2006 Nissan Note 1.6L Petrol · FH06 NNL

The current MOT, issued on 30 January 2026 at 75,125 miles, passed cleanly with zero defects recorded. That is a strong result, particularly for a twenty-year-old supermini. The maintenance trend over the past two MOT cycles appears stable and broadly improving, as the vehicle has moved from a pattern of February test failures followed by same-day or near-immediate retests to a clean pass with no advisories or failures in the most recent cycle. The mileage profile is unusual and warrants careful interpretation. Between the February 2024 test at 72,164 miles and the January 2026 test at 75,125 miles, the vehicle accumulated just 2,961 miles across nearly two full years, averaging roughly 1,480 miles annually in that window. That is extremely low use for a petrol-powered car of this age. Long periods of short-trip or stationary operation can cause moisture accumulation in the oil and exhaust system, leading to accelerated internal corrosion and bore glaze on cylinder walls. Buyers should check for cold-start misfires, excessive blue or white exhaust smoke on startup, and signs of fuel dilution in the engine oil. The MOT record itself contains no recurring mechanical or structural faults to flag. There are no advisories for suspension bushes, coil springs, brake components, exhaust emissions, or structural corrosion across any of the five recorded tests. The February 2025 and February 2024 failures both show zero defects recorded, which typically indicates either an administrative re-test following a VIN or registration discrepancy, or a very minor rectification such as a bulb or number plate issue that does not appear in the defect summary. No pattern of brake binding, steering wear, or suspension deterioration emerges from this history. Despite the clean paperwork, a physical inspection remains essential. Twenty-year-old underbody and subframe corrosion is the primary structural risk on a Nissan Note of this generation, regardless of mileage. A buyer should have the sills, floor pans, and suspension mounting points inspected on a ramp, paying particular attention to the rear beam mounting points and front strut tops. The timing chain and its tensioner should be assessed for rattle on cold start, as the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre HR-series engines are known for chain stretch when servicing intervals are stretched. Brake lines and flexible hoses should be checked for age-related perishing, since low annual mileage does not exempt rubber components from natural degradation.