Used Nissan Pixo review and buying guide (2009 to 2013): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Nissan Pixo should you buy?

No single year of Pixo stands out as the safer buy, so judge the car on how its gearbox and engine mounts behave rather than on its plate. It was sold from 2009 to 2013 and stayed identical to the Suzuki Alto throughout, and the problems owners have reported turn up on 2009, 2011 and 2012 cars alike. There's no sign of any year being put right.

Nissan recalled the Pixo in August 2013 because the heater motor could seize at low speed, and the cure was a new heater resistor card. Early 2009 cars built for Europe were also recalled because the fuel tank could leak if it was filled past the pump's automatic cut-off. Neither is a reason to skip a car, but you'll want proof the work's been done.

Crash protection is modest: the identical Suzuki Alto earned three stars when Euro NCAP tested it in 2009. That's the same body you're buying in a Pixo, so weigh it up if the car's going to carry children every day rather than just pop to the shops.

Which Pixo engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The manual gearbox and clutch draw the most complaints on the Pixo. A whirring noise on a 2011 car turned out to be a failed gearbox bearing, and a two-year-old car at 10,000 miles had a screeching clutch release bearing. Another 2011 car was advised at its MoT, at 37,000 miles, that it needed a new clutch and gearbox, which didn't come as a surprise to its owner.

One owner of a 2012 car at 34,000 miles changed the gear oil and greased the linkages, and the gearchange still stuck in neutral. So don't accept a seller's line that a fluid change will sort a stiff shift; if it won't slot cleanly into gear, treat it as a gearbox or clutch job waiting to happen.

There's no fault on record inside the engine itself, but that's a thin record rather than a clean one. The engine mounts are another matter: two reports describe them failing again and again, showing up as rattles from the engine, and one October 2009 car was already on its third set of replacement mounts at 7,500 miles.

What should you check when viewing a used Pixo?

The gearchange tells you most about a Pixo, so run through every gear, reverse included, more than once on the test drive. Listen for a whirr from the transmission, which was a failed bearing on one car, and a screech as you press the clutch pedal, which was the release bearing on another. A shift that's reluctant to leave neutral is a warning.

With the engine idling, get someone to blip the throttle while you watch and listen under the bonnet: rattles coming from the engine point to worn mounts. Then work the wipers and washers on every setting and feel the driver's footwell carpet for damp, since wiper and washer failures have come back repeatedly and water has leaked onto the driver's feet.

Look at the front tyres for uneven wear, as one owner got through a lot of tyres because the tracking wouldn't hold, and test the air con and tug each seat belt. The rear-view mirror can't be dipped, which you'll notice at night. Ask for paperwork showing the heater resistor card was changed, and on a 2009 car that the fuel tank work was carried out.

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 Nissan Pixo cost to run?