2014 Nissan Note (E12)
Browse our directory of 2014 Nissan Note (E12) vehicles. Access instant MOT history reports, tax status, and reliability insights for any registration listed below.
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Common Problems & Reliability
The 2014 Nissan Note (E12) has 3 known issues. 2 are moderate concerns worth inspecting before purchase.
Xtronic CVT hesitation and poor response on hills
ModerateThe 1.2 DIG-S could be ordered with Nissan's Xtronic CVT from spring 2014. Auto Express's used Note guide summed it up as best avoided because of poor economy and a clunky action, especially on hills, and RAC owner feedback includes the engine dying on uphill ascents with D selected. Wear usually shows as shudder from a standstill, revs flaring without drive and a droning whine, most often between 50,000 and 90,000 miles on cars that never had the 'sealed for life' fluid changed. A replacement CVT costs more than the car is worth, so this is a walk-away fault rather than a negotiation.
Symptoms: Engine revs rise sharply without a matching increase in road speed when pulling away, Shudder or judder from a standstill, worst on a steep drive or when hot...
Est. repair cost: £150–£300 for an ATF service; £1,500–£3,500 to replace the transmission
Ignition coil failure and unfinished recall campaigns
ModerateAuto Express records three recalls against the E12: a starter button that could stay engaged once the engine was running (cars built up to March 2014, campaign August 2015), out-of-specification ignition coils whose internals short-circuit, causing misfire and, in the worst case, a blown fuse in the powertrain control unit so the car stalls and will not restart (campaign R/2016/008, cars built August 2015 to January 2016, 2,010 in the UK), and an ABS fault on some April 2016-built cars. Out of warranty the coil repair is a modest bill, but a half-completed campaign leaves you with a car that can leave you stranded.
Symptoms: Engine management light flashing with a rough idle or misfire under load, Engine cranks but will not restart after a hot soak...
Est. repair cost: £0 under recall; £80–£250 for coils and labour afterwards
Front-end knocks, wheel bearing drone and below-average MOT record
MinorRAC's owner survey for this Note picked up a wheel bearing replacement, a knock when driving over small bumps and easily marked dash and door panels, and the model's overall MOT record is weaker than the UK average - CarPeep's analysis of 2025 tests put the Note at 63.1% initial passes against a 72.3% national figure. In practice that means bushes, drop links, tie rods and hubs are the recurring spend, with salt-winter cars showing corrosion advisories around the suspension pick-up points and arch liners.
Symptoms: A single knock or clunk when crossing speed cushions and small potholes, Growling or droning from one corner that changes pitch as you turn the wheel...
Est. repair cost: £120–£450 per corner for bushes, drop links or a hub assembly
Buying Tips for the 2014 Nissan Note (E12)
- Run the plate through the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker before paying: the E12 was the subject of campaigns for a starter button that could stay engaged, out-of-spec ignition coils and an ABS fault, and uncompleted work becomes your problem.
- Live with the Xtronic CVT on a steep hill before buying. Auto Express called it clunky and poor on inclines, and RAC owner feedback includes the engine dying on an uphill climb in D.
- Pick the engine for the mileage: the 1.5 dCi for motorway work (services alternate minor/major at about £219 and £319), the 1.2 DIG-S for town, and treat the 80hp 1.2 as city-only because it is genuinely slow with four adults aboard.
- Check both rear child locks actually hold the door shut with the inside handle pulled - 299,631 UK Notes built between September 2015 and August 2016 were recalled for a weak child-lock switch.
- Test the Around View/rear camera, its washer and every heater fan speed, and look for scratched dash and door cards; the camera and climate electronics are the priciest things to put right on these.
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