CriticalCommonEngine

Nissan Primera: QR20DE pre-catalyst break-up scoring the bores (P12)

QR20DE pre-catalyst break-up scoring the bores (P12) is a common engine fault on the Nissan Primera on the 2001–2008 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $2,500 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 8 documented faults on the Nissan Primera.

Vehicle: Nissan Primera
Engine: QR20-DE
Years: 2001–2008
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Nissan Primera as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Nissan Primera faults8 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Catalytic converter yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The P12 Primera's QR20DE (and the QR-family generally, pre-2004) has a close-coupled pre-catalyst that breaks up with age; the ceramic dust is drawn back into the cylinders by exhaust reversion and scores the bores, which then causes heavy oil consumption. Once the bores are worn the engine burns oil badly and is effectively worn out - a used JDM replacement engine is the usual fix. It is the defining engine fault to check on these cars.

What you would notice

Heavy oil consumption (up to ~1 L/1000 km)
Blue smoke, especially on start-up and overrun
Rattle from a broken-up catalyst
Poor power / catalyst efficiency (P0420) codes
Metallic glitter in the oil in bad cases

How to check it

Where to look. Close-coupled pre-catalyst on the exhaust manifold; cylinder bores

Ask directly how much oil it uses - anything approaching 1 litre per 1,000 km is a warning. Watch for blue smoke on a cold start and on a trailing throttle. Have the pre-cat and bore condition assessed; a compression/leak-down test and a look for a rattling cat are worthwhile. Prefer a car with a documented replacement engine or proven low oil use.

Parts involved: Catalytic converter.

What it costs to put right

$2,500 to $5,500 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.

Ask the seller

“How much oil does it use between services?”
“Has the pre-cat broken up or the engine been replaced?”
“Any blue smoke on start-up?”

Now check the Nissan Primera you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Wikipedia 'Nissan QR engine' (pre-cat break-up / reversion recall history)
MotorReviewer QR20DE problems (bore wear, oil burning)
Nissan Primera Owners Club (npoc.co.uk) P12 oil-consumption & catalytic-converter threads

Nissan Primera buyer questions

Is qr20de pre-catalyst break-up scoring the bores (p12) serious on a Nissan Primera?

We rate it critical and common on the Nissan Primera. The P12 Primera's QR20DE (and the QR-family generally, pre-2004) has a close-coupled pre-catalyst that breaks up with age; the ceramic dust is drawn back into the cylinders by exhaust reversion and scores the bores, which then causes heavy oil consumption. Once the bores are worn the engine burns oil badly and is effectively worn out - a used JDM replacement engine is the usual fix. It is the defining engine fault to check on these cars.

How much does it cost to fix on a Nissan Primera?

$2,500 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Nissan Primera years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2001–2008 Nissan Primera. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.