2003 Nissan Micra E from UK and Ireland - Comments

Timing chain replaced at 37000 miles; cost over £1000 to replace.

Airbag sensor constantly coming on £40 a time to remove.

Plastic trim falling apart.

Gear box sensor needing replacing.

Battery constantly going flat due to faulty immobiliser.

Gear box whining, and needs replacing after 47000 miles.

I purchased this car because of its low mileage and full service history.

The car was purchased to ferry my daughter and her child around, because it had a small engine and large cabin, and was reputed to be economical and reliable.

However, after owning the car for a couple of weeks, things started to make me deeply regret my purchase.

The first sign of trouble was the car kept cutting out. Then after a couple of weeks, the engine management light came on. A visit to the local garage and a full service and a new sensor seemed to cure the problem. However, a week later the light came back on; this time the dealer told me the timing chain had stretched and it needed a new one at a cost of over 1000 pounds.

After having the above work done, all was well for a couple of months until the air bag light kept coming on, following more trips to the garage, and hundreds of pounds later the electrical problems were cured. Or so I thought.

The next thing to go wrong was the rear lights not working properly. Again after more expense at the garage, it was found to be a faulty sensor in the gear box.

The following months were thankfully trouble free. Until I heard strange noises coming from the gear box.

I have now been informed that the gear box is worn and whining, and will need replacing.

The car now frequently refuses to start because of a flat battery, due to a faulty immobiliser.

Nissan are aware of all of all the above faults. They are all common faults to the new Micra.

However, the dealer still insisted that I be charged to have the car put on a diagnostic machine each time I visited the garage.

All the dealer is interested in is maximum profit.

I also had the timing belt fault; Nissan dealer wanted £1000 to repair it. I wrote to Nissan asking if they could help as it seemed a common fault, but they declined to help. I have written to the Watchdog TV programme asking them to highlight the fault. I urge all Micra owners who have had this problem to do the same. If enough of us complain they may do something about it.

Hi I also have a 2004 Micra bought from new. During the first few months it was returned to the garage with problems with the radio/cd player, plastic trim was falling off, passenger seat lever broke. Worst to come or so I thought was I tried to start the car and nothing, completely dead! Phoned Nissan dealer who wanted to charge me for being towed! the car was still under warranty only being less than 12 months old. They had the car for approx 3 weeks and could not find the problem. Eventually Nissan sent someone to the garage to take a look and a electrical fault diagnosed resulting in complete new ignition, keys etc All was fine for a couple of months and then the car wouldn't lock/open again no response from remote locking system, back to the garage another electrical fault diagnosed. All was fine until recently drivers door has a tendency to fly open even when moving and the engine malfunction light came on, car wouldn't start and if it did would cut out without warning, have been told it is the camshaft. It is currently sitting in my drive waiting to be repaired at?? price. Like everyone else you buy a new car so you do not have these problems, considering it has only done 24000 miles I dred to think how much it will cost to keep it going another 24000 miles! Would not recommend buying a Nissan to anyone.

I have had very similar problems as the first writer; my timing belt has gone, and I am being charged over a thousand pound. After having 3 sensors put in, each at a cost of over 75pound. I have had the car for just over 2 months, and I thought it would have no problems. But since I've had it, I get problem after problem. All Nissan are interested in is making money.

I live in Australia and bought a new Nissan Micra from a Sydney dealer around April - my first car in 15 years.

Despite the frustration of waiting more than a month for delivery (that was initially stated to be around "a week"), I've found the car to be running OK until this week - when problems surfaced with the CD player. It simply cuts out while playing music and you can't eject the disc. No such problems with the radio or engine yet, but am wondering what may be causing this. The message that comes up onscreen is 'error 1'. Both the car dealer and Nissan Australia HQ were rude, unprofessional and arrogant to deal with, so am not looking forward to returning for assistance any time soon.

Yep! Nissan "Technicians" (Loose Term) are absolutely rubbish at all dealers. They have no real experience of your vehicle accept for the so called training courses they go on, three days of intense training then they are experts on your vehicle. Yeah! Right! If the fault is not obvious like a wheel hanging off, then they are stuffed. So then they start bolting on and bolting off the nearest component matching your ECU fault code, which could cover quite a few expensive components.

With this procedure then maybe they'll get it right, or maybe not. If your out of warranty this procedure would be very expensive and far from professional.

Basically they're no more experienced than Joe public with an Haynes manual and the correct equipment. In fact Joe Public as an edge he wants his car to be working, Nissan Dealerships don't care either way.

They're no better than hyped-up Tyre shop fitters in fact, I'd say they're less competent. At least a Tyre shop would bolt all the wheel nuts back on properly.

I voice my views from experience of several Nissan dealerships and obviously they still haven't got it right.

Sadly this can be the case with a variety of other car dealerships. (How Bleak a world we live in).

I have bought a micra 2004 on a53 plate I have the same problem with my timming chain I was told that timming chain shuold last as long as the car,i have just paid £127 four 2 new cencors now they tell me I need a timming chain at the cost £800 iam just wondering if it is worth getting fixed as I don't know what will be next to go.