Used Nissan Pulsar 2014-present reliability

The Pulsar has cheap plastics inside that might not hide scratches and marks that well.

Make sure the alloy wheels don’t have big chunks taken out of them – these will be expensive to repair and could be hiding other suspension and wheel alignment problems that will affect tyre wear and handling. Make sure the car's bumpers and bodywork aren’t dented or scratched, because these will also be costly to repair.

You’ll also want to make sure that the air conditioning works properly, even if the seller suggests that it only requires a simple re-gas. This is because Nissan uses a more environmentally friendly refrigerant gas, and filling the system with this is actually quite expensive.

There have been a couple of recall campaigns issued since the start of Pulsar production. The first was for vehicles built between 22/05/2014 and 21/12/2015 that came equipped with an autmomatic headlight self-levelling system. This might not function correctly when the vehicle is fully laden and could potentially bother oncoming traffic at night. The second related to the rear oxygen sensor on cars built between 10/04/2015 and 07/06/2016.

Many will have already had the work carried out, but it is prudent to check if it has, either online or at a Nissan dealership.

Sadly not. The Pulsar finished in last position family car class in our latest reliability survey. Owners complained of a number of non-engine electrics and there were plenty of issues surrounding the air conditioning system.

Nissan as a brand came 29th out of 32 other car manufacturers – a poor result.

If you'd like to see the full reliability list for family cars, head to the What Car? reliability survey pages.