Nissan X-Trail 2016

Nissan X-Trail 2016 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Nissan X-Trail 2016 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Air-conditioning problems in 2016 Nissan X-Trail T32

  This sounds more like a control problem that one with the actual compressor. The body computer is often at fault in cases like this. Part of the body computer’s job is to control things like central locking, power windows and the climate control gear. The fact that the system is cycling between fresh air and recycled air makes us suspect the computer as the culprit. Has this been checked?

  Hopefully, you first raised this issue with Nissan all those years ago when the vehicle was still under warranty. If so, then you have what is called a pre-existing condition and even though the car is now out of warranty, Nissan is still obliged to fix it as if the warranty still applied.

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• Should I buy a Nissan X-Trail or a Mitsubishi Outlander?

  This issue will always come down to the documented service history that each car comes with. A switched-on previous owner will not only have serviced the vehicle by the book, but will also have kept the relevant receipts as proof of this crucial work being done. We'd always choose the vehicle with a big wad of service receipts over a similar car with no (or less) evidence of scheduled maintenance.

  Beyond that, the Nissan clearly has almost 50,000 fewer kilometres on its odometer, so all things being equal it probably nudges ahead at that point. In either case, the CVT transmission fitted to these cars is likely to be the major source of mechanical grief down the track. Both brands' CVT transmissions have been known to give trouble. If that bothers you, then perhaps the one to buy is the Outlander AWD with the turbo-diesel engine option. In that guise, the vehicle has a conventional automatic transmission rather than a CVT.

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• How do I get my digital speedo showing on my 2016 Nissan X-Trail? What settings do I need and what procedure do I follow to show my digital speed?

  From what I can see in the owners’ manual, the X-Trail has the ability to display the vehicle’s current speed as part of the trip computer’s read-out. By scrolling through the various pages offered by the computer, you should be able to find one that gives a readout of current and average speed.

  Later model X-Trails had a proper digital speedometer, but the trip computer version is the best you’ll get in this model.

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• I have a 2016 Nissan X-Trail and wondering what causes a transmission to need replacing?

  A: Transmissions are a wearing part of any car, In the case of the X-Trail, the vehicle used a CVT transmission rather than a conventional automatic. The CVT uses variable pulleys and a steel belt to vary the gearing and allow the engine to accelerate the car efficiently. In decades past, the CVT was not as durable as other types of transmission, although recent advances have made it a more robust unit

  The specific servicing required by a specific vehicle varies from model to model, and there’s also a recent trend towards transmissions that don’t – according to the manufacturer – require much maintenance at all, including regular changes of the transmission fluid. Old school mechanics don’t always agree with this sealed-for-life strategy on the basis that clean fluid never harmed a transmission, while worn out or contaminated fluid certainly can. Heat is the natural enemy of transmission fluid, and if you live in a hot climate and do regular highway driving, chances are the transmission has been pretty hot at times.

  In any case, the experts reckon that 100,000km is the maximum distance you should drive between fluid changes in your Nissan with its CVT. Was this done during your ownership or according to the service records? Nissan’s own servicing notes on this car indicate that the CVT fluid only needs to be checked every 15,000km (and then only for leaks and level) but not replaced. There’s a clause that says if the vehicle is used for towing or in harsh conditions, the fluid should be checked for condition at 90,000km and replaced if necessary.

  Either way, you’re way beyond the factory warranty period. Brand-new, your car would have had a three-year/100,000km warranty (Nissan extended the warranty to five years in 2019) so you’re well beyond both those limits.

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