be the best car I've ever driven. You really should have outlayed slightly more cash at the start and you would have enjoyed your driving experience a lot more. You can't really expect to buy a standard model such as the GX and expect the performance and handling of a GT.
22nd Mar 2001, 08:56
Crap, crap and more crap... I drive a supposed performance Nissan, I'll re-phrase that, I have driven a performance Nissan for approx. two weeks out of five months since buying.
Dealers are crap, attitude and technical know how are attrocious which is out of order considering how much they charge for parts and labour. Someone told me recently that Nissan are basically the Ford of the Japanese car world... after owning a performance Toyota I can see why!
Never again, a relative owns a 100NX and swears by it, but dealer couldn't diagnose a grinding noise coming from the front of the car when braking. Turned out to be brake pads worn low! Also conned into a having wiring loom in the engine bay replaced, first thing tried on me and after looking further a field this seems like the Nissan money maker with other people being stung also.
Could go on and on and on... nevermind Ford, more like Skoda c1970's.
3rd May 2001, 16:46
Tsk tsk, children!
Listen up.
This is for the grieving owner of what can be called the Black Sheep of the family.
You have obviously been given that once on a blue moon, badly put together car.
Remember these things are mass produced, and sometimes one slips through the net.
And as for the dealer, kick his butt and don't take no for an answer. If all Don't take it out solely on Nissan.
OK you've had a raw deal, so blame the dealer. And write to Nissan UK about him. Simply make as much noise as you can. Don't condemn an otherwise fabulous car
Nissan are good cars, and 99 out of 100 owners swear by them. As do I.
16th Aug 2001, 05:06
Very strange comments about the handling, as I have owned several Primera's and they all handle like they are on rails, and reliability has been top notch. As has been said before, it appears you had a Friday afternoon car. If you want real unreliability try a Ford, they're a real challenge to own.
25th Feb 2006, 16:46
This woeful story sounds too bad to be true, but I guess Friday afternoon cars do still occur.
I owned a Nissan Primera 2.0 SRi from April 2001, until February 2005, and that car gave me nothing, but pleasure from the moment I first drove it until I said a sad farewell. It was very fast, and it stuck to the road like an ink-stain to a piece of blotting paper (or words to that effect). She was ultra-reliable too. The only time that car failed to start first time, was when my fingers accidentally slipped off the the ignition key.
Performance was brilliant. She would lose all, but the fastest BMW's on a winding road, and would easily do 115 MPH in 3rd gear. Remarkably, the car was quieter at 120 MPH than at 80 (not that I drove at those speeds in Britain naturally).
Fuel economy was very good for a 2 litre engine. She would return nearly 40 miles per gallon if driven carefully. She was comfortable, and spacious enough for five adults, and loads of luggage.
Servicing costs were very reasonable, even at the main local Nissan dealership, and that was chiefly because nothing ever needed to be replaced except minor things like the occasional windscreen wiper blade.
I would certainly have bought another Primera had Nissan not replaced a great car with a mediocre one, and the latest incarnation saw me move away from the brand altogether and opt for a Ford Focus C-Max to my great and eternal regret. Now the C-Max really IS a pile of junk! I am just about to lose that thing after just 15 months in favour of a brand new Mazda 3 2.0 Sport in the hope the Mazda will give me back some of the qualities my old Primera had. I want to go back to a car that puts a smile on my face rather than a stain on my underpants!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Had I known 15 months ago what rubbish and disappointment lay in store, I would have kept my trusty old Primera which looked and drove a treat. I would have lobbied Nissan to produce an updated version with the old car's qualities and running gear, but without the French connection in the form of the latest model's questionable looks.
I go along with the others contributors I'm afraid - my Primera was nothing short of fantastic. I just wish I could buy a brand new Nissan Primera 2.0 SRi today.
Tad, Cambridge UK
9th Dec 2008, 00:03
It would seem that from reading Renault reviews from 2002 onwards, that not only have they ruined Renault, but now that they have a finger in Nissan's pie.
The reliability of Nissans has gone from 10/10 to 3/10. Renault should butt out of Nissan and stop ruining Nissan cars as they have done to their own.
I own a 1999 V reg Primera Sport+ Auto and it's a great car, this was from the era just before Renault came into the equation and then Nissan's were great cars. I certainly do not like the 2002 Primera onwards - it's hideous, only Renault could design something so damn ugly, and from the reviews on here, that's where reliability problems started as well.
When I go to my Nissan dealer for the few parts that my car needs, the prices are just sheer extortion and the staff, whilst polite, just try to rip me off with things my car does not need - for instance, I needed a new plip key so I went to Nissan and they made me wait nearly 2 hours while they did it for me, but then when it came to paying, it was evident they had been doing a 'health check' on my car as well. They trumped up all these jobs that needed doing such as the CVT fluid being 'Low and dirty' - cost £100 to rectify. I checked it myself and it was fine. This is obviously the Renault influence again - "Rob em blind and bleed em dry!" If you have owned a Renault - as I have (1999 Laguna) then you will know what I mean.
The point of all this is that if you want a reliable Nissan, go for one made before Renault bought the company, around about 2000.
Renault is a disgrace of a company who build absolute rubbish, ugly and unreliable cars. They are now successfully ruining Nissan, who were a great car manufacturer once.
16th Dec 2010, 13:00
I can't agree more with the reliability of the Nissan Primera.
I have a 1.6 Si and the only thing I can say, is it's a little under powered. But the handling and driving experience is second to none. From cars of the same year, nothing comes close. It's handling is perfect, gear changes, engine noises, nothing short of perfect. When I bought the car, I don't think it was well treated, but I put that right straight away. It's 100% reliable, chain driven so no belt worries, regular oil & filter changes are the key and it will go forever. Mine has done 92,000 and I have no doubt it will do another 92,000. I genuinely believe rust will kill these cars before anything mechanical.
As of 2002 however, I'd never touch another Nissan after Renault bought them out after nearly going bankrupt. The new style Primera is horrendous, the 2.2 diesel being the least reliable just adding to the the reputation of French cars!
The last of the Japanese Primeras were the 2002 Primera 144s. the most reliable being the 96-99 models.
Such a sad affair for what was a very reliable car manufacturer.
16th Feb 2001, 04:47
I have one of these cars and I have to say I disagree with everything you have said. The handling is excellent, build quality is top notch and I have never spent a penny on the car except service items and tyres and exhausts. The car is 6 years old with 80,000 on the clock. I use to drive Vauxhalls but I have had 3 Nissan's and I think they are on a different level to everything else of similar price.