Hi kiwi's,

I noticed that there are some guys from NZ on this forum. Since I am about to buy a 450GT Fuga I am wondering if the maintenance costs are higher compared to other cars?
Since this car is not that common in NZ.

Cheers!

Other than the oil eating issue that some members have had with the V8, I'm not sure this car is unreliable. So long as you do oil, filters, etc. you should be pretty good.

Thanks for your reply. Although it was not exactly what I asked

But good to know there are oil issues. See if I can find those topics.

Costs are the same as it's just an M...only cost that is higher with a V8 is it needs more oil, etc. Brakes, suspension, electronics, exhaust are all virtually identical...

I wonder though how well these parts are available in NZ......

There is always Ebay . Many dealers sell parts on there, however, will they ship to NZ is another option. I'm sure some do/would.

If you are referring to scheduled maintenance costs, yes it will be more expensive than If it were a Corrola, Holden, Tiida, Jazz, etc. Your Fuga is much more complicated, will have more electronics, higher costs for parts, and there are fewer NIssan shops than other brands. Then there is the shipping costs as Ilya mentioned. The Fuga should be a very reliable car, meaning it won't need repairs as often as a Mercedes, BMW, or Jeep, but when something does go wrong, it will not be cheap. Even in the states, it isn't cheap to repair an Infiniti M. Then there is the cost of driving the Fuga. You would know for sure, but I reckon fuel will cost at least $2 / liter (1/4 gallon for the states), for high octane and the Fuga is not a sipper, it's a guzzler.

IlyaKol wrote:There is always Ebay . Many dealers sell parts on there, however, will they ship to NZ is another option. I'm sure some do/would.

True. But then I have to find someone to do the work. But thanks!

Larz wrote:If you are referring to scheduled maintenance costs, yes it will be more expensive than If it were a Corrola, Holden, Tiida, Jazz, etc. Your Fuga is much more complicated, will have more electronics, higher costs for parts, and there are fewer NIssan shops than other brands. Then there is the shipping costs as Ilya mentioned. The Fuga should be a very reliable car, meaning it won't need repairs as often as a Mercedes, BMW, or Jeep, but when something does go wrong, it will not be cheap. Even in the states, it isn't cheap to repair an Infiniti M. Then there is the cost of driving the Fuga. You would know for sure, but I reckon fuel will cost at least $2 / liter (1/4 gallon for the states), for high octane and the Fuga is not a sipper, it's a guzzler.

This was the answer is was (not) looking for. But very happy with though. I am not a mechanic so I would have to take it to the shop for all issues. This sure makes me wonder if it would be a smart thing to do (buy a Fuga) Thanks Larz!

Hey mate,

Just looked at your post. I have a Fuga 450GT and am based in Christchurch.

I know what you mean, and maintenance costs are pretty much the same as any modern car. Will run you around $80-$100 for an Oil Change if you take it to a good garage or those "Oil Changers" places which are in most cities. If your getting a transmission flush, would likely range from $160 - $250 depending on where you take it. Diff oil change around $75-$90. Spark plugs will likely set you back $220 odd installed by a garage. Air filter would likely be around $50 installed.

If you want to take it to your local Nissan Dealer (BTW as you would know, unlike the USA, theres a Nissan Dealer in every town/city in NZ) - will be a little more expensive, about $85 an hour for labour, and over the top costs for OEM Parts and Materials.

Pretty sure you can get basic parts (Oil/Air Filters/Spark Plugs) for the Fuga from Repco and BNT, but would probably be scratching at Super Cheap Auto (no computerised catalogue). However, if anything suspension wise craps out, or if you break a lens cover for a headlight or indicator, or anything electric in the car, you will likely need to pay a visit to Nissan.

Thing that shocked me, was that if you lose your key Nissan charges $600 for a new one!! I found this out when I enquired about a second key for my Fuga. And theres no use trying to get around this by using a locksmith, as they will just charge Nissan's price with a markup.

Hope this answered your question.

Cheers

if it cost you 85 dollars per hour for the dealer labor, than what you want to do when you need a new key is to order/buy one online. do make sure the FCC number is correct then take that to your dealer for reprogram. There is no other way to reprogram these smart FOB. i did it, and i paid close to 200 for 2 extra keys and reprogrammed for all 3.

Hi. I own a 2005 Fuga GT350 and I am in Hamilton NZ. So far I have not had to spend very much other than maintenance and a module to plug my phone into the factory system. Great cars but if anything electrical goes wrong it will cost $$$. Nissan have not been very helpful as they told me they didn’t import these cars. However, I have noticed more and more Fuga’s on the road. Of interest, Nissan couldn’t help me with an Japanese to English conversion. However, I found Google translator app great for translating to English. At least I could reset settings and lose the various maintenance lights that flashed up. Good luck on the purchase.