Datsun and Nissan used to be very common between 1980 and 2006 in Nigeria as affiliated brands producing mainly family sedans with technical help from Austin Motor Company(a very old automobile company).
You might have known that Nissan Group owns Infiniti till date as a Nissan luxury division while it also has a strong alliance with Renault Motors.
Nissan was the first non-luxury automobile company that produced cars with the best air/conditioning system in the world, and it still has that reputation till today even though it is not the best A/C out there. These are some of the many facts about Nissan as a Japanese automaker.
Ranges of Nissan SUV on sale today
So you want to buy a Nissan in Nigeria, and you need answers to the question 'how much does it cost to service/maintain Nissan cars in Nigeria' or better put; ' is it expensive to maintain a Nissan' in Nigeria? I will answer that question to the best of my knowledge but first, let me tell you a little history of Nissan in Nigeria.
The Nissan Sunny, Almera, Sentra and Primera were ubiquitous among female Nigerian drivers while the Nissan Altima was a young rich boy's car in Nigeria. The Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra in Nigeria also were the dream SUVs of most grand-dads, but from 2008, Nissan lost Nigerians because of their car designs. It was no longer competing well enough with its secondary rivals; Honda and Toyota. I felt good seeing the 2020 Nissan Altima compete with the 2020 Toyota Camry and 2020 Honda Accord.
Nissan, however, is not the only Japanese automaker experiencing a decline in the Nigerian market today. Mitsubishi and Mazda are the major competitors to Nissan, and they have also lost a lot of Nigerians. Mazda seems to be making a comeback, but Mitsubishi Motors is lost.
Who remembers this old Nissan Sunny?
Though Nissan has become very scarce in Nigeria these days, I still see co-operate organizations buying their staff the Nissan Almera, Qashqai and Sentras as daily drivers to work which means there are still a handful of Nissan cars on Nigerian roads today.
Without further ado, let's get to the business of today.
What Maintenance does a Nissan need?
If you follow the recommended Nissan Motor Co. Ltd plan, you would be doing your car a favour because it would never disappoint you when you need it the most.
Nissan recommends that you take your car in for a basic servicing every 5000 miles it covers on the mileage. Just like Toyota and Honda, if you drive a newer Nissan you should use synthetic engine oil in your engine because of Nigeria's hot weather.
However, if you drive an older Nissan, it is recommended that engine oil with SAE rating 5W-30 or 5W-20 should be used but check your engine oil cap and owner's manual to be sure.
The rating is clearly written on the engine oil cap if not check the manual
The extensive maintenance needs to be done every 10,000 miles. This type of maintenance usually takes longer than the basic servicing because your car will go through a complete check up on the different systems working together to make it possible you keep moving in your Nissan.
Maintaining a Nissan car in Nigeria just needs extra attention to details of sound and anomalies from the normal working operation of the car.
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Here are the areas of your car that must be thoroughly inspected during the extensive maintenance :
| The System | What the technician should look out for |
|---|---|
| Braking system | Brake pad level, brake fluid level, condition of brake discs and calliper. |
| Tyres | Wear and tear, tightness of wheel nuts |
| Engine performance | Spark plug health, Ignition coil health, Abnormal engine vibration and sound |
| Suspension system | Abnormal sound from shocks/struts/arms, the health of shock absorber pads and bushings |
| Steering system | Driving shaft health, linkages and joint of steering condition |
| ECU | Fault codes |
| A/C system | A/C Filter for dirt |
| Ignition system | Fuel Nozzles for dirt |
| Electric Motor system | Performance of the Electric motor |
Where to service Nissan in Nigeria?
Nissan can be serviced and maintained with `Nigerian automobile workshops that specialize in Japanese cars. The maintenance parts are available within the country. You should pay special attention when selecting an automobile workshop for your Nissan maintenance for one reason. New generation Nissans have a somewhat complicated electrical integration in fundamental components.
Always select a workshop that has seasoned automotive wiring technicians aka re-wire in Nigeria. The best I would advice are affiliated Nissan service centres around you. These service centres.
A standard workshop should look like this
How much to maintain a Nissan car in Nigeria?
The labour cost to maintain a Nissan in Nigeria is between ₦2,000 and ₦6,000 including the labour cost of the automobile technician. It all depends on the rates and quality of materials that will be used. For instance, the cost of servicing your Nissan in commercial areas of Lagos will be way more expensive than the cost in remote areas.
For extensive maintenance service, it will range between ₦5,000 and ₦20,000 stand-alone cost but most times, it is done together with the basic routine maintenance. The routine maintenance materials involve only an engine oil and oil filter while extensive maintenance reveals the other materials/parts you need to buy to keep your Nissan running.
Clean and recommended engine oil should be used in Nissan cars
Synthetic engine oil for your Nissan maintenance ranges between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000 while the conventional mineral oil ranges between ₦3,500 and ₦5,000 in Nigeria.
Common Nissan repair and problems in Nigeria
The most common Nissan repairs and problems in Nigeria are problems pertaining to the suspension and the transmission system.
Nissan manufactures vehicle in a lower level range based on strength unlike General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen Groups that have cars with so much strength and durability.
Nissan car frameworks are not suited for rough Nigerian roads so the ripple effect of bad roads affects the car a lot. The problem with the transmission is always caused by careless drivers that mishandle the gear shifter badly when driving. The allowance that transmission of Nissan cars has for bad driving habits is very small.
A proper wheel disc inspection every 10,000 miles prevents the breakdown of your Nissan
Nissan also has a couple of electric and hybrid vehicles on sale like the Nissan Leaf and the all-electric Nissan E-NV200. Electric vehicles like this require special expertise for technical repairs and diagnosis.
Nigeria is still new to electric car technology and it poses a problem. Purchasing Nissan hybrid or electric vehicles in Nigeria can be a bad decision for now based on the lack of able hands to handle the maintenance.
Other common problems of Nissans in Nigeria include:
- Air pump failure
- Head gasket failure
- Radiator hose failure
- Ac evaporator failure
- Driving belt failure
- Fuel gauge failure
- Rusting floorboards
Costs of common replacement parts for Nissan cars in Nigeria
| Part | Authentic Price | Tokunbo Price | China Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pair of shock absorbers | ₦45,000 - ₦200,000 | ₦30,000 - ₦70,000 | ₦20,000 - ₦50,000 |
| Spark plugs | ₦12,000 - ₦40,000 | ₦5,000 - ₦15,000 | ₦3,500 - ₦7,000 |
| Linkages | ₦10,000 - ₦18,000 | ₦5,000 - ₦10,500 | ₦2,000 - ₦7,000 |
| Tie rods | ₦10,000 - ₦45,000 | ₦8,000 - ₦15,000 | ₦6,000 - ₦15,000 |
| set of Ignition coils (4,6 or 8) | ₦30,000 - ₦80,000 | ₦20,000 - ₦40,000 | ₦16,000 - ₦40,000 |
| Fuel Nozzles | ₦30,000 - ₦80,000 | ₦20,000 - ₦40,000 | ₦16,000 - ₦40,000 |
| Complete Fuel Pump | ₦25,000 - ₦120,000 | ₦30,000 - ₦75,000 | ₦15,000 - ₦100,000 |
| Wiper blades | ₦2,500 - ₦7,000 | N/A | ₦500 - ₦2,500 |
| Pair of brake pads | ₦12,000 - ₦25,000 | ₦4,000 - ₦15,000 | ₦2,000 - 15,000 |
| Engine seat/mounts | ₦15,000 - ₦40,000 | ₦7,000 - ₦20,000 | ₦7,000 - ₦25,000 |
| Engine replacement | ₦800,000 - ₦2,500,000 | ₦45,000 - ₦750,000 | N/A |
| Pair of Shock absorber pads | ₦20,000 - ₦40,000 | ₦10,000 - ₦25,000 | ₦7,000 - ₦20,000 |
| Windscreen replacement | ₦45,000 - ₦120,000 | N/A | ₦15,000 - ₦60,000 |
Note : These prices depend greatly on the year and model of the Nissan.
All Nissan parts above can be gotten across the country with any Nissan dealership and spare parts market. Ladipo market in Lagos, Nigeria is the biggest spare parts market for Nissan replacement parts in Nigeria.
How to maintain Nissan cars to avoid damage and breakdowns
The following tips are very peculiar to Nissan cars in Nigeria as they tend to be very problematic once damages start to occur to important components of the car. A problematic car is frustrating, so let these tips remain at the back of your hand at all times:
- Never engage gears until the car comes to a complete stop.
- Always use the recommended fluids and coolants.
- Always inspect the tyres weekly.
- Always pay attention to the engine responsiveness when driving uphill.
- Drive carefully around uneven road areas.
- Always monitor the temperature gauge to avoid overheating from failed radiator hose(s).
- Replace your car remote battery every 18 months.
- Clean interior regularly.
How dirty does your car have to be until you clean it? always clean regularly
Nissan is currently working on a Seamless Autonomous Mobility system (SAM) to perfect its plan for autonomous cars in the future. When the time comes for autonomous car era in Nigeria, check back at Naijauto.com for tips on how to maintain them in Nigeria because nothing is impossible in our world of today.
Are you can be interested in a next-level DIY on how to service a Nissan engine? then watch this short video on how to service your Nissan at home :
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea on how much does it cost to service/maintain Nissan cars in Nigeria, you can go ahead and purchase one with the mandatory decision to maintain properly as I have listed out in this article. Monitor and maintain your Nissan the right way and it will never fail you.
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