K12 - what to look for
- Thread starter mattjo
- Start date
Very wobbly Chris 
Hi Mattjo ...usual stuff with any car...check under sills and arches for rust... check mot mileage matches what the dash says and the condition of the seats, door handles and paintwork can show if significantly out
depending on age and mileage it's a good idea to check if it's had it's timing chain (if petrol 54 reg or older) or Belt (if diesel) changed
the older petrol ones often had an issue with the timing chain stretching...which = potentially expensive <_<
the dci's should have the belts changed every 5 years or 72,000 miles I had mine done in 2010 for £230 (that'sw all parts and 4 hours labour) you can possibly do it yourself, but unless you're an expert/very confident I wouldn't recommend that
check that the plastic under arches are intact...if missing or damaged this may mean it had an accident/new bumper...not always of course
make sure you compare prices with similar spec/age/reg models to check that the price is about right...if it looks too good to be true...use you're common sense, it probably is
check for silly things like is the spare wheel/towhook/wheel brace in the boot where it should be?...if not, why not?
does it have alloys?...are there locking wheel nuts...do they have the key for them?
do the electrics work? windows etc...
do they have the radio code...that can be a pain in the backside if the battery goes flat or has been disconnected for any reason
if it's quite a new one with Nissan connect it'll be a good idea to check it has the Sat nav SD card (if it has satnav)...as they often turn up being sold separately on ebay 'cause they're expensive to update <_<
(my dad's Almera has the Cd-rom version, £200 for new one from Nissan although I think the SD one's are cheaper than that )
Oh, and another thing check what the advisories on the MOT were...if there is something going wrong soon...extra costs may need to be put into consideration
ETA: almost forgot...does it have both keys? and are there any warning lights staying on the dash (airbag/engine/oil etc)
Hi Mattjo ...usual stuff with any car...check under sills and arches for rust... check mot mileage matches what the dash says and the condition of the seats, door handles and paintwork can show if significantly out
depending on age and mileage it's a good idea to check if it's had it's timing chain (if petrol 54 reg or older) or Belt (if diesel) changed
the older petrol ones often had an issue with the timing chain stretching...which = potentially expensive <_<
the dci's should have the belts changed every 5 years or 72,000 miles
I had mine done in 2010 for £230 (that'sw all parts and 4 hours labour) you can possibly do it yourself, but unless you're an expert/very confident I wouldn't recommend thatcheck that the plastic under arches are intact...if missing or damaged this may mean it had an accident/new bumper...not always of course
make sure you compare prices with similar spec/age/reg models to check that the price is about right...if it looks too good to be true...use you're common sense, it probably is
check for silly things like is the spare wheel/towhook/wheel brace in the boot where it should be?...if not, why not?
does it have alloys?...are there locking wheel nuts...do they have the key for them?
do the electrics work? windows etc...
do they have the radio code...that can be a pain in the backside if the battery goes flat or has been disconnected for any reason
if it's quite a new one with Nissan connect it'll be a good idea to check it has the Sat nav SD card (if it has satnav)...as they often turn up being sold separately on ebay 'cause they're expensive to update <_<
(my dad's Almera has the Cd-rom version, £200 for new one from Nissan
although I think the SD one's are cheaper than that )Oh, and another thing check what the advisories on the MOT were...if there is something going wrong soon...extra costs may need to be put into consideration
ETA: almost forgot...does it have both keys? and are there any warning lights staying on the dash (airbag/engine/oil etc)
SirChris
Educated Bodger
Jen..too much time on your handsVery wobbly Chris
Hi Mattjo ...usual stuff with any car...check under sills and arches for rust... check mot mileage matches what the dash says and the condition of the seats, door handles and paintwork can show if significantly out
depending on age and mileage it's a good idea to check if it's had it's timing chain (if petrol 54 reg or older) or Belt (if diesel) changed
the older petrol ones often had an issue with the timing chain stretching...which = potentially expensive <_<
the dci's should have the belts changed every 5 years or 72,000 miles
check that the plastic under arches are intact...if missing or damaged this may mean it had an accident/new bumper...not always of course
make sure you compare prices with similar spec/age/reg models to check that the price is about right...if it looks too good to be true...use you're common sense, it probably is
check for silly things like is the spare wheel/towhook/wheel brace in the boot where it should be?...if not, why not?
does it have alloys?...are there locking wheel nuts...do they have the key for them?
do the electrics work? windows etc...
do they have the radio code...that can be a pain in the backside if the battery goes flat or has been disconnected for any reason
if it's quite a new one with Nissan connect it'll be a good idea to check it has the Sat nav SD card (if it has satnav)...as they often turn up being sold separately on ebay 'cause they're expensive to update <_<
(my dad's Almera has the Cd-rom version, £200 for new one from Nissan
Oh, and another thing check what the advisories on the MOT were...if there is something going wrong soon...extra costs may need to be put into consideration
ETA: almost forgot...does it have both keys? and are there any warning lights staying on the dash (airbag/engine/oil etc)
signature...please ignore anything I say...when using my phone it is either bad grammar or rubbish spelling.
SirChris
Educated Bodger
good, oh I was thinking of you this morning and I have a quote for you. "The best revenge is massive success!" - Frank Sinatra
Darn it...and I've got all that rat poison in the shed
Buying a K12 ? Advisable to check a professional motor review of K12 Micras such as
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/micra-k12-2003/?section=bad
The conclusion summary is : To many problems and best avoided.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/nissan/micra-k12-2003/?section=bad
The conclusion summary is : To many problems and best avoided.
wow they're harsh... that's every single problem ever though, right?to be fair pretty much every other site review I've read (auto trader, parkers, top gear etc) agree around the 4/5 mark... 2/5? I'm guessing they had a dodgy one
Gotta say ...the only problem I've had with mine was that ECU recall (but there was never anything actually wrong with her)
5 minutes at the dealer, no charge
there was also a metal framework within the engine bay that kept snapping...but it didn't actually do anything, so we took it out ^_^
I assume it was something to do with keeping the oil dipstick tube secure? ...didn't even touch it LOL
...those issues don't all come up on every single model BTW, that's just silly if anyone thinks that (and so avoid it) *facepalm*
I personally wouldn't have the keyless entry, because the fobs eat batteries LOL
I also wouldn't have the auto wipers and parking sensors....they drive me crazy (my mum has all 3 on her SVE)
.....and besides the "What's good" list is longer
The owner reviews are more how I feel about mine
since I've owned mine it's never failed an MOT (infact at the last MOT there weren't even any advisories)
saying the fact that only 59% pass MOT's is dodgy and misleading <_<
...most fails aren't necessarily due to the car itself.... it's stuff like tyres, wipers, fluids and lights that people can't be bothered to check beforehand
Buying a k12?
Ignore this....
Listen to this....
Ignore this....
Listen to this....
to be fair pretty much every other site review I've read (auto trader, parkers, top gear etc) agree around the 4/5 mark... 2/5? I'm guessing they had a dodgy one
Gotta say ...the only problem I've had with mine was that ECU recall (but there was never anything actually wrong with her)
5 minutes at the dealer, no charge
there was also a metal framework within the engine bay that kept snapping...but it didn't actually do anything, so we took it out ^_^
I assume it was something to do with keeping the oil dipstick tube secure? ...didn't even touch it LOL
...those issues don't all come up on every single model BTW, that's just silly if anyone thinks that (and so avoid it) *facepalm*
I personally wouldn't have the keyless entry, because the fobs eat batteries LOL
I also wouldn't have the auto wipers and parking sensors....they drive me crazy (my mum has all 3 on her SVE)
.....and besides the "What's good" list is longer
The owner reviews are more how I feel about mine
since I've owned mine it's never failed an MOT (infact at the last MOT there weren't even any advisories)
saying the fact that only 59% pass MOT's is dodgy and misleading <_<
...most fails aren't necessarily due to the car itself.... it's stuff like tyres, wipers, fluids and lights that people can't be bothered to check beforehand
