Mc2guy

No question, it is a luxury vehicle in the higher trim levels, but pricing is very reasonable when comparing content to other similar vehicles. My Platinum w/701 package comes with more technology, more options, more gizmos than my in-laws E-class Mercedes. Lane keeping assist, 360 cameras, self-parking, adaptive radar cruise control, panoramic roof, LED ambient programable lighting, heated and cooled front and heated rear seats, etc. It's plush, no question. To boot, I had 15,000 documented miles in my NV and I got a lifetime of 12.3 MPG. http://www.fuelly.com/car/nissan/nv3500/2014/mc2guy/320257 So far (small sample size) I'm getting 17.1MPG in the Ecoboost. While the engine in the Ford is more advanced, most of that is likely from the fact that the NV was 6700lbs empty and the F-150 is 4700 lbs empty. Also, 0-60 in the F-150 is sub-6 seconds. I don't drive like that normally, but it really scoots when asked.

You're correct. I rechecked my research and the rating I saw was limited to the cargo versions... My new F150 3.5 ecoboost 4x4 w/Max Tow package is rated for 11,900 lbs towing with a 3.55 rear end with electronic locker (FX4 package). You'd think Ford would see the market and uprate the Transit, then again maybe they view the "big family that needs more than 8 seats and ALSO wants to tow" market as too small to justify the incremental engineering. I have to figure it's a pretty small market demand that requires all of that?

Seems like you are pretty limited given your needs. The NV is probably as good as any option and it seems I am a rarity in terms of reliability. That said, I'd look long and hard at a Transit 350 with the ecoboost engine. Apparently Quigley is converting them now and that is a vastly more advanced motor/drivetrain than the Nissan. The dealer network alone is probably worth the premium you would pay over the NV (subjectively for me it is at least). So far the 3.5 ecoboost has shown very strong reliability (lots on the road and very limited problems other than some well documented moisture in the air intake box on some early F150s). The tow capacity of the Transit is lower due to the pseudo unit body construction, however, if you study the GVWR and options list, you can get to 5000 fairly easy in a single rear wheel, and 7500 in the DRW. http://www.quigley4x4.com/portals/0/docs/ford/pricing/2016%20ford%20transit%20retail%20pricelist%20rev1.0.pdf Good luck.

The initial dealers wouldn't touch it because they were not "Commercial" vehicle authorized. In other words, despite the fact that it's a Nissan with the same basic systems as a Titan, they could not touch it for warranty work. Both repairs were covered, however, I am dealing with Nissan commercial now attempting to get my "dealer to dealer" tow covered... that's right Nissan wouldn't even pay to tow my vehicle to the other dealer... I had to pay up front and "file a claim". Again, my fault for not checking with each local dealer before I had AAA tow it there. Sheehy Nissan in Manassas, VA is certified and has been "okay" to work with. A bit of a standoffish group but efficient. Sheehy Nissan in Springfield, VA is not certified and were PITAs. Younger Nissan in Frederick, MD were AWESOME to deal with on my first repair. Surprisingly, I didn't go with a Transit... I've just come to terms with the fact that I don't really "need" the extra passenger seats like I thought I did. I was nice to have when my family was in town but we really only used it once. Also, my Grandmother passed and doesn't live/travel with us anymore. As such, I went with a new F-150 Platinum with the 3.5 ecoboost. A hard toneau cover is all I need since the back seat in that thing is so damn enormous. Anyway... I don't hate the Van, but I don't trust it am ready to move on.

The Ford Transit rear seat recline in certain trim options, however, I'm not sure of aftermarket 4x4 conversion support. The Nissan is certainly more reliable than the Sprinter on average, however, not infallible. Mine has left my family stranded twice in the last 6 months. Both were warranty claims paid by Nissan. The first, issue (crankshaft sensor) was a $6000 repair that I thankfully didn't have to pay for. Also consider your proximity to a Nissan dealership certified to work on the NV. Both times I've broken down, I have had issues with the local dealership (near my breakdown) not being able to perform any work on the vehicle, requiring a second tow. One reason I'm getting rid of the Nissan is that I drive cross country with my family every year and if I had a breakdown on the road, there are large swaths of the U.S. that lack Nissan Commercial Vehicle support (similar to Sprinter). Having experienced the hassle, I'm not willing to take that risk. Not trying to steer you away from the NV, it sounds like it is a good option for you to consider, but go in with an informed position.

Two totally separate and "apparently" rare issues. First was crank shaft sensor failure, which I posted about separately. Second time was a fused relay to ECU. Somehow it "failed" (not sure how a fuse just fails, but it did). I'm done with this vehicle. Traded it on a Ford yesterday. Giving up the seating capacity in favor of 21st century engineering and a dealer network that can actually support the vehicle when problems come up.

After I get it repaired and back home I'll decide what and how I will be disposing of it. I will definitely let you know if I decide to sell privately. Passenger 3500 SL V8 Blue w/tech and tow package. Love the van when it's running.

I suspect either the ECU is shot or isn't getting sufficient ground. All fuses are intact, and connecting points that I can see/feel are in good shape, so hard to say. Up to Nissan to figure out now.

Likewise. I take pride in my vehicles, maintain them very well, and expect them to be reliable. One time I can forgive, twice and I'm sufficiently burned. I drive cross country with my family every year and there is no way I would undertake that trip in this vehicle right now. Just can't trust it won't leave me stranded again. On TOP of that, I have now had to deal with a POS service manager at Sheehy Springfield, VA, who AFTER they said tow it in tell me they can ONLY do oil changes and tire rotation on my van. On TOP OF THAT, he tells me it is my responsibility to have the vehicle towed to another certified dealership, and they will not pay (until later when the warranty claim clears of course). I'm done with Nissan... build better cars and train your people better or I'll never own another.

Our NV left me and my family stranded on the side of the road for the second time in six months tonight. Could be fried ECU, not sure... totally dead. Wouldn't start, no electricity to ANYTHING. No lights, no radio, no ignition, nothing. Wouldn't even lock/unlock the doors. Battery is fine, plenty of voltage and power. I know I'm apparently an anomaly, I purchased based on the supposed reliability, but I will be selling for whatever loss I need to take. I can't trust this vehicle to move my family around anymore. 24 years of driving nearly 15 different vehicles; this is the first to leave me stranded, and now its the second as well.

Don't know where this got off track... ASD: never said a word about not driving it... only expressed lack of confidence in its reliability. Nissan made me whole as I expected and as I stated, but don't for a minute think that means I won't be thinking about this issue when driving across the country this summer. (And don't pretend you wouldn't worry about it if you had been stranded on the side of busy interstate with your family). Statistically, this appears to be a relatively reliable vehicle, but that doesn't mean my confidence hasn't been shaken. I usually get new vehicles every 4-5 years, so probably not an issue for me overall since I will likely sell it before the warranty expires, but disappointing none-the-less. FWIW, I do have a Bluetooth ODBII reader. The vehicle did NOT throw a fault code. Again, there were no codes after any of the three stalls, including the last one where the vehicle went into limp move before stalling. I confirmed this with the dealer. They had to attempt to start and run the engine to get a diagnostic.

Unfortunately, I have to report a fairly major breakdown on my 2014 3500 SL. While driving on the interstate on the way to my wife's grandmother's funeral, the van stalled three times consecutively, the third time going into limp mode and leaving us stranded along the interstate in MD. Fortunately for us, we were about 4 miles from a Nissan dealership and it was early enough in teh day that we were able to get towed, check the vehicle in, and find an open rental car agency to continue our trip to lay my wife's grandmother to rest. The long and short of it is the crankshaft sensor failed, which cascaded resulted in a brain-dead ECM throwing too much fuel into the engine and destroying the catalytic converters in the process. I suspect th problem started a few weeks earlier, but I had chalked up a bit of a rough idle to the rain and having recently filled up at a suspect gas station. Had I gone directly to the dealer at that time, I could have avoided the damage to the cats (maybe), but honestly, it was running well enough that it just didn't occur to me that it could be anything serious. The cost to replace the sensor and cats came to $4873 and it took two weeks for them to get it diagnosed and the parts to come in. Now, that said, I have a '14 with the 5yr/100k bumper to bumper and Nissan did me right. No haggling, no charges, and they paid for my rental car directly (no reimbursement), and the dealership even arranged to have the rental agency pick up my rental so I could just leave it at the dealership. All told, Nissan just spent about $5500 for a problem caused by a $20 part. It will take a while for me to have the confidence in this vehicle that I once did. This is the only car I've owned in 25 years of driving and ~ 13 cars to have left me stranded. Worse yet, with my family two hours from home. The service manager, (Doug at Younger Nissan in Fredrick MD) was awesome to work with and like I said, Nissan fixed the problem to my satisfaction. He said he had only seen this 3 times this this vehicle was launched and mine was the first he had seen on the 5.6L V8 (the other two were on the V6). He tried to reassure me that in his opinion, the NV was the most reliable vehicle that Nissan sold and they he rarely saw any problems with any of the fleet he services, so that was nice to hear.

I definitely view it as a good thing. There are plenty of NVs on the road. I see 10 every day on my commute alone... more than or at least equivalent to the sprinters. Mostly commercial vans, but they are out there none the less. 1) It is not a cult vehicle (generally associated with, unreliable, foreign, or in some way funky, i.e. VW eurovans), and 2) It is not unreliable. If these things had more problems, more people would be searching out the forums looking for solace on their experiences and how to fix the issues. The fact that so few people show up complaining really goes to show you that not too many folks are finding reason to complain.

No reason you can't use car seats rear facing, just make sure they are properly installed, use latch when appropriate and pay attention to weight restrictions/recommendations. I have my smallest in a Britax Marathon facing rearward so he can see his brothers. His position is safer in a collision than if he were front facing. (That's why astronauts sit in rear facing seats in reentry capsules...in a collision, your head and neck are pressed into the seat limiting skeletal-muscular damage).