2005 Nissan Primera reviews

Nissan Primera 2.2dci estate SVE 2005

I bought this car nearly new (ex-demonstrator). I had many problems from day one - annoying rattles (loose dashboard) and squeaks (turned out the rear bumper mountings were loose due to threaded bolts, presumably at manufacture), automatic headlight aiming faults (so bad that approaching drivers were stopping), black smoke, poor mpg, weird electrical faults to do with the steering column cabling, EGR needed replacing The dealers in Guildford (Bishops) cannot be recommended; I have even been advised by them that it was ok to drive a diesel if you mistakenly put petrol in it. Then the turbo failed within the first year. It was replaced under warranty, but it failed again in 2011 and I had to pay through the nose for that one (£800 for a reconditioned turbo). About 2010 the engine started hunting on cold idle, then hunting on warm idle. Then it developed massive loss of power and hesitation problem, sometimes stopping dead, culminating in being a complete non-starter - needed a new suction control valve (£400). This car is not a genuine Nissan - it was built in Sunderland and half of it is Renault (it’s mostly these bits that fail). A pig of a car. Don’t buy Nissan in the UK - they’re not Japanese.