Nissan Navara unsafe: (1 star only !)

peasant

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7264155.stm

The European body responsible for testing new cars has demanded a pick-up truck be recalled after it received one of the worst ever crash safety scores.
Euro NCap said the Nissan Navara's poor design made deaths and serious injuries more likely in an accident.

The tests showed its airbags opened too slowly and seatbelts did not provide enough protection during a collision.

But Nissan said the airbag problem was limited to 2008 models and invited owners to have settings changed.

The Nissan Navara scored just one star out of a possible five in the Euro NCAP test. The Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck also scored poorly, gaining only two stars.

BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the Navara was marketed as a "rough and tough" off-road vehicle, which has become increasingly popular as a recreational motor.

He said the tests also found that the "body shell wasn't strong enough and the foot well deformed on impact putting the driver at risk of injuries from the foot pedals".

Euro Ncao is an independent body that crash tests cars on sale in Europe, and Nissan has asked it to publish test results for the modified Navara.

Seth Brundle

The Chinese cars sound safer!

L1011

kbannon wrote: »

The Chinese cars sound safer!

The Chinese car most likely to appear on the roads here soon *had* a 4 star rating, wonder will the new manufacturing affect it (Rover 75/"Roewe 750", arriving at a SsangYong dealer near you soon...)

Bendihorse

Im not surprised... To add to that, they are way to light to drive given high centre of gravity and amount of airflow thats pushed under the nose, it feels ready to take off at anything over 60mph. It skits all over the road in any conditions and the back end is lethal for losing traction on corners because theres no counter balance to keep the wheels on the tar when your not carrying anything in the back end. Withdraw it and try again i say. Nil Points.

Auto Consulting

That's very interesting about the Navara. It's a great looking 4x4, I'd like to see the updated results for the most recent model.

I've driven a few Navaras and they're really nice to drive, it's very easy to lose the back going around corners. That's true of any pick up though.

peasant

Here it is from the horses mouth:

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/nissan_navara/317.aspx

SV

.....

Wow.


So much for people thinking they're safer in bigger cars!
Think I'll stick in my Clio!

unkel

Bendihorse wrote: »

Im not surprised... To add to that, they are way to light to drive given high centre of gravity and amount of airflow thats pushed under the nose, it feels ready to take off at anything over 60mph. It skits all over the road in any conditions and the back end is lethal for losing traction on corners because theres no counter balance to keep the wheels on the tar when your not carrying anything in the back end. Withdraw it and try again i say. Nil Points.

Agreed. I'm surprised it's getting any stars at all. It's a pick up truck, not a car!

peasant

unkel wrote: »

Agreed. I'm surprised it's getting any stars at all. It's a pick up truck, not a car!

The very similar Mitsubishi LS 200 scored four stars, the Isuzu (whatever its name is) only two.

mike65

Fupp, that drivers side wheel would be getting very intmate with your right foot.

Mike.

Max_Damage

How shameful, it got the same rating as the Rover Metro!

It's also about on par with the Ford F-150.

unkel

peasant wrote: »

The very similar Mitsubishi LS 200 scored four stars

Now that surprises me!

Auto Consulting

Renault's influence obviously hasn't stretched as far as the 4x4 Nissan range.

niceirishfella

how did the pathfinder do? Its a close relation to the crewcab navara?

Wossack

it scored well in side impact and child protection... maybe its aimed at that young Need for Speed Generation? which if film/games/tv would have us believe, spend most of their time going everywhere sideways

Zonda999

I think i'd take the navara anyday over this thing.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=24SDvxQX-Yw&feature=related

Dont think this is only in the states because here its known as the opel sintra

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=Car&carID=792805&message=You%20searched%20for%3A%20Opel%20Sintra%2C%20Year%3A%201999%2E%20Your%20search%20returned%20one%20vehicle%2C%20which%20is%20shown%20below%2E&CFID=14351796&CFTOKEN=32219625

I pity the person who buys this.....

E92

This isn't the first time Nissan had such a cavilier attitude towards safety, you'd think after the original Almera with the flagged star they'd have learned their lesson.

Apparently the new cars coming from China will be just as bad.

DonJose

Wow the passenger airbag inflated too too late, the passengers head missed the airbag completely.

missingtime

If you look at videos of your own car in the crash tests, its really weird.

derryman

Hey

the same model series nissan pathfinder gets four points (32 out of 35 points)

go figure - must be a different body (safety) shell

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/nissan_pathfinder_2006/254.aspx

cheers

niceirishfella

this is bad news for Nissan - and its been all over national radio today. Bad news for em.

seamus

This is even worse considering every Navara driver I've ever encountered is a complete and utter moron.

javaboy

seamus wrote: »

This is even worse considering every Navara driver I've ever encountered is a complete and utter moron.

Their overinflated ego will probably protect them more than the airbag so they'll be alright :eek:

Seriously though I'm shocked to see such a poor rating on such a big and popular vehicle. Does anyone know if the NCAP has any powers to order a recall or does it have no legal standing. Any other cars sold here that have achieved one star?

Zonda999

I'd love to see the toyota hilux tested.Theres way more of them around than navara's.A poor result would knock toyota off their Mile high horse:p "evil laugh"

javaboy

Zonda999 wrote: »

I'd love to see the toyota hilux tested.Theres way more of them around than navara's.A poor result would knock toyota off their Mile high horse:p "evil laugh"

Well considering they couldn't even break the Hilux on Top Gear, I'd say it's probably pretty good. I think there are IIHS videos of the Hilux/4runner on Youtube.

Toyota puts the food on my table and you won't see anything else parked in my driveway so obviously we're not big Nissan fans in my family. But having said all that, I wouldn't wish that any other car on the road performs poorly in crashes. That's a bit petty and just an invitation for Karma to come and rear end you as far as I'm concerned.

DamoDLK

javaboy wrote: »

Well considering they couldn't even break the Hilux on Top Gear, I'd say it's probably pretty good. I think there are IIHS videos of the Hilux/4runner on Youtube.

That was a fantastic show with the Hilux! I wanted one afterwards!

DamoDLK

javaboy wrote: »

Well considering they couldn't even break the Hilux on Top Gear, I'd say it's probably pretty good. I think there are IIHS videos of the Hilux/4runner on Youtube.quote]


That was a great episode! i wanted to get a hilux afterwards!

Beta Ray Bill

that sounds bad alright

but do you really think you'd be safer in say a Ford Focus or a Nissan Navara if the 2 cars both crashed into one another at 50kph head on?

you can compare saftey standards between jeeps and cars it like comparing buses to trains

javaboy

The steering wheel is just as hard in the Navara as it is in Focus. The difference is in a head on the passenger effectively has no airbag in the Navara and so the steering wheel cushions your head in a collision. Also the cab seems to deform pretty badly. The Navara has nearly 1000kg extra kerb weight so obviously that's a factor but I'd feel safer day to day in a Ford Focus.

Guy:Incognito

javaboy wrote: »

The steering wheel is just as hard in the Navara as it is in Focus. The difference is in a head on the passenger effectively has no airbag in the Navara and so the steering wheel cushions your head in a collision. Also the cab seems to deform pretty badly. The Navara has nearly 1000kg extra kerb weight so obviously that's a factor but I'd feel safer day to day in a Ford Focus.

Why would the passenger be hitting the steering wheel?

I assume by the article they've recalibrated the airbag to work on time anyway.(Dont think there was an issue with the drivers airbag)

Cionád

E92 wrote: »

This isn't the first time Nissan had such a cavilier attitude towards safety, you'd think after the original Almera with the flagged star they'd have learned their lesson.

Which version was this? I can only find the '99 result for the Almera on the site (2 stars, one flagged)

I ask cause I drive a '98

javaboy

Stekelly wrote: »

Why would the passenger be hitting the steering wheel?

I assume by the article they've recalibrated the airbag to work on time anyway.(Dont think there was an issue with the drivers airbag)

*smacks head harder than a Navara passenger in stupidity :o

Yeah sorry it's the passenger side that has the problem and no there is no steering wheel on the passenger side. Going off to hang my head in shame now.

commited

And I get mine delivered tomorrow.... awesome

snickerpuss

I should never have looked at that site. When the Yaris (00) was in a side impact crash the passengers head went fully out the window. Ah! That's very scary.

Anyway Nissan should be ashamed having cars getting only one star.

E92

Cionád wrote: »

Which version was this? I can only find the '99 result for the Almera on the site (2 stars, one flagged)

I ask cause I drive a '98

It did even worse the first time they tested IIRC. I think they changed the seatbelts or something(could it have been the airbags?) for the second time they tested it, not sure exactly. And most cars tend to get revised over their life cycle to make them safer(in the Almera in question, they first came out in 96, so by the time they got rid of it in 2000 or 2001 or whenever it was, they might have made things like a drivers airbag standard from say 98, and a passengers one from 2000, I'm only guessing and the example above is only a pretend one to try and explain what I said above about a particular car model getting safer over it's life cycle).

pburns

Ah ****e...I have a 03 single cab for muckin about... Presumably that's no better than the newer model tested:(

Oilrig

I had a "Navarra" in South Africa, it was called a Hardbody. Never driven such a crap car since the Lada Niva (that got stuck in third gear on day one)

The first time I used 4H on a dirt road the transfer box sh*t its internals after 30 miles.

Give me a Hi-Lux anyday.

Drove a '06 version here for a while, hated it. Good for nothing... unless you're upgrading from a Commer van...:rolleyes:

Be Gone & Good Riddance IMHO.

DamoDLK

The website was jammed most for most of the day, finally got a look at it. To think your safer in a 97 clio than that truck of a navara!! Well tis not good news for Nissan Europe methinks.

mike65

meltdown

Mike.

mick.fr

I believe a car to be legally declared commercially road worthy in Europe has to get 3 stars at least.
The Chinese cars initially did not get 3 stars the last year, they passed since as we know.

davrac

seamus wrote: »

This is even worse considering every Navara driver I've ever encountered is a complete and utter moron.

A bold statement, probably from a SMALL car driver, jealously will get you nowhere. its not our fault you cant afford one. If you dont like the Navara, why are you posting threads??? nothing else to do???

Cionád

davrac wrote: »

A bold statement, probably from a SMALL car driver, jealously will get you nowhere. its not our fault you cant afford one. If you dont like the Navara, why are you posting threads??? nothing else to do???

Ooooh, he must have really "grinded your gears" for you to register solely for that comment. :rolleyes:

All small car drivers are poor lol

Seinas

pleasantly surprised with the L200 i must say!:D

prospect

I think one of the main reasons the Navara did so poorly was to do with the timing of the airbag release.

I read somewhere that Nissan anre going to issue a recall, and perform a software upgrade that will mean the airbag will release quicker. This should help their NCAP score. This probably explains why the very similar Pathfinder did quite well.

pburns

davrac wrote: »

A bold statement, probably from a SMALL car driver, jealously will get you nowhere. its not our fault you cant afford one. If you dont like the Navara, why are you posting threads??? nothing else to do???

Jayzus, you've just proved seamus' assessment of Navara drivers. What an utterly moronic thing to say (and that's coming from a fellow Navara owner!)

seamus

davrac wrote: »

A bold statement, probably from a SMALL car driver, jealously will get you nowhere. its not our fault you cant afford one. If you dont like the Navara, why are you posting threads??? nothing else to do???

Thanks for proving my point.

However, it's an opinion based on my experiencing cycling in Dublin city. When a large vehicle in front of or beside me does something stupid, more often than not I see the word "Navara" as they drive off. I'm not jealous in the slightest. I'd rather drive a vehicle that doesn't make me look like a tinker. What use is a pickup except for business?

Seth Brundle

seamus wrote: »

I'd rather drive a vehicle that doesn't make me look like a tinker.

ROFL

javaboy

seamus wrote: »

What use is a pickup except for business?

Well in the case of the Navara, it's a perfect way of bumping someone off.

e.g. Want to go for a spin in my new Navara Mortal Enemy?
sure why not.
Hop in the passenger seat there! :eek::eek:

E92

I don't know how much of a difference airbag timing tinkering will make, as the crash of the Navara on the Euro NCAP site showed a vehicle with a large amount of what they call damáiste struchtúrach in Irish(or structural damage in English).

mike65

indo story on this

Mike.

Stark

Cionád wrote: »

Ooooh, he must have really "grinded your gears" for you to register solely for that comment. :rolleyes:

All small car drivers are poor lol

Especially the ones driving those mini coopers