If you are considering buying a used Nissan Micra, there are several major reliability issues worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 10 known faults for this model, 6 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
Are you about to buy a lemon?
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Timing chain stretches leading to camshaft sensor errors and rough running
Rough guide
£500-900
Typical symptoms
engine management light
poor starting when cold
rough idle and loss of power
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.2 / 1.4 Petrol (CG12DE/CG14DE)
Typical mileage:
40000-80000 miles
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Nissan Micra K13 (2010-2016) (2010-2016) problems
Transmission/ClutchHigh severity💬 Owner reports
The CVT transmission is prone to failure, often at relatively low mileages. Issues include slipping, stuttering, and complete failure, sometimes due to a faulty pressure valve or lack of fluid changes. Replacement costs are very high.
Rough guide
£1000-6000+
Typical symptoms
Transmission slipping
Stuttering or loss of power when pulling away or changing up
Engine revving hopelessly at speed
Engine management light on
Grating noise when starting
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All CVT Automatic
Typical mileage:
27000-63000 miles
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Transmission/ClutchHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Nissan acknowledged a higher than usual number of clutch issues with the K13 Micra, with failures reported at very low mileages. Replacement costs can be substantial, and Nissan often refuses goodwill contributions.
Rough guide
£900-1200+
Typical symptoms
Clutch slipping
High clutch bite point
Difficulty changing gears
Burning smell from clutch
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All Manual
Typical mileage:
7000-40000 miles
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SuspensionMedium severity💬 Owner reports
Front suspension issues, including failed rear suspension arm bushes (similar to Nissan Note) and persistent banging noises from the front, even after replacing bushes, steering rack, and driveshaft. This suggests a systemic issue with front suspension components.
Rough guide
£600-1000+
Typical symptoms
Banging noise from the front suspension, especially when pulling away
Crunching sound from the front
Noise felt through footwell when turning
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
14000-40000 miles
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Nissan Micra K11 (1992-2003) (1998-2003) problems
SuspensionMedium severity📝 Editorial
The front chassis cross-member (metal strut below and in front of the radiator) is prone to rust after 6 years or more, leading to MOT failure. Sills also commonly rust, causing MOT failure.
Rough guide
£200-300 (cross-member) + sill repair
Typical symptoms
Visible rust on front cross-member
Visible rust on sills
MOT failure for structural corrosion
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
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Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial
The throttle body, which incorporates the mass airflow sensor, is prone to failure. This can be exacerbated by short runs and cheap fuel, leading to choking. A corroded fuse in the small fuse box near the battery can also cause misfiring/cutting out.
Rough guide
£450-500 (throttle body assembly)
Typical symptoms
Misfiring or cutting out
Rough running
Poor starting
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All Petrol
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
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Nissan Micra K12 (2003-2010) (2003-2007) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
A spate of crankshaft sensor malfunctions caused sudden poor running or failure to start. This was attributed to Kevlar shedding from workers' gloves sticking to flywheels, disrupting the magnetic signal. Nissan issued a TSB in August 2007 with a special tool to clean the flywheel.
Rough guide
£150-300
Typical symptoms
Sudden poor running
Failure to start
Engine stalling
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All Petrol
Typical mileage:
40000-80000 miles
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ElectricalHigh severity💬 Owner reports
ABS/ESP modules are prone to failure after 3-4 years, often due to water ingress. Nissan dealers quoted high replacement costs, sometimes writing off the car. Regular brake fluid replacement every 2 years is essential to prevent this.
Rough guide
£400-3000+
Typical symptoms
ABS warning light on dashboard
ESP warning light on dashboard
Braking performance affected
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
30000-70000 miles
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Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
The EGR valve on the 1.5 dCi engine can stick in the closed position, causing exhaust gas temperatures to rise. This can lead to turbocharger bearing failure and potentially cause the engine to run on its own crankcase oil, leading to catastrophic engine damage. If it sticks open, it can cause rough running.
Rough guide
£1000-3000+
Typical symptoms
Rough running (if EGR stuck open)
Loss of power
Engine consuming its own oil
Turbo failure
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.5 dCi Diesel
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
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SuspensionHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Electric power steering failure is a reported issue on K12 Micras, with replacement costs being substantial. Independent fixes have also been reported to fail repeatedly.
Rough guide
£1100-1400
Typical symptoms
Loss of power steering assistance
Heavy steering
Steering warning light on dashboard
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
30000-60000 miles
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Nissan Micra service intervals: cambelt, chain and gearbox oil
An overdue cambelt is the most expensive thing a seller can fail to mention on a used Micra. 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.
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 Micra 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 Micra 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 Micra 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.