Nissan Terrano: common faults & what to check

Which Nissan Terrano are you looking at?

2 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Engine not documented

2 variants documented

1986–1995WD211986–1995WD21Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: TTTNIS via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

1995–2004R501995–2004R50Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues2 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: OSX via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Nissan Terrano

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Nissan Terrano before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Crouch at each wheel and shine your phone torch along the chassis rail, then at the rear crossmember behind the back axle.

  See why

  WD21 chassis rail, rear crossmember and body-mount rot

  The WD21 Terrano has a separate ladder chassis, and after 30-plus years on New Zealand roads the rails, the rear crossmember and the rubber-cushioned body mounts are the parts that end the car rather than the engine. Mud and road salt pack into the boxed sections and rot them from the inside out, so a rail can look painted and solid from below while the metal above it has gone. A rusted body mount lets the cab move on the chassis, which shows up as doors that no longer line up and a rattle over bumps. Repairs run from a couple of patched sections to a chassis that cannot be certified, and a badly patched truck usually costs more to put right than a clean one costs to buy.

  What you would notice

  • Flaky or bubbling metal along the chassis rails behind the front wheels
  • Doors and tailgate that no longer line up with their openings
  • Clunk or shudder from under the cab over bumps
  • Fresh underseal or paint on an otherwise tired underside

  Typically $1,500–$6,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  This is a test-drive fault, so insist on driving it yourself, not just riding along.

  See why

  R50 QD32ETi / TD27ETi electronic injection pump wear — power loss and cut-out

  The electronically controlled injection pumps fitted to the R50 Terrano's QD32ETi and TD27ETi diesels wear at the plunger and control mechanism, and the failure is progressive rather than sudden. Owners describe a hesitation and then a lurch as you pull away from a stop, a surge at idle, and — as it gets worse — the engine dropping out or losing power at a steady cruise. On an automatic the shock loading from that lurch is hard on the transmission as well. These pumps are expensive to exchange and few workshops rebuild them, which is why a Terrano with a tired pump is often worth less than the repair. It is the single most important thing to test-drive for on a diesel R50.

  What you would notice

  • A pause then a sudden lurch when accelerating from a standstill
  • Idle that surges up and down on its own
  • Momentary loss of power or a cut-out at a steady cruising speed
  • Black smoke or a flat spot when the throttle is opened

  Typically $2,000–$4,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Ask the seller not to warm the truck up before you arrive, so you can hear the cold start yourself.

  See why

  TD27 / TD27T injection pump seal leak and hard hot starting

  The mechanical injection pump on the TD27 diesel uses rubber seals that harden with age and with modern low-sulphur diesel, so they weep fuel down the back of the pump and let air into the fuel line. The first sign is usually a truck that starts perfectly from cold but cranks and cranks once it is hot, or that will not restart after a fuel stop. Left alone the leak drips onto the belt area and the truck eventually will not start at all. A pump reseal is a workshop job; a full pump rebuild or exchange costs considerably more, so a weeping pump is real money, not a minor drip.

  What you would notice

  • Starts fine cold, cranks a long time when hot
  • Diesel smell and a wet, dirty film around the injection pump
  • Rough idle or a stumble for the first few seconds after starting
  • Corroded or damp fuel pipes running to the pump

  Typically $900–$3,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Ask directly whether it has ever stalled or cut out on the seller — this fault is remembered by anyone who has had it.

  See why

  R50 crank angle and TDC sensor failure — stalling and no-start

  The electronic diesels in the R50 rely on a crank angle sensor and a TDC sensor to tell the engine computer where the engine is. Both are known to fail with age and heat, and the failure is usually intermittent before it is permanent: the engine stalls without warning, restarts a few minutes later once it has cooled, and eventually will not start at all. Because it comes and goes, plenty of these trucks get sold with the fault present and undiagnosed. The parts themselves are not especially expensive, but a truck that has been stalling for months may also have had other parts thrown at it, so ask what has already been replaced.

  What you would notice

  • Engine cuts out without warning while driving, then restarts later
  • Cranks but will not fire when hot
  • Rough running or a misfire that comes and goes
  • Engine warning light appearing intermittently

  Typically $350–$900 to put right.

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