Nissan Juke Common Faults in the UK
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. Updated 2026-08-30.
The Nissan Juke Mk2 (2019–2025) is Nissan's second-generation small SUV, and reliability has been a genuine weak point — it finished last in its class in What Car?'s most recent used-car reliability survey. The single most important thing to check on any used example is the DCT automatic gearbox: test-drive it pulling away from a stop and in slow traffic, feeling for judder, hesitation, or a jerky clutch bite, since this is the most widely reported complaint across the range and can mean an expensive clutch pack or gearbox repair once out of warranty. Buyers should also confirm via the DVSA recall checker that the driver's airbag fold recall (cars built April–May 2019) and the rear seat-back latch recall (cars built up to August 2020) have been carried out, and, on Hybrid models, that the 2022 HEVC control-module software recall (cars built June–December 2022) is complete. The best buys are 2023–2024 cars, which are clear of all three known safety recalls — including the Hybrid's, which only touched mid/late-2022-built cars — and postdate Nissan's running production fix for the DCT judder and its ongoing NissanConnect firmware improvements; the earliest 2019–2020 cars, built before any of those fixes, warrant the most caution.
73.7% of Nissan Jukes pass the MOT first time, 5.2 points worse than the national average for cars of the same age (78.9%). Counted from 34,271 DVSA tests.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). First-time tests only, retests excluded. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.
Quick-stats values are indicative editorial estimates aggregated from owner-forum sentiment, recall portals, and reliability surveys. They are not Autoza-derived medians — we do not publish a UK price index yet, and no figure on this page should be quoted as one. See our research methodology for the sample sizes any future published median will have to meet.
Best and worst years to buy
By 2023–2024, every Juke Mk2 had rolled off the line clear of all three known safety recalls — the driver's airbag fold and rear seat-back latch recalls, which only affected cars built in 2019–2020, and the Hybrid's HEVC software recall, which only affected cars built June–December 2022 — and benefited from the DCT software update Nissan rolled into production from around 2020–2021 (and offered as a free dealer update on earlier cars) plus continued NissanConnect firmware improvements, making these the cleanest cars to buy with the fewest open issues to check for.
The earliest Mk2 Jukes concentrate the generation's known issues: the driver's airbag fold recall covers cars built April–May 2019 and the rear seat-back latch recall covers cars built up 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.
Known faults — Nissan Juke Mk2 (2019–2025)
Documented from HonestJohn, owner forum sentiment (PistonHeads, Reddit), and the DVSA recall portal. Severity is colour-coded.
DCT automatic gearbox (7-speed dual-clutch)
Major — significant repair cost- Symptoms
- 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.
- Years 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
- Indicative repair (UK)
- 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+
- What to check before buying
- 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 footwells
Major — significant repair cost- Symptoms
- 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.
- Years affected
- 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
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £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
- What to check before buying
- 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.
NissanConnect infotainment system
Minor — wear-and-tear- Symptoms
- Touchscreen freezing, going completely blank, rebooting on its own, or losing power to connected USB devices; CarPlay/Android Auto sessions dropping out.
- Years affected
- 2019–2022 (most frequently reported on earlier cars before Nissan's firmware updates; isolated reports continue on later cars) — Not mileage-related — a software/electrical fault rather than a wear item
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Usually free — a hard reset (holding the power/volume knob for around 10 seconds) or a dealer firmware update resolves most cases; a faulty head unit needing replacement typically costs £300–£600 fitted
- What to check before buying
- Power the system on, pair a phone via CarPlay or Android Auto, and leave it running for several minutes to see whether it freezes or reboots. Ask if the infotainment fuse or unit has needed repeated attention.
Rear seat-back latch (safety recall)
Critical — engine-out potential- Symptoms
- The rear seat-back may not securely re-latch in the upright position after being folded down, which could allow it to move in a collision.
- Years affected
- Cars built up to the end of August 2020 (first UK registrations, 2019–2020) — N/A — a build-date-based safety recall, not linked to mileage
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free — carried out by any Nissan dealer under the manufacturer safety recall
- What to check before buying
- Before buying, check the vehicle's recall status against its VIN or registration via the DVSA recall checker or a Nissan dealer, and confirm the recall work is logged as completed in the service history.
Driver's airbag inflation (safety recall)
Critical — engine-out potential- Symptoms
- An error in the airbag folding process meant the heat shield might not move fully into position during inflation, risking the airbag tearing when deployed.
- Years affected
- Cars built between April and May 2019 (early 2019-registered cars) — N/A — a build-date-based safety recall, not linked to mileage
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free — carried out by any Nissan dealer under the manufacturer safety recall
- What to check before buying
- Check the recall status via the DVSA recall checker using the registration or VIN before purchase, especially on any car first registered in 2019.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Control (HEVC) module software — Hybrid models only
Critical — engine-out potential- Symptoms
- A software fault could cause the hybrid control module to reset if the brake and accelerator were pressed at the same time, leading to the engine stalling or stumbling; some owners separately report a 'Hybrid System Fault' or EV warning light, jerky transitions between electric and petrol power, or loud revving.
- Years affected
- Juke Hybrid models built between June and December 2022 (the Hybrid launched in the UK mid-2022) — N/A — a software-based safety recall, not linked to mileage
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free — a software update carried out by any Nissan dealer under the manufacturer safety recall
- What to check before buying
- On any Hybrid, confirm via the DVSA recall checker that the HEVC software recall has been completed, watch for a Hybrid System Fault or EV warning light on start-up, and note whether the transition between electric and petrol power feels smooth on the test drive.
Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere
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.
Anyone considering an early 2019–2020 DIG-T DCT automatic without documented clutch/mechatronic history — this is the highest-risk combination on the car.
Alternatives to consider
If the Nissan Juke doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:
- →Ford Puma
- →Renault Captur
- →Peugeot 2008
- →Vauxhall Mokka
- →SEAT Arona
Looking to buy a Nissan Juke in the UK?
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