Advice on suitability of Nissan Navara pickup for trip to Ghana

Thinking of buying a double cab, 2003, D22 Nissan pick- up for trip from UK to Ghana via Mauratania , Mali etc .Would appreciate any advice on potential faults and availability of spares and expertise to undertake repairs etc.

Hmmm!! Nissan pick up.
We had 2 at work horrible things we had loads of electrical problems, no leg room in the back of the double cab. Standard alloy wheels crack between spokes, both had gear selection problems which were both diagnosed as clutch problems 2 new clutches in 2 vehicles in under 25,000 miles not good.
Struggled to drive up a small ramp in the snow on our industral park which golfs and other hatchbacks had no trouble with, in the end I towed one of them up the slope in 2 wheel drive in my Frontera.

Good points were comfortable to drive loads of kit as standard and our local Nissan dealer was very helpful in getting problems sorted for instance the electric unit that controlled the drivers seat was knackered and on locking the truck would move the seat as far forward as it would go so you couldn't get in the thing, Nissan said the part would take 3 weeks the garage removed one from a car on the forecourt so we could use the truck Nissan themselves couldn't be arsed so the Navarras went after 3 years and we now have a couple of Citroen vans much more reliable and a dam sight cheaper to run.

I really did think about pick ups for my trips abroad last year but after the Nissan Navarra debacle I bought a Discovery which is so realiible its untrue  

nickeastcott wrote:

Thinking of buying a double cab, 2003, D22 Nissan pick- up for trip from UK to Ghana via Mauratania , Mali etc .Would appreciate any advice on potential faults and availability of spares and expertise to undertake repairs etc.

Hi Nick,

Any particular reason you were considering a D22? Was it simply for the fact you can have a double cab, or is it a lot more to it than that?

Thanks Tom
I am looking for a vehicle which can take a demountable camper (s karosser) for trips in UK and around Europe and is also suitable for trips from the UK to Ghana.I have found a low mileage D22 with demountable but I am wondering whether the electronics are too sophisticated even on an 11 year truck. I am aware that some Navaras of this vintage have major engine problems but Nissan have advised that this vehicle is not from the problematic batch
I am interested if anyone has had experience of problems with Navaras of this age in the Sahara or similar environments.

Maybe better to look at more reliable vehicles such as the Mitsubishi or Toyota crew cab pick up.

They may cost a little more but they are reliable and the extra cost could be recouped by the saving on having a less reliable vehicle recovered and repaired.

Assassin wrote:

Maybe better to look at more reliable vehicles such as the Mitsubishi or Toyota crew cab pick up.

They may cost a little more but they are reliable and the extra cost could be recouped by the saving on having a less reliable vehicle recovered and repaired.

Very true also the other 2 vehicles mentioned might be easier to get fixed in remote places as both are more popular than the newer Nissans although that said the older Patrol is much favoured by our European cousins particularly the cheese eating surrender monkeys

"the cheese eating surrender monkeys" ??? That's a bit harsh, especially as they speak so highly of you!  

Tom Mc wrote:

"the cheese eating surrender monkeys" ???

Can't figure out whether these are, Italians, French or Belgians? Please advise......
I'm with assassin on this one, AVOID.... they also suffer from driveshaft and clutch problems.. they are cheap for a reason!