Buyer Research

2017 Nissan GT-R — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $75,000–$100,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Kestrel Take

'Godzilla' — the twin-turbo, AWD GT-R delivers supercar-humbling performance with everyday usability, and it's built to be driven hard. But it's expensive to service (the transmission and specialized work especially), and many were tuned and launched relentlessly. A stock, un-tuned, documented GT-R with a healthy transmission is a phenomenal machine; a heavily tuned, launched one is a transmission/driveline risk. Verify the GR6 transmission health and service history above all.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11

NHTSA holds 1 owner complaint for the 2017 Nissan GT-R, and no recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 100% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Nissan GT-R

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.

GR6 dual-clutch transmissionMedium

The GR6 transmission is expensive and can suffer from hard launches/tuning; verify smooth operation, service history, and no bellhousing/clutch issues. A rebuild is very costly.

Repair cost (estimate): $3,000-$15,000 if failed

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Tuning / launch abuseMedium

GT-Rs are tuned and launched hard; a big tune stresses the whole driveline. Verify tune status and driveline health.

Repair cost: Not yet priced

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Expensive service / consumablesMedium

GT-R service, tires, and brakes are very pricey; demand full history.

Repair cost (estimate): $1,000-$4,000 per visit

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Turbo / coolingMedium

The twin-turbo VR38 wants meticulous care; verify service and check for issues.

Repair cost (estimate): $500-$4,000

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (1).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Transmission issues / abuse
✗Aggressive tune / launch history
✗No service history
✗Cheap price hiding a tired transmission

Good Signs

✓Healthy GR6, full service history
✓Stock or conservative tune
✓Adult-owned, documented

Found a specific Nissan GT-R?

This page covers what goes wrong on the 2017 Nissan GT-R in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.

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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.

Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.