GWM P-Series Common Problems in Johannesburg: Diesel Recall, Gearbox Quirks & Buying-Used Guide

The GWM P-Series double cab has been on Johannesburg roads since 2020, and our P-Series parts page already covers the four faults independent workshops see most often on this bakkie: the 2.0-litre diesel's cold-start timing chain rattle, EGR/DPF clogging, intercooler hose splits and front brake wear. That's not the whole picture. There's a real government-issued recall on the same diesel fuel system that most South African owners have never heard of, a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic with a specific tuning quirk worth test-driving for, documented turbo lag that catches new owners off guard, and a ride-quality complaint that shows up in nearly every independent review of the vehicle. Here's what to actually check, what it costs, and what to look for before buying a used P-Series in Johannesburg.

1. The diesel fuel filter recall almost no SA owner knows about

If you own, or are looking at buying, a 2023-model-year GWM P-Series diesel, this is worth checking before anything else on this page. Australia's official vehicle recall registry lists campaign REC-006123, published 28 October 2024, against the GWM Cannon, the Australian/New Zealand badge for the same P-Series-generation vehicle built on the same GW4D20M diesel platform sold in South Africa¹. The defect: during assembly, an incorrect lubricant was used on the diesel fuel filter's rubber sealing O-ring. Over time the seal can degrade and allow diesel to leak from the filter housing, and a fuel leak near an ignition source carries a fire risk. GWM Australia is contacting the 2,872 affected owners directly to book a free dealer appointment to replace the O-ring.

There's no driver-noticeable symptom to watch for beforehand, which is exactly why it's easy to miss. No equivalent South African National Consumer Commission recall notice was found for this specific campaign, but the affected build era overlaps directly with 2023-model P-Series diesel stock sold locally. If you own or are buying a 2023-built diesel P-Series, ask your GWM dealer or GWM SA directly whether the equivalent campaign was run on South African-market vehicles, and have them check your VIN.

2. The ZF 8-speed automatic: conservative, not broken

The P-Series' automatic is a genuine ZF-sourced 8-speed torque-converter unit, confirmed by an independent long-term road test that put over 12,000km on the same GW4D20M/ZF-8-speed platform (sold as the GWM Cannon-X in Australia) without a single mechanical transmission failure². What that same test did flag is a calibration issue: in Normal drive mode the gearbox "has a tendency to hang onto higher gears when more power was needed", for example overtaking or pulling away, and switching to Sport mode "quickly rectifies" it. Australian owners separately describe the box as "annoying" for hanging onto gears and revving high before it downshifts, and at least one reported a hard "Failure" warning with a complete gearbox shutdown that needed a battery disconnect to reset³ — a serious-sounding but isolated report, not a pattern repeated across other sources.

South African owners report the same behaviour in a different setting: on gravel, sand or inclines at 80-100km/h, the gearbox can fixate on 8th gear or hunt indecisively between 6th, 7th and 8th, again resolved by switching to Sport mode⁴. On a test drive, deliberately try a gravel section or a steep on-ramp in Normal mode and see how the box behaves, then try the same section in Sport. If Sport cleans it up, that's the factory tune working as designed, not a fault to budget for.

3. Turbo lag (worse on manual) and what to check before blaming the turbo

An independent South African first-drive review of the actual P-Series manual identifies turbo lag as a specific, named weak point: "below 2,000 r/min there is very little in the way of progress before a lump of power and torque is delivered", with the review noting the automatic manages it noticeably better⁵. Australian owners of the same GW4D20M-era platform independently describe the same lag as severe enough to feel "downright dangerous if you aren't prepared" when merging or pulling into traffic⁶. For most owners this is a driving-style adjustment (rev it a little higher before you need the power, especially pulling out of a junction) rather than a fault.

A small number of Australian owner reports describe outright turbo hardware failure at very low mileage, but this is a single-source account with no second-platform corroboration found in this research, so it's noted here as an isolated report rather than a documented failure pattern. If you genuinely suspect turbo trouble, first rule out the cheaper and more common cause our parts page already covers: a split intercooler-to-inlet-manifold hose boot throws the identical low-boost warning and power loss (P0299) as an actual turbo fault, at a fraction of the cost of a turbo job.

4. Suspension ride quality: unladen jitter and shocks bottoming out

This is separate from the front lower control-arm bush clunk already documented on our parts page — this is about the shock absorbers and spring rate, not a worn bush. Two independent South African first-drive reviews of the actual P-Series both flag the same weakness. One found "the GWM's rear multi-link suspension does feel jittery and jiggly when the load bin is unladen", worsening "when driving on a gravel route or going off-road", with sand-driving ride quality described as "firmer and ultimately harsher" than a Ford Ranger driven back-to-back⁷. The other independently reports "the front shocks bottoming-out over bumpy sections" and notes GWM "still needs to do some work in this area" compared with rivals that iron out the lumpy unladen ride⁸. An Australian owner-review aggregator separately describes the front suspension as "a little too soft"⁹ — three independent sources, two markets, the same conclusion.

This is a factory suspension tune rather than a wear-and-tear fault, which is why the South African aftermarket has responded with load-assist shock upgrade kits rather than warranty claims. A premium aftermarket set (Camil) lists at R10,925 for the rear pair and R13,450 for the front pair through an SA 4x4 parts retailer¹⁰¹¹ — useful context if you're weighing a comfort upgrade rather than assuming something is broken. If you see aftermarket shocks already fitted on a used P-Series, that's more likely a previous owner addressing the factory tune than evidence of a problem.

5. Vague, heavy steering — and the occasional column knock

An independent long-term Australian road test of the same GW4D20M/electric-power-steering platform describes the three-mode electric steering as "vague and heavy — especially when it's in Sport", adding that the bigger issue shows up on the highway: the vehicle "seems to lack front castor", so 15 degrees of steering angle gets little response and the driver ends up constantly correcting on anything but a dead-straight road¹². That reads as a factory calibration choice rather than a fault, and it's a single long-term test rather than a claim independently confirmed across multiple reviewers, so treat it as a real but single-source finding worth test-driving for on a highway stretch before you buy.

Separately, at least one owner reported an audible knock through the steering wheel traced to the shaft exiting the steering box, which their dealer described as "common and a characteristic of the vehicle" after a third service rather than something to be repaired under warranty¹³. That's a single owner account, so treat it as something to specifically check for rather than an expected fault: on a test drive, turn the wheel lock-to-lock at standstill and listen and feel for a knock near the base of the column.

6. Buying a used GWM P-Series: the pre-purchase checklist

Most of what matters on a used P-Series is caught on a proper test drive, not a workshop lift. Combining the recall, gearbox, turbo, suspension and steering evidence above with the wear items our parts page already documents, here's the order to check them in:

• Check the VIN against the diesel fuel filter recall if the vehicle is a 2023-model diesel — ask a GWM dealer or GWM SA directly, since no public SA-specific recall notice was found in this research.
• Test-drive on gravel or a steep incline in Normal mode and feel for the automatic gearbox hunting between 6th-8th gear or holding a gear too long, then switch to Sport mode and confirm it improves.
• Accelerate hard from under 2,000rpm and judge whether the turbo lag feels manageable to you day-to-day, worse on manual variants.
• Drive over an unladen speed bump or rough section and feel for rear-end jitter and front shocks bottoming out. Aftermarket shocks already fitted (Camil and similar brands are common locally) suggest a previous owner addressed the factory ride tune, not necessarily a fault.
• Turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock at standstill and listen for a knock near the base of the column, separate from the normal light, vague steering feel.
• Check interior trim wear against the odometer reading — SA owner-forum reports describe interior trim wearing faster than expected on some low-mileage units, a possible tell for harder daily use than the number implies¹⁴.
• As already covered on our GWM P-Series parts page, also listen for the cold-start timing chain rattle, check for EGR/DPF-related limp mode, inspect intercooler hose boots for splits, and check the front lower control arm bushes for clunking from around 80,000km.

None of these are reasons to walk away from a P-Series on their own — most are factory characteristics or known quirks with a documented workaround, not signs of a car falling apart. They're simply what separates an informed used-bakkie purchase from an expensive surprise six weeks later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a recall on the GWM P-Series? Yes, for the diesel fuel filter O-ring. Australia's vehicle recall registry confirms campaign REC-006123 against 2023-model GWM Cannon vehicles (the same P-Series platform) over an incorrectly lubricated O-ring that can leak diesel and pose a fire risk near an ignition source. The remedy is a free dealer replacement. No equivalent South African recall notice was found in this research, so ask GWM SA to check your specific VIN.

Why does my GWM P-Series automatic hunt for gears on gravel? The ZF 8-speed automatic is tuned conservatively in Normal mode, which can show up as holding a gear too long or hunting indecisively between 6th, 7th and 8th on loose surfaces or inclines. Switching to Sport mode reliably resolves it according to both an independent long-term test and South African owner reports. It's a calibration characteristic, not a sign the gearbox is failing.

Is the GWM P-Series turbo lag a fault I should worry about? It's a documented, named characteristic rather than a fault — independent SA and Australian reviews both flag noticeable lag below 2,000rpm, worse on the manual gearbox. Most owners adjust their driving to it. If you're seeing a low-boost warning light rather than just sluggish response, check the intercooler hose boots for a split before assuming the turbo itself has failed, since that's a far more common and cheaper cause.

Why does my P-Series feel jittery or bouncy when the load bin is empty? Multiple independent reviews confirm this is a factory suspension-tune characteristic, not a fault — the rear end can feel jittery unladen and the front shocks can bottom out on gravel. It's separate from the front lower control-arm bush clunk that shows up from around 80,000km. Aftermarket load-assist shock kits are a common local upgrade if the standard ride bothers you.

Is vague, heavy steering on the P-Series something to fix? Probably not — an independent long-term Australian road test of the same platform describes the electric power steering as vague and heavy, especially in Sport mode, alongside a highway stability quirk. That reads as a factory calibration characteristic rather than a fault, though it's a single test rather than a claim confirmed by multiple reviewers. It's worth checking for a different issue, though: turn the wheel lock-to-lock at standstill and listen for a knock near the base of the steering column, which one owner traced to the shaft exiting the steering box.

What should I check before buying a used GWM P-Series? Start with the VIN against the diesel fuel filter recall if it's a 2023-model diesel, then test-drive on gravel in both Normal and Sport mode to feel the gearbox behaviour, accelerate hard from low RPM to judge the turbo lag, drive over a rough unladen section to check the ride, and turn the steering lock-to-lock at standstill listening for a knock. Finish with the timing chain, EGR/DPF, intercooler hose and control-arm bush checks already covered on our P-Series parts page.

For the parts these checks turn up (fuel filters, shock absorbers, tie rod ends and more) visit our GWM P-Series parts and common-faults page, browse suspension parts and engine parts directly, or send us your VIN and we'll check stock and quote you back, usually the same day.

Sources

1. Australian Government Vehicle Recalls Registry — GWM Cannon recall REC-006123 (diesel fuel filter O-ring)
2. Chasing Cars (Australia) — GWM Ute Cannon-X long-term review (ZF 8-speed automatic behaviour)
3. ProductReview.com.au — GWM Ute Cannon-X owner reviews (gearbox "Failure" shutdown report)
4. 4x4ag.co.za — Long-Term GWM Cannon/Poer/P-Series Review Thread (South African owner reports)
5. AutoTrader South Africa — First drive review: GWM P-Series (turbo lag)
6. ProductReview.com.au — GWM Ute Cannon-X owner reviews (turbo lag)
7. Cars.co.za — GWM P-Series 2021 review (rear suspension ride quality)
8. AutoTrader South Africa — First drive review: GWM P-Series (front shocks bottoming out)
9. ProductReview.com.au — GWM Ute Cannon-X owner reviews (front suspension too soft)
10. ea4x4.co.za — Camil GWM P-Series rear shocks (pricing)
11. ea4x4.co.za — Camil GWM P-Series front shocks (pricing)
12. Chasing Cars (Australia) — GWM Ute Cannon-X long-term review (steering feel)
13. ProductReview.com.au — GWM Ute Cannon-X owner reviews (steering column knock)
14. MyBroadband Forum — Haval/GWM Cars thread (interior wear reports)