First off i love this car i spent about 8k for it and it has 122k on the clock real nice paint the lady took good care of it however this mechanic who did an inspection told me i have a minor head gasket leak and that these vq motors are a piece of garbage is this bs or what am i looking at issues with this motor or what? How much does it usually cost to repair a leaking head gasket? He says 400$

 

Any issues i need to know about with the 2005 g35?

 

Your mechanic is a piece of garbage. The Vq engine is very good engine and I've never heard of a "small head gasket leak"

 

head gaskets are not a known issue, especially at that millage. Oil cooler O ring leak is a known issue and will show it self later on. I got 208k on my engine and no oil leaks what so ever besides small vapors around oil cooler (which is expected and quite an easy fix).
As far as engines go, VQ is one of the best Nissan engines and known to last for 300k plus miles. Old 90s Maximas had older versions of VQ and they are still on the road with 400k miles on them.
VQ35DE and HR are however known to consume oil (and gas ) Those are the only cons these engines have. Oh yeah and the mods are expensive.

 

Your mechanic sucks. Our engines are known to be extremely reliable.

 

You should be able to check a few things on your own that will give you some indication as to whether or not your head gasket is leaking.

Check your oil....does it look milky?
Are you having over heating issues?
Are you leaking coolant?
Any white smoke from the exhaust?

 

Head gasket failures are not common on these engines...or at least I haven't seen it discussed frequently here.

Biggest issue I've seen is 1.) oil consumption and 2.) leaky valve covers.

 

I am hoping that your mechanic is referring to your valve cover gaskets because I sure would love to see someone tackle a headgasket job on a VQ for $400.00.

 

Exactly what I was gonna say. He's just trying to steal $400 from you. Head gaskets even worth replacing on these cars because of how involved it is. You can literally replace the motor for a similar price.

 

"Find a new, different mechanic!" Even if he's correct you don't want anyone working on your G35 with that attitude, nothing will ever be right! If you can't find an independent qualified Nissan mechanic have the Nissan dealership give your G the once over which they frequently do for free! Good Luck & Enjoy the Ride!
Gary

 

Close to 215k on my 05 5at. Tell your mechanic he is a pos liar. I am all original parts except regular maintenance and my rear wheel bearings. My front bearings are original. I drive it daily and floor it at least once a day. I might show 1/2qt low at 5k oil change interval.

 

Is he from one of those small shops? Even mechanics from places like Tuffy will try to rip you off.

When I had a clutch pedal issue, the mechanic at Tuffy said my clutch needed replacement ($1200 !! ). Total BS, because it was just a typical clutch pedal issue an also needed a new master cylinder.

Go to another more reputable shop to get it looked at.

 

He's a liar, no such thing as a small head gasket leak. They are ALWAYS catastrophic engine failure issues. Great cars, great engines, My wife has a stone reliable 04 at with 92k on it.

 

Well Jordan,

I agree with everyone else about the V35 and about your mechanic.

I bought an 05 G35x about a year ago with about 132 on the clock. I'll tell you--I love the damn thing. I had a maxima before and felt comfortable with sliding over to the G having been familiar with some minor issues with the max.

Anyway, the only issues I've had with my G is a malfunctioning fuel gauge--damn thing is never accurate and i have to watch my odo to know when to fill up. The other thing has been some issues with the throttle body--just recently started getting really rough idling. I've put on an additional 30k in the last year. Lastly, there are some annoying squeeks coming from the back of the car. Haven't been able to identify what they are.

Other than that, I love this car--my wife hates it because i love taking this little baby open throttle on roundabouts and highway ramps--wow, its a rush! I think you've made a good investment and all you have to do is take care of her. Also, find a different mechanic

 

Agree with the others, I'm on my 3rd VQ35 car (first two were Maximas), had 195k miles on the first Maxima when a drunk totaled it, zero engine issues.

I'm guessing he means valve cover gaskets because a head gasket is probably a $1500+ job.

Biggest issues with the VQ35 is oil consumption and a propensity to need cam/crank position sensors.

And I probably shouldn't tell you this but...I bought mine with 132k miles and only paid $5000 for it-6 speed versions apparently are pretty hard to sell now that so few people can drive a stick.