K10Daz
RIP Colin McRae 1968-2007
I thought id post this as found it usefull!
What's Good
Jewel-like 16-valve chain-cam engines; 1.0 with 53bhp and 1.3 with 75bhp. 12' 2" long by 5' 2" wide and weighing from 775kg. Broadened the market for the Micra, making it a young person's car as well as an old person's. Well built, in Sunderland. Sensible parts prices (cats are £200). Special pre-facelift 1998 run out 1.0 litre model had CVT and power steering. Restyled in 1998. 1,275cc '1.3' engine increased to 1,348cc in July 2000, with increase in power from 75 ps to 82 ps and torque from 76 lb ft to 80 lb ft at 2,800 rpm. 16th from top of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. Joint 20th from Top in 144 car 2002 JD Power / What Car? Customer Satisfaction Survey of V and W reg cars. Nissans generally had slightly below average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 94.77 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 1995-2003 models rated fewest problems and faults and average for breakdowns in 2003 Which survey.
What's Bad
Cute 'blobby' styling works for some, not for others. Most did not have power steering. Average performance in NCAP crash tests. Must have 6-monthly oil changes to avoid timing chain trouble. Can suffer from poor starting in damp conditions due to suceptibility of the spark plugs to condensation. Poor starting can also be caused by the wrong temperature sensor which leads the combustion chambers to flood and the ECU to shut down the engine to prevent spiking the catalytic converter. Throttle body incorporates mass airflow sensor which fails and quite a lot of complete throttle body assemblies reported to have needed replacing at £450 to £500 a go. Throttle bodies also get choked by short runs from cold starts and slow running on cheap detergent free petrol. But worth checking the small fuse box located behind the radiator near to the battery. One of the fuses in that box supplies the fuel injection system. Road dirt and moisture can entere the fuse box resulting in corrosion and overheating of the fuel injection fuse. Simply cleaning the contacts and renewing the fuse might solve the problem of misfiring/cutting out. Another possible cure (from Australia) is to remove the throttle body (quite an easy task) and in turn remove the square metal plate on the side. This reveals a PCB with a number of soldered joints which over time can become "dry", a soldering iron is then used to touch each of these joints, preferably adding a blob of solder.
Replaced by new car on same platform as new Renault Clio in early 2003. High 7 out of 9 point death rate from accidents in 1998 - 2000 models.
What to Watch Out For
Clocking. Dirty oil. Must have clean oil. (VITAL to change the oil at least every 6 months expecially if the car does an ultra low mileage.) If the timing chain rattles and the car is out of warranty, leave it alone. You could be in for a £400-£500 tensioner replacement job. Japanese 'March' models look the same but many parts are not interchangeable. May have suspension damage from kerbing - most likely and most damaging on power steered cars. Clutches of early cars don't last, but most will by now have been replaced. Previously reliable CVT has started to develop the same electromechanical clutch problems as Puntos. If it thumps when you move the lever to drive, or if the lever is hard to move, leave the car alone. Front chassis cross-member may fail due to rust(the metal strut below and in front of the radiator). The rust can result in MOT failure and cost £208 to replace the part, most of it labour. Cross-member itself costs £55. Sills also rust and result in MOT failute. Check rest of underneath carefully for rust. On 1996/1997 Micras the plastic headlamp bulb holders can eventually melt due to an electrical fault. Not covered by warranty.
Recalls
1994 (Sep 92-June 94 VIN 000001-237783): floor may crack next to handbrake. 18/3/2003: Concern identified with driver's seat walk-in device. If ignored may cause unintentional movement. Fit a modified component to the walk-un device mechanism. 6/5/2003: The steering wheel retaining bolt may not have been tighetened to the specified torque. If ignored it can potentially lead to loss of steering control. Check torque of the steering wheel retaining bolt and tighten where necessary.
Taken from HonestJohn
What's Good
Jewel-like 16-valve chain-cam engines; 1.0 with 53bhp and 1.3 with 75bhp. 12' 2" long by 5' 2" wide and weighing from 775kg. Broadened the market for the Micra, making it a young person's car as well as an old person's. Well built, in Sunderland. Sensible parts prices (cats are £200). Special pre-facelift 1998 run out 1.0 litre model had CVT and power steering. Restyled in 1998. 1,275cc '1.3' engine increased to 1,348cc in July 2000, with increase in power from 75 ps to 82 ps and torque from 76 lb ft to 80 lb ft at 2,800 rpm. 16th from top of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. Joint 20th from Top in 144 car 2002 JD Power / What Car? Customer Satisfaction Survey of V and W reg cars. Nissans generally had slightly below average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 94.77 v/s lowest 31.93). Link:- www.reliabilityindex.co.uk 1995-2003 models rated fewest problems and faults and average for breakdowns in 2003 Which survey.
What's Bad
Cute 'blobby' styling works for some, not for others. Most did not have power steering. Average performance in NCAP crash tests. Must have 6-monthly oil changes to avoid timing chain trouble. Can suffer from poor starting in damp conditions due to suceptibility of the spark plugs to condensation. Poor starting can also be caused by the wrong temperature sensor which leads the combustion chambers to flood and the ECU to shut down the engine to prevent spiking the catalytic converter. Throttle body incorporates mass airflow sensor which fails and quite a lot of complete throttle body assemblies reported to have needed replacing at £450 to £500 a go. Throttle bodies also get choked by short runs from cold starts and slow running on cheap detergent free petrol. But worth checking the small fuse box located behind the radiator near to the battery. One of the fuses in that box supplies the fuel injection system. Road dirt and moisture can entere the fuse box resulting in corrosion and overheating of the fuel injection fuse. Simply cleaning the contacts and renewing the fuse might solve the problem of misfiring/cutting out. Another possible cure (from Australia) is to remove the throttle body (quite an easy task) and in turn remove the square metal plate on the side. This reveals a PCB with a number of soldered joints which over time can become "dry", a soldering iron is then used to touch each of these joints, preferably adding a blob of solder.
Replaced by new car on same platform as new Renault Clio in early 2003. High 7 out of 9 point death rate from accidents in 1998 - 2000 models.
What to Watch Out For
Clocking. Dirty oil. Must have clean oil. (VITAL to change the oil at least every 6 months expecially if the car does an ultra low mileage.) If the timing chain rattles and the car is out of warranty, leave it alone. You could be in for a £400-£500 tensioner replacement job. Japanese 'March' models look the same but many parts are not interchangeable. May have suspension damage from kerbing - most likely and most damaging on power steered cars. Clutches of early cars don't last, but most will by now have been replaced. Previously reliable CVT has started to develop the same electromechanical clutch problems as Puntos. If it thumps when you move the lever to drive, or if the lever is hard to move, leave the car alone. Front chassis cross-member may fail due to rust(the metal strut below and in front of the radiator). The rust can result in MOT failure and cost £208 to replace the part, most of it labour. Cross-member itself costs £55. Sills also rust and result in MOT failute. Check rest of underneath carefully for rust. On 1996/1997 Micras the plastic headlamp bulb holders can eventually melt due to an electrical fault. Not covered by warranty.
Recalls
1994 (Sep 92-June 94 VIN 000001-237783): floor may crack next to handbrake. 18/3/2003: Concern identified with driver's seat walk-in device. If ignored may cause unintentional movement. Fit a modified component to the walk-un device mechanism. 6/5/2003: The steering wheel retaining bolt may not have been tighetened to the specified torque. If ignored it can potentially lead to loss of steering control. Check torque of the steering wheel retaining bolt and tighten where necessary.
Taken from HonestJohn
