Is my Nissan Qashqai engine failure linked to the 2013 recall?
During a rainy drive, with family in the car, the engine on our 2011 (41,000 miles) Nissan Qashqai emitted an acrid smell - no smoke from the exhaust - and stalled. When re-started, it exhibited a distinct tapping noise and rattle. We took it to our Nissan dealer and they immediately advised we needed a new engine costing £10,000! A search on your site revealed that there has been an underlying issue with the M9R engine that resulted in a voluntary recall in 2013 due to bearings failing under heavy load, at high speeds and in severe weather. I have discussed this with Nissan and they have now offered to fund 50 per cent of a Nissan reconditioned engine, that including dealer labour equates to a bill of £3500. Should I challenge Nissan for a greater share of the repair cost?
I'm wondering if the "acrid smell" was the DPF trying to actively regenerate, which happens by the ECU injecting extra diesel into the engine to start a fire in the DPF and burn off the soot in there. If this has not been working properly and if repeated attempts to regenerate has led to contamination of the engine lube oil with excess diesel then this could be responsible for the bearing wear. So the TSB that led to de-tuning of the engine in 2013 might be a red herring. In any case, the fault with the engine is admitted and the car is (only just) less than 6 years old so I think you can press for more from Nissan, but not for the whole cost because you have had nearly 6 years and 41,000 miles use from the car.
Answered by Honest John on
