A 1.5 dCi is the lesser-risk Nissan Juke Mk1, provided its cambelt and DPF work has paperwork, but skip any 1.6 petrol with the Xtronic CVT automatic and its long record of failures.
8 known faults, 3 rated high severity in our database; owners report 41.0 mpg, 82% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Nissan Juke advert (free) →A Mk1 Juke with the 1.5 dCi diesel is the lesser risk, because the petrol engines carry the heavier known faults and the diesel's the nicer engine to drive. It isn't a clean bill: EGR valve failures and a DPF that clogs on short trips are known faults on it, and the cambelt has to be changed on time, so its history needs a close look.
Don't touch a 1.6 petrol with the Xtronic CVT automatic, whatever the year. Gearbox failure is a serious known fault across 2010 to 2019, frequently arriving short of 50,000 miles on cars from 2010 to 2016, and owners have reported it at 13,000, 17,000 and 21,000 miles. The 1.6 petrol also has known cylinder head and head gasket failures, and the 1.2 DIG-T can burn enough oil to wreck its timing chain.
The second-generation Juke from 2020 is the newer route, with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, but there's nothing in the fault records on it yet, so it can't be called more or less reliable than the Mk1. Its ride's firm even on the smaller wheels and the infotainment isn't the best, so try both on the test drive rather than assuming the Mk1's problems carried over or went away.
No Juke engine gets a clean sheet, but the 1.5 dCi is the lesser risk, and it's better to drive than the 1.6 petrol, which is noisy and has a low-geared manual. Check its history closely, though: the EGR valve can fail and short journeys block the DPF. One owner paid £1,800 for a new DPF at 51,000 miles. The cambelt's due every 72,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first.
Avoid the 1.6 petrol, both the non-turbo engine and the DIG-T. A failed head or head gasket is a known fault on 2013 to 2017 cars, showing up at 20,000 to 30,000 miles as a misfire (often on cylinder 3), a warning light and rough running. Paired with the Xtronic CVT, it carries two serious known faults at once.
The 1.2 DIG-T is no safer. It's a known fault that it drinks oil without leaking any, and that low, diluted oil is what stretches its timing chain rather than mileage, with owners ending up with new pistons or a whole new engine. Nissan recalled 2015 cars to fit new pistons. On the manual version, early clutch wear between 15,000 and 25,000 miles is another known fault.
Manual gearboxes aren't beyond question either: one owner had a 2017 car's gearbox give up at 27,000 miles, just after the warranty ran out, and Nissan offered half the cost of a new one. Listen for noise and feel for gears that are hard to select on any manual Juke, diesel included. If you do buy an automatic, the CVT fluid wants changing about every 60,000 miles, or as early as 30,000 in severe use.
On an automatic, the CVT is the first thing to test. Pull away gently from a standstill and listen for a whine or other noise from the gearbox, feel for judder as you pull away and as you slow down, and make sure drive and reverse engage cleanly without the engine cutting out. Find out if it's had a replacement gearbox, and ask for receipts showing its fluid's been changed, and on a car past 60,000 miles, treat no receipt as a change that's never been done.
On a 1.2 DIG-T, pull the dipstick, ask how often it's been topped up, listen for a chain rattle on a cold start and watch for a low oil pressure warning. Ask for proof the piston work on 2015 cars was done. Service dates matter too: one owner's claim for a new engine under warranty was refused because services came at 19,002 and 37,967 miles rather than every 12,000, and Nissan only later agreed to pay most of the engine's cost, though not the labour.
Turn the steering from lock to lock and make sure it doesn't stiffen or bind, as one owner of a nearly new 2017 car had it lock intermittently. Try the screen, radio and camera, because infotainment failure on 2014 to 2018 cars is a known fault, and one owner paid £99 just for the diagnosis. Look underneath at the sump and brake pipes for rust, which one owner found on a 2014 car at 64,000 miles.
Ask for paperwork showing recall work: some 2017 cars had an ignition switch that could cut the engine on the move, 2012 to 2014 cars needed a leaking fuel sensor replaced, and 2015 1.5 dCi cars got an engine remap and a new DPF. On a diesel, look for the cambelt receipt. Check the front discs for ridges too, since they've been reported worn out by 18,000 miles.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
It's worth buying as a 1.5 dCi with its paperwork and a gearbox that runs quietly, and not worth the gamble as a 1.6 Xtronic CVT automatic, which is the Mk1's weakest point. On a 1.2 DIG-T manual, early clutch wear is a known fault on 2014 to 2017 cars, so feel for slip when you accelerate. The diesel's DPF blocks on short runs, and one 2015 car has had three.
The CVT is the Mk1's biggest problem. Owners have reported it failing at 13,000, 22,328 and 28,000 miles, one 2015 car needed four under warranty, and one 2013 car's reconditioned box failed again at 41,000 miles. One owner paid £3,385 for a repair at an independent specialist, and another paid £1,240 after Nissan cut the repair bill to £640 and a leaking transmission oil cooler added £600.
The 1.6 petrol's cylinder head is the other big worry, with misfires at 20,000 to 30,000 miles a known fault on 2013 to 2017 cars, and one owner paid £877 after a 2013 car's head failed. On the 1.2 DIG-T, oil consumption leads to a stretched timing chain and worse, and one owner had a 2014 car whose chain began to go at 26,000 miles.
Smaller things crop up too. The centre console's paint and plastic can peel, which Nissan warned buyers about, and DAB reception is poor. One owner found the rear discs corroding at 9,000 miles, another's cabin wouldn't stop letting outside air in on recirculation, and one 2012 car needed its flywheel replaced twice in six years. None of these is a known fault, but each is worth a look on the day.
Real-world economy on this generation: Nissan Juke 41.0 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Nissan Juke advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 41.0 mpg across the Nissan Juke engines with data, about 82% of the official figure, from 1,104 submissions.
Nissan Juke Real MPG by engine →The styling's the draw: a Juke looks like nothing else in a car park and it still stands out years on. It's easy to squeeze into a tight space, since the turning circle is small, and the 2014 facelift made the whole car a lot better to live with. If you want some fun, the Nismo version is the one that delivers it.
The 2020 Juke moves things on with more room for the people inside and a cabin that feels more upmarket than before. It's easy to drive around town and it handles tidily, so it doesn't feel like hard work in traffic. The boot's bigger than the Mk1's too.
A 1.5 dCi is the lesser-risk Nissan Juke Mk1, provided its cambelt and DPF work has paperwork, but skip any 1.6 petrol with the Xtronic CVT automatic and its long record of failures. Our database holds 8 known Nissan Juke faults, 3 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
On an automatic, the CVT is the first thing to test. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Nissan Juke fault before you travel.
Owners report 41.0 mpg on average, about 82% of the official figure, from 1,104 submissions. Belt (1.5 DCI, K9K): 72,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Nissan Juke Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Nissan Juke buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 119 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Nissan Juke is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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