Nissan Reliability – Common Nissan Problems

The 1.5 diesel engines do require a cambelt change every 5 years or 75,000 miles in some models. This can be costly so if you are buying a Qashqai or something with this engine look to see when it was last done.

The Constant Variable Transmission gearboxes used on cars the Juke 1.6 Petrol Juke is well known for problems. Symptoms include loss of power, slipping transmission, jerking and even leaks and total failures. It seems Nissan can’t actually fix these problems to it generally means a new gearbox. There are instances where Nissan have helped pay for this but it is well worth doing some digging about any model you are looking at.

As with many diesel cars the Diesel Particulate Filter can get clogged on a number of Nissan cars. It happens because of lots of short journeys and the particles generated from combustion don’t get flushed out properly. A long journey each week can help but it is certainly worth thinking about a petrol model if you only do short runs.

This is a broad issue across a number of more recent cars. Nissan have had to run a recall 3 times to deal with leaking brake fluid. Not only does is it compromise the braking system it can also be a fire risk. Make sure any car you look at has been recalled and repaired.

One the most widely reported issues with this popular SUV is the battery running down too fast and needing replacing. Some reports suggest owners are having to replace the battery many more times than in most cars.

In cars built up to 2014 there is a risk the joints that are bolted to the car can come undone. In some circumstances they may even become detached from the car. It is important to get this checked if you have a factory fitted towbar from before 2014.

There have been some serious issues relating to the 1.2 Litre engine. Some reports claim multiple engine rebuilds to get to the bottom of the problems. They can relate to timing belt but also oil consumption and other problems. Generally the older Renault built Qashqai engines seem to have been more prone to issues so do check out the engine type before buying.

While generally a very reliable car the second generation X-Trail does have some history of engine management problems. This can lead to the engine cutting out or not starting, these are rare though.

In the first generation X-Trail the fuel tank has a small area that is prone to rust. These leads to a hole that can leak fuel during refuelling. This is obviously rather worrying but the leak stops soon after refuelling so is hard to pinpoint.

A common fault with the Note is the wipers turn on by themselves at random times. This is thought to be down to a fault in the engine management system. It has been suggested this can be reset and the fault will go. While not a huge issue, wipers starting up at the wrong time can be distracting and dangerous.

A common problem with the note gearbox is for the gears to slip and even grind. It is generally accepted the issue is with the torque converter. This is not a cheap fix and can be a real pain when driving if problems start.

Pre 2016 Navaras have been known to have some rather bad rust issues and in some cases actually snap in half. Snapping seems to be rare but the rust isn’t. The rust seems to be worst on the chassis rails. In areas with a high load these rails can fail. While unlikely to snap on normal road use you may end up buying a corroded Navara and cause huge damage even on semi rough ground.

The lower wishbones and bushes have a tendency to fail on the 2010-16 model. Listen out for knocks and odd noises coming from the suspension.

While not a fault as such the clutches on the Micra do have a habit of not lasting as long as they should. Some claim this may be down to the type of driving and driver but this is not backed up.
Check for a good solid bite point of looking at a used Micra and check service history for a recent change.