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Nissan Juke vs Vauxhall Mokka: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Nissan Juke and the Vauxhall Mokka are too close to call — 1.8 percentage points apart on first-time MOT passes once you allow for the age of each fleet, which is inside what the choice of cars counted can move. A winner is named only at 2 points or more. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. Choose on the fault patterns and running costs below rather than on reliability.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Nissan Juke
Pass rate73.7%
Age-matched national78.9%
Difference-5.2
Tests34,271
Vauxhall Mokka
Pass rate74.0%
Age-matched national81.0%
Difference-7.0
Tests26,627

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Nissan Jukes registered 2010–2022 and Vauxhall Mokkas registered 2013–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Nissan Juke

Mk2 (2019–2025) · Compact crossover/small SUV, rivalling the Ford Puma, Renault Captur, Vauxhall Mokka and Peugeot 2008 in the UK's small-SUV class.

The Nissan Juke Mk2 (2019–2025) finished last in its class in What Car?'s most recent used-car reliability survey. The key check is the DCT automatic: feel for judder pulling away and in slow traffic. DVSA safety recalls cover 2019–2020 builds (rear seat-back latch), 2022 Hybrids (control software) and 2024 builds (front seat belts), so check any Juke by registration. Best buy: 2023–2024. Worst: 2019–2020.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2021/345recall
    The rear seat back may not be securely latched when returned to the upright position after folding.
    13,569 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 18 September 2019 and 28 August 2020
    Large recall — 13,569 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2025/118recall
    Juke (F16) Front Seat Belt
    4,342 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 2 April 2024 and 6 September 2024
    Smaller recall — 4,342 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • DCT automatic gearbox (7-speed dual-clutch)major
    Juddering, hesitation, or a jerky/delayed response when pulling away from a stop or in slow, stop-start traffic; some owners report the car surging unexpectedly. Manual-gearbox cars are not affected.
    2019–2025 (DCT auto models only; reported throughout the generation) · Can appear from new — not strongly linked to a mileage threshold, though owners often report it worsening over the first 20,000–30,000 miles if no software recalibration has been carried out · Free if still within Nissan's warranty (3 years/60,000 miles); a clutch pack replacement or software recalibration typically costs £400–£900, and a full DCT unit replacement out of warranty can run £1,500–£3,000+
    Check: Test-drive pulling away from a full stop, including on a slight incline, and in slow traffic; feel for judder or hesitation. Ask to see the service history for any prior gearbox software updates or clutch replacements, and get anything unusual checked by a Nissan dealer before buying.
  • Water ingress into boot and rear footwellsmajor
    Damp or wet carpet in the boot or rear footwells after heavy rain, often with a musty smell; traced variously to a perished tailgate seal, a dislodged wiring/washer-pipe grommet where it passes through the roof, or hairline cracks in the roof seam near the tailgate hinges.
    2019–2025 (reported across the generation, more likely as seals age) · Not mileage-linked — more a function of seal age and condition, so worth checking on any car regardless of mileage · £80–£250 to trace and reseal the entry point; costs rise if water has already reached the wiring loom or boot-mounted electronics (e.g. the amplifier on Bose-equipped trims, or around the battery pack on Hybrid models), which can run into several hundred pounds
    Check: Lift the boot floor and check under the spare-wheel well/lining for damp or mould staining, and check under the rear seats on Hybrid models. Where possible, view the car after rain or ask the seller directly whether it has ever suffered a water leak.
Typical asking price:
not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:
1.0 DIG-T manual: 42–47 mpg. 1.0 DIG-T DCT auto: 38–43 mpg. Hybrid: 48–56 mpg real-world.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025 (2026/27 rates). A car registered from April 2017 that listed at over £40,000 new (options included) also pays the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 — it is the price when new that counts, not what you pay for it used.
Best years:
2023, 2024
Years to avoid:
2019, 2020
Used Nissan Jukes for saleFull Juke fault guideUsed Nissans

Vauxhall Mokka

Mk1 and Mokka X 2012–2019, Mk2 and Mokka Electric 2021–on · small crossover

The two Mokka generations are different cars with different risks, and the engine matters more than the year. On the 2012–2019 car the 1.6 CDTi diesel timing chain is the expensive one; on the 2021-on car it is the 1.2 PureTech wet timing belt, which Stellantis has since extended warranty cover for. Everything else is ordinary. Check the recall history by registration first — there are DVSA recalls on both generations, including a Takata airbag campaign.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2025/511recall
    Vauxhall cross carline Driver’s Airbag - Takata
    174,846 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 15 December 2011 and 6 June 2018
    Large recall — 174,846 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2021/063recall
    The brake pedal may potentially stick as a result of high vehicle interior temperatures
    62,957 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 30 May 2012 and 26 June 2019
    Large recall — 62,957 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Engine — 1.2 PureTech wet timing belt (2021-on petrol)critical
    The belt runs in engine oil. Owners and workshops report the belt degrading and shedding material, and a rattle or a low-oil-pressure warning is the point at which it becomes expensive.
    2021-on petrol · £1,000–£2,500 for the belt job, far more if it has already failed
    Check: Ask for evidence the belt has been done and at what mileage, and ask the selling dealer whether the car is covered by the Stellantis extended warranty on this engine. Stellantis both extended cover and set up a compensation route after the problem became widely reported, which tells you how common it became — but nobody publishes a failure rate, so treat this as a question to ask rather than a fault the car has.
  • Engine — 1.6 CDTi diesel timing chain (2015–2019)critical
    Rattle on start-up that fades, or a chain noise under load.
    2015–2019 diesel · £1,200–£2,500
    Check: Cold-start the car yourself and never accept "it is already warm". Frequency is not published — there is no recall behind this one — so judge it on the service history and what you hear.
Typical asking price:
£3,480–£12,495, median £5,495 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 1 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
38–45 mpg real-world for the 1.4 Turbo petrol; the 1.6 CDTi diesel returns more on a run
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2022, 2023
Years to avoid:
2012, 2013
Used Vauxhall Mokkas for saleFull Mokka fault guideUsed Vauxhalls

Which one suits you

Nissan Juke

Good for: Buyers wanting a distinctively styled small SUV with genuinely good tech and safety kit as standard from launch. The Hybrid from 2023 is the pick for lower running costs and avoids the DCT clutch-wear risk entirely.

Less good for: Anyone considering an early 2019–2020 DIG-T DCT automatic without documented clutch/mechatronic history — this is the highest-risk combination on the car.

Vauxhall Mokka

Good for: Buyers who want a high driving position and a small footprint, and who will check the engine and its belt or chain history before the price.

Less good for: Anyone buying a 2021-on PureTech petrol without evidence of the belt history, or an early diesel without a full service record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Nissan Juke or the Vauxhall Mokka?
Neither, on the evidence. Their first-time MOT pass rates sit 1.8 percentage points apart once each is compared against the national rate for cars of the same age, which is too close to call (we name a winner only at 2 points or more). A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. Pick on the specific faults each is prone to instead.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Nissan Juke and the Vauxhall Mokka compare?
73.7% of Nissan Jukes pass their MOT first time (34,271 tests in DVSA's records) and 74.0% of Vauxhall Mokkas pass their MOT first time (26,627 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Nissan Juke's age average 78.9% and cars of the Vauxhall Mokka's age 81.0% — so the Nissan Juke runs 5.2 points worse than its age group and the Vauxhall Mokka runs 7.0 points worse than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Nissan Juke and Vauxhall Mokka should I avoid?
Nissan Juke: The earliest Mk2 Jukes concentrate the generation's known issues: the rear seat-back latch recall (R/2021/345) covers cars built from September 2019 to August 2020, while owners report the DCT judder and NissanConnect freezing complaints were most frequent before Nissan issued its running production and firmware fixes — so 2019–2020 cars need the most careful pre-purchase checking. Vauxhall Mokka: The earliest cars have the highest mileages and the least remaining warranty. Open recall exposure is not what separates them: the Takata airbag recall R/2025/511 (174,846 vehicles built 15 December 2011 to 6 June 2018) and the brake-pedal recall R/2021/063 (built 30 May 2012 to 26 June 2019) cover 2017–2018 Mokka X cars as fully as 2012–2013 ones. The 1.6 CDTi diesel across the first generation is the single most expensive thing to get wrong.
Is the Nissan Juke or the Vauxhall Mokka cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Nissan Juke: 1.0 DIG-T manual: 42–47 mpg. 1.0 DIG-T DCT auto: 38–43 mpg. Hybrid: 48–56 mpg real-world. Vauxhall Mokka: 38–45 mpg real-world for the 1.4 Turbo petrol; the 1.6 CDTi diesel returns more on a run. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Nissan Juke or Vauxhall Mokka registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-09-24 / 2026-09-24.