Nissan Datsun Go: maintenance cost explained

For first time car buyers, the purchase price is important. And Nissan has done well here having priced the base version of the Datsun Go at Rs 3.1 lakh. But, equally important is the low running cost of the car. And this is a function of fuel economy and periodic maintenance. Fuel economy wise, the Go comes with a 20.6kmpl efficiency tag from ARAI, but in the real world, this figure should be around 17kmpl, which again, for a petrol-powered car, isn’t going to prove costly. Warranty plays an important role in cost of ownership too, especially when it comes to a new brand like Datsun. With a two year, unlimited kilometres warranty as standard, it matches the Germans in India. And that can only be good.

But, what is covered under warranty for the Datsun Go? And what does the service/maintenance schedule look like? What parts need frequent replacements and will they prove to be expensive? We here at ZigWheels have analysed this for you. Read on…

Warranty: The Datsun Go comes with a 2 year, unlimited kilometres warranty.

What’s covered – 

Almost every defect in material or workmanship is covered, and Datsun will either repair or replace concerned material or problem free of charge. There will be no labour charges as well. Datsun doesn’t specify the time required to carry out these repairs or replacement and simply says “a reasonable time to complete the repairs must be allowed…” Not everything on the Datsun Go is covered for 24 months or two years. Adjustments, for instance, not relating to replaced parts are only covered under warranty for the first 12 months. 

So, if the door, seat belt lock or the rear seat of the Go comes loose and begins squeaking and vibrating in the 13 month, the Datsun Go owner must pay labour charges to get it fixed. Similarly, recharging the refrigerant for the air conditioning unit is chargeable after 12 months, regardless of mileage. And if your battery dies and needs to be replaced in the first 12 months, it will be replaced free of charge. But if it happens in the second year of warranty, the owner will have to foot 50 per cent of the cost. The labour charges, both for testing or replacing the battery though, are covered under warranty.

What’s not covered –

Tyres. These are warranted by the OE tyre supplier and not by Datsun. So, if there’s a manufacturing defect on the tyre, the Datsun Go owner must take it to the respective tyre maker’s outlet and present the unserviceable tyre for a replacement. Datsun doesn’t however take responsibility of guarantying a replacement. 

Datsun will also not consider damages, failures or corrosion due to lack of proper maintenance. This, in other words means - unless the Go is serviced timely and at a Datsun authorised service station (which is every 5,000km), warranty doesn’t stand. Use of non-genuine parts or even use of dirty fuel might render the car’s warranty null and void, which we completely understand and agree with. Damages, failures or corrosion due to an accident or alternation or customisation won’t be rectified or replaced under warranty either. 

Maintenance: The Datsun Go has a maintenance schedule/chart/planning for 1,60,000km or 16 years.

Free services –

The Datsun Go comes with two free services. One carried out at 5,000km or six months and the other at 10,000km or a year. In both cases there will be no labour charges. In fact, in the first free service, there will be no replacement of fluids or consumables either. So, no engine oil or engine oil filter change. The car will get a wash, a few important nuts would be torqued, and the service would be done. In the second free service, both the engine oil and the oil filter will be replaced, but the Datsun Go owner must pay for these.

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Replacements – After the free services, the Go must be serviced every 5,000km or 6 months.

Engine – Under the engine head, the engine oil and the engine oil filter has to be replaced every other service i.e after every 10,000km or 12 months. All that will happen on the odd numbered services  - 3rd, 5th, 7th and so on – is cleaning of the air filter and of the car as a whole, that’s it. But, the labour charges would have to be paid every service, which to us seems a little unnecessary. Other replacements under the engine head include air filter and spark plug replacements every four years or 40,000km.

Others – Datsun Go owners will also have to replace the brake fluid and the air conditioner filter every two years or 20,000km or every 4th service. As far as brake pads and shoes are concerned, the replacement for these will depend on usage and therefore, Datsun hasn’t mentioned anything about their replacement in its maintenance cost chart. 

Costs – 

Now, Datsun dealers haven’t been forthcoming at all about the cost of consumables and labour charges but our educated estimate puts it as follows – 

Engine oil & filter – Rs 950

Servicing (labour) – Rs 1000

Air filter – Rs 200

Spark plugs – Rs 450

Brake fluid – Rs 450.

So, over a period of three years, a Datsun Go owner should spend close to Rs 8,000 on maintenance cost excluding fuel. Over five years this maintenance cost for the Datsun Go will rise to about Rs 15,000 and over 10 years, the cost of servicing and maintaining a Go would cross Rs 30,000. 

Now, these figures are comparable to the Maruti Suzuki Alto, which isn’t great news in our opinion because it gives one less reason to buy the Go over the Alto. It isn’t exactly bad news either for Nissan or Datsun, for if someone does take a plunge and buys a Go, he might actually have good things to say about the ownership experience – cost and service, and that as we know, is a crucial factor when it comes to making or breaking a new car model in India.