Quiet7

Sorry I haven't gotten on here and updated yet.  We had the same problem (see earlier in the thread), and we got the software update from Nissan about two weeks or so ago and have not had any problems since, even with the AC on (was only a problem when AC was on and every time the AC was on).  If your dealership has trouble locating the information they need to get you the update, refer them to service bulletin #NTB17-105.  There was another, related fix that I believe some 2017 V8s have needed as well, I think, but so far we haven't needed it so I really don't remember what it was exactly.  You can read more about it by searching the posts in the Nissan NV Families Facebook group.  Hope that helps.  Love our 2017 NV!

Welcome!  I don't have any info on roof racks, but I'm glad you're here  :) Congrats on the new NV!

Yes, we are having this issue, too.  I have been trying to get on here and post about it (as well as an overall 1500 mile update), but I just haven't had a chance.  I will check out the Facebook page.  Has anyone had it looked at yet on there and gotten any feedback?  We thought we had just accidentally turned on manual shifting, but that's not the case.  And it's doing it more the last week or so than it did earlier on.  Other than that we LOVE this van!

I go back and forth on the cloth vs. leather thing, but in the end we ended up with cloth simply because we wanted the SV.  Time will tell how the cloth does, I suppose, but it's already passed it's first test.  The kids got something sticky on one of the seats, and it wiped off incredibly easily.  So far, so good!  Spills will be another story, I would think...

So far so good!  It's a bit of a learning curve, especially parking, but we're getting more and more used to it every day.  

I had a moment where I panicked a bit when I thought the top tether anchor in the middle of the 2nd row hadn't been installed by the factory, but then I realized it was just hidden under the upholstery and wasn't pulled through yet.  We're still playing musical car/booster seats and trying to figure out where everyone fits.  You'd think with five extra seats it wouldn't be that hard, but with differing ideas on where everyone wants to sit competing with where they actually *need* to sit it isn't as easy as it would seem!  I'm sure we'll figure out the best arrangement for us as we go along.

We haven't done any add-ons yet (unless you count the car seats!), but we did have it blessed today :)  We do want to get a small utility trailer for hauling our riding lawnmower and other stuff like that, plus maybe a swing out hitch carrier or cargo box for long trips.  I'd kind of like to have running boards, but so far we're doing OK climbing in and out without them.  Talk to me in a month on that one!

I still really do like the silver, more every day I think.  I've never thought of the NV as particularly nice-looking vehicle (especially when viewed straight on the side), but I'm quite pleased with the looks of ours.  And it does get attention, that's for sure!

Ok, it's here!  And it's beautiful!  Updated my profile and added a pic.  I do really like the brilliant silver.  Taking it out for a spin later today!

We've been on the forum for a while now (mostly lurking), but I'm happy to report that my husband just picked up our 2017 NVP from the dealership (finally!) and is on his way home with it right now!  I am so excited!  We are a family of seven plus a dog (and a cat).  I will post again once I've gotten a good look at it and taken it out for a bit.  2017 SV V8 w/tech package in brilliant silver :)

Wow!  That's incredible!  I'm very thankful for their safety and also quite thankful now that we decided on an NVP.  Our 2017 should be here within the next week or so.  Can't wait!

Thanks for the replies!  I must have gotten some incorrect information.

I think I'm seeing that 2015 was the first year for the 4th row to get airbags.  Is that correct?  Thanks!

LOL!  Too funny.

Thanks.  I'll have to look through the threads about those issues.  No vehicle is perfect, unfortunately.  Still looking around and trying to decide whether to do a new SV V8 with tech package or a used SL.  A new SL is out of our price range unless we wait and save a bit longer.  I'm not sure if the SL is really worth the wait or not.

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

Radin2son, we have not bought yet, so not sure about the insurance. Will contact our insurance company prior to purchase to be sure.  We had contacted them about a Transit and they had no problem with it.  Hopefully it will be the same with an NVP.  I was worried about the inspections in PA because I believe they take all the tires off, and I had heard somewhere that non-commercial Nissan dealerships don't service NVs because they don't have racks heavy enough for them.  I wonder if it will be the same issue at state inspection stations or not.  Anyone from PA out there please let me know your experiences.  Thanks!

Interesting about the light recall work, wollip.  Our local commercial dealership is close enough that I wouldn't mind taking it in for warranty work (providing it doesn't need a lot!), but having to do all oil changes, routine maintenance, and inspections there is a little more difficult with young children to ferry back and forth.  And I, too, would like to know the percentage of commercial vs. family users for the NVP.  I think Ford pretty much dominates the commercial passenger van field still, especially with the new Transits.  I see them everywhere now.  I'm thinking more and more, though, that the NVP is often a better fit for larger families that don't need 15 passenger seating.  Or at least for us :)

Jaredg, I'm with ya on hoping for reliability!  That's pretty far to go.  Makes me grateful we do have one close by (just not in our backyard...lol).  I must admit that the NVP warranty is a big selling point for me, though like you I hope if we do buy one we don't have to use it too much!

I'm confused.  Can only Business Certified dealers do maintenance/repairs on NVPs?  What about local auto shops?  Possible?  Bad idea?  

Also, what about inspections?  We are in PA, so the inspections are fairly lengthy and invasive.  I know they look underneath, and I think they maybe take the tires off, too.  Does anyone know if the NVP can be inspected at the regular official state inspection stations?  Is anything different about the inspection given that it is a heavier, commercial vehicle?  Thanks for any info!  

I'm a family of 7 also, and the NV has been the best vehicle we've ever bought! The only thing I wish it had was the 5.0 Cummins diesel.... but I only desire that the 4 or 5 times a year we do some serious towing. It has made going places with the family so much easier compared to our Yukon XL.

Thanks so much for the input.  I'm so glad to hear from others whose situation is similar to ours and who are happy with their purchases.  We are very much leaning toward the NVP right now.  I would not have thought that a month ago, but here we are.  I think it makes a lot of sense over the Transit for our family.

I used pipe clamps to slightly compress mine when installing it. Unless a thief brings his own pipe clamps it will not come out of the receiver. No need for a lock that way.

Good to know.  Thanks!

I totally agree with your concerns regarding a rear end collision. Since I don't tow anything, I keep a Bumper Shield XL permanently installed in the hitch. It also helps with stepping in and out of the rear doors. Check it out at sparebumper.com .

Not a perfect solution (what is?) but perhaps enough to help out on city streets.

I've seen those before but didn't really realize what they were for.  Thanks!

I agree with the ride and handling comments. The NV drives much more like a 3/4ton pickup than a 1/2 ton, and it's light years ahead of the GM vans in terms of handling, steering, and braking. It's really not comparable to the Transit, the focus is so completely different. I considered both, seriously, even going so far as to email Mike Levien (spelling?) the former editor of pickuptrucks.com and current Ford Truck PR guy, and said I wanted a Transit if only they could tow, and he nicely replied that they weren't designed with any serious towing in mind, but he hoped I'd end up with a Transit anyhow. Needless to say we went with the NV, and I have zero doubts it was the right choice for us.

That's why I wish we had something to tow...lol.  Would make this decision much easier!

Don't worry about the "selling" dealership, unless there are few close by. Go with the best price, then find a good commercial dealership service department. Under "maintenance" topic, there is a thread for positive service experience. With luck you may be near one listed. There have been no new posts in a long time and I'm hoping all the new NVP owners will update this list. We keep these on file when we travel.

There are few close by that are Business Certified.  The next closest one is more than twice as far away and at least an hour.  Thanks for the heads up on the maintenance thread list of good service centers.  Unfortunately none are near us.  We may try to find a good used NV (I know the availability will be quite limited) and take it to the closest dealership for service and then go from there.  Hopefully we'll have a better experience with the service than with the sales.

Quiet7 -

 

Another factor to consider is how the NV is built. It is more truck than van. With the NV you have in front of you and your family a heavy motor and substantial crumple zone in the event of a wreck. With any of the competition the driver and front passenger are "first ones to the scene" as they say.

Definitely something you hope never gets utilized but something to consider nevertheless.

Yes, I've been thinking about that, too.  I like the hood up front in the NV for that very reason, but then I also think about the kids in the rear seats and how little room there is between the back door and back seats.  The Transit would be the opposite.  I also read somewhere that there was a study about the truck/frame vs. unibody construction, and people were more likely to be killed in a truck/fram vehicle than in a unibody.  That really surprised me, if it's true.  I think I would feel much safer in a large, heavy truck, but this seemed to point to the opposite.  So I'm kind of all over the place on the safety bit.  Maybe the crumple zone in the back of the NV would be enough (if there is one)?  Having been seriously rear-ended before, it's definitely on my mind.  But with regard to the front, I know the Transit doesn't get great safety ratings for the passenger (3 stars), which is generally me on long trips. 

Ok, so I did the test drive yesterday.  I was less than impressed with the dealership, but we'll leave that out of the equation for now.  The NV itself rode very well compared to what I expected, and I didn't have much trouble at all driving it.  For a big box on wheels I was surprised that I was as comfortable with it as I was.  It did feel very roomy for passengers compared to the long wheelbase Transit.  I was hoping for a bit more cargo room with half of the back seating removed, but I'm trying to remember that it goes up high and there is also some storage availability under the seats.  The screen/camera wasn't quite as big as I had hoped, but I really liked that it felt so solid driving it.  I'm not quite sure how else to put that.  It just felt substantial and solid but still quite manageable.  Overall I'm pretty impressed.  This is a very hard decision, but then again I'm not exactly known for being decisive. ;)

Thanks, jaredg, for your perspective as another family of seven.  Very helpful!

And I do like the idea of solid brakes, too, chphilo.  Kind of important...lol!

I'm not quite sure where we are going from here.  Lots to think about. The NV definitely has my attention now!

We came from Sienna to NV. We are a six-person family and all of us love this van. We thought we will miss some of the luxury items in Sienna. We did have to put a DVD player, but every single one of us love this van. Lack of cargo space? We pulled two-seat unit in the back and that gave us more than enough cargo room (kids love being able to exit through the rear door). So we have 10 passenger van with plenty of cargo space. We didn't do it for cargo though. We did it for our German Shepherd. Even without puttling the seats out, there are room under the rear seat that you could utilize also.

 

In comparison to other full size vans, mpg is pretty much comparable. Ford has tendency to tweak their numbers so I would not consider that a major plus. In the actual application, mpg is pretty much comparable, unless you get a diesel. But then again, diesel is not problem-free either.

 

Let's face it, if you like to maximize your mpg, you certainly should not make it large. Vans are not designed for mpg.

 

Everything about this van screams out 'heavy-duty'. FYI, Nissan van has substantially larger brakes than any other competition, which I think is a very important factor.

Thanks for the input, chphilo.  

How exactly does Ford tweak their numbers?  I hadn't heard that before.  Would be good to know.  If they are truly pretty much the same then that would definitely change things up for us a bit and make it a bit easier to lean toward the NV.  I'm not looking to maximize mpg exactly; just trying to do the best I can with the larger vehicle that we need.  We're just not fitting very well in the Sienna on long trips these days.  

I have read a little bit about the bigger brakes on the NV.  Does it actually stop faster than other large vans, particularly the Transit?  That would be a huge plus in my book.  

No matter what, I'm really looking forward to checking out the NV and seeing how different the interior is in passenger room.  The Transit was definitely a tight fit in the back, though the 15 passenger (with a couple of seats out for cargo) would give us more options for having an empty seat here and there for some breathing room.  The leg room, however, would still be an issue with the Transit in either 12 or 15 passenger, and we have very tall children.  I can see them being very cramped back there as they grow.  Thus enters the NV!

Enjoy your test drive. That will tell you a lot. There are several families on this forum that are in the same process. Let us know what you decide and why.

Thanks, radin2son.  I'll definitely give an update after I have driven one tomorrow night. :)

Hello.  We are a family of seven (and a dog) looking to purchase a large passenger van in the fairly near future.  We currently drive a Toyota Sienna and had pretty much decided on a 12 passenger Ford Transit, but lately I've been reconsidering the NV Passenger.  I like some of the things I'm seeing, particularly the apparent legroom, comfort, and ease of removing/rearranging the seats.  I am having trouble with the low gas mileage and relative lack of cargo space behind the last row when all seats are in, but also I think it would also be easier to find snow tires for the NV and that it would just be better in the snow in general with the weight.  In some ways I wish we did some towing so that this decision would be easier, but we don't.  I do like the option, though, of being able to tow something heavy if we want to at some point.  I don't see that being anytime soon, however.

So right now I'm very torn.  I have an appointment to test drive an NV Passenger tomorrow night, so hopefully I will know more then.  In the meantime, if anyone wants to chime in and sell me on the Nissan, I'm all ears.  Thanks in advance!