MajorCommonSuspension

Nissan Skyline: Front Wheel Bearing Premature Wear (ATTESA AWD Stress)

Front Wheel Bearing Premature Wear (ATTESA AWD Stress) is a common suspension fault on the Nissan Skyline on the 1995–2002 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $400 to $900 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 41 documented faults on the Nissan Skyline.

Vehicle: Nissan Skyline
Years: 1995–2002
Fuel: petrol
Gearbox: manual
System: Suspension

This page covers the Nissan Skyline 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 Skyline faults41 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

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

What goes wrong

The R33/R34 GT-R ATTESA E-TS AWD system places significant lateral and longitudinal load on front wheel bearings, accelerating wear compared to RWD variants. Bearings on high-mileage or track-used examples typically fail by 150,000–180,000 km. Many imported GT-Rs arrive without bearing replacement history. Failure leads to vague steering and eventually unsafe play in the hub assembly. The condition is compounded by any previous kerb strikes or alignment damage.

What you would notice

Humming or rumbling noise that changes with steering input
Noise increases with vehicle speed
Vibration felt through steering wheel
Play detected in wheel when jacked and rocked side to side

How to check it

Where to look. Front hub assemblies, both sides

Spin the hub by hand listening for roughness or grumbling. Test drive on motorway and load the bearing by changing lanes — listen for noise change as lateral load shifts. If a workshop inspection is possible: Jack each front wheel and rock it at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions.

Parts involved: Wheel bearing.

What it costs to put right

$400 to $900 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

“When were the front wheel bearings last replaced?”
“Any humming or droning noise at motorway speed?”
“Has the car been tracked or driven aggressively?”

Now check the Nissan Skyline 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 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.

Nissan Skyline buyer questions

Is front wheel bearing premature wear (attesa awd stress) serious on a Nissan Skyline?

We rate it major and common on the Nissan Skyline. The R33/R34 GT-R ATTESA E-TS AWD system places significant lateral and longitudinal load on front wheel bearings, accelerating wear compared to RWD variants. Bearings on high-mileage or track-used examples typically fail by 150,000–180,000 km. Many imported GT-Rs arrive without bearing replacement history. Failure leads to vague steering and eventually unsafe play in the hub assembly. The condition is compounded by any previous kerb strikes or alignment damage.

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

$400 to $900 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 Skyline years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1995–2002 Nissan Skyline. 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.