If you are considering buying a used Nissan Juke, there are several major reliability issues worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 10 known faults for this model, 7 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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DPF blockages and EGR valve failures due to short journey use, plus premature timing belt failure if intervals are ignored
Rough guide
£500-1200
Typical symptoms
red or yellow DPF warning light
limp mode
poor fuel economy
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.5 dCi (K9K)
Typical mileage:
50000-90000 miles
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Nissan Juke Mk1 (F15) (2014-2019) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
The 1.2 DIG-T suffers heavy oil consumption with no visible leak, which starves and stretches the timing chain. UK owners document the full spiral: chain replaced, software updates, oil top-ups, then pistons and finally a complete replacement engine - in one case at just 20,000 miles, with a 6-8 week wait for the engine from Japan. The same engine caused the well-publicised Qashqai failures. Out of goodwill some cars got new engines, but out of warranty this is a 3000 pound plus bill
Rough guide
£1000-5000
Typical symptoms
oil level dropping between services with no leak or smoke
rattle from the timing chain, especially on start-up
low oil pressure warning
engine management light with timing correlation codes
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.2 DIG-T (HRA2DDT / Renault H5Ft)
Typical mileage:
15000-70000 miles
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity📝 Editorial
Xtronic CVT failure, often well before 50,000 miles on 2010-2016 cars: internal bearing and belt wear brings shuddering, whining, jerky drive and eventually loss of drive. There is no economic rebuild path through Nissan - dealers quote a complete replacement transmission at 4200-7000 pounds, more than many used Jukes are worth. Failures cluster just outside warranty, and goodwill contributions are case-by-case
Rough guide
£2500-7000
Typical symptoms
whining or droning that rises with speed
shudder or jerky take-up from a stop
revs flaring without acceleration (belt slip)
warning light and limp mode, then loss of drive
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.6 petrol with Xtronic CVT automatic
Typical mileage:
30000-80000 miles
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Nissan Juke Mk1 (2010-2019) (2013-2017) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Repeated reports of cylinder head or head gasket failure, leading to misfires and significant repair costs. This affects both the naturally aspirated 1.6 and the 1.6 DIG-T engines.
Rough guide
£1000-2000
Typical symptoms
Engine management light illuminated
Cylinder misfire, often on cylinder 3
Loss of power or rough running
Coolant loss (for head gasket issues)
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.6 petrol (HR16DE and DIG-T variants)
Typical mileage:
20000-30000 miles
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Transmission/ClutchMedium severity💬 Owner reports
Premature clutch failure reported on 1.2 DIG-T manual models, sometimes at very low mileages. Nissan has been known to blame driver error, making warranty claims difficult.
Rough guide
£500-1000
Typical symptoms
Clutch slipping under acceleration
Difficulty engaging gears
Burning smell from clutch
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.2 DIG-T (HRA2DDT / Renault H5Ft) with manual gearbox
Typical mileage:
15000-25000 miles
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Reports of manual gearbox failure, sometimes at low mileages, leading to expensive replacement costs. One report mentions a 'strange noise' before failure, another a 'catastrophic failure'.
Rough guide
£3000-5000
Typical symptoms
Strange noises from the gearbox (whining, grinding)
Difficulty selecting gears
Loss of drive
Gearbox seizure
Affected vehicles
Engines:
Manual gearbox (various engines)
Typical mileage:
23000-27000 miles
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ElectricalMedium severity💬 Owner reports
The NissanConnect infotainment system can fail, displaying error messages like 'System failed. Insert media update.' or intermittently cutting out and rebooting. This affects radio, camera, and satnav functions, with replacement units being very expensive.
Rough guide
£1000-2500
Typical symptoms
Radio, satnav, or camera not working
Infotainment system cutting out intermittently
System rebooting itself while driving
Error message 'System failed. Insert media update.'
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All models with NissanConnect infotainment
Typical mileage:
unknown miles
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SuspensionHigh severity💬 Owner reports
A steering fault reported on nearly new Jukes where the steering wheel intermittently locks or becomes very stiff, making it difficult to turn corners. Diagnostics often show no fault codes.
Rough guide
£500-1500
Typical symptoms
Steering wheel intermittently locking
Steering becoming very stiff
Difficulty turning corners
Feeling like 'wrestling' with the steering
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All models
Typical mileage:
low mileage miles
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Nissan Juke J10 (2007-2014) (2007-2012) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity💬 Owner reports
EGR valve can stick in the closed position, leading to increased exhaust gas temperatures, premature turbo bearing failure, and potential engine runaway if oil enters the induction system. This is a known issue with the K9K engine.
Rough guide
£800-2000
Typical symptoms
Rough running or hesitation
Loss of power
Engine management light illuminated
Whining or grinding noise from the turbocharger
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.5 dCi (K9K)
Typical mileage:
40000-80000 miles
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Engine/EmissionsHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Cylinder head problems, including cracking, are reported to be a common issue on the 1.6 petrol engine in both the Qashqai and Juke.
Rough guide
£1000-2000
Typical symptoms
Engine overheating
Loss of coolant without visible leaks
White smoke from the exhaust
Rough running or misfires
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.6 Petrol (HR16DE)
Typical mileage:
30000-60000 miles
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Nissan Juke service intervals: cambelt, chain and gearbox oil
An overdue cambelt is the most expensive thing a seller can fail to mention on a used Juke. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Timing belt (cambelt)Belt
1.5 DCI, K9K
72,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first
The Renault-sourced K9K schedule is 72,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. Some Nissan bulletins pair a 6-year term with a longer 100,000-mile limit, so the shorter 5-year term is recorded here. Ensure the water pump, tensioners and idlers are replaced at the same time.
Timing chainChain
1.2 DIG-T, 1.2 DIG, HRA2DDT
No fixed replacement interval
Prone to chain stretch, driven by poor oil pressure, fuel-diluted oil and a clogged chain-lubrication oil jet rather than simple mileage. The engine's well-known excessive oil consumption is what starves the tensioner. Replace as a full kit and keep oil changes short.
CVT Gearbox Fluid
60,000 miles
Change the NS-2/NS-3 CVT fluid approximately every 60,000 miles under normal conditions, and as early as 30,000 miles in severe use, to prevent premature transmission failure. This is specialist and remanufacturer guidance rather than a figure Nissan mandates in every manual. No time-based limit is published, so none is recorded.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: September 2026
Where this Nissan Juke fault data comes from
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Nissan Juke owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
Knowing what a Nissan Juke goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.