Nissan Cefiro

[catinamosh]

Hi, newbie here.

Is a second-hand 97 Nissan Cefiro M/T a good buy? What are the things that I need to look out for when shopping for this car? What are the common problems that owners experience? How about maintenance? I'm assuming since this is already a 10 year old car, I might need to have some things fixed.

Thanks in advance!

[kmo]

it is a good buy very comfy plus with the manual tranny i guess its not sluggish alam ko problem lang with the cefiro is the readitor .. check that nalang besides that alam ko this car is very reliable and sturdy

[catinamosh]

Thanks for your reply!

Do you suggest that I should have the radiator replaced once I buy the car? The stock radiator on the 97 cefiro isn't made of metal right? When our old car overheated a long time ago, we replaced the plastic(?) radiator with a metal one and it hasn't overheated since.

Any other comments about this car? I would really appreciate it

[OTEP]

The OEM radiator is a combination of plastic and aluminum.

The top is plastic because its supposed to destroy itself in the event of an overheat (sort of like a fuse for the cooling system). Otherwise, the pressure will relieve itself at the next weakest point. Which is usually the [very expensive to replace] cylinder head gasket.

Your past overheat may not have been due to the radiator having a plastic component. It just so happens the radiator sacrificed itself to save the engine.

[catinamosh]

The OEM radiator is a combination of plastic and aluminum.

The top is plastic because its supposed to destroy itself in the event of an overheat (sort of like a fuse for the cooling system). Otherwise, the pressure will relieve itself at the next weakest point. Which is usually the [very expensive to replace] cylinder head gasket.

Your past overheat may not have been due to the radiator having a plastic component. It just so happens the radiator sacrificed itself to save the engine.

Thanks for the info

Any comments on the 97 cefiro? I'm planning to buy a 2nd hand car when I get back from my trip.

[OTEP]

I like that model. It's the one that looks like the Inifiniti I30. Units now go for as low as Php230k which is a steal.

There were issues with overheating and blown gaskets but I'm guessing you can find a unit without those problems. The fully automatic climate control also had its share of bugs (dead, not responding, etc.) but this would have been probably corrected by the former owner by now.

Suspension is not that complicated. The rear is not even independent so there are less things to go wrong.

Even the most basic Cefiro with minimal wood and cloth seats feels luxurious.

Other people may contend that driving a Cefiro makes one look like manong tsuper. But I guess nasa pagdadala na lang iyan.

Other popular vehicles in the segment included the Accord, Galant, and Camry. But the Cefiro trumps them all in terms of sheer bling factor.

[catinamosh]

I like that model. It's the one that looks like the Inifiniti I30. Units now go for as low as Php230k which is a steal.

There were issues with overheating and blown gaskets but I'm guessing you can find a unit without those problems. The fully automatic climate control also had its share of bugs (dead, not responding, etc.) but this would have been probably corrected by the former owner by now.

Suspension is not that complicated. The rear is not even independent so there are less things to go wrong.

Even the most basic Cefiro with minimal wood and cloth seats feels luxurious.

Other people may contend that driving a Cefiro makes one look like manong tsuper. But I guess nasa pagdadala na lang iyan.

Other popular vehicles in the segment included the Accord, Galant, and Camry. But the Cefiro trumps them all in terms of sheer bling factor.

Yeah, I really like how it looks. I dunno about bling though... The unit that I'm currently looking at is silver. I'm not really conscious of what people would think if they see me driving a car like this.

Is it expensive to have the automatic climate control repaired if it breaks?

I'm looking at a M/T 2 liter v6 model. Does that engine have enough grunt to carry that big chassis? Does anyone have an idea on the hp and torque output? I haven't driven a big car before so I wouldn't know, hehehe I'm asking because almost all of the new executive cars has at least a 2.4 liter engine nowadays. Albeit, all of those 2.4 engines have 4 cylinders instead of 6.

I read that the cefiro's ride and nvh is really good. How about handling?

Thanks! Keep the replies coming

[OTEP]

The 2.0 makes 155bhp. Adequate for local conditions.

The control panel is the most expensive part of the a/c system. Not sure how much that panel costs. But don't count on it breaking much. The other parts like the compressor, evaporator, etc. costs about the same as similar parts for the Sentra.

[vinj]

It is a good car but if there are repairs to be made to the engine, it can be heavy as well so make sure on the following:
- no oil leaks (common with the first VQ engines when they go over 80,000kms). if there are leaks, the engine has to be brought down and gaskets have to changed (and water pump na rin para isang babaan nalang)
- no overheating; if you get a unit that overheated badly before then it'll be expensive to repair.
- no engine knock/"tope" when you drive (test the car with the windows down). if it ahs engine knock, either the knock sensor has to be replaced or the car isnt running on 95 octane fuel (Cefiro requires 95 Octane).
- service history intact

The suspension is good and not hard to repair (daming parts). We had a unit before and it was a really good car. Lotsa space and good power for long drives. The make or break factor is finding a unit that was maintained properly by the owner.

[IMm29]

That model is a solid car. NVH and ride are great. Its market value is just quite low mainly due to its brand. Had it been with a 'T' badge, it would still be priced higher. If you can find a well-maintained unit, go for it.

[badkuk]

The top is plastic because its supposed to destroy itself in the event of an overheat (sort of like a fuse for the cooling system).
...
Your past overheat may not have been due to the radiator having a plastic component. It just so happens the radiator sacrificed itself to save the engine.

interesting

makiki usisa lang po B) so kung nasira nga, pwedeng bilhin ung plastic portion lang, or buong radiator kelangan palitan?

[OTEP]

If it's a Denso radiator, you can have it repaired at select Denso repair facilities. They will have parts for it.

I'm not sure about other brands (e.g. Behr radiators on Mercedes Benz and other Euro cars).

Evercool also makes replacement radiators with plastic tops, AFAIK.

[vinj]

Although we never replaced the rad on ours, most i know use Evercool radiators when the time to replace comes.

[poochie_albert]

Bro. May A32 cef din ako.

here's what I've observed:
-mag teten years na di pa rin sira ung aircon
-Ung CD player, nasira na nung 1999 pa...
-Very comfy ride at sisiw lng mag 140kph(dun sa may libis every morning bago school) at kaya pa lumampas pero medyo weak na springs ko kaya I don't wanna risk. papalitan pa
-as for handling, ung tunel sa libis-katips, 80kph bago mag screech ung tires(like other cars na rin.... not bad but not the best.... at single lane lng, di racing line.... dilikado racing line dun)
-Gas ko normal gas lng so NGATOG HEAVEN pag slight uphill and rapid accel!!! convince ko pa dad ko na bumalik sa premium para mas aztigs.(16 lng poh me and live with my parents)... If you just want to go to pont A to B, ok lng normal gas ok lng pero kung proformance high octane na. there is a big difference
-in terms of gas consumption... 1 week bago full tank ulit.... (ateneo-project4) peru kung may hataw... higop gas.
-Very-very-very-very nice ride pag normal city/highway driving. and comfy ng suspenssion.
-Wala pa naman major rapairs(except engine change driver namin dati di marunong sa silent cars.... so mga second gear lng siya palagi.... di kasi marinig ung makina..... kung may alam na ako sa tsikot nun dapat makina na lng ng Skyline R32) in ten years because of manufacture defect.
-NEVER PA NAG OVERHEAT

pero di ko lng alam sir dahil CASA maintained yun dati pa
And sir, kahit 16 pa lng ako, may alam na rin ako sa tsikots so factual lahat yan
Sana nakatulong ako sir
http://www.grandprixgroup.com/gpi/ma...sp?news_id=597 look at the link na rin sir. pwede gawing sporty ung luxury car na toh yah goal ko(mga siguro pag 50 na ako tapos na.... hehe) pero di english ung site

[userfriendly]

Cefiro is a good car. Just be aware that it needs 95 octane gas aka Caltex Gold, V-Power or Blaze. And since it has a 2.0 V6 engine you will get around 6-5 km/l city driving.

[corbon44]

Hi, to give a "worst-case" scenario, here's sharing an article from motioncars.com (the author was anonymous?):

http://motioncars.com/drives/12.01.1998_01/content.htm
http://motioncars.com/drives/12.01.1998_01/content2.htm
http://motioncars.com/drives/12.01.1998_01/content3.htm
http://motioncars.com/drives/12.01.1998_01/content4.htm
http://motioncars.com/drives/12.01.1998_01/content5.htm

Here's the text:

Text By Frustrated Owner
Photos courtesy of Nissan Motors Philippines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOTION Magazine
Long Term Test / Owner's Report
The Positive Side
When the first Nissan Cefiro entered the Philippine market, it created a stir with the enthusiasts because it offered a 2.4-liter inline-6 engine wrapped around a sporty four door body. However, because of its steep price, the original Cefiro did not become a huge seller, and alas, it disappeared. In the in-between years, Nissan tried and failed to introduce such models as the Nissan Bluebird, Bluebird Altima and the Cedric to fill in the gap that the Cefiro left.

In late 1996, much to the delight of the Philippine motoring press (us included), a new Nissan Cefiro was launched. It was the first car in the Philippines to have such gizmos as automatic climate control system, keyless entry, electromagnetic trunk and gas tank releases and a 6-disc CD changer for a price less than one million pesos. A great offer, indeed. We bought a silver one ourselves, but we soon noticed that it was not a great offer after all.

Less than 3 days upon using our new car, we quickly noticed several missing / ill-fitting trimmings that could have resulted from a bad assembly line: things such as the trunk place cover (to prevent metal cuts), center wood grain panel cracks and ill-stitched plastic on the center console. However, despite these rather 'small' defects, we found the car to be pretty flawless. In fact, we considered it was one of the best value for money cars in the Philippines.

Nissan's 2.0-liter VQ engine is a very refined power plant. The power of its 24 valve V6 is masked in an aura of silence whether at idling or even cruising on the South Express Way. The sound is nearly as whisper quiet as the air con fan setting of 1. Moreover, the engine is not only whisper quiet, but it also feels even. The engine tone does not break its wonderful voice within the normal revving / driving range. The boys at Nissan must have done a lot of overtime to get this much refinement and quietness from a V6 engine, an engine regarded by most experts as the hardest to balance. However, despite being quiet and refined, the Cefiro lacks the pulling power to blast away from stoplights and the like because of the relative heaviness of the car's body as well as the lack of immediate response from the VQ engine.

The brakes and the suspension seem to complement the engine in one way or the other. Although the Cefiro may seem bulky, it is very much an agile car. Thanks to the neat suspension geometry of this car, it is capable of getting into tight corners and spaces with relative ease. The ride generated by the trademark Multilink beam rear suspension is quite jittery especially in uneven concrete surfaces. However it is quite adequate in adsorbing humps and potholes with relative ease. The braking force provided by the four wheel discs is huge. Sudden stop and steer maneuvers can be done with relative ease with this car. Brake feel is only good as it feels a bit spongy on the first few travels, but gets firm and solid when floored.
The interior is huge, although a bit bland. The Nissan Cefiro can very well seat five people in great comfort, and will have the ability to squeeze in six. Safety is one top priority with this car as it comes with a driver's side airbag and Emergency Locking Retractor seatbelts. The controls are ergonomically placed on the dash and center console. However, the driving position is not quite good because of its relatively lower seat height and the steering wheel adjustment cannot be adjusted to our liking. The power window switches situated on the triple rubber sealed doors (most cars have only two), are illuminated which give them a touch of class and at the same time make them better seen during the night. Other technological stuff inside are push button release for the trunk and gas tank; a great 6-speaker sound system and 6-disc CD changer; front and rear fog lamps and lastly electronically adjustable headlamp beam adjusters.

The Negative Side
However, don't plan to own a Nissan Cefiro for more than six months (that's when the warranty starts to go), as it still behaves like all other Nissans. The first problem we've ever noticed was a weird knocking sound when we would accelerate heavily from an uphill climb or when we would shift into the wrong gear. The sound was different from the usual wheezing sounds, but when we checked it at Nissan Valley in Cainta, Rizal (also our dealer); they dismissed it as 'engine timing problems'. We also encountered some trimming problems as the wood paneling on the driver's and front passenger sides came loose and rattled. Again, we brought it in and Nissan Valley re-glued them both.

At around 15,000-kilometers, we noticed that the suspension would squeak whenever the doors are slammed hard (any of the doors). We brought the car to Nissan Valley, where they replaced the car's pulley assembly mechanism under warranty.

When the car was around the 20,000-kilometer mark, the clutch suddenly made weird, horn-like noise (we bought the manual version). Whenever we would climb uphill and rev the engine to 2,000 rpm and then release the clutch slowly, the transmission would blurt out a loud sound. The problem would come and go, but at some point, the noise would even come out at a level ground. At the same time whenever we closed the doors a weird squeak will emit from the suspension. We brought the car into Nissan Valley and complained, they said that ' the clutch problem couldn't be found and that it was only temporary'.

After the clutch gave way at the 20,000 mark, the aircon's thermal-computer device gave way at 22,500 kilometers. Even if we set the temperature at a low 21 degrees Celsius, the car would tend to be sweaty hot and humid, as if the car was letting out warm dog breath rather than a cool breeze. Worse of all, even if we tell the car to set the fan to the main vents, it would change the setting, putting them all at our feet. The aircon was going crazy and we had to bring it in again! The result: a month of wait and they replaced the computer device.

After a short while (around an additional thousand kilometers), both the clutch and the aircon gave way again! We brought the car We took the car into Nissan Valley, but they said that the problem with the clutch was 'because of our driving' and not the car. We felt very pissed off at their remarks and felt that this was the last straw: we will take the car somewhere else where the service personnel are at least competent. The aircon's refrigerant was replaced, but still the problem remains unsolved.
We then took the car to Nissan Gallery Ortigas, a few days before the two-year warranty was about to expire. At this point, the clutch, aircon, fuel knocking and handbrake problems were either still there or had developed. The Gallery said that they would be doing the best they can, but said that the clutch is not part anymore of the warranty, and we had to be billed for any part replacement. Okay, its really part of the warranty booklet, but still for the clutch to turn to dust in a period of two years?! That's un-Japanese like quality. The aircon would be checked once again, and they said that it should be covered under warranty, and so is the handbrake. The biggest surprise was the fuel knocking sound. They traced the problem to a faulty ECU (Electronic Computer Unit) inside the engine. Nissan reasoned out that the cause for this was that the fuel compounds here in the Philippines are different from Japan, and thus they forgot to re-program the ECU to take on the new type of fuel. The result: the knocking sound when accelerating we have been hearing since we bought the car.

Here's an additional tip for Cefiro owners: beware of small stones. The laminated windshield is very weak and couldn't stand up to the same forces as other kinds. Thus they are crack prone. Ours cracked twice already.

The bottom line: The Nissan Cefiro is once great car. It has a lot of features, amenities and technological brilliance that would make its predecessor proud. However, like all other Nissans, the durability of the car still remain in question. There are loose ends everywhere and well, this is could spell disaster for anyone who would be selling their cars in two years time. Servicing is also quite hard. Centers like Nissan Valley in Cainta, Rizal remain incompetent ever since we bought the Cefiro . Will I buy this car (if I had the chance of knowing what's to come)? Never. Will I buy another Nissan? Never. They had two chances with us (Maxima and Cefiro), but miserably failed in both.

[mamichula]

Magastos sa gas hehe .. and hirap ipark hehe :rofl:

[Si 06]

Napansin mo rin ha My cousin's unit makes rattling sounds in the front suspension when I rode in 1 and he has 2 lemon's in his garage because they are company cars 1 na lang ata natira. Maybe he was able to sell one lemon

[jcastillo932]

Pinag tataka ko lang sa Motioncars review about Cefiro is parang di totoo. Eh bakit ang dami bumili ng Cefiro? pansin ko din sa Writers ng Motioncars is Honda Fans. Hahaha!! very reliable review about Cefiro.

[honismitoy]

I came from a family who loves to drive big cars. Based from my experience, im very impressed with Cefiro. It runs very smooth and very solid compared to other big cars and the maintenace is not that expensive as what people think, except for the gas. Im not surprised why most japanese expats here bought Cefiros.