Looking At Buying A M35

[pothida]

Hi guys/girls,

My husband and I are in the market for family wagon and we both like the look of the Stageas. I've had a few Nissan imports over the years and all have been very reliable but I'm a little nervous after reading various posts that the Stagea M35 might not be as reliable as my previous cars. My main concern is the turbo failing before 100,000km, looks like a $2-$3k repair. Besides the turbo what other known issues do the M35 have? I've done a search for buyers guide but only returns C34 information.

Thanks Pothida

[TWOAR81]

Do it!

great car as an allrounder= room to move, performance etc, wife drives it throughout the weekdays (barely, shes done about 2500klms in a year) i drive it on weekends for day trips/holidays

if your worried about the turbo issue maybe look into the Series 2 M35. (PNM-35)

the guys/girls on here will point out the rest.

[bigkevracer]

Troy has a good point. PNM35 might be a better bet, newer interior and non-turbo.

Turbo is really the only major issue I can think of. Budget ~$800 for a high flowed rebuild plus labour. Craig (Jetwreck) on the forums can help you with the labour - PM him for a price.

Mine has some failed power window motors that I need to fix, and some have an issue with an small oil leak that I'm sure those afflicted can detail.

Everything else is as you'd expect for a 10 year old car.

[pothida]

Thanks for the info so far. The series 2 are definitely an option but I have a personal preference for a turbo model. I've seen a few for sale that have had the turbo rebuilt, is there anything besides the rebuild that I should be aware of? Also, what's required for the 100,000km service? Again thanks for your responses.

Pothida

[iamhe77]

100,000km service is just another service. No timing belts in a VQ and the water pump doesn't need to be done either.

Nissan do the "Major services" at 80,000kms these days but there really isn't much to that either. All fluids, plugs, full check over, replace anything that is on it's last legs etc.

EDIT: One thing I would do is the plugs. If it is a genuine 100,000kms, odds are that the plugs have not been replaced. Platinum or Iridium only.

Edited June 28, 2012 by iamhe77

[scotty nm35]

Don't rely on the turbo being rebuilt properly either, you may end up with someone else's laggy pos. You can buy an M35 pretty cheap now so budget the rebuild into the purchase price and be happy, I remember when a turbo swap was minimum 5k. To believe a 10 year old car sold at auction wont have any issues would be silly.

[bangahh]

For those that blew their turbo, did the turbo have a hard life ? I had a R33 daily for 10 yrs on stock turbo with occasional thrash here and there.

Issues with my ARX, 4wd light problem

doesnt stop as well as i would like, brake upgarde optional.

builit in satnav doesnt work and will never work in aust

bit thirsty when you drive it hard.

Some rust starting to show on body - have good look at car for rust!

slight electronic issue - ie one time all the fans went full blast and i couldnt turn it off. ( think theres a short ciruit somehwere in mine )

[Ross]

I haven't had to do much at all regarding fixing things.

Radiator started to leak, so that was replaced.

Front rotors were warped when I bought the car so they were replaced.

I've replace brakes, suspension and exhaust purely for performance gains.

Everything else is normal maintaince such as oil, rad fluid, plugs.

[zei20l]

i replaced radiator and brakes.

the rest was done because i wanted to mod it.

get an M35, the series 2 NA models would be my pick, but you pay a little more for them. that said, i never once disliked mine, always loved driving it!

[Mr 20Valve]

I'm selling an '07 Forester XT if these guys have put you off the Stagea...

[iamhe77]

Just factor in that the turbo will go at some point and to replace all fluids/filter on your first service (or immediately).

NM35's are great cars and bloody reliable.

I replaced turbo, radiator, front wheel bearing and the crank sensor out of necessity... over 5.5 years of ownership.

The rest was done for enjoyment

Plan to have my PNM35 for longer than that too!

[pbk1776]

We bought our ARX nearly 1 1/2 years now only done 4x,xxxkms on clock got full report when purchased

So far we replaced worked done my trusted mechanis

Rotors + pads (normal wear and tear)

All seals have been replaced

Did some work with the Turbo and change some seals

Belts was replaced

as normal all fluids was flashed and replaced

other than that nothing much and now tthe car sits at 8x,xxx kms

electrical? nothing much and haven't noticed anything unusual (knock on wood)

but yeah get an M35, also there's a lot of parts now and more people in the forum hold a big knowledge about the car so ill be confident

[zei20l]

also people on the forum hold a lot of parts too

[GoldZilla]

I'm selling an '07 Forester XT if these guys have put you off the Stagea...

Is that one of those Volvo-looking things?

[pothida]

Thanks to everyone that have provided information. Feeling a lot more confident. I think I'm going to like it here

Sounds like known issues regarding the M35 turbo are turbo rebuild, radiators and brakes. When people mention "factor in turbo rebuild in the price", are we talking around $2,000? Another question, would I be right in saying fuel consumption is 13-14km around town and 11km highway without driving the car too hard?

[Commsman]

Yes, $2K is about right. Turbo rebuild will cost from about $920 (including freight) & if you don't want to do the work yourself, will cost about another $1K for one of the friendly guys on here to help pull out & reinstall.

Quoted fuel consumption is pretty close to average for unmodified cars. Can be a bit better (or a little worse) depending on what you do to the car & how you drive it. Some guys are getting in the low 10's L/100km on the highway (me included).

I've not had any probs with the radiator & still have the original brakes (although I'm keen to change them), so I guess you can be lucky & have little go wrong - or the opposite.... Either way, it's a fun & practical car with heaps of enthusiasts' advice to keep you motoring.

[PN-Mad]

You seems pretty clued up! Well done, and you must have found the search button too. Consumption is about right. No big difference n the pm35s.

I suggest going and driving a few different cars. You'll get a feel for how different ones feel, good and bad.

Hot coolant, plastic radiator end tanks, it's a when, not a if. They'll all go, just at different times. There are some bushes in the suspension that are known to go, no big deal replacements can be had. Good luck finding a nice car, have a look at se of the options and if you want them, like sun roof, reverse camer etc.

[bigkevracer]

One of my mates on a highway got the car down to 9L/100. My personal best is around 9.6. Around town without driving the car too hard you should be able to get 11-12s.

I changed all my brakes, but I could have got away with getting the stock rotors machined for about $20. But I would expect issues with radiators, brakes wearing out, etc are par for the course on a 10 year car, depending on how it's been treated.

Good luck with the search! Expect pics when its done! Personally, my criteria were twin sunroofs, TV, and preferred the aero kit and got all three. Have a look around and you should be able to find exactly what you want!

[rssubaru]

Since I bought mine. New radiator . Thermostat. 2x afm. Rocker cover seal . Brake rotors front . Usual oil filter changed . Yeah it's had some issues but it's not new . Pain in the ass at times . But with forums eBay and Nissan dealers you always get it sorted. Going back now yer probly would of still bought it .

[whitestag]

For those that blew their turbo, did the turbo have a hard life ? I had a R33 daily for 10 yrs on stock turbo with occasional thrash here and there.

Issues with my ARX, 4wd light problem

doesnt stop as well as i would like, brake upgarde optional.

builit in satnav doesnt work and will never work in aust

bit thirsty when you drive it hard.

Some rust starting to show on body - have good look at car for rust!

slight electronic issue - ie one time all the fans went full blast and i couldnt turn it off. ( think theres a short ciruit somehwere in mine )

that issue with AC is common when your RX-ARX /BOSE stereo dies, when it does it takes the AC controls with it, from memory it can be fixed but like all electrical issues, chris rogers knows more.

so in listing other common issues, BOSE / non double din stereos death, followed by crazy AC and expensive replacement. as you need new console ( double din console)