We often get phone calls from owners or potential buyers of the Nissan GT-R looking for information on a range of common questions so we thought it might be useful to answer some of these here. However if you would like more information about your GT-R or how we can help you look after and improve it please feel free to get in touch.

Common issues with the GT-R

We should start by saying the Nissan GT-R is without doubt the most reliable and sturdy performance car we have had the pleasure of working with but like any mass-produced vehicle, the R35 GT-R has a number of common issues which can occur during it’s lifetime. A number of the issues are not mileage based and can happen for no apparent reason, however regular servicing can negate many of them before they happen. All our GT-R services include our comprehensive health check and a range of unique inspections that allow us to provide owners with the relevant information they need each and every time the car visits. Often more serious issues can be spotted early by our skilled and experienced staff before they get a chance to become too costly.

Naturally the early vehicles tend to have more problems, both through design updates and age. We would always suggest buying the newest vehicle you can afford. The following are answers, or at least pointers, to questions our service department are asked everyday by our customers.

How reliable is the Nissan GT-R GR6 Dual Clutch transmission?

In short, very reliable and capable of taking huge increases in performance in standard form. Should you lose drive, lose half of the gears or repeatedly have the 4wd clutch overheat light come on then we would suggest recovering the vehicle into us as soon as possible. There is nothing to be gained from deleting stored ECU codes and continuing to drive as you will certainly cause considerably more damage than has already occurred. We are able to completely strip and rebuild the GT-R GR6 gearboxes should the worst happen, replacing damaged parts or upgrading items.

The 2011+ UK car had a subtly modified gearbox and is far less prone to some of the gear selection issues associated with the original 2008-2010 versions. Nissan made further improvements in 2013 and we now see almost no issues with these later boxes.

Can I check the GT-R ECUs to see how it has been driven, tuned or launched?

Yes, the excellent Ecutek ECU Connect Bluetooth interface and free smart phone software allows you to interrogate the saved data held in the ECUs. It will show you if the engine has been tuned, the historic gearbox oil temperatures, any clutch protection conditions and the number of launches.

It is also comes with a raft of extra features including detailed datalogging, service items, fault code reading/clearing and the option to provide remote tuning from Litchfield. For more information visit the ECU Connect page here.

My GT-R is making a clicking noise from the wheels?

A very common issue on all age vehicles that happens at low speed on full lock and sounds like something stuck in spokes of the wheels. This can be fixed very quickly indeed during any service – please mention this when you are booking.

My Nissan GT-R ESP and ABS dashboard lights are on

The ABS pumps failing on older and especially stored GT-Rs are becoming an increasingly common fault. We carry the new and refurbished replacement parts on the shelf and it takes around two hours to install.

Fluid leaks from drive seals, gearbox seals and steering rack

As with any mechanical part that is designed to hold back fluid, sooner or later the seal will begin to fail with continued age and use. These are usually easy to spot early during our service inspections and most are straight forward to replace while you wait. As such Litchfield carry the common differential and gearbox seals in stock and also hold a limited number of reconditioned steering racks (new are available too but at considerable cost) for a quick turnaround.

My Nissan GT-R has a starting or Tracker problem?

Many R35 GT-R owners have experienced starting faults with their cars. It is one of the most common reasons for cars to be recovered into Litchfield. Often it can be traced to something as simple as running out of batteries in the fobs, or the fob not being synchronised to the car, but sometimes we need to reprogram or disable the original Tracker system. We are also able to silence the irritating relay clicking in the rear of vehicle at start up, caused when the dealer-fit Tracker subscription isn’t renewed and is no longer being used.

Less common now are the steering lock failures on earlier R35 GT-Rs as most of the problematic locks were changed under a recall scheme by Nissan.

Excessive tyre wear on my Nissan GT-R

Due to the performance available, vehicle weight, tyre type and alignment settings, the R35 GT-R has fairly aggressive wear rates on the original tyres. It is absolutely worth having the recommended re-alignment as part of the annual optimisation service. Over time the car suspension is often pushed slightly out of alignment, accelerating wear on the tyres. The car should always be aligned immediately after having a new set of tyres fitted. GT-Rs that experience a lot of motorway miles should also have their inside edges of the tyres regularly inspected - they can get very low whilst the rest of the tyre appears to be in very good condition.

We would always suggest moving to Michelin tyres over the standard run-flats as they give noticeable improvements to tyre longevity, ride comfort and wet/cold weather grip.

Nissan GT-R Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sensors (TPMS)

The GT-R has a few different TPMS systems installed over its lifetime and we are able to supply rebuild kits, new and clone sensors for all versions. Faults will tend to occur due to low pressure, lack of use (the sensor is powered by the wheel rotation) and corrosion. If you have any problems with the sensors in your car, please speak to us when booking your service. If the pressure drops too low or you experience a flat tyre the TPMS system will require resetting for 2007-2016 models with the Nissan Consult Tool (or Ecutek Ecu Connect) but the MY17+ is able to self-reset. If you require a new sensor they need to be coded to the vehicle for all models.

The Ecutek ECU Connect tool will allow the tyre pressure system to be reset but it requires an additional stimulation tool to code new sensors to the vehicle. For customers who have multiple sets of wheels we offer our clone sensors, allowing multiple wheels to share the same ID signals, removing the need to continually re-code the system.

I’m getting water in the rear boot of my Nissan GT-R?

A very common issue caused by a design flaw at the top of the rear bumper where meets the car. The boot surround needs to be kept clean and free from dirt, with the small channels under the top edge of the bumper cleaned regularly.

The Multimedia system or heater controls do not work on my GT-R

Working with the Nissan / Clarion scheme, we can supply reconditioned multimedia units for the R35. More common on the earlier cars, they can cause a variety of different faults that you wouldn't necessarily think would be due to the multimedia system.

Blown or rattling front lower Bose door speakers on my Nissan GT-R

A very common problem with an easy fix – we hold the original Bose speakers in stock and are very used to removing the door cards from the doors to install the new speakers.

My Nissan GT-R has a rattle, knocking or clonking noise from underneath the car

The R35 GT-R is not a particularly quiet car from new but they do have a number of rattles that are common and can be fixed easily during a service. These can be anything from gravel on top of the undertrays to door lock plates or anti roll bar movement. Please mention this when you book in for a service and we will investigate the noise(s) thoroughly. Litchfield also stock a wide variety of sound insulating materials such as Dynamat and Dynaliner.

My rear shock absorbers are leaking or have misting on my GT-R

Increasingly common on the older GT-Rs, we are finding misting or leaking fluid on the rear dampers. We are able to either replace with the standard originals or upgrade the whole setup to our Litchfield Bilstein Damptronic suspension kit which is supported by a 2 year warranty.

Please download a R35 GT-R buying guide here. This guide is by no means exhaustive and does not mean the Litchfield are in any way responsible for your purchase. We are not able to comment on the condition of vehicles once they have left our premises. We are also unable to diagnose most issues with vehicles over the phone - please call to book your car into us for diagnosis.