CriticalVery commonBody & Rust

Nissan Vanette: Rust in the sliding door step, door seams and rear arches on a working van

Rust in the sliding door step, door seams and rear arches on a working van is a very common body & rust fault on the Nissan Vanette on the 1985–1999 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $800 to $6,000 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 5 documented faults on the Nissan Vanette.

Vehicle: Nissan Vanette
Years: 1985–1999
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Nissan Vanette 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 Vanette faults5 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

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

What goes wrong

These have spent their lives as working vans, and the rust follows the work. The sliding door step well collects grit and water every time somebody climbs in, the door seams trap moisture behind the rubbers, and the rear arches go from the inside out. On a cab-over van the floor and the step are structural rather than cosmetic, so corrosion there is a warrant problem rather than a tidy-up. A van that has carried tools or been parked near the coast for thirty years is the normal case here, not the exception, and the difference between a good one and a scrap one is almost entirely this.

What you would notice

Flaking, bubbling or soft metal in the sliding door step well
Bubbling paint along the door seams and the bottom edges of the doors
Rust blistering on the rear wheel arches
Daylight visible through the floor from underneath
Damp or musty smell in the load area
Fresh underseal or thick paint on an old working van

How to check it

Where to look. Sliding door step well, lower door seams, rear wheel arches and the cab floor

Slide the door open and put your weight on the step well, then press it hard with your thumb — this is where these rust first and it is structural, so soft or flaky metal here matters far more than a rusty bumper. Run your fingers along the bottom edge of every door and inside the door seams behind the rubbers, feeling for rough or bubbling metal rather than trusting the paint. Look along the rear arches from a low angle in good light so blistering shows in the reflection. Lift the load-area lining or mats if you can and look at the floor from inside, then look up at the same floor from underneath for daylight or flaking. Be suspicious of fresh underseal on a van this old, since it is more often hiding rust than preventing it. If a workshop inspection is possible: get it on a hoist and have the floor, step and sills checked properly before you commit.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$800 to $6,000 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

“Has any rust repair or welding been done, and where?”
“Has it ever failed a WoF on rust or structure?”
“What work has it done, and has it lived near the coast?”

Now check the Nissan Vanette 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.

CarInterior — Nissan Vanette C22 guide: what to look for
CarInterior — Nissan Vanette van guide: what to look for in a used minivan
CarGarages.co.uk — Nissan Vanette common van problems by generation

Nissan Vanette buyer questions

Is rust in the sliding door step, door seams and rear arches on a working van serious on a Nissan Vanette?

We rate it critical and very common on the Nissan Vanette. These have spent their lives as working vans, and the rust follows the work. The sliding door step well collects grit and water every time somebody climbs in, the door seams trap moisture behind the rubbers, and the rear arches go from the inside out. On a cab-over van the floor and the step are structural rather than cosmetic, so corrosion there is a warrant problem rather than a tidy-up. A van that has carried tools or been parked near the coast for thirty years is the normal case here, not the exception, and the difference between a good one and a scrap one is almost entirely this.

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

$800 to $6,000 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 Vanette years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1985–1999 Nissan Vanette. 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.