Used Citroen Nemo review and buying guide (2009 to 2015): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Citroen Nemo should you buy?

Go for a Nemo that has ESP, the electronic stability system, because one without it was judged prone to rolling over on a tight bend in a comparison test where a rival Fiat Qubo with the system stayed on its wheels. The Nemo was sold from 2009 to 2015 as a single generation, so the choice comes down to that option and the state of the car in front of you rather than a particular year.

There's very little on record to steer you between years. No known faults are logged for the Nemo and there are no service interval figures for it either, but that's a gap in the evidence, not a clean bill of health. What does exist points at build quality on these Turkish-built cars and at the front suspension, so judge each one on those two things.

Which Nemo engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

Nothing on record separates one Nemo engine or gearbox from another: no known faults are logged against any of them, no service intervals are listed, and none of the owner reports name the engine they had. That doesn't make every version sound, it just means the evidence can't pick a winner, so the service history and the condition of the car have to do the deciding.

The one engine complaint came from a single owner, who found oil leaking at the crankshaft pulley just after a service and was told Citroen had seen a few Nemos come back with the same leak. It's one car's account rather than a proven weakness, but it's worth a look under the front of the engine for fresh oil around the pulley before you hand over any money.

What should you check when viewing a used Nemo?

The front suspension top bearings are the part to focus on. Two owner reports mention them failing: one said the fault was turning up on Nemos, Qubos and Bippers, and another had them dry out on a 38,000-mile Nemo, with the extended warranty refusing the claim and blaming water getting in. Listen for knocks or creaks from the front over bumps and when turning the wheel slowly, and ask if they've been replaced.

Go round the trim and panels carefully, because one owner's Nemo had a run of build faults: door mouldings coming loose in the first week, an inner wheel arch liner falling away, a failed electric window switch and rear door hinges that rattled until they were renewed. Check the mouldings are fixed tight, look at the arch liners behind each wheel, work every window and open and shut the back doors listening for rattles.

Find out whether the car has ESP, since the Nemo without it is the one judged prone to rolling over in the comparison test, and don't settle for the seller's guess. Ask for the service history and any receipts for suspension or oil leak work, so you know which of these jobs have already been dealt with and which could still be waiting for you.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Citroen Nemo cost to run?