Nissan Note common problems, recalls and buying checks

Written by the C4R team from DVSA data and owner reports. Fact-checked 2026-10-08.

At a glance

Generation	UK years	Main UK powertrains	Buying-guide note
First generation (E11)	2006–2013	1.4 and 1.6 petrol; 1.5 dCi diesel; five-speed manual or four-speed automatic	Spacious and simple, but age now makes history, corrosion, suspension condition and working electrics more important than trim.
Second generation (E12)	2013–2017	1.2 petrol, 1.2 DIG-S supercharged petrol and 1.5 dCi diesel; five-speed manual or Xtronic CVT on the 1.2 DIG-S	More modern and efficient. Listen carefully to the front suspension and test the CVT and electrical equipment thoroughly where fitted.

Verdict: the Note offers unusually good cabin space in a small footprint. A sound manual petrol car with a clear history can make a sensible used buy, but the model’s 2024 MOT pass rate was well below the national figure in C4R’s local aggregate. Suspension joints, springs and lighting deserve close attention. Confirm every applicable recall by registration and VIN rather than assuming that age alone proves coverage or completion.

Generation and powertrain history: RAC on the 2010–2013 Note, RAC on the 2013–2017 Note and Auto Express’s Mk2 buying guide.

Known issues

These are non-recall issues identified in independent used-car guidance or reported by owners and corroborated by at least two independent web sources. They do not establish a failure rate, and they do not mean every Note will be affected.

1. Front-suspension wear and noise

Label: Reported by owners / used-car inspections — not a recall.

Affected cars: most specifically documented on the second-generation Note, although age-related suspension wear can affect either generation.
Symptoms: creaking or knocking over speed humps and rough roads, vague steering, uneven tyre wear or visible play in a bush or joint.
Evidence: Auto Express says Mk2 front-suspension bushes can creak over speed bumps and that reworked bushes are available. What Car?’s reliability review records owner-reported suspension problems, while C4R’s separate DVSA analysis below shows worn pins, bushes and ball joints among the Note’s most frequently recorded 2024 MOT failures. (Auto Express; What Car?)
Buying check: drive slowly over broken surfaces and speed humps with the radio off, then inspect the front tyres for uneven wear. Have any knock, creak or steering looseness checked on a lift; the sound alone does not identify the failed part.
Repair approach: inspect the bushes, links, ball joints, springs, dampers, top mounts and wheel bearings before authorising parts. Follow any suspension repair with an alignment check where appropriate.

2. Xtronic CVT hesitation, judder or loss of performance

Label: Reported by owners — not a recall.

Affected cars: second-generation 1.2 DIG-S models fitted with the Xtronic CVT.
Symptoms: judder or hesitation when accelerating after coasting, abnormal noise, poor response or the engine losing power under load.
Evidence: Honest John records an owner report of severe intermittent judder when accelerating after overrun. RAC reports a CVT owner whose engine died on uphill ascents with Drive selected. Auto Express’s owner-satisfaction summary says the Mk2’s engine and gearbox attracted criticism, although that survey does not isolate the CVT or establish a failure rate. (Honest John; RAC; Auto Express)
Buying check: start from cold, select Drive and Reverse several times, creep in traffic, accelerate after a period of overrun and test on an incline where safe. Reject pronounced judder, delayed engagement, warning lights or unexplained loss of performance. Ask for transmission-specific service evidence and obtain a diagnostic scan and specialist inspection before purchase.
Repair approach: symptoms can originate in the engine, controls or transmission. Require a written diagnosis rather than assuming the CVT itself needs replacement; the evidence reviewed does not support a universal repair or price.

3. Electrical controls and convenience equipment

Label: Reported by owners — not a recall.

Affected cars: electrical complaints are documented on both generations; the individual symptoms differ by car.
Symptoms: on first-generation cars, foglamps that will not switch off or wipers that misbehave; on second-generation cars, sticking powered windows, stop-start complaints or other intermittent electrical behaviour.
Evidence: What Car? records first-generation owner complaints involving the foglamps and wipers. RAC independently reports second-generation electrical complaints including sticking powered windows and stop-start behaviour. (What Car?; RAC)
Buying check: operate every window, lock, lamp, wiper speed, screen washer, heater, air-conditioning function, infotainment control, keyless-start feature and driver-assistance system fitted. Repeat the checks after the test drive and scan all modules for stored faults or low-voltage codes.
Repair approach: first confirm battery and charging-system health, then diagnose switches, wiring, water ingress, control units and software. Do not assume that a new battery or control unit will cure an intermittent fault without testing.

What the MOT data says

C4R’s local 2024 DVSA aggregate contains 152,503 normal Class 4 and 7 Nissan Note tests.

First-time pass rate: 63.8%, compared with 71.5% nationally in the same dataset.
Tested mileage: median 71,829 miles; mean 76,211 miles.

Most common recorded failure reasons

DVSA failure reason	Tests	Share of this model label’s tests
Position lamp not working	9,538	6.25%
Pin or bush excessively worn	8,019	5.26%
Ball joint excessively worn	7,936	5.20%
Stop lamp not working	7,462	4.89%
Coil spring fractured or broken	6,639	4.35%

One test can record more than one defect, so these shares must not be added together.

Common advisories to check before buying

Tread close to the legal limit or worn on an edge: 27,688 tests, or 18.16%.
Pin or bush worn but not yet causing excessive movement: 25,549 tests, or 16.75%.
Tyre slightly damaged, cracked or perished: 16,713 tests, or 10.96%.
Brake disc worn, pitted or scored but not seriously weakened: 14,229 tests, or 9.33%.
Coil spring corroded: 11,657 tests, or 7.64%.

Method and limits: C4R calculated these figures from DVSA’s anonymised 2024 MOT results. The analysis includes normal Class 4 and 7 initial tests with outcomes P, F or PRS. Pass rate is P / (P + F + PRS). Failure and advisory shares count distinct initial tests for each reason. Model labels are standardised into C4R model families. These are descriptive records of vehicles presented for MOT; they do not control for age, mileage, engine, maintenance or use and cannot predict the condition of one car.

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results · Open Government Licence v3.0

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024.

Confirmed recalls in the local DVSA file

The table below is based only on C4R’s local copy of the DVSA Vehicle Safety Branch Recalls Database. A programmatic exact-field check found 10 rows and 10 distinct recall numbers where Make is Nissan Motor (GB) Limited and Model is NOTE. Recall numbers, launch dates, manufacturer references and build windows are preserved as supplied. Vehicle totals are not presented because a campaign total can cover more than one model.

DVSA recall / Nissan ref	Launch date	Build window exactly as supplied	Defect and remedy
R/2006/117 / not supplied	26/07/2006	25/01/2006–03/02/2006	Some E11 rear-seat ISOFIX brackets may have been made incorrectly and might not perform as designed in a side impact; Nissan replaces the affected brackets.
R/2008/174 / not supplied	08/12/2008	04/01/2008–28/10/2008	A connector in the diesel particulate-filter fuel system may be incorrectly attached and leak during regeneration; Nissan checks and tightens it as necessary.
R/2010/226 / PGOBA	16/12/2010	08/11/2010–09/11/2010	Mineral-oil contamination of the brake fluid may swell seals, increase pedal effort and lengthen stopping distance; Nissan flushes the system and refills it with clean fluid.
R/2015/133 / R1511	04/08/2015	01/07/2013–03/03/2014	The push-start switch may remain pressed and trigger the emergency engine-stop function while driving; Nissan inspects and, where necessary, modifies the switch housing.
R/2015/135 / PG5B7	04/08/2015	27/06/2008–03/09/2008	A lower-pinion needle bearing may have been omitted from the steering gear, allowing the pinion to disengage and steering control to be lost; Nissan inspects and replaces the rack where necessary.
R/2015/256 / RG5BD	15/02/2016	30/08/2005–31/12/2011	The driver-airbag inflator may rupture during deployment and scatter metal fragments; Nissan replaces the driver’s airbag.
R/2016/008 / PR1601	22/02/2016	06/08/2015–11/01/2016	An ignition coil may short internally, causing misfire and, in the worst case, blowing a fuse that stops the engine and prevents restart; Nissan replaces the ignition coil.
R/2016/273 / PG6BL	19/12/2016	15/04/2016–29/04/2016	Contamination inside the ABS actuator may trap a valve and, in unusual ABS operation, cause wheel lock; Nissan inspects the unit and replaces it where necessary.
R/2017/226 / PG7BF	28/11/2017	03/08/2005–19/07/2013	Incorrectly manufactured propellant may rupture the front-passenger airbag inflator and cause abnormal deployment; Nissan replaces the airbag assembly.
R/2020/220 / PS0C1 PG0C4	14/08/2020	28/09/2015–13/08/2016	The rear-door child-lock switch may have insufficient retention force; Nissan fits a countermeasure part into the switch aperture.

A build-window match does not prove that a particular car is affected or that recall work has been completed. Check the registration at GOV.UK, then ask a Nissan dealer to check the VIN and provide the campaign-completion record.

Buyer and test-drive checklist

Before viewing

Match the VIN, registration, engine and transmission to the V5C and service invoices.
Run the GOV.UK MOT-history check and recall check. Look for repeated suspension, spring, lighting and tyre advisories, mileage discontinuities and unresolved safety defects.
Ask for itemised service records, not stamps alone. For a CVT, request transmission-specific maintenance and diagnostic invoices; for a diesel, check that use and maintenance suit a DPF-equipped car.
Arrange to see the car with the engine cold. A pre-warmed car can hide starting, smoke and transmission symptoms.

Static inspection

Check every exterior lamp, including the stop, position and registration-plate lamps, then inspect headlamp condition and aim.
Check tyre age, tread and wear across the full width. Uneven wear can accompany alignment or suspension problems.
Inspect springs, bushes, ball joints, dampers and underbody corrosion. Treat a repeated MOT advisory as unresolved until invoices and inspection show otherwise.
Operate the sliding/folding rear seat, every belt, ISOFIX point, door, child lock and latch.
Test the windows, locks, wipers, washers, air conditioning, infotainment, keyless functions and all driver-assistance equipment fitted.
Check oil and coolant levels, battery condition and signs of leakage or recent warning-light/code clearing. Never open a hot cooling system.

Test drive

Start from cold and confirm that every warning lamp illuminates and then extinguishes normally.
Drive slowly over bumps and listen for suspension creaks or knocks; check that the steering is precise and assistance remains consistent.
On a CVT car, test repeated pull-aways, overrun followed by acceleration, inclines, low-speed creep and engagement of Drive and Reverse both cold and warm.
On a manual, check clutch bite, slip under load and clean selection of every gear.
Brake progressively and then firmly where safe. Reject abnormal pedal effort, pulling, vibration, warning lights or any suggestion that ABS operation is abnormal.
Accelerate through the rev range and investigate hesitation, misfire, smoke, overheating or loss of performance.
After the drive, recheck for leaks and warnings and scan all available modules.

Running-cost considerations

Running costs vary by engine, registration date, trim, mileage and condition, so one model-wide figure would be misleading.

The first generation used 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines and a 1.5 dCi; the second used 1.2 petrol, 1.2 DIG-S and 1.5 dCi engines. Compare the exact derivative and real journey pattern rather than relying on one headline economy number. (RAC 2010–2013; RAC 2013–2017)
Insurance groups and premiums differ by version and driver. Obtain a quote against the registration before buying.
Vehicle tax depends on first-registration date and emissions. Check the registration against the current GOV.UK vehicle-tax tables.
Verify the service schedule, fluid specifications and belt or chain requirements for the exact engine from the handbook, service record or Nissan dealer. Do not infer them from another Note derivative.
Budget for age-related tyres, lamps, brakes and suspension work. Obtain current written quotations for defects found; this guide does not give fixed repair-cost estimates.

Discuss in the C4R forum

Ask model-specific questions or share confirmed repair outcomes in the Nissan Note forum. Include the year, engine, gearbox, mileage, symptoms and diagnostic codes, but do not post a VIN or personal details.

Sources and further reading

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

See Nissan Note cars for sale on C4R

Used car buying checklist: what to check on any car before you buy.