Nissan Murano: VQ35DE Excessive Oil Consumption — Valve Stem Seals and Piston Rings

The VQ35DE 3.5 V6 in the Z51 Murano has a documented pattern of excessive oil consumption, with many owners reporting consumption of 0.5–1.5 litres per 1,000 km on higher-mileage engines. The primary causes are hardened or worn valve stem seals producing blue smoke on startup and deceleration, and piston ring blow-by on engines over 150,000 km. Left unmonitored, low oil level accelerates timing chain tensioner wear and can cause bearing damage.

• Blue or grey smoke from exhaust on cold startup, especially after sitting overnight
• Smoke on overrun/deceleration with no smoke at steady throttle
• Oil level consistently low between scheduled services
• Spark plugs fouled with oil deposits on inspection
• Oil burning smell from the exhaust after stop-start urban driving

1. 1

   Check the oil dipstick against the last service record mileage to see if level is within normal range.

2. 2

   Look for blue-grey smoke from the exhaust during a cold start and on deceleration.

3. 3

   Inspect the inside of the engine oil filler cap for heavy black sludge, which indicates infrequent oil changes compounding the problem.

4. 4

   Ask for oil consumption documentation or conduct a measured top-up test.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

$800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “How much oil do you typically add between oil changes, and how often do you check it?”
• “Has there ever been blue smoke from the exhaust, particularly on cold starts?”
• “What brand and grade of oil is used, and has the oil change interval ever been extended?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.