Fault File
All models / All cars / Superminis / Nissan Micra

Nissan Micra

All generations and engines together · 141,192 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 46k

First-time failure at age 7
32.8%
Across 11,948 tests. The average across all tracked models is 19.5%.
Rank at age 7
231 of 239
1 = lowest failure rate among the models tracked.
Typical mileage at age 7
46k miles
Check the mileage view below; low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

Generation

Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.

How this model wears

Nissan MicraClass average, all tracked models

Known issues

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 43,975 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
31.9%class 7.5%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
14.0%class 1.3%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
10.7%class 1.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
8.9%class 1.4%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
4.3%class 1.9%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
3.6%class 0.7%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
2.7%class 2.0%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Fail
2.5%class 0.2%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
1.7%class 2.3%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
1.3%class 0.6%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
23.5%class 12.7%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
18.2%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
6.8%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
6.3%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.9%class 3.4%
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
Fail
4.3%class 1.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Fail
2.5%class 1.8%
Wiper blade defective
Minor
2.4%class 1.0%

Unconfirmed issues

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Clutch and CVT gearbox failures

Confirmed pattern

On the 2010-2016 K13 Micra, clutches wear out fast, sometimes before 10,000 miles, and Nissan has admitted a higher than usual number of clutch complaints and said it was looking into it. The CVT automatic has a separate failure pattern, with owners reporting full gearbox replacement needed anywhere from 27,000 to 63,000 miles, costing roughly £2,000-£6,000. Ask for full service history on either version before buying.

Reported 10k-63k miles · sources: Honest John car-by-car (K13), Ask Honest John owner reports

Front suspension clonks, creaks and misalignment

Partly in the MOT data

Front suspension noise turns up on every Micra generation: factory misalignment causing a clonk on early K12s, worn bushes and lower arms on K13s from around 60,000 miles, and crunching or banging on some K14s that dealers struggled to fully cure even after replacing bushes, the steering rack and driveshafts. Suspension is also the fault that shows up most in this model's real MOT failure data, so the forum noise and the test-lane data are pointing the same way. Expect £150-£500 for bushes and links, more if an arm or steering rack needs replacing.

Reported across K12-K14, from around 60k miles · sources: Honest John car-by-car (2003, 2010 and 2016 pages)

DIG-T 117 cold-idle stalling

1.0 DIG-T 117PS only

A batch of one-way valves in the turbo engine's air supply pipes was fitted the wrong way round, starving the engine of oxygen and causing it to stall at idle. Nissan issued a technical bulletin in 2019 and dealers fix it by reseating the valve, free of charge if caught under warranty. Only affects the higher-powered DIG-T 117 petrol in the 2016-2022 K14, not the standard IG-T 100.

Fix confirmed from August 2019 · sources: Honest John car-by-car K14

EGR and turbo wear on the 1.5 dCi diesel

1.5 dCi diesel only

The 1.5 dCi diesel fitted to K12 and K13 Micras is prone to a sticking EGR valve, and owners report that ignoring it can take the turbo down with it. Watch for rough running, smoke on start-up or a warning light. A cleaned or replaced EGR valve runs £150-£400; a new turbo is closer to £600-£1,000.

Diesel-specific, various ages · sources: Honest John car-by-car K12

Electrical gremlins: ABS module and intelligent key

Emerging

Earlier K12 Micras (2003-2010) have a reputation for pricey electrical failures: ABS/ESP control units dying at three to four years old for £2,600-£2,900, and the keyless intelligent key system failing in a way that has needed a full steering column replacement, around £1,500 in reported cases. Honest John also flags fusible link corrosion under the nearside headlamp and batteries going flat from a software fault. None of it is manufacturer-acknowledged, but it comes up repeatedly in owner reports.

Reported from 3-4 years old · sources: Honest John car-by-car K12

'Castanets' rattle from the 1.2 petrol engine

Disputed

Some 2014-onward K13 owners with the 1.2-litre three-cylinder report a fluttering rattle, described as sounding like castanets, at around 2,300-3,000rpm. Nissan dealers have generally called it normal for this engine, and plenty of other owners never hear it, so it splits opinion rather than being a clear-cut fault. Worth a test drive through that rev range before deciding it bothers you.

Reported on K13 1.2, various ages · sources: Honest John (Ask HJ owner report)

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

On a manual, check the clutch bites cleanly and doesn't slip under load. K13 (2010-2016) clutches are known to wear out well before 10,000 miles.
On a CVT automatic, hold a steady speed and listen for flare or shudder. Points at the CVT failures reported from 27,000 miles, which can mean a gearbox costing thousands.
Push down on each front corner and listen over speed bumps. A clonk or creak means worn bushes or a misaligned front end, the fault that also shows up most in this model's MOT failures.
Start a DIG-T 117 stone cold and let it idle for a minute. Stalling at idle is the valve fault Nissan issued a bulletin for in 2019.
On a dCi diesel, check for a warning light, smoke or rough idle and ask about EGR history. A sticking EGR valve can take the turbo with it if it's ignored.
Try the intelligent key and central locking a few times, and check the ABS light clears. Both are known weak points on 2003-2010 K12 electrics.
In neutral, gently rev a 1.2 petrol through 2,000-3,000rpm and listen closely. A fluttering rattle here is a reported but disputed trait, decide for yourself if it's a dealbreaker.

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