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
Checked against public records, 2026-09-25
NHTSA holds 1 owner complaint for the 2017 Nissan GT-R, and no recall campaigns.
That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under the engine (1). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.
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. How we decide that.
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.
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.
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.
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
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Found a specific Nissan GT-R?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2017 Nissan GT-R in general. A free read looks at the one you're considering— it checks that seller's asking price against the market and names the issues that matter most for this exact year.
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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.
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