Nissan Patrol ZD 30 Piston Failure

Got a mate who has just had the same thing happen. He has been offered about $4500 worth of parts by Nissan, has to payy the rest himself.

I have a July 2000 with 165,000 on the clock so I wonder about it every time I take it out??

AH well if it blows up I might hook a horse up to it and do a slow trip round Aus?? There's a couple of nice looking clydesdales in a paddock nearby.

That is rich isn't it, on Nissan's behalf I mean. The repair bill is in line with what other people have had to cough up, but it shouldn't be happening in the first place. Someone was trying to get a class action going against Nissan for such faults as you are experiencing. Maybe if you look through some of the archives here this person will be able to let you know where they are at with that plan??
Hope you are back on the road soon.
Regards Trevor.

Well, somehow the first part of my posting didn"t get through. Here it is: I was on the freeway with my Nissan Patrol ZD30 when it suddenly started to smoke and shake, losing all power. This car has only done 90,000 km on sealed roads and has been meticulously maintained. The local Nissan dealer immediately diagnosed engine failure due to a blown piston. He told me that this was not uncommon with this engine, In fact, he had another Patrol with the same problem, ie a hole through a piiston in the workshop. He agreed that there appears to be serious design or manufacturing defect with this engine. I was quoted $7,500 plus for the repair job. I say that Nissan has a REAL PROBLEM here. Nissan is well advised to do the right thing by their customers. This is a faulty product, indeed a very expensive faulty product. I just hope that they have enough sense to fix or replace these defective engines. It will cost them dearly in reputation and sales down the road, if they don't. I am not knocking the Patrol as such. I have had every model since the old G60. But, this engine irepair s Nissan's responsibility!

MAAAATE. I have read dozens of posts on this site about this, and I even asked those who have been visited by MR Nissan's curse to respond (about 12 months ago) I got more than a dozen responses. Most of those engines were replaced by Nissan.

I too have a 2000 3.0 patrol, it's just clocked 105,000 Klm and I wonder every day if it's gonna go BANG. I am trying to do the right thing.......
Replaced the Air Mass Sensor (twice)......
Fitted a snorkel to help the inadequite air intake system......
I now use only semi synthetic oil (that means twice the cost) as recommended by Nissan......

Today I enquired about getting the injectors cleaned.....Nissan will clean the injectors for $195.00.....United Fuel Injection (the liscenced Bosch agent in Perth) tell me that this is a waste of my time and money, the injectors are not servicable on this vehicle and cost THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FAR**NG DOLLARS EACH...YES, I SAID EACH......

Now, Nissan aren't the only ones with problems, and just like MR Toyota's king off the road busted front diff curse, they are trying to pretend there is no problem with these cars, and our NRMA, RAC type organisations are too gutless to take them on. It's typical, Nissan didn't get away with it in Europe, but us aussies are just too damned soft.

I have spent the last hour or so looking through the archives for that post but it appears to have been deleted. The best I can come up with is post ID 17044 october 2004.

Maybe you could try A Current Affair or Today Tonight (NSW) to get some action.

This has been explored previously many times on this site.
Contact Ms Val Davis a Nissans Melbourne head office,then write a letter to her explaining the history and failure.
Any service record copies will be an advantage.
Make her aware that you are familar with the engine failures on other vehicles, and Nissans after warranty replacement program for the ZD 30 engines.
Be polite but firm that you expect to be treated the same as other owners of this defective product, and get a replacement engine for this premature failure of a modern Diesel engine.
Mine was was replaced at 116,000 km and out of warranty being a second hand purchase from a Nissan dealer,the engine was replaced at no cost to me.
Other correspondents are right in that they should have been recalled,Nissan is just going to replace engines until the fleet gets above a certain mileage then they will discontinue the program (soon I feel).
Anyone with a 2000/2002 model would be well advised to write to Nissan asking for assurances that there engine is OK and what is Nissan prepared to do if it fails prematurely.
As to going to consumer affairs etc.I did this and they could not get a decent answer from Nissan,only the old the sump has been enlarged bull bleep .
Even the Sun/Herald motoring page advised against 3.0 litre Nissans in their second hand vehicle review.
My 2000 model has now had a new donk at 116,000(inc turbo),A relacement turbo
at 136,000(which I had to pay labour)and is going in tomorrow for a split injector pipe replacement on the pump,the air flow monitor failed at 137,000 also.
Fortunately I have avoided major costs,but had I had to pay the truck would have cost me over $18,000 in my estimate in just 3 years.
Good luck

Hi Erich,
I to have a GU built march 2000,apart from the engine belt going, and sounding like a rock in a tin can from the front of the engine...which made me quake...knowing of all the dramas, I thought here we go!...So far so good touch wood, I clocked over 124.000 Ks and Ive been very happy with it so far.Reading your post and others makes me wonder aswell is it a matter of time,Last week while driving down the Hwy I seen a Patrol with a sign over his spare saying "engine Blown at 44.000 Ks". not good advertisement for nissan...and I dare say one very unhappy customer!...I'm involved by virtue of owning a niisan, Keep us informed.
JD

Erich – commiserations about your Patrol. I don’t think it’s fair to have to play cute, then firm and then assertive before the manufacturer does anything. Not with a $7,500 fault! Do you get a new motor for that and if so is it one of the faulty ones?

Why don’t you organise a protest rally aimed at embarrassing Nissan. Call it the Fifth Piston Rally. Have it on the fifth day of the fifth month outside the ACCC offices in Canberra. People can stand in groups of six with each fifth person stark naked with a big red chest wound painted on.

I’d go and we can all head up to the high country for some 4WDing after the media party.

Ypu know, it's sad that Nissan have allowed thier reputation to be dragged through the mud like this.

I currently drive a Landcruiser, since 2004, but prior to that I'd had Nissan Patrols since 1985. They were bomb proof. Never broke a thing, at least nothing that wasn't my own fault. To some extent they were abused. But they never failed.

I bought a Cruiser for a bit more power to pull a van (I was planning to join The Grey Nomads) & I was sad that I didn't buy another Nissan. Now, I'm glad I didn't buy another Nissan and probably never will again.

Absolute stupidity not to come clean and admit they made a stuff up.

That's me done with Nissans after 20 years of 'em.

Bilbo

Many thanks to everebody who kindly replied to my blown piston problem on my ZD30 Nissan Patrol. I'll certainly not let this go by without a fight. I am amazed that this has affected so many people who put their trust into Nissan. This needs some kind of official intervention. I am just surprised how Nissan managed to keep this quiet here for so long. I just want them to fix my engine and do the right thing by everybody else in the same boat. Here is a chance for Nissan to show what they are really worth! Whatever happens, I am certainly not going to pay for the repair of a knowingly defective Nissan engine. And I am fair dinkum about taking any possible legal action and to publicise this to the hilt, including picketing every major Nissan dealer in NSW. Yes, I'll be towing this car around behind my wife's 92 Model Mitsubishi Pajero for the next 12 months. By the way, the Pajero has never missed a beat. My Nissan will travel with the appropriate message all over it: WARNING: Defective Nissan Engine! This happened to countless Nissan customers. BEWARE, Don't waste your hard earned money on a defective Nissan!

Is Nissan still replacing motors ?

I dont believe they are.

A Friend of mine had his blow a few months back , and they insisted it was rebuilt , rather then replaced.

I dunno why anybody's still buying the 3 litre bombs? Everybody here is snapping up the new 3 litre ones even with their dodgy record.

Hi Erich
Sorry to hear about your problems with the Nissan. When the 3 litre was first introduced I was working as a Ranger and we were pretty impressed with the write up and purchased a number of the 3 litres for ranger type activities. One of these blew up after a very short period and we were told by the Nissan dealer that the sumps never had the oil capacity to cool the turbo charger and subsequently blew the top of the piston. Other troubles were also detected and not long after that Nissan recalled the 3 litres and modified, as far as I can remember the dipstick so that in effect you were putting more oil in the sump - which in effect was overfilling it and you are recommended not to do. Because it was a government dept we had no trouble with Nissan replacing or replacing the vehicles. A mate of mine also owns a 3 litre Nissan and the exact same thing happened to him at Grafton towing a caravan, it had done about 40,000 kms. Nissan dealer at Grafton replaced the motor with a brand new motor and had to rewire the engine with new sensors to suit the new motor at no cost to my mate. I also own a 3 litre Nissan patrol, late 2002 but a Series III, which I think the engine problem has been rectified - well I hope so. However I have still experienced a number of problems and have been completely been stuffed around by my local dealer who was actually ripping me off, charging me for components under the warranty, and it was not until I spoke to Valmai at Nissans Melbourne Customer Service that the dealer apologized and returned the parts they had charged me for, not the money. You have to be very careful because I found that Nissan, particularly Valmai is quite reasonable and she does keep very complete records of the faults in all the Nissans, give her a registration number or an engine number and she can tell you every job that has been done on that car or motor. If your car is still under warranty, and has been well maintained as per the service warranty booklet then Nissan have a legal obligation to repair or replace your motor. I know for a fact that Nissan have replace motors that have done over 100,000 kms because of this known fault up until it was rectified in Series III. It is practically useless going to the Off road 4X4 publications because they practically feed from the same trough, I mean Nissan actually supply these magazines with cars for holidays and to take home so they can recieve a favourable report. You are better off giving Valmai a ring and having a chat with her and be weary of the dealers. Hope you have a successful outcome.
TheMajor

What year is it Erich...what build date?

I have written to Nissan who have confirmed that our January 2002 is the revised series "you can have full confidence in its long term durability and that your concern has been duly recorded against the vehicle history".

We still have concerns, and having blown off a turbo hose when towing, and are glad that ACDC alerted the forum as to the association of over boosting and engine failure. Yet to follow that one through. My husband has spoken to a Nissan mechanic who says he has seen later ones fail, and Brunswick Diesels claim to have relaced engines which have failed even in the latest versions.

Maybe not out of the woods yet.

sorry to read of your problem Erich how many ks had it done ? my 2000 model has 211000 ks on it maybe it's a time bomb who knows?