Nissan Patrol Problems

While the later Y62 Nissan Patrol was petrol V8 only (and a thirsty one at that) it’s also way out of your budget. Go back in time to the old faithful GQ model, and you’re going too far back, as these are now quite old vehicles. Which leaves you with the GU model which fits within your budget but is still new enough to be around in good numbers and in good condition.

Within that GU model-window, the version I’d recommend is the earlier 4.2-litre turbo-diesel model built from 1997 to 2007. While there were other turbo-diesel engines offered in the GU, they were problematic, especially compared with the tough 4.2-litre unit. There was also large-capacity six-cylinder petrol engine, but that has a monstrous thirst as well. Given that you want to tow a camper and do some off-roading, the extra range and fuel efficiency of the turbo-diesel will be a bonus.

The only catch is that this engine was only ever tied to a five-speed manual gearbox, and if you want an automatic, you need to look elsewhere.

That’s an awful lot of money for a 2006 Nissan Patrol, Heather, but there are a couple of mitigating factors. The first is the incredibly low mileage and if there’s a GU Patrol out there with fewer kilometres showing, then I’d be a bit surprised.

The second thing in the car’s favour is that it has the mighty 4.8-litre petrol six-cylinder engine which is one of the best towing engines ever made for a passenger vehicle. A Patrol with that engine will always find a buyer even if, at $18,000, it’s right at the top of the price ladder. Then again, given that it represents more or less a brand-new 2006 Patrol (and this model was a cool $80,000 on the road back in the day) maybe $18,000 is a steal. Depends on how you look at it.

The only caveat is that it will use lots and lots of fuel and double that amount if you tow a caravan with it.

I assume you mean it’s higher than normal, because these were thirsty trucks to begin with. The 4.8-litre petrol six-cylinder engine could easily consume 20 litres per 100km at freeway speeds and a lot more around town or in the bush. Even the turbo-diesels were no sippers.

But a sudden jump in fuel consumption can often be traced back to either tuning or a glitch in part of the fuelling system. Make sure the car is serviced and has a clean air filter and new spark plugs (if it’s a petrol engine). You can also have the fuel-injection system checked to make sure you don’t have a stuck injector that is pouring fuel into the engine when it doesn’t need it.

If the engine is fit and healthy, you can then make sure the car doesn’t have a dragging brake or another mechanical problem that is – literally – dragging it down. Don’t ignore the other basics, either; under-inflated tyres can also cause high fuel consumption. And, have you fitted a roof rack lately? These can easily add a full litre per 100km to your overall consumption figures, just through wind-drag.

The vast majority of Nissan Patrols from 2006 have covered a lot more than 172,000km, so that’s definitely one thing in the vehicle’s favour. These seem to be a pretty good thing over time and kilometres as well, but there are still a few things to be wary of. The first of those is how the vehicle has actually been used in the past. Has it been used extensively off-road? Climb underneath and check for damage caused by rocks and try to gauge how hard a life the Patrol has had.

The other thing to bear in mind is that there were two diesel engines offered in this model. The biggest, a 4.2-litre turbo-diesel is a pretty good thing and tough enough to survive. The smaller unit, though, a three-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel doesn’t enjoy the same reputation for reliability and longevity. In fact, the smaller diesel is notorious for suffering an incorrect air-fuel mixture and/or turbo-boost spikes which can smash the pistons to bits. At which point the whole engine is junk. Should this happen, you might find that the cost of repairs is more than the actual value of the whole vehicle.

So that’s the bottom line: If the engine is a six-cylinder, it’s probably worth a punt if it’s cheap enough. If the engine is a four-cylinder, you might be wise to look for an expert on these engines to examine it and give a recommendation in person.

This model Patrol was also entangled in the Takata air-bag fiasco, so make sure the air-bags have been checked and replaced if necessary before driving it anywhere.

The GQ Patrol was a tough old bird, but it’s old and buying one now is a gamble. You could consider a Toyota Landcruiser, but again your budget will limit you to an older vehicle and that is always a risk. You could perhaps consider fitting power steering to the XF ute.

Wow, that’s a rare beast, Tom. It’s also a bit of a unicorn and, since no two converted Patrol tippers were the same (more or less) there are no hard and fast rules on what they’re worth second-hand.

From the sound of things, yours is in very nice condition and has low kilometres, so they’re both good selling points. But from a buyer’s point of view, I’d want to know that the vehicle has been properly engineered (as these were converted to tippers by third party modifiers, rather than Nissan itself) and that it has all the paperwork necessary to obtain a roadworthy certificate and be legally registered. What your insurance provider will make of such a vehicle is up to them, but it’s another consideration for would-be buyers.

As for a price guide, the only similar vehicle I could find for sale at the moment was around the $20,000 mark. But this is a classic case of a vehicle being worth precisely what somebody else will pay for it.

It sounds like a problem with the turbo or the fuel pump. Get it to a diesel mechanic and have it checked.

While the later Y62 Nissan Patrol was petrol V8 only (and a thirsty one at that) it’s also way out of your budget. Go back in time to the old faithful GQ model, and you’re going too far back, as these are now quite old vehicles. Which leaves you with the GU model which fits within your budget but is still new enough to be around in good numbers and in good condition.

Within that GU model-window, the version I’d recommend is the earlier 4.2-litre turbo-diesel model built from 1997 to 2007. While there were other turbo-diesel engines offered in the GU, they were problematic, especially compared with the tough 4.2-litre unit. There was also large-capacity six-cylinder petrol engine, but that has a monstrous thirst as well. Given that you want to tow a camper and do some off-roading, the extra range and fuel efficiency of the turbo-diesel will be a bonus.

The only catch is that this engine was only ever tied to a five-speed manual gearbox, and if you want an automatic, you need to look elsewhere.