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What to check: Nissan Juke

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Ranked across all years of the Nissan Juke, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this modelDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 12.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this modelFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 9.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%

LeaksRuns high on this modelLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 4.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 1.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this modelOn full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 1.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

ExhaustRuns high on this modelListen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 21.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 10.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%

Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this modelScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Drive it from cold and pull away gently in first and second gear.Hesitation, shudder or a flare in revs before the car catches up points to CVT wear.

Listen for a rattle in the first few seconds after cold start, before you touch the throttle.A death-rattle sound that fades as revs rise is the classic timing chain tensioner symptom on the 1.2 and 1.6 DIG-T.

Press the clutch pedal slowly and let it come back up on its own.A pedal that returns slowly, feels spongy, or doesn't fully return points to a leaking clutch master cylinder.

On a diesel, check for a warning light or a noticeable lack of power once warmed up.Sluggish performance after 10-15 minutes of driving can mean a DPF that isn't regenerating properly.

Check the rear discs and calipers for surface rust and see if the wheels spin freely by hand.Heavy rust or a wheel that drags suggests seized rear calipers, common even on lower-mileage cars.

Pull the full MOT history and look at advisory wording on brakes year after year.Repeated brake advisories rather than a one-off suggest a car that's been patched rather than properly fixed.

On a 2019-on car, test every touchscreen function and the digital dash for freezes or blank panels.Infotainment glitches are one of the more commonly reported gremlins on the second-generation Juke.

Full Nissan Juke reliability report