Nissan Terrano II (R20) Common Problems & Reliability
Spain-built by Nissan Motor Iberica and sold here from May 1993, the Terrano II (Mistral in Japan, and also badged as the Ford Maverick) was the honest body-on-frame 4x4 in Nissan's UK range while the Pathfinder name sat with the bigger import. The formula was simple: a tall, narrow ladder chassis, three or five doors, a 2.4-litre KA24 petrol or 2.7 TD turbo-diesel, and from 1999 a 3.0 TDi ZD30DDTi direct-injection unit shared with the Patrol. There were three visible updates - round-headlight cars from 1996 with an intercooled diesel, a fresh front end and interior in 1999, and a further revision for 2002 when the model was sold simply as the Terrano before production faded out in 2005 and sales ended in 2006. Parkers summed it up as a competent, reliable leisure 4x4 whose habitat was the school run and a horse trailer rather than the mountain. Rusted bulkheads and sills, not engines, are what kill these in the UK.
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Detailed fault breakdown, symptoms, and estimated repair bills by production year.
Most Common Nissan Terrano II (R20) Faults & Repair Costs
Structural rust in sills, arches, bulkhead and frame
The Spanish-built Terrano II was never as well protected against UK road salt as the Japanese Nissans alongside it, and the practical buying advice in the RAC's used guide is to look underneath for damage and wear, while Parkers notes the model is only worth buying as a well-checked example. On the car, that means the rear arches and jack points, the bulkhead below the windscreen, the frame rails and rear spring pads all corrode. Body panels are close to unobtainable now, so a rotting rear corner is a fabrication job rather than a bolt-on repair, and MOT testers failed cars on structural corrosion long before the engine was tired.
Bubbles in the paint along the rear arch radius and under the door seals, Flaking rust or a soft spot where the rear jack sits, Coolant crust or rust staining at the bulkhead below the windscreen, Rust scale falling from the frame rails or rear spring shims on inspection
- Press on the rear arch lips and sills behind the wheels with your thumb - a repair patch or filler gives a different sound
- Get the car over a pit or ramp and tap the frame rails and spring pads with a handle; hollow or flaking means rot
- Lift the windscreen scuttle grille and look for coolant traces and rust at the bulkhead
- Check the boot and load bay floor for damp, especially on former horse and panel van cars
Driveline vibration cured only by a revised clutch assembly
The RAC's Terrano II buying guide flags a very specific owner complaint: some diesel cars suffered a driveline vibration that needed a special clutch assembly to fix, and buyers are told to find out whether the clutch has already been changed. In the real world it shows as a heavy shudder from a standstill or a buzz through the gearbox at a steady 2,000rpm, and it is caused by the damper arrangement in the flywheel and clutch rather than the gearbox itself. Because the parts are no longer stocked as off-the-shelf items, a job that used to be a £600 clutch change becomes a long-lead fabrication and sourcing exercise.
Shudder from the transmission when moving off in first or on a roundabout, A buzz or drone through the pedal and gearbox tunnel at steady cruise, Vibration that changes or disappears when the clutch pedal is held down, Heavy judder after a hot soak or when pulling away with a load
- Pull away repeatedly on a slope with the steering locked and feel for a shudder from the transmission rather than the engine
- Hold the clutch down at idle in neutral: if the noise changes, the damper or input shaft bearing is the cause
- Ask whether the revised clutch assembly has been fitted and get the parts invoice, as the RAC advises
- Take the vehicle with a loaded trailer or a couple of passengers, which makes a weak clutch obvious
Brake pipe chafing and split rear brake lines (recalls R/2000/028 and R/2002/039)
Two DVSA recalls cover Terrano hydraulics. R/2000/028 covers cars built from 1 January 1995 to 31 July 1997 - 4,905 UK vehicles - where the brake system's LSV pilot tube could chafe against the floorpan, thinning the wall until fluid leaked away. R/2002/039 covers cars built from July 2001 to March 2002, where interference between the steering column and the rear brake supply pipe could cause a leak. Combined with general age corrosion, the rear lines and flexis on these 4x4s are a recurring MOT failure, and a soft pedal on the test drive is the warning.
Damp brake fluid staining along the chassis rail or under the floorpan, Pedal that sinks slowly with the pressure held on, One rear wheel pulling or a warning light with no visible pad wear, Recent MOT failure or advisory marked against brake pipes or flexible hoses
- Trace the metal brake lines along the frame and floorpan for chafe marks, kinks and rust scale
- Pump the pedal with the engine off, then hold firm pressure for a minute: any travel means a leak or a bad master cylinder seal
- Look up the MOT history on GOV.UK for past brake pipe failures and advisories
- Check the free-play of the steering column where the rear supply pipe passes it on affected builds
Buying a used Nissan Terrano II (R20)? Always check for hidden finance and write-off history.
Mechanical problems are only half the battle. Over 1 in 3 UK used cars checked have unpaid finance or accident write-off records that could cause you to lose the car or thousands in value.