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.  

Aircon problems plague the Cefiro.  Sometimes the driver must battle with the computer just to get the damp temperature and vent setting right.  I'd then wish that they never messed with the rotary dials. 
Also, the readout is hard to read when the car is in direct sunlight.
 
Faulty ECU?  That's the worst problem we have encountered so far.  If yours still has that knocking sound, better bring in your Nissan Cefiro to any competent Nissan service center (not Nissan Valley in Cainta, Rizal) for a replacement of the ECU.