Turbo blown & engine damage

[RichE]

Hi. My 2015 1.6 dci Tekna has done 55k miles and is 5 months out of warranty. Full main dealer maintained. 2 days ago it blew the turbo and the independent garage I’ve taken it to also strongly suspects internal damage to the engine as the turbo had cooked it dry of oil. Does anyone think I stand a chance of successfully complaining to Nissan and getting any help from them? Also, any ideas on costs to replace the turbo and the engine too? Finally, I’ve been offered £6k cash for it in its current broken state. Is that a fair price? Thanks in advance for any advice & guidance.

[Steve61]

Hi RichE


If it were me my first port of call would be contacting the dealership I use, and if no joy with them contacting Nissan UK Customer Service.

[gvmdaddy]

4K+ for new engine, 1k+? for new turbo, so your offer of 6k seems reasonable. If the turbo has failed how come you had no warning? Again, if it’s burned all the oil how come you’ve not had warnings for low oil pressure or anything else. Seems very strange.

[RichE]

Thanks both for your replies. I had some warning in that there was a whistling sound that started the day before. I booked in the garage immediately and it was going in 2 days later (the morning after it blew up) I had checked the oil level (fine) the night of the whistling. On the fateful day I had one work meeting to attend a short distance away so I nursed it along keeping to around 2000 revs in all gears. I was on the way home when it blew! There were definitely no warning lights displayed until the moment it blew then the red engine warning light came on. I pulled up at the roadside the moment it blew.

[Terry64]

I do not see how it has cooked the engine if you checked the oil and it was full, and you pulled over as soon as the turbo went, I drove a merc for miles with out the turbo, the vehicle went into limp mode as soon as turbo went,
It did no other damage to the engine.
But I only got an orange warning light and not a red.

Who has offered to buy the car from you ?
Not the garage by any chance ?
I do not think Nissan or a dealership will help you with this, you could try Nissan but I very much doubt they will help.
They will tell you to take it into a dealer to be checked, which might be a good idea so you get a second prognosis.

If you need a new engine I would look at buying a used engine and getting it fitted
Or you can pick up fully refurbished for around £2100 With Reconditioned Injectors and turbo from £750 + Vat onto the price of engine
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Qashq ... 0505.m3226

There is an engine for £1500 with 5000 miles on clock here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENAULT-KADJ ... rk:13:pf:0

[RichE]

Thanks Terry64. I will try the dealer that’s looked after the car since new and Nissan Cust Servs but I don’t hold much hope.

When it blew everything happened so quick but it was straightforward - a very high pitched whistle, loss of power, red engine light on and I literally coasted 200yrds down hill until there was a safe place to pull over. That was it.

I totally trust the garage who has offered to buy it. A great guy who has serviced my in-laws own cars and their work fleet for 20 years. I do appreciate he has to make some profit after he does the work.

I’ve had 2 dealers tell me they would have offered a part Ex value of £9,500 to £10,500 range had it been in full working order so I’m beginning to think £6,000 isn’t too bad.

[Terry64]

Thanks Terry64. I will try the dealer that’s looked after the car since new and Nissan Cust Servs but I don’t hold much hope.

When it blew everything happened so quick but it was straightforward - a very high pitched whistle, loss of power, red engine light on and I literally coasted 200yrds down hill until there was a safe place to pull over. That was it.

I totally trust the garage who has offered to buy it. A great guy who has serviced my in-laws own cars and their work fleet for 20 years. I do appreciate he has to make some profit after he does the work.

I’ve had 2 dealers tell me they would have offered a part Ex value of £9,500 to £10,500 range had it been in full working order so I’m beginning to think £6,000 isn’t too bad.

If you can not afford to get it fixed then take the £6000 for it at least you could put this to buy a replacement or pay off any finance.
The problem is as it stands you do not know if the engine is no good or has the garage told you 100% it is knackered.

If you can afford to lay out a couple of grand and you think the car is worth spending that kind of money on then I would go down the road of looking for a used engine and turbo and get a price to pull your engine and swap everything over and drop the replacement back in.

If a garage is willing to buy the car makes me think you can get it fixed for cheaper than you have been quoted, yes I understand they will have no labour costs.

[RichE]

Thanks.

As I said I do trust the garage. They actually said I should let a main dealer take a look for a 2nd opinion before anyone commenced any work. They’re pretty convinced there’s significant engine damage. The inside of the turbo has disintegrated so it’s highly likely some if not all of those pieces have ended up inside the engine.

I have some thinking to do!

Appreciate all comments and advice. Thank you

[gvmdaddy]

I honestly cannot believe that the turbo can have failed so catastrophically with little or no warning.

[RichE]

I had the whistling sound under acceleration from the day before. As I said I suspected the problem so drove very carefully keeping it to around 2000 rpm before changing gears. But yes, it went pretty suddenly!