Nissan Note (2013-2017) review - Reliability and Safety
A strong safety score, aided by some standout safety technology, is pegged back by more average reliability results
Buyers generally expect front-running reliability from Japanese cars like Nissans, but Driver Power survey results show the Note can’t quite deliver these high expectations in practice. Reliability is so-so and build quality is very poor compared to Nissan’s usual high standards – the Note was placed 193rd here, out of 201 cars. This weak result is undoubtedly due to the car’s cheap plastics and shiny finish.
The Note was tested by Euro NCAP in 2013 and scored a four-star safety rating – not a full five stars but it is to the safety testing body’s stricter standards. Adult and child protection were strong, with 86% and 82% respectively awarded, while safety assist was also good at 70%. The Note’s weakness was pedestrian protection, where it scored a mediocre 58%.
An alarm isn’t standard on any Note from the factory; it was a £291 option on all variants. Nissan also offers various protection packs that improve the durability of the car in real-world use.
Warranty
The Note is covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, in line with most cars in this sector. One this is up, a Nissan Care extended warranty is offered, so long as the car hasn’t covered more than 60,000 miles or is older than three years: prices here start from £245.
The Nissan warranty also includes three years’ pan-European roadside assistance.
Servicing
All Nissan Notes, be they petrol or diesel, have 12-month, 12,500-mile service intervals (it’s whichever comes first). Nissan offers a range of optional service plans too, for fixed-price maintenance over a number of years.
