Nissan Juke – The Worst Car of 2024?
After being named Whatcar’s most unreliable car of 2024, I wanted to take a deeper look into the Nissan Juke and figure out exactly what went wrong. Now no longer in production, the Nissan Juke was first introduced in 2009, at the Geneva Motor Show, in the form of a Nissan Qazana concept car. It then went into full production and in 2010 we saw the first generation of Nissan Juke.
The car was originally available in 1.6L (HR16DE or MR16DDT) petrol or 1.5L (HR15DE) turbodiesel. The Juke was facelifted in 2014 with a 1.2L turbo petrol and a second generation was released in 2019 which saw the introduction of a 1L and a 1.6L hybrid variation.
Problems
Juke Recalls
The Nissan Juke was subject to a number of recalls, mostly in North America, for issues including:
- ECU reprogramming
- Loose fuel pressure sensor
- A turbocharger boost sensor bracket which had the possibility to break
- Faulty drivers airbag
- Engine start/stop button becoming stuck inside the housing
Clutch Problems
There was an issue with some models where the clutch pedal would not return to its original position after changing gear. This can be commonly caused by a leak in the clutch master cylinder, however other causes could be a worn release bearing, a faulty slave cylinder and contaminated hydraulic lines.
Automatic Gearbox
There is a common CVT (continuously variable transmission) issue with the 1.6 petrol models. Due to a defective internal bearing in the transmission, the car can stall during acceleration. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to have this repaired and so you would be looking at a costly replacement job. Car review site Honest John have 32 CVT failures recorded>
Fuel Return Pipe
A massive safety issue and fire risk is the fuel return pipe leaking. An increase in pressure, usually due to a partially blocked pipe, can cause the fuel return pipe to become loose and leak. The solution would be to have the fuel line disconnected from the fuel filter to be cleared out. This would also be a good time to have the fuel filter replaced.
Turbocharger Failure
Every Juke, minus the 1.6 petrol variant, is fitted with a turbocharger. The oil feed line, responsible for lubricating and cooling the turbocharger, is prone to clogging with solid oil residue. When this happens the turbocharger unit will be starved of oil and prolonged use in this state will cause it to overheat and fail. Regular oil changes can help but the pipe will need to be replaced with a higher quality aftermarket version to ensure it doesn’t become blocked again.
Timing Chain Failure
There is a fairly common issue reported by drivers of the 1.2 petrol models. The timing chain is prone to premature wear and it will come loose over time. It’s generally accepted that the timing chain will need to be replaced between 80,000-100,000 miles, however some people report that their chain will fail around 50,000 miles, well below the recommended limit.
It’s important to regularly change the oil to prevent wear on the chain. If you suspect your timing chain is faulty it needs to be checked straight away as having the chain swapped is a quicker, cheaper process than having the entire engine replaced. Read more about timing chain failure and how you can prevent it here>
Conclusion
While the Nissan Juke had a promising start, nearly a third of them, reported to What Car, went wrong in some way. With a constant fidgety ride, an unimpressive interior and overall technical issues it’s easy to say that the Juke did not live up to the expectation that is set for most modern cars.
FAQ
What Recalls did the Juke face?
- ECU reprogramming
- Loose fuel pressure sensor
- A turbocharger boost sensor bracket which had the possibility to break
- Faulty drivers airbag
- Engine start/stop button becoming stuck inside the housing
What Common Issues are found?
- Clutch problems – the clutch pedal may not return to its original position
- Automatic gearbox – stalling the car during acceleration
- Fuel return pipe – can become clogged and leak fuel
- Turbocharger – the oil feed line can become clogged starving the turbocharger of oil
- Timing chain failure – some 1.2 petrol models have premature timing chain failure