Considering a used M56 got some Q's...

[hoover86]

So I'm considering a used M56 with about 90K miles. It's a 1 owner vehicle being sold by the owner and I had a concern that he had to have the engine replaced at 70K. That seemed to be a pretty big red flag but after learning more about this car it seems like an amazing ride.

So I came here to see what others are posting and I see A LOT of people with issues running the gamut. Being someone who has worked in retail/general public etc I know people with problems speak 10 times louder then those without so I'm wondering - is there anyone who's had little to no problems with their M56? I would hate to pick up what seems like a dream car and have an endless nightmare of electronical and mechanical issues which all seem very spendy.... thanks for the insight!

[Ilya]

I'd buy this car again, in fact I almost just did (almost traded in my 2011 for another 2011 with less miles).

And I've had a few electrical problems. Mechanically this thing is 'strong like bull'.

If he has all of the maintenance and timing chain recall done, I wouldn't worry about it.

[hoover86]

Glad to hear that from you as you were in a couple posts about problems. The other thing that caught my eye was the low price, he's asking $16,500 which seems low making me a little suspicious. There was another with even higher mileage asking $20K so big difference in price. Maybe he's just trying to get rid of it quick I guess. He said he's having a child and getting an SUV. Wish he was a little closer I could check it out easier.

[Ilya]

Dealer was offering me $14-15k for my fully loaded M56x on trade...so I wouldn't be too skeptical about his price. Just wants to sell it. My car has 88k.

[walt1227]

I just bought mine in July with 71k on it and have not had any problems. It just clocked 80k a couple days ago and running stronger now after having the timing chains replaced. I think for the most part these cars are problem free depending on where you got it from. Mine came from California and the people who had it according to the dealership said they took very good care of it. Not anything wrong with the car and looks like it is brand new inside and outside. I paid 22.5k for mine and it came with a powertrain warranty then I added a infiniti extended warranty that covers it up till 113k miles. I would say only buy them from older people because young guys in there mid 20's to mid 30's probably have already dogged these cars and added stuff like custom audio systems and led lights that may cause electrical issues and what not. 16k is a good price for one with 90k miles on it and as I recall there was one in Greensboro that was silver 2011 M56s with 91k that they wanted 17k-18k.

[biggie]

Private party should be cheaper, I'd just get it checked out by a dealer (or ask the dealer that done the work to confirm everything).

Wished mine was cheaper, just so hard to find the V8 ones especially with sport options.

[armybrat]

I bought mine from Carmax in Winston-Salem, NC last October. 2012 M56x with 52,000 miles. There is a timing chain recall which is fully covered with a loaner furnished, which I had done back in May. The recall allows for a replacement engine if the oil jet hole didn't spec out, which is where your concern may have originated from. I haven't had any problems with mine other than my puddle light on the passenger side was burned out, and the illuminated floor plate on the driver's side was also burned out, which were both replaced under the 4 year/60K warranty. There are also a few TSB's that are out which can be checked by a dealer to see if they apply to your car. The engine is built from the proven 5.6 Nissan Titan platform, with different heads and DI. It has plenty of horsepower but the transmission takes a little getting used to. It seems to be intuitive and adjusts shift points depending on how you drive and what mode you have selected. If you are an aggressive driver, sometimes it wants to hold a gear a little longer than it should in sport mode, but I am used to it. I didn't buy this car to drive like a little old lady LOL. Anyway, I am happy with mine, and I plan on keeping it for quite a while.

[Ilya]

I just bought mine in July with 71k on it and have not had any problems. It just clocked 80k a couple days ago and running stronger now after having the timing chains replaced. I think for the most part these cars are problem free depending on where you got it from. Mine came from California and the people who had it according to the dealership said they took very good care of it. Not anything wrong with the car and looks like it is brand new inside and outside. I paid 22.5k for mine and it came with a powertrain warranty then I added a infiniti extended warranty that covers it up till 113k miles. I would say only buy them from older people because young guys in there mid 20's to mid 30's probably have already dogged these cars and added stuff like custom audio systems and led lights that may cause electrical issues and what not. 16k is a good price for one with 90k miles on it and as I recall there was one in Greensboro that was silver 2011 M56s with 91k that they wanted 17k-18k.

Not all 20-30yr old are equal. I drive my car hard, but I also change the oil at 5kmi even though it could do 7,500, etc. I baby it maintenance wise so she lets me rip it

[walt1227]

I just bought mine in July with 71k on it and have not had any problems. It just clocked 80k a couple days ago and running stronger now after having the timing chains replaced. I think for the most part these cars are problem free depending on where you got it from. Mine came from California and the people who had it according to the dealership said they took very good care of it. Not anything wrong with the car and looks like it is brand new inside and outside. I paid 22.5k for mine and it came with a powertrain warranty then I added a infiniti extended warranty that covers it up till 113k miles. I would say only buy them from older people because young guys in there mid 20's to mid 30's probably have already dogged these cars and added stuff like custom audio systems and led lights that may cause electrical issues and what not. 16k is a good price for one with 90k miles on it and as I recall there was one in Greensboro that was silver 2011 M56s with 91k that they wanted 17k-18k.

Not all 20-30yr old are equal. I drive my car hard, but I also change the oil at 5kmi even though it could do 7,500, etc. I baby it maintenance wise so she lets me rip it

So true we are not all the same. I get down on my M56S every now and then but I know these cars aren't built for constant WOT like some do. Hey but I love this girl and she turns a lot of heads all the time. Can't wait to find a good muffler shop that is not a rip off to do my custom exhaust. This washer mod isn't all that great. You change your oil every 5k mile Ilya? Dealer told me to do it every 3700k or 4k miles. How many miles do you have on your M?

[Ilya]

Not all 20-30yr old are equal. I drive my car hard, but I also change the oil at 5kmi even though it could do 7,500, etc. I baby it maintenance wise so she lets me rip it

So true we are not all the same. I get down on my M56S every now and then but I know these cars aren't built for constant WOT like some do. Hey but I love this girl and she turns a lot of heads all the time. Can't wait to find a good muffler shop that is not a rip off to do my custom exhaust. This washer mod isn't all that great. You change your oil every 5k mile Ilya? Dealer told me to do it every 3700k or 4k miles. How many miles do you have on your M?

3.7k-4k is probably for dino oil (non-synthetic) or they just wanted you to come in often to try and take money from you point blank. I run synthetic at 5kmi (Mobil 1 0W-40) which is overkill...some could probably go 8-9kmi with that oil if they babied the car the entire time. As for WOT...I'm not WOT constantly but in the 50 miles or so I average a day, I might go WOT 3-4 times lol. 88,500 miles as of yesterday and I'm officially out of warranty now (expired at 88,459).

[DFW2011M56S]

My 2012 Titan survived 2 years (over 50K) of WOT to 90 mph multiple times a day. It survived more than 200 1/4 mile passes and double that many 1/8 mile passes. Also pulled trailers weighing up to 9,000 lbs frequently. Never had a hiccup one out of the drivetrain. These engines and transmissions can handle the abuse. The suspension, tires and brakes not so much. Mobil One 0w40 at 5k miles here as well. My M56 is at 92K.

[walt1227]

Good stuff fellas. I'm in the city so I don't do WOT as much but when I get a traffic light and I am first best believe I turn traction off and burn them tires through 2nd gear lol. Yeah maybe so on the money for oil changes. I'm new to these cars so haven't forgives it out just yet. I'll switch to synthetic oil once it hits 100k if I keep it that long. I'm going to redo the suspension in this car so that it grips better. Just have to do some research on where to go with it.

[Ilya]

My 2012 Titan survived 2 years (over 50K) of WOT to 90 mph multiple times a day. It survived more than 200 1/4 mile passes and double that many 1/8 mile passes. Also pulled trailers weighing up to 9,000 lbs frequently. Never had a hiccup one out of the drivetrain. These engines and transmissions can handle the abuse. The suspension, tires and brakes not so much. Mobil One 0w40 at 5k miles here as well. My M56 is at 92K.

Yeah, I have Pirelli P7 Cinturato tires and I've gotten 27,000 out of them and have another set on order from Tirerack. Granted I didn't always rotate them (only a few times) but I feel like I went through much faster than the posters who reviewed the tire...probably because I'm always into a corner leaning like crazy hahah. And I'm fine with that. I could probably get them to 30,000.

Brakes, same thing. Just switched mine out after they did 32kmi. This is my 2nd set of 'brakemotive' brakes. OEM/original did 56k, but that's only because I bought the car with 42kmi off lease lol. I usually don't get more than 35-40k out of a set of brakes...but I know some people who can go 50-60k with the same stuff.

I ride hard but within reason and do a ton of preventative maintenance. My 07 M35x had zero engine/transmission issues till 142kmi when I traded it in (got that car with 32kmi off lease IIRC) and my current 11 M56x has had only some electrical issues but no mechanical issues so I'm hoping I can get this thing to 140-150kmi as well before I trade it in or whatever. Maybe more, as I really love the V8.

Good stuff fellas. I'm in the city so I don't do WOT as much but when I get a traffic light and I am first best believe I turn traction off and burn them tires through 2nd gear lol. Yeah maybe so on the money for oil changes. I'm new to these cars so haven't forgives it out just yet. I'll switch to synthetic oil once it hits 100k if I keep it that long. I'm going to redo the suspension in this car so that it grips better. Just have to do some research on where to go with it.

You can switch now, but I would recommend running an application of Auto-Rx (or two) before making the switch.

I want to eventually get lowered on BC coilovers and replace the stabilizer links, sway bar bushings, etc. as well...but first come my wedding.

=====================

OP, bottom line is, it's the old adage my father (I'm an immigrant) always told me. You take care of it, it'll take care of you. This applies to almost anything in life. When I was younger, he tried to teach me how to work on cars, etc. and I was reluctant because I always thought I'd work on computers (I do) and make bank (I get paid well) and would just pay people to work on my car for me (I don't - only for a few select things). Boy am I glad he taught me and I've taken it a step further in my super proactive maintenance ways...my cars all run strong and look good doing it. And I've saved thousands of dollars over the years by doing stuff myself even if you consider the fact that I probably spend more because I change oil too soon, etc...and hopefully my HowTo's in the FAQ section help others save money as well.

[armybrat]

My 2012 Titan survived 2 years (over 50K) of WOT to 90 mph multiple times a day. It survived more than 200 1/4 mile passes and double that many 1/8 mile passes. Also pulled trailers weighing up to 9,000 lbs frequently. Never had a hiccup one out of the drivetrain. These engines and transmissions can handle the abuse. The suspension, tires and brakes not so much. Mobil One 0w40 at 5k miles here as well. My M56 is at 92K.

A testament to the Titan's durability for sure; however, I would be more interested in how durable is your M56S? Did you buy your car new? How much of the 92K is WOT to 90 mph, 1/4 mile passes, 1/8 mile passes, etc? The engine heads and powertrain in the Titan are different from the M...can't really compare the two IMHO.

[DFW2011M56S]

My 2012 Titan survived 2 years (over 50K) of WOT to 90 mph multiple times a day. It survived more than 200 1/4 mile passes and double that many 1/8 mile passes. Also pulled trailers weighing up to 9,000 lbs frequently. Never had a hiccup one out of the drivetrain. These engines and transmissions can handle the abuse. The suspension, tires and brakes not so much. Mobil One 0w40 at 5k miles here as well. My M56 is at 92K.

A testament to the Titan's durability for sure; however, I would be more interested in how durable is your M56S? Did you buy your car new? How much of the 92K is WOT to 90 mph, 1/4 mile passes, 1/8 mile passes, etc? The engine heads and powertrain in the Titan are different from the M...can't really compare the two IMHO.

I have had the M56 for about 25K now. It was owned by a finance manager at work before me since it had 22k on it. The car spent its first 18 months with a different owner in Virginia. I know the owner before me serviced it regularly at the dealership and have a large maintenece service history on it. Never had any mechanical or electrical service history except tires, brakes and batteries. I know he drove the car hard as well but drove on a toll road everyday in minimal traffic. Since I have owned it the car has made probably 50 1/8 mile passes but no 1/4 mile yet. It sees 6,200 rpm numerous times daily and I like to cruise about 80-85 mph on longer trips. It frequently gets held on the floor on-on ramps up to 80-90 mph to get up to the flow of traffic.

[armybrat]

Cool...sounds like my driving routine, other than the 1/8 mile passes. I have about 15k on mine. Mon - Fri work week drive is about 50 miles per day total, about 40 of that is highway mileage. I just drive to and from work, none during the work day...maybe make a stop here and there during the week after work. I redline once or twice a day getting on the interstate, not so much on the 10 mile part of the commute...an occasional romp from the red light just for kicks if I'm up front. KInda boring in the mornings since it's early (6am). There's a stretch right before my exit where I can easily run up to the limit if I want to, but I keep it to 90 - 100. The commute home is actually more fun, more traffic but more opportunities LOL. The custom exhaust sounds amazing, especially in this cold weather we're having right now. Weekends just running around with the wife running errands and such...mostly around town driving. In a nutshell, the redlines and highway speeds help keep the cats clean; when I installed the X-pipe, I was able to look at my cats, and they were clean as a whistle, no soot or buildup whatsoever. No issues, other than the timing chain recall work and a couple of TSB's (transmission and battery) I believe that this car will last quite a while if properly cared for. I do feel like those who just drive around town and don't give the engine a workout every now and then will have problems down the road.

[hoover86]

Glad to hear fellas. I'm going to check her out tomorrow!

[hoover86]

Well I went and looked at it. Overall seems pretty clean although the steering wheel is all worn, front headlights are all hazed, it seemed to have a really subtle shimmy at speed like it may need an alignment and the brakes didn't seem strong. Gotta think a little harder on this one and all others near me are way more expensive.

[Ilya]

Well I went and looked at it. Overall seems pretty clean although the steering wheel is all worn, front headlights are all hazed, it seemed to have a really subtle shimmy at speed like it may need an alignment and the brakes didn't seem strong. Gotta think a little harder on this one and all others near me are way more expensive.

Steering wheel itself or interior plastics of the wheel (by the buttons). If the interior plastics, and the car is under warranty, there is an ITB for it. Mine were replaced (mine were peeling). My headlights are also slightly hazing.

These cars are known to tramline quite a bit (gets better or worse with certain tires), but not sure about a shimmy too much. Definitely wouldn't hurt to align a car when first buying it though.

Brakes can be taken care of via a $200 (all four corners) ebay 'Brakemotive' kit. If you're a DIY'er anyway.

[hoover86]

Well I went and looked at it. Overall seems pretty clean although the steering wheel is all worn, front headlights are all hazed, it seemed to have a really subtle shimmy at speed like it may need an alignment and the brakes didn't seem strong. Gotta think a little harder on this one and all others near me are way more expensive.

Steering wheel itself or interior plastics of the wheel (by the buttons). If the interior plastics, and the car is under warranty, there is an ITB for it. Mine were replaced (mine were peeling). My headlights are also slightly hazing.

These cars are known to tramline quite a bit (gets better or worse with certain tires), but not sure about a shimmy too much. Definitely wouldn't hurt to align a car when first buying it though.

Brakes can be taken care of via a $200 (all four corners) ebay 'Brakemotive' kit. If you're a DIY'er anyway.

Steering wheel itself is showing some wear and the controls are practically blank and peeling all over. He said his warranty just recently expired so not sure why he wouldn't have had them replaced... He claims he priced a new wheel at about $700 but I haven't seen anything like that unless it's used and the used ones have the exact same issues. Seems like if you just got the controls you could DIY replacement although I've never taken a wheel apart especially with an airbag. I saw a post on here somewhere of a nice looking carbon fiber one but not sure what kind of quality it would be.

I made him an offer so we'll see what he says. If he accepts I'll have some for repairs so that would get it right where I want it although I haven't priced lights yet...

[Ilya]

How many miles on the car? You may be able to get the Elite warranty still for not a bad price. They usually avoid selling the warranty on any vehicle over 65-70kmi.

[hoover86]

90K miles.

[Ilya]

You can still try...use either Scottsdale Infiniti (AZ) or Circle Infiniti (NJ)...get quotes from both and see if it makes sense for you. I paid $2,300 for my warranty when I bought the car with 42kmi (it just expired at 88kmi) and it was worth every penny as it saved me tons of money. Some of my electrical gremlin issues ended up costing me like $8-9k but warranty covered it. Also got stuff like new screen for A/V, new steering wheel trim, etc. due to ITBs.

[hoover86]

So they can sell the warranty and it's good at any dealership anywhere?

[Ilya]

So they can sell the warranty and it's good at any dealership anywhere?

Yep. You can have $0 deductible, $100, etc.

I could have gotten that $2,300 warranty for like $1,600 from the aforementioned sources but the dealer basically said...this is the deal, you walk out of this cubicle and the deal is off the table (back in Nov. 2014) so I took it and overpaid for the warranty.

[DredM56]

You messed up there.You should of said I don't deal with hardballing and immediately walked out when they said that. I drove 4 hours to look at the M and was in my car about to pull out of the driveway and the sales manager came chasing me down.

[Ilya]

You messed up there.You should of said I don't deal with hardballing and immediately walked out when they said that. I drove 4 hours to look at the M and was in my car about to pull out of the driveway and the sales manager came chasing me down.

Yep, a few months later I negotiated my parents Pathfinder and got then a banging deal. Now I don't play. You either meet my demands or you lose the sale...as evidenced by that blue slate one I was looking at the last few weeks. Didn't need the car, just wanted it. Evidently me buying a third car from them doesn't mean anything and they weren't willing to meet my price demands. Might lose a long time customer.

[DredM56]

They wouldn't budge at all until I was ready to leave they were like $200 off on monthly payment that i figured out b4 I got there. Like 4K under what I was offered for my car where I sent you. They were trying to give me like 8% interest. Sales manager is like you drove a long way we want to try our best to do business how far off are we.I'm like your not even in the ballpark not even the parking lot. I told the sales manager exactly what I wanted then magically everything I wanted happened. Got 4k more than the original offer on trade and 3.9% which I refinanced with my bank as soon as I got the title for it for 1.9%.

Salesman and finance managers are barriers to you getting the car if you're an enthusiast. They are doing no work. You know what you want and more about the car than they do. They didn't "sell" you anything. It's one thing if they are spending time going through the process of helping you choose a car for yourself . I walk in I want to drive this car then i either want it or not they are just filling out paperwork and collecting a check in that scenario.

Also M56's in particular sit. They never seem to end up close to the people who actually know what they are and want them. Mine sat for over 30 days. They were even considering whole-selling it to a dealer local to me that was trying to buy it out from under me and sell it to me for more than I got it for.

As far as buying another used M56 I would. I love this car so far gives a lot of luxury performance and features for the cash when buying used. I would be so sick if bought new then trying to resell. That 40K+ hit after only 37kmi is crazy. I would just want to make sure that it has been driven for a bit after the timing chain recall has been done or is still under the recall warranty. A lot of people myself included had issues after the work was done and needed more trips back to the dealer. The work that needed to be done on mine afterwards would not be a bill I'd like to eat.

[Ilya]

They wouldn't budge at all until I was ready to leave they were like $200 off on monthly payment that i figured out b4 I got there. Like 4K under what I was offered for my car where I sent you. They were trying to give me like 8% interest. Sales manager is like you drove a long way we want to try our best to do business how far off are we.I'm like your not even in the ballpark not even the parking lot. I told the sales manager exactly what I wanted then magically everything I wanted happened. Got 4k more than the original offer on trade and 3.9% which I refinanced with my bank as soon as I got the title for it for 1.9%.

Salesman and finance managers are barriers to you getting the car if you're an enthusiast. They are doing no work. You know what you want and more about the car than they do. They didn't "sell" you anything. It's one thing if they are spending time going through the process of helping you choose a car for yourself . I walk in I want to drive this car then i either want it or not they are just filling out paperwork and collecting a check in that scenario.

Also M56's in particular sit. They never seem to end up close to the people who actually know what they are and want them. Mine sat for over 30 days. They were even considering whole-selling it to a dealer local to me that was trying to buy it out from under me and sell it to me for more than I got it for.

As far as buying another used M56 I would. I love this car so far gives a lot of luxury performance and features for the cash when buying used. I would be so sick if bought new then trying to resell. That 40K+ hit after only 37kmi is crazy. I would just want to make sure that it has been driven for a bit after the timing chain recall has been done or is still under the recall warranty. A lot of people myself included had issues after the work was done and needed more trips back to the dealer. The work that needed to be done on mine afterwards would not be a bill I'd like to eat.

That's exactly the playbook they used on me but didn't budge far enough. They got to within like $60/month but no thanks. I want it at $490/mo or less. Maybe after that guy sits on the car for another month or two he'll call me back

[walt1227]

That's exactly the playbook they used on me but didn't budge far enough. They got to within like $60/month but no thanks. I want it at $490/mo or less. Maybe after that guy sits on the car for another month or two he'll call me back

Ilya,

You looking at buying another M?