Nissan Cars: Maintenance and Service Schedules – Everything You Need to Know

Whether you’ve bought a new or used Nissan car, the most important thing is to do everything in order to keep it in great condition in years to come. Regular maintenance is the most important part of ownership when it comes to cars. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving a small city car or a full-size SUV, it doesn’t matter if you have a brand-new or a 10-year old car. It is important to prevent any unwanted issue, whether it’s about mechanics, electronics or something third. Keeping your car in good condition will spare you from expensive repairs. Regular maintenance isn’t cheap but on the long run, it is very payable.

Besides money saving, there’s another, more important thing about regular maintenance. It’s about safety because only a perfectly-functional car is safe. It is critical to always have brakes in perfect conditions, as well as to check seat belts functionality, airbags and all other safety features. Only then you can consider you’re driving a good and safe car

Of course, the most important thing about car maintenance is to stick to the schedule. In most cases, there are some general rules about services, but keep in mind that every model is different and that requires a more or less specific schedule. In this article, we will talk about some general rules when it comes to car maintenance.

Oil and Oil Filter Change

Although a cheap and simple service, an oil change is the most important thing when it comes to engine maintenance. Motor oil lubricates cylinders in your engine, which prevents from damaging. However, every oil loses its quality after a while, so changes at certain intervals are required. Some general rule is to change the oil in every 5.000 miles or 6 months.

However, keep in mind that modern oils are mostly synthetic and that they feature much better quality compared to old-school mineral oil. Most new cars use synthetic oil and suggest changes in much longer intervals that sometimes go over 15.000 miles. With every oil change, you must change the oil filter as well.

15.000-Mile Service

As we’ve just mentioned, if you’re riding a new Nissan car, your engine uses synthetic oil, which means that the first service should be made after you hit 15.000 miles. This service includes oil and oil filter change, but there are some more things you could do. Of course, it is always good to check brakes and other fluids but keep one more thing in mind. If you’re driving an FWD or RWD car, you should rotate tires sometimes. Simply, tires on an FWD car will wear out much faster on the front axle, so rotation is a perfect way to ensure equal road wear.

30.000-Mile Service

The next major services go after another 15.000 miles. Once again, you will change oil and filter but this time, there are some more things to do. For example, many models require transmission fluid change after 30.000, to prevent any potential issues. Transmission repairs are extremely expensive (unless you have a manual gearbox), so this is the way you should do if you want to prevent unwanted expenses.

Another thing you will have to replace at 30.000 miles is the engine air filter. It is always good to check other fluids, as well as brakes and driveshaft. Also, this is the time when you will probably have to replace brake pads.

60.000-Mile Service

This is already a decent mileage that usually took several years to make. Therefore, there are some other things to check, other the things that are part of a 30.000-mile service. One of the first things that come to mind is the battery. Just consider that several years of driving also means several winters and numerous cold starts. Therefore, your battery probably isn’t in good condition and it’s time to replace, as you may get stuck when next winter arrives. Along with the battery, it’s would be good to replace spark plugs.

Once again, you should check all fluids and this time you will probably have to change radiator fluid. Also, the examination of brakes should be much more detailed this time. Most likely, it’s time to replace brake pads, because they probably wear off. If you don’t do this on time, you will damage brake disc, which in practice means more expensive repair.

90.000-Mile Service

We are talking about serious mileage now when it’s time for a major service. This includes typical actions like oil change, fluid examination, and similar things. This service also includes the replacement of a timing belt. Although we are talking about a belt, this is one of the most important parts of your engine. A tricky thing about timing belt is that you can’t visually determine its actual condition and predict how much it’s going to last. Therefore, replace this part after 90.000 miles, no matter if it looks okay.

Also, this is the mileage when some steering issues may appear. Power steering fluid seems like a must, but you should check other parts of the steering system as well.

Other Things To Check

The aforementioned schedule refers to new Nissan cars. If you drive a little bit older model, or you’ve just bought a used car, our recommendation would be to practice certain detailed checks more frequently.

As we already mentioned, older-generation engines use mineral or semi-synthetic oil, which requires more frequent change and you should do this at every 5.000 miles. Also, this is the interval for tire rotation.

After 10.000 miles, you should make a detailed inspection of brakes and transmission, especially if you’re driving a car with a CVT gearbox. Also, this is the time when you should replace windshield wipers. Our recommendation is to replace them before winter starts.

Ten more miles and it is time to check suspension and steering. Also, take a look at the exhaust system, it may be damaged somewhere. 

We already wrote that a 30.000-mile service includes a lot of things. You will replace many parts, but there is one more thing you should check but not necessary to replace. It’s a cabin air filter. It may sound very important in terms of a car’s condition, but it is critical for your health. If you’re spending a lot of time in your car, it is vastly important to have a clean air filter that will provide you with fresh and clean air.

At 40.000 miles, one of the things you should check first is to check the EVAP vapor lines, as well as fuel lines. This is very important, not just in terms of the car’s functionality, but also in terms of your safety.

Conclusion

Those would be the most important things about the maintenance schedule of Nissan cars. If you stick to it, you can be sure that your car will serve you well for years and make hundreds of thousands of miles. Still, keep in mind that these are only general rules. Every car model is a story for itself. Each model may feature some specific parts of systems that require a little bit of different maintenance. Therefore, keep in mind to take a look at the owner’s manual and get information about the exact maintenance schedule.

You can find a specific maintenance schedule for your model on a website called Kelley Blue Book.