K12 Nissan Micra, to buy or not to buy?

[GrumpyCat]

My parents are going to look at a K12 Micra tomorrow (2006) and have asked my advice, however I know nothing about them. The review on Parkers sounded promising, however HonestJohn advises against buying a older example.

 

Has anyone got any knowledge of these and can advise accordingly?

 

Many thanks.

[chaseracer]

The Clio bits break. The 1.5DCi is great, until the injectors go...

[trigger]

The one we had was a bit rubbish, it was a 2004 1.5 DCi 86, It's very Renault Clio, the bodywork is thin and tinny, the EGR valve failed on mine the day i bought it then a few months later the electric power steering stopped working nearly causing my wife to crash it as the steering went super heavy.

 

Personally i didn't think it was anything special to drive and not a patch on the older K11 model.

[Micrashed]

Tell them to buy a late K11 and spend the change on welding.

[Squire_Dawson]

Altogether a more bulky car, both from the inside and outside, not a proper Nissan as shiters have noted, and for me Nissan design and quality went steeply downhill at around the turn of the Century.

[Ratdat]

All I can say about them is that back when they were new out, I used to get all my motors tested at a local Nissan dealer and the lads in the workshop had NOTHING good to say about them. They seemed to be doing plenty of warranty or recall work on them. They lent me one once, a 1.0l version... it was fairly slow and completely without charm. I'd be looking to buy the best K11 available rather than a K12.

[trigger]

Oh yeah, Mine went back for some warranty work too, something about them catching on fire IIRC.

 

 

This was my one, honestly, buy a mint, low mileage 02 plate 1.4 SE K11 instead.

[HH-R]

I think the petrols are alright, someone I worked with had an 06 plate (IIRC) petrol with nearly 100k on the clock a few months ago. Apart from an exhaust sensor putting the EML on when he first got it a few years back, it was spot on. Got bumped from behind so I dunno what happened to it after that. They're quite a likeable little car... not sure if they rust like a K11 or not.

[Vince70]

A friend of mine had one for about a year and it spent about 6 months a various garages being repaired in one way or another mainly due to the OMGITSGOTRENAULTELECTRICS and running gear.

 

As previous posters have said go for a K11 and keep the money saved for future welding work to the crossmember and sills

[londonm]

For the record, my folks have had a K11 for years. It's never broken down, just keeps going, and I think in all that time it's only needed servicing and a new battery. Cheap as chips now as well.

[Micrashed]

Purchased for £1200 5 years ago.

 

Stuck 30,000 miles on this in 5 years, spent about £100 in tyres, another couple of hundred in servicing costs and other consumables and last MOT £100 for welding the front crossmember back together.

 

Does 40-odd to the gallon driven like a loon, 50 plus can be had if driven like a vicar on mogadon. Possibly the best small car Nissan have made to date. Even its blobby shape has worn well.

 

If a meteor hit it tomorrow and wiped it out I think I will have had my moneys worth out of it.

[phil_lihp]

I had one for a week as a hire car in Ireland, it was ugly and exceedingly dull.  In fact, almost completely forgettable. I'd echo the others suggesting a good K11 is a better option.

 

Although if you must, this is an incomprehensible bargain.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-NISSAN-MICRA-S-5DOOR-HATCHBACK-SPAIRE-OR-REPAIRE-/181410452463?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2a3ce7d3ef

 

[londonm]

Your folks should also consider a new shape Vauxhall Agila, my Mrs has a 6 year old one on a 58 plate and it's been surprisingly reliable. A poll discovered it was the the car with the least things wrong with it by its first MOT, probably on account of giffer popularity.

[Micrashed]

Wait a while and buy the bargain basement (new) Vauxhall Viva instead.

[hairnet]

dont buy a dizzle and watch the power steering (ala fabia - does a spazz)

 

dont rust but they aint built like earlier ones

 

like phil hired one from dublin airport and did 500 miles flat out in two days and did 50 mpg

[GrumpyCat]

Thanks chaps, that's given me some food for thought. Looks like I'll have to steer them away from it and suggest something else.

 

I've suggested a Panda, but they are not keen on the boxy looks. Yaris's seem very well regarded but really hold their money too.

 

I'll try suggesting a K11 Micra, but they want something newer than their 02 Rover 45.

 

Cheers.

[Noel Tidybeard]

honda jazz ftw

[twosmoke300]

Pre 07 jazz is much better just check for rear wheel bearing noise and that the chassis number starts with a j . (made in Japan not China like some later ones )

Got a k12 micra in the workshop now for a weird throttle body fault.

[HH-R]

Funnily enough I was thinking about a K12 Micra to replace a 2009 Panda because I've had two now and they're just crap. Mine never runs right, and most of the time my last one didn't either. These aren't abused examples, my first had 35k on the clock when I got it and this one had 53. I fancied a Honda for OMG reliability but I get 48 MPG out of the Panda, I'm not sure a bigger engined Honda would give me that.

[twosmoke300]

They can if you drive steady . Ive always found the newer pandas good cars , you have been unlucky.

 

What about a c1/107/aygo . They dont seem to age well but clutches and water pumps aside (upgraded parts available and most done by now) they seem reliable enough.

[D-Dubya]

My brother had one from newish on a 05 plate, steering wheel came loose twice before it was recalled for steering wheel coming loose issues, also in its later life it destroyed its clutch prematurely (probably more his driving caused that) and his sump rusted through leaving it to start pissing oil, which I heard is common as are the wiper linkages breaking, which they did on this one. Throughout its life it had airbag light issues,

 

It was a crap car, more of a money pit than either fiat I owned at the same time, and I'd recommend something else

[r.welfare]

Funnily enough my mate worked for TRW and did something on the electric power steering for these and Fiat. Apparently the Nissan engineering specs were much higher than Fiat's, go figure.

 

Timing chain stretch on 1.2 and 1.4 models seems to be an issue stemming from a lack of regular oil changes. Plus electrics as noted.

 

How about a Note 1.6? My folks have had one for 5 years, done around 40k with no issues. The 1.6 seems less prone to the timing chain issue and it's very economical for an auto.

[HH-R]

I've heard that holding the wheel at full lock kills EPAS motors... not sure how truthful it is! I don't do it and have had 3 leccy PAS Fiats with no steering faults.

[Ghosty]

Reading this thread has made me realise I see a lot more K11s on the road than K12s. 

[sierraman]

We had a K11 micra. Engine would go on forever... The bodywork alas fell to bits in short order, the sills started to be patches over patches. It was reliable to a fault however. A brief trip over the M18 was an education shall we say, keeping 70 up with the 1.0 engine was a serious struggle.

[gtd2000]

Pre 07 jazz is much better just check for rear wheel bearing noise and that the chassis number starts with a j . (made in Japan not China like some later ones )

Got a k12 micra in the workshop now for a weird throttle body fault.

 

Don't forget to check for input shaft bearing whine as well - there's two well known problems with the Jazz and that covers both of them.

 

Honda will replace the rear bearings FOC if under 100,000 miles and 8 years of age I believe too?

 

Friend of mine has one and never usually goes below 50MPG but we saw 62.1 MPG last summer 4 up with the AC on!

[twosmoke300]

^^^

All true . Most of the honda gearbox problems come from , believe it or not, a weak reverse selector.

it allows the reverse idler gear to come into contact with the 2nd gearset on rh turns . So nearly every roundabout then.

This in turn fills the bearings with swarf and they dont like it up em.

[gtd2000]

Have to admit I really rate the Honda Jazz as a great all rounder.

 

The minor gripes I have, is that it feels a bit on the cheap side with the interior materials  The other thing is the fitment of a cassette player and due to the shape of the factory unit, it's very difficult to source an economic replacement with a CD player or aux input.

 

The space and economy are both very impressive!

 

The aforementioned car was bought from a Chinese couple in Edinburgh and they'd just changed the rear wheel bearings before selling the car. The guy was most disappointed when I told him that he could have saved his £300 by getting in touch with Honda UK...

 

Thankfully, there has not been any whining from the bearing but I'm led to believe this can be repaired fairly cheaply by independent outlets if it does happen?

[alfetta]

Had a k12 in the family  from new for 10 years with no faults (apart from electric boot lock - renault crap). I don't mind it really, the 1.2 goes OK, lacks steering feel - but handles like a clio so not too bad and no rust whatsoever. It actually handles a lot better than my MX5 at the mo with shagged shocks...

 

Most of the problems seem to be on the higher spec models with the keyless start feature...

[Lord Sterling]

but they want something newer than their 02 Rover 45

Tell them to buy an 03/04/05 plate Rover 45 then. Anything after the Rover will feel cheap and dull.