Terrano reliability

Rusty Spanner · 04-12-2013, 17:26

Hi all
Been a Land Rover man for the past 30 years, from series 1 to td5 fenders and discos but to be honest I'm sick of spending my money fixing the things, I've been looking at the Terrano for quite some time, and they seem quite impressive from what I've seen,but how do they hold up for reliability. I'm going to be doing quite a few long distance runs 1000 mile plus trips so need a truck I can just jump in and turn the key (that rules out anything with a green oval)
Hopefully going to pick one up before christmas any advice on what to look out for

thanks in advance guys

Glenn

macabethiel · 04-12-2013, 17:51

My wife had our imported Nissan for 5 years and it never let us down driven to France 3/4 times a year and used daily cost £3000 and sold for £500.

The vehicle of choice whenever we went on holiday in the UK it was a sad day when we parted with her as she was getting on a bit being an N reg:

We now have a Santa Fe it will be a hard act to follow.

rustic · 04-12-2013, 18:17

Hi Glenn welcome to the club, I have had my Maverick, Nissan Terrano in disguise for well over 18 years from new.
Why... ? it has been great all this time, no serious problems, and always started first turn of the key.

ALL the things I have replaced in 18 years...
Rear wheel bearing.
Rear wheel brake cylinders.
Washer pump front and back.
Front drop links on ARB, a few times, less than £20 the pair.
Last year was the most expensive, £30 for a replacement fuel tank.
Usual stuff, brake discs and pads, tyres, (still on original rear drums.) Battery and exhausts. A few bulbs.

Most parts are really cheap and easily available.
Most fixes are easy and some are free just a bit of grease here and there.
Mine is drip free, as I keep it in a garage on a painted floor, so easy to see if there was.
No oil leaks, burns no oil and virtually rust free.
But then again I have looked after it, lots of waxoyl on the underbody and chassis. I have done all the servicing and repairs for the past 14-15 years, after the 3 year warrenty ran out.

Best vehicle I have ever owned by far.

My late father had a disco, and left more oil on the drive than the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico.

Leaks from :- Front and rear diff, gearbox, engine sump but most from both swivel hub bearings...
Add to that wet carpets all over...

Best regards,

Rustic

Lazy-Ferret · 04-12-2013, 18:30

Their main downfall is the Tin worm... You do need to have a good look round them before you commit. I would have a read through old threads, and look for the common places, and if you are not able to do it yourself, get someone who can give it a really good once over from underneath.

Other than that, very nice reliable cars. We got our 14 year old one as a stop gap, as my V70 was written off, and we were very tight on funds, but we love it so much, we went out and bought a second one for the wife... That one is 23 years old, and still runs a dream.. I am currently trying to sort out some rust on the nearside rear brakes on hers, from where the previous owner stored it in the corner of a muddy field for 2 years.

Rusty Spanner · 04-12-2013, 18:51

Thanks guys endorsing what I've already heard

To be honest I'm yet to find somebody with something bad to say about them . Quite used to tin worm being a Land Rover owner, one gets quite acquainted with the dear old mig torch .
Will have a good look at past threads see if I can identify the weak spots. Going to be difficult leaving Land Rover I did fancy another td5 disco but like you say Rustic they leak more oil than an oil can and the last one I owned left me stranded more than once.
I haven't got a massive budget being just before christmas about 3 - 3.5k , will try find the best I can around that price

cncfabs · 04-12-2013, 19:24

Some of the best terranos ive seen have been the early ones around 1993.Dont assume that newest ones wont have rust issues ive got one from 2003 and its got rust like you wouldnt beleive.Its all down to past use get one thats never been off road if you can

stinka · 04-12-2013, 19:44

I'd just replace cv boots, and the wheel bearings, that's everything covered that could possibly cause a breakdown in my experience.

Keep an eye on service items and that's it.

Mine is on 150k and runs like new, uses no oil and there's no smoke whatsoever

Gearbox is rattly but still very smooth and has been like this for 2 years

stinka · 04-12-2013, 19:47

Agreed, body's are shite from about 2000 on

My '02 had some surface rust all over the place until I attacked it with the grinder and sorted it

I'd have a nice 99 if you can find one, stronger/larger rear diff in those too

Terranical · 04-12-2013, 20:59

Mine is a 1994, pre-intercooler. Had it four years, 145,000 miles on the clock. Still uses no oil (I've actually only ever put in a total of 2 litres apart from oil changes in the entire 4 years). Also totally oil-drip free (I did have a transfer box output shaft oil seal replaced a few months ago, it had been leaking very slightly since I bought the car, the mechanic said there was still a pint or so of oil in the box!) Small amount of rust in the usual places, wheel arches behind the plastic trim and the rear end of the door sills. Does about 26-28 around town and 30-33 on a run.
It's generally held that the pre-intercooler model was the most reliable as there is far less electronics than in the later ones, the electronics being the bugbear with the post 1996 models. Mine had done 110,00 when I bought it. I then drove it to southern Spain where it now resides, being used daily by my daughter when I'm not over there, up and down a 2 mile steep and rutted track.
Altogether an utterly reliable and bomb-proof piece of kit.

thesilkster · 04-12-2013, 21:58

I bought my Maveric SWB 1996 last year for £250. had brand new decent clutch put in her £320.

in July I have spent £30 to put it through the mot (rear bushes)

I had to pop down to Devon on Sunday from Doncaster to see my dad he is poorly 65-70 all the way down and back not a problem.

I put decent 265/70/15 tyres on her ready for the snow a decent sony player with a big amp and sub the stock speakers are great.

i love her? my kids hate her? i don't care

cheers

jims-terrano · 04-12-2013, 22:40

Had mine 11 years now and it's a 96. Had a new clutch fitted around 130k. Odd bits and bats have gone faulty, most costly after clutch I guess would be Crankshaft Sensor. Had a starter and a battery, battery was 10 years old so I'll forgive it. Biggest hassle is the tin worm, wish I had the skill to strip it down and replace all the weak spots and it'd do another 17 years I'm sure.

I'd have another one tomorrow no problem. It's carried allsorts in and on it. It's towed and driven all over. It doesn't do many miles but I'd not think twice about jumping in it and driving down to cornwall.

Ogri · 04-12-2013, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinka

I'd have a nice 99 if you can find one, stronger/larger rear diff in those too

Sorry for hijacking the thread but that caught my eye - I'm looking myself and kind of thought that newer is better. Not the case?

I'd be interested to hear opinions.

Rusty Spanner · 04-12-2013, 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6R

Sorry for hijacking the thread but that caught my eye - I'm looking myself and kind of thought that newer is better. Not the case?

I'd be interested to hear opinions.

Me too
Just read some of the rust related posts

seems the rear floor pan suffers pretty bad is that quite common .
Hope I'm not jumping out of the frying pan into the fire no good having a reliable truck with no floor
Going to have to go over the underneath with a fine tooth comb me thinks

solarman216 · 05-12-2013, 00:27

few rear floor pan issues in my experience, main points are 2nd row seat belt mounts on rear wheel arches, (easy fix) cills inner and outer, both front body mounts, particularly OS where battery sits, (not so easy) front wings (but they are not a fail point if no sharp stuff) tape over if so, front inner arches go at the rear, can be difficult if bad as limited access inside to stop fires when welding, chassis does not usually suffer but can be bad if it does, Rick

stinka · 05-12-2013, 07:42

Ricks covered it ^

The later terranos from 2000 on we're made with Renault. The under sealing and corrosion resistance is poor compaired to 1999 ones and previous. Also those French twats put a cheaper rear axle on, and got rid of grease nipples on axles and stuff.

Now this isn't to say that post 2000 aren't tough as my 2002 has been absolutley hammered and nothing's broke other than service items, a few engine electrics and cv joints that were my own fault for fking up the driveshaft angles

But if I had my time again, and was buying a base for an offroader, rather than paying £2k for a 2002 newer plate like I did 2 years ago, I wish I had waited and found a mint 98/99 low mileage truck and paid £2k for the older plate, and arguably stronger base vehicle

But, my truck is mint, rot free and tough, it just took a lot more work to get to this point

04-12-2013, 17:26	#1
Rusty Spanner Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: North West Posts: 21	Terrano reliability Hi all Been a Land Rover man for the past 30 years, from series 1 to td5 fenders and discos but to be honest I'm sick of spending my money fixing the things, I've been looking at the Terrano for quite some time, and they seem quite impressive from what I've seen,but how do they hold up for reliability. I'm going to be doing quite a few long distance runs 1000 mile plus trips so need a truck I can just jump in and turn the key (that rules out anything with a green oval) Hopefully going to pick one up before christmas any advice on what to look out for thanks in advance guys Glenn

04-12-2013, 17:51	#2
macabethiel Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Derby Vehicle: Freelander & Jeep GC 3.0 Posts: 4,415	Terrano r3mR Auto My wife had our imported Nissan for 5 years and it never let us down driven to France 3/4 times a year and used daily cost £3000 and sold for £500. The vehicle of choice whenever we went on holiday in the UK it was a sad day when we parted with her as she was getting on a bit being an N reg: We now have a Santa Fe it will be a hard act to follow.

04-12-2013, 18:17	#3
rustic Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Staffordshire Vehicle: Maverick Mk I 2.7 TD LWB Posts: 7,825	Hi Glenn welcome to the club, I have had my Maverick, Nissan Terrano in disguise for well over 18 years from new. Why... ? it has been great all this time, no serious problems, and always started first turn of the key. ALL the things I have replaced in 18 years... Rear wheel bearing. Rear wheel brake cylinders. Washer pump front and back. Front drop links on ARB, a few times, less than £20 the pair. Last year was the most expensive, £30 for a replacement fuel tank. Usual stuff, brake discs and pads, tyres, (still on original rear drums.) Battery and exhausts. A few bulbs. Most parts are really cheap and easily available. Most fixes are easy and some are free just a bit of grease here and there. Mine is drip free, as I keep it in a garage on a painted floor, so easy to see if there was. No oil leaks, burns no oil and virtually rust free. But then again I have looked after it, lots of waxoyl on the underbody and chassis. I have done all the servicing and repairs for the past 14-15 years, after the 3 year warrenty ran out. Best vehicle I have ever owned by far. My late father had a disco, and left more oil on the drive than the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. Leaks from :- Front and rear diff, gearbox, engine sump but most from both swivel hub bearings... Add to that wet carpets all over... Best regards, Rustic __________________ Ford Maverick GLX 1995 2.7TD LWB in illusion silver, 98k miles. Owned since new, for 22 years. Best car I have ever owned. Just wish I could drive it more.

05-12-2013, 00:27	#14
solarman216 Off road maniac Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bexhill on Sea Vehicle: Y60 Patrol Me, 3 ltr Mrs Posts: 17,323	few rear floor pan issues in my experience, main points are 2nd row seat belt mounts on rear wheel arches, (easy fix) cills inner and outer, both front body mounts, particularly OS where battery sits, (not so easy) front wings (but they are not a fail point if no sharp stuff) tape over if so, front inner arches go at the rear, can be difficult if bad as limited access inside to stop fires when welding, chassis does not usually suffer but can be bad if it does, Rick __________________ Ex banger racer now off road maniac Lokka on the front with manual hubs Diff lock on rear 3 inch SS straight through exhaust Manly winch bumper with 13000 lb winch 10 spike ground anchor, with multiple straps and blocks Super strong body cills capped with scaffold pole 20% stronger springs all round aggressive off road tyres on wheels so just swap. Aim to get stuck and be completely self sufficient in extraction, love getting muddy, 2ft deep is good but rare.

04-12-2013, 18:30	#4
Lazy-Ferret Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Sevenoaks, Kent Vehicle: Terrano 2.7TDi SE Touring Posts: 5,221	Their main downfall is the Tin worm... You do need to have a good look round them before you commit. I would have a read through old threads, and look for the common places, and if you are not able to do it yourself, get someone who can give it a really good once over from underneath. Other than that, very nice reliable cars. We got our 14 year old one as a stop gap, as my V70 was written off, and we were very tight on funds, but we love it so much, we went out and bought a second one for the wife... That one is 23 years old, and still runs a dream.. I am currently trying to sort out some rust on the nearside rear brakes on hers, from where the previous owner stored it in the corner of a muddy field for 2 years.

04-12-2013, 18:51	#5
Rusty Spanner Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: North West Posts: 21	Thanks guys endorsing what I've already heard To be honest I'm yet to find somebody with something bad to say about them . Quite used to tin worm being a Land Rover owner, one gets quite acquainted with the dear old mig torch . Will have a good look at past threads see if I can identify the weak spots. Going to be difficult leaving Land Rover I did fancy another td5 disco but like you say Rustic they leak more oil than an oil can and the last one I owned left me stranded more than once. I haven't got a massive budget being just before christmas about 3 - 3.5k , will try find the best I can around that price

04-12-2013, 19:24	#6
cncfabs Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: somerset Vehicle: terrano Posts: 1,947	Some of the best terranos ive seen have been the early ones around 1993.Dont assume that newest ones wont have rust issues ive got one from 2003 and its got rust like you wouldnt beleive.Its all down to past use get one thats never been off road if you can

04-12-2013, 19:44	#7
stinka Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Staffs Vehicle: '02 Terrano TDI sport lwb Posts: 3,787	I'd just replace cv boots, and the wheel bearings, that's everything covered that could possibly cause a breakdown in my experience. Keep an eye on service items and that's it. Mine is on 150k and runs like new, uses no oil and there's no smoke whatsoever Gearbox is rattly but still very smooth and has been like this for 2 years

04-12-2013, 19:47	#8
stinka Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Staffs Vehicle: '02 Terrano TDI sport lwb Posts: 3,787	Agreed, body's are shite from about 2000 on My '02 had some surface rust all over the place until I attacked it with the grinder and sorted it I'd have a nice 99 if you can find one, stronger/larger rear diff in those too

04-12-2013, 20:59	#9
Terranical Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Resident in Bristol, Terrano in Spain Vehicle: 1994 Terrano 2.7TD SWB Posts: 1,398	Mine is a 1994, pre-intercooler. Had it four years, 145,000 miles on the clock. Still uses no oil (I've actually only ever put in a total of 2 litres apart from oil changes in the entire 4 years). Also totally oil-drip free (I did have a transfer box output shaft oil seal replaced a few months ago, it had been leaking very slightly since I bought the car, the mechanic said there was still a pint or so of oil in the box!) Small amount of rust in the usual places, wheel arches behind the plastic trim and the rear end of the door sills. Does about 26-28 around town and 30-33 on a run. It's generally held that the pre-intercooler model was the most reliable as there is far less electronics than in the later ones, the electronics being the bugbear with the post 1996 models. Mine had done 110,00 when I bought it. I then drove it to southern Spain where it now resides, being used daily by my daughter when I'm not over there, up and down a 2 mile steep and rutted track. Altogether an utterly reliable and bomb-proof piece of kit.

04-12-2013, 21:58	#10
thesilkster Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Doncaster s yorkshire Vehicle: Ford Maverick 2.7 swb Posts: 32	I bought my Maveric SWB 1996 last year for £250. had brand new decent clutch put in her £320. in July I have spent £30 to put it through the mot (rear bushes) I had to pop down to Devon on Sunday from Doncaster to see my dad he is poorly 65-70 all the way down and back not a problem. I put decent 265/70/15 tyres on her ready for the snow a decent sony player with a big amp and sub the stock speakers are great. i love her? my kids hate her? i don't care cheers

04-12-2013, 22:40	#11
jims-terrano Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: UK Posts: 12,965	Had mine 11 years now and it's a 96. Had a new clutch fitted around 130k. Odd bits and bats have gone faulty, most costly after clutch I guess would be Crankshaft Sensor. Had a starter and a battery, battery was 10 years old so I'll forgive it. Biggest hassle is the tin worm, wish I had the skill to strip it down and replace all the weak spots and it'd do another 17 years I'm sure. I'd have another one tomorrow no problem. It's carried allsorts in and on it. It's towed and driven all over. It doesn't do many miles but I'd not think twice about jumping in it and driving down to cornwall.

05-12-2013, 07:42	#15
stinka Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Staffs Vehicle: '02 Terrano TDI sport lwb Posts: 3,787	Ricks covered it ^ The later terranos from 2000 on we're made with Renault. The under sealing and corrosion resistance is poor compaired to 1999 ones and previous. Also those French twats put a cheaper rear axle on, and got rid of grease nipples on axles and stuff. Now this isn't to say that post 2000 aren't tough as my 2002 has been absolutley hammered and nothing's broke other than service items, a few engine electrics and cv joints that were my own fault for fking up the driveshaft angles But if I had my time again, and was buying a base for an offroader, rather than paying £2k for a 2002 newer plate like I did 2 years ago, I wish I had waited and found a mint 98/99 low mileage truck and paid £2k for the older plate, and arguably stronger base vehicle But, my truck is mint, rot free and tough, it just took a lot more work to get to this point