
The vehicle must be driven as appropriate
based on the conditions of the vehicle, road
and traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the
chance of losing control of the vehicle if
there is a sudden loss of tire air pres-
sure. Losing control of the vehicle may
cause a collision and result in personal
injury.
• The vehicle generally moves or pulls
in the direction of the flat tire.
• Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
• Do not rapidly release the accelerator
pedal.
• Do not rapidly turn the steering
wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the ac- celerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle. 4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe lo-
cation off the road and away from traffic
if possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu- ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and contact a roadside emergency service
to change the tire. For additional infor-
mation, see “Changing a flat tire” (P. 6-4).
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the blood-
stream reduces coordination, delays
reaction time and impairs judgement.
Driving af ter drinking alcohol increases
the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others.
Additionally, if you are injured in an ac-
cident, alcohol can increase the sever-
ity of the injury. NISSAN is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under
the influence of alcohol. Every year thou-
sands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related collisions. Although the lo-
cal laws vary on what is considered to be
legally intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol
affects all people differently and most
people underestimate the effects of
alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don't mix!
That is true for drugs (over-the-counter,
prescription) and illegal drugs, too. Don't
drive if your ability to operate your vehicle is
impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some other
physical condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your NISSAN is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) mod-
els are less capable than 4-Wheel Drive
(4WD) models for rough road driving and
extrication when stuck in deep snow or
mud, or the like.
5-10Starting and driving

Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
• Spinning the front wheels on slippery
surfaces may cause the AWD warn-
ing message to display and the 4WD
system to automatically switch from
the 4WD to the 2WD mode. This could
reduce the traction. Be especially
careful when towing a trailer (4WD
models).
• Drive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle
should be seated with their seat belt
fastened. This will keep you and your
passengers in position when driving
over rough terrain.
• Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
• Many hills are too steep for any ve-
hicle. If you drive up them, you may
stall. If you drive down them, you may
not be able to control your speed. If
you drive across them, you may roll
over. •
Do not shif t gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
• Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-
off or other hazard that could cause
an accident.
• If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in R (Reverse)
gear and apply brakes to control your
speed.
• Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
and fade, resulting in loss of control
and an accident. Apply brakes lightly
and use a low gear to control your
speed.
• Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it
will not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers. •
Secure heavy loads in the cargo area
as far forward and as low as possible.
Do not equip the vehicle with tires
larger than specified in this manual.
This could cause your vehicle to roll
over.
• Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could move
suddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
• Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
• Always drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may become hot.
• Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is more
affected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
• Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with 4WD engaged.
Starting and driving5-11

•For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury.
• Do not attempt to test an 4WD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamom-
eters used by some states for emis-
sions testing), or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are
raised off the ground. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment
may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.
• When a wheel is off the ground due to
an unlevel surface, do not spin the
wheel excessively. •
Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
• If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN vehicle has a
higher center of gravity than a pas-
senger car. The vehicle is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars.
• Failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly could result in loss of control
and/or a rollover accident.
• Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted, or radial), and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the front wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
• Be sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately af ter driving in mud or water.
For additional information, see
“Brake system” (P. 5-175).
• Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and
it rolls forward, backward or side-
ways, you could be injured. •
Whenever you drive off-road through
sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent mainte-
nance may be required. For addi-
tional information, see “Additional
maintenance items for severe oper-
ating conditions” (P. 9-7).
5-12Starting and driving

• You unfasten the driver’s seat belt andopen the driver side door when the ve-
hicle is stationary or driving at very low
speed and the transmission is in the D
(Drive) position, the N (Neutral) position.
CAUTION
To avoid A/T malfunction, it is recom-
mended that you manually place the
shif t position in the P (Park) position
under the above conditions.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the R (Reverse) position only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before selecting the R (Reverse)
position. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed and the shif t lever button
pressed to move the shif t lever from the
home position to R (Reverse). If the ve-
hicle is placed in R (Reverse) position
while the vehicle is moving forward, the
chime will sound and the vehicle will
switch into the N (Neutral) position.
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to the N (Neutral)
position and restart a stalled engine while
the vehicle is moving.
You can select this position by holding the
shif t lever at this position for 0.5 seconds.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving. The A/T changes gears automati-
cally. All forward gears are available. If the
vehicle is placed in the D (Drive) position
while the vehicle is reversing, the chime
will sound and the vehicle will switch into
the N (Neutral) position.
Manual shif t mode
When the shif t lever is moved to the D
(Drive) position again with the vehicle in the
D (Drive) position while driving, the trans-
mission enters the manual shif t mode.
Shif t ranges can be selected manually by
pulling the paddle shif ters on the steering
wheel.
When shif ting up, pull the right-side paddle
shif ter (+)
OA. The transmission shif ts to the
higher range.
When shif ting down, pull the lef t-side
paddle shif ter (−)
OB. The transmission
shif ts to the lower range.
LSD4194
Starting and driving5-21

Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-19). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.WARNING
• Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to
an accident.
• Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
• Do not use the shif t lever in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
• To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not
leave children, people who require
the assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets.
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-23

ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE
(switch type)
The electronic parking brake can be ap-
plied or released by operating the parking
brake switch.
WARNING
• Before leaving the vehicle, move the
shif t position to the P (Park) position
and check that the electronic parking
brake warning light is illuminated to
confirm that the electronic parking
brake is applied. The electronic park-
ing brake warning light will remain
on for a period of time af ter the driv-
er’s door is locked.
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the out-
side temperature is below 32°F (0°C),
the parking brake, if applied, may
freeze in place and may be difficult to
release.
For safe parking, it is recommended
that you place the shif t lever in the P
(Park) position and securely block the
wheels.
NOTE:
• To keep the electronic parking brake released af ter the engine is turned off,
place the ignition switch in the OFF po-
sition, depress the brake pedal and
push down the parking brake switch
before opening the driver’s door.
• If a malfunction occurs in the elec- tronic parking brake system (for ex-
ample, due to battery discharge), it is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer.
Manual operation
To apply: Pull the switch upO1. The indica-
tor light
OAwill illuminate.
To release: With the ignition switch in the
ON position, depress the brake pedal and
push the switch down
O2. The indicator
light
OAwill turn off.
Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or PARK)
goes out. For additional information, see
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders” (P. 2-12).
LSD4139
5-24Starting and driving

NOTE:
When the Drive Mode Selector switch se-
lects a mode, the mode may not switch
immediately. This is not a malfunction.
The current mode is displayed in the ve-
hicle information display. The mode list will
appear in the vehicle information display
and you can select the mode.
NOTE:
The mode list will be turned off in ap-
proximately 5 seconds af ter the mode is
selected.
If the driving mode cannot be switched us-
ing the Drive Mode Selector when the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position, have the
system checked. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
Do not stare at the Drive Mode Selector
or the display while driving so that full
attention may be given to vehicle
operation.
STANDARD MODE (2WD models)/
AUTO MODE (4WD models)
This is the standard mode that is most
suitable for normal driving.
This mode will be selected first each time
the ignition switch is placed in the on
position.
Push or turn the Drive Mode Selector
switch until “STANDARD” or “AUTO” appears
in the vehicle information display.
SPORT MODE
• Adjusts the engine points for a higher response.
• The setting of the steering system is ad- justed to moderately increase steering
wheel effort for a sporty feel.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may
be reduced.
Push or turn the Drive Mode Selector
switch to the SPORT position. “SPORT” ap-
pears in the vehicle information display.
SNOW MODE
This mode makes it easier to start and run
from snowy roads and frozen roads.
CAUTION
Never drive on dry, hard surface roads
in the SNOW mode, as this will overload
the powertrain and may cause a seri-
ous malfunction. Additionally, this will
cause a premature tire wear and re-
duced fuel economy.
LSD4142
Drive Mode Selector switch (4WD models)
Starting and driving5-29

WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and in-
structions for proper use of the LDW
system could result in serious injury or
death.
• This system is only a warning device
to inform the driver of a potential un-
intended lane departure. It will not
steer the vehicle or prevent loss of
control. It is the driver’s responsibility
to stay alert, drive safely, keep the
vehicle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of the vehicle at all times. The LDW system will operate when the ve-
hicle is driven at speeds of approximately
37 mph (60 km/h) and above, and only
when the lane markings are clearly visible
on the road.
The LDW system monitors the lane mark-
ers on the traveling lane using the camera
unit
OAlocated above the inside mirror.
The LDW system warns the driver that the
vehicle is beginning to leave the driving
lane with an indicator and a steering wheel
vibration. For additional information, see
“LDW system operation” (P. 5-36).
LSD4143
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING (LDW)
Starting and driving5-35