Dear Qashqai Owners,

I would like to make all aware of a potentially very
serious problem with some Qashqais. As Qashqai owners, it is very likely that
you will not yet have been notified about this.

There is currently a 'Recall Bulletin' issued by Nissan
which concerns many Qashqais.

I am not certain exactly which Qashqais are subject to
this but mine in a 2009 '59' plate 1.5 DCI & definitely is.

The 'Recall' concerns problems with the Timing Belt &
might very well apply to your Qashqai as well. A conversation with the Nissan
Customer Services department has confirmed that the  'Recall Notice' was first issued on 27th Feb but
my local Nissan dealer claim that they did not hear about it until the 12th of
march.' A Nissan technician has advised me that the problem is with the Timing
Belt rubbing against the fuel pump & causing the belt to fray & even
break.

I do not know for certain what method Nissan will use to
contact owners of the 'at risk' Qashqais but have been advised that this is usually
done via the DVLA & have also heard that the 'Timing best Campaign' will
happen during routine services.

This was too late for my car.

Whilst driving at 40 mph heading toward joining the M1
& only 150m from the motorway junction, the Timing Belt  broke, came loose, rattled around & as it
did so & caused very serious damage to the engine. The engine seized up
completely & the car became difficult to control. It had to be 'aimed' into
the side of the road to get out of danger. There was also a strong pungent
smell of burning from under the bonnet.

 Had we actually
joined the motorway & been travelling at 70 mph the result could have been
very much worse than it was.

My Qashqai had to be towed to my Nissan dealer where it
remains, well over a week later. Nissan 'Senior Management' are still debating
what to do about my car whilst the dealer waits for Nissan to agree to fund the
repairs.

The dealer has advised me that the Qashqai requires a
full engine replacement as a result of the damage caused by the Timing Belt failure.

My Qashqai is covered by the Nissan Cared4 scheme. On
their webpage, amongst other claims, they state: -

YOU   care about having your problems resolved

quickly.

NISSAN   will propose how to resolve any problem

within two working days.

Nissan have fallen pitifully short of this commitment. No decision to
repair my car has been reached or communicated to me & it is now a full
week since Nissan were informed & 9 DAYS since the Timing Belt fault
wrecked my engine.

This is Nissan's responsibility caused by a design/build fault with a
Nissan component.  When I complained
about the delay, the Customer Service Team had the cheek to tell me that this
was because it was "an expensive repair."

I would take the view that the cost of one replacement engine to a
company the size of Nissan is insignificant compared to the cost of a wrecked
car to an individual owner.

My advice is, if you think that your Qashqai might be at
risk, do not wait to be contacted by Nissan. Contact your  Nissan dealer yourselves as soon as possible
& hope that your Timing Belt does not also fail causing catastrophic engine
damage whilst you are driving at speed. The result could be disastrous.

I would also suggest that if any Qashqai owners have had
a similar problem occur with their Qashqais already & have been obliged to
pay for the repair, you should contact Nissan & demand a full refund.

The Timing Belt wearing out is more likely to be due to
this recognised Nissan component or' build quality' fault & not normal
'wear & tear' which they would normally have the customer pay for.

Best wishes to all,

YorkshireMan

Hi 

We have a 60 plate Qashqai and have had the same problem, engine needs replacing. We've been told by Nissan that our car was not affected by the timing belt campaign, and that cars affected were from December 2010. The dates don't add up with what VOSA have told me or what I can see online.  

Can you confirm that your 59 plate Qashqai was officially part of the recall? It would really help if I can say to Nissan I know that cars built before December 2010 were affected so I can take this further. 

Thanks

 

 

Is a 52,000 mile, 2 litre cdi auto, n-etc, 60 plate [today] still needing a new timing belt? 

I would replace the belt if it has approached that mileage and time period as a matter of course and not take the chance