Nissan Patrol Diesel Problems

Nissan has told us that there was a service campaign on the ZD30 Patrol which revised the engine oil capacity for vehicles manufactured from launch (May 2000) until the end of October 2000. They recommend any owner with queries or concerns about their vehicle to contact their nearest Nissan dealer or the Customer Assistance Centre on 9797 4114.

EARLY GU Patrols with the 3.0-litre turbo diesel experienced some lubrication problems, and Nissan advised dealers the problem could be fixed by increasing the oil level in the sump. There have been no further reports of problems, but contact your Nissan dealer for more information.

Many reports from the trade relate to the 3.0-litre diesel Patrol, and they don't make pleasant reading. It seems the motor suffers from head problems (head gasket leakage and cracking) which was fixed with a thicker head gasket that lowered the compression slightly. It also suffers from an oiling problem, which can become a worry when the Patrol is driven at highway speed in hot climates. Nissan increased the oil quantity to overcome this problem. I would suggest you keep a close watch on your engine, and perhaps ask Nissan for some sort of extended warranty coverage. Smaller used-car dealers are taking extended warranty on any 3.0-litre Nissan turbo diesel they sell to protect themselves against a problem later on, which should give you some idea of the how they view the vehicle.

The problems don't appear to affect vehicles built after 2000. The engines that appear most affected are the 2.8 and 3.0-litre turbo diesels built between 1998 and 2000. There was a problem with the oil level on the 3.0-litre which caused catastrophic engine failure, but was fixed by increasing the amount of oil in the sump. The 2.8-litre engine had problems with head gaskets, but both appear to have been fixed and shouldn't affect new models.