Common problems · 1987–97
Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) problems: 8 things to check
The problems owners and specialists flag most on the Nissan Patrol Y60 (GQ), the repairs they end up doing and what those cost, plus the years and recalls to watch. Sourced, not scraped.
Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) problems to check before you buy
- Rust first, everything else secondForum veterans check the roof gutters, the sliding rear-window frames, the door sills and jambs, the front guards, the backs of the rear wheel arches and the upper firewall. Lift the rear carpets too, because sand under the mats can eat the floor pans. A freshly painted GQ can be hiding gutter and rear-quarter rust.
- Look for oil on the swivel hubsGreasy gunk on the front swivels usually means the inner axle seal has failed and diff oil is getting past swivel seals that were never designed to hold oil. That's a front-axle teardown, so price it in. Look for oil on the brake backing plates as well, a sign of worn axle seals. CarsGuide adds that leaks from the rear diff seals are common on GQs, though regular servicing usually cures them.
- Drive it at 70–80 km/h (45–50 mph)Early GQs suffered a front-end shimmy at about 70–80 km/h. Most were fixed under warranty by removing knuckle shims to take out free play, but a worn truck can bring it back. Owners also report shakes around 110 km/h, so test at highway speed and check the tie rods, panhard rod and radius-arm bushes.
- Know which engine, and which rocker coverThe TD42 is the safe bet if it has been kept cool. A silver rocker cover means a pre-August-1993 engine, from before Nissan lightened it. Petrol TB42s and turbo RD28Ts have a history of head problems when worked hard. Ask about the cooling system, look for milky oil and coolant stains, and walk away from a truck that 'just needs a head gasket'.
- Open and close every doorIf a door drops when you open it, the hinge pins are worn, a well-known GQ problem. Wikipedia also records cracking rear-door hinges from the weight of the spare. Both are fixable with hinge-pin kits or new genuine hinges, but they tell you how hard the truck has been used.
- Test 4WD in high and low rangeCheck that the free-wheeling hubs lock and unlock smoothly, then drive in 4H and 4L on dirt. One forum tip is a tight circle in low range, which should scrub the tyres. Listen for gearbox whine or clunks, check that it doesn't jump out of gear on overrun, and inspect the gearbox crossmember for rock damage. Wikipedia also records fifth-gear bearing failures in high-mileage European five-speeds.
- Be wary of automaticsMembers of the NissanPatrol.com.au forum report trouble with GQ automatics, with rebuilds around A$3,000. The auto's cooler also sits inside the radiator, so a truck that overheats can cook its transmission too. A manual with a service history is the conservative choice.
- If it's lifted, check the detailsOn lifted GQs, confirm that the brake lines were extended, the rear load-proportioning valve was adjusted, and caster was corrected with offset radius-arm bushes. Bent rear lower control arms and stone-damaged rods suggest it has been driven hard.
The repairs Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) owners end up doing
| REPAIR | SYMPTOMS | DIFFICULTY | TIME | COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swivel hub (kingpin) bearing and seal rebuild | Greasy gunk on the front swivel balls, steering that wanders, or play when you rock the top of the tyre with the wheel off the ground. On a GQ the swivel and CV bearings run in grease. If diff oil is leaking out of the swivels, the inner axle seal has failed. | 3 / 5 | ≈ A full day per side for a first-timer | Parts plus labor |
| Front wheel bearing service | Rumble or growl that changes with speed, play at the wheel, or bearing grease slung onto the brake parts. It's also due whenever you rebuild the swivels. | 2 / 5 | ≈ 2–3 hours per side | Parts plus labor |
| Cure the front-end shimmy | The steering wheel shakes at about 70–80 km/h (45–50 mph), sometimes again around 110 km/h, and often after hitting a bump. CarsGuide notes early GQs did this from the factory. | 2 / 5 | ≈ 2–4 hours to diagnose and fix | Parts plus labor |
| TD42 tappet adjustment and rocker cover reseal | A louder-than-usual top-end clatter, or an oily rocker cover. One forum member says the TD42's tappets want adjusting about every 20,000 km, and that poor early servicing leads to serious valve-train wear. | 2 / 5 | ≈ 1–2 hours | Parts plus labor |
| Cooling system refresh (overheating prevention) | The temperature gauge climbs on long climbs or when towing, the truck boils at low speed, or the clutch fan roars without cooling much. GQs have a reputation for heat, and an overheated head is the expensive end of that story. On automatics, the transmission cooler is inside the radiator. | 2 / 5 | ≈ Half a day | Parts plus labor |
| Re-pin dropping front doors | The door drops when opened and has to be lifted to latch. Forum members call door hinges a common GQ problem; worn pins can be in either or both hinges. | 2 / 5 | ≈ 1–2 hours per door | Parts plus labor |
| RD28T timing belt service | No warning before it breaks. Unlike the gear-driven TD42 and TB42, the RD28T's camshaft is belt-driven, so a truck with no receipts should be treated as due. Owners on ExplorOz report doing it at about 100,000 km; confirm the interval in the manual. | 3 / 5 | ≈ A day for a first-timer | Parts plus labor |
| Replace radius-arm and panhard bushes (with caster correction) | Clunks over bumps, vague steering, the shimmy above, or a lifted truck that wanders because the lift has reduced caster. One owner expects to replace the bushes, springs and clutch at around 200,000 km. | 3 / 5 | ≈ Half a day to a day | Parts plus labor |
Each repair links to a step-by-step guide with tools, part numbers and where to buy the parts.
Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) recalls and service bulletins
- Front-end vibration ↗ Wikipedia lists front-end vibration as a known Y60 weakness that was 'largely fixed under warranty'. Ask whether a truck had the fix, especially if it shimmies.
Check any VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls ↗, or see the recall tracker.
Take the printable Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) inspection checklist: every check on this page plus the model-specific ones, on one sheet. Get the checklist →
Sourced from owners, specialists and factory documents; full sources are on the Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) guide. Verify torque figures and procedures against the factory service manual (disclaimer).