01-04 nissan almera hb

massy086

hi all looking to buy herself a new car and she seems to like the 01-04almera hb's .Is there any known major faults i should be aware of and are the generally a good buy or not .any help would be great cheer's

harg90

not 100% sure if its that modle, but some are known for the front crossmember/pannel rusting?

dont quote me on that tho.

massy086

harg90 wrote: »

not 100% sure if its that modle, but some are known for the front crossmember/pannel rusting?

dont quote me on that tho.

ye i was aware that the cross member's where an issue is it easy to see i wonder and is it preventable with a good can of shunts spray???

colm_mcm

There's a very common fault of stretching timing chains.
Also on post 03 facelift models the headlights melt and detach the bulb holders form the unit.

Standard safety kit on them is scarce, even most late models didn't get abs or side airbags.

harg90

massy086 wrote: »

ye i was aware that the cross member's where an issue is it easy to see i wonder and is it preventable with a good can of shunts spray???

depends, you would see it from underneath (on a lift)

they sont always go in the same place, but most to go in the lower section in the middle.

meh, i dont like the earosol version, and even at that it depends at what stage its at, and it may be rusting from the inside out.

cills, rear arches and boot floor go on some too, wel in the older ones atleast.

and rear chassis legs on the saloons. again im not sure how much aplies to the hatches.

ianobrien

I've an '05 one OP and despite the scaremongering, they're not too bad. They may be a bit "dull" but what family hatchback isn't? Mine has ABS and having rolled one up the road I bought another!

The main problems are soft gearboxes (they don't take much abuse) and if oil changes are late or skipped, the timing chain can stretch. Also, the combined heating/ventilation controls on the facelift ones are a disaster to figure out!

I've put 225k on mine and the only problem I had was heater motor resistor packs breaking (€50 to change). I do service it every 10k km using I/e filters and Castrol oils. I change the gearbox oil every 100k or so. It's still on original clutch, bushings, brake disks and timing chain.

Edit - I regard headlights as a consumable that I change every two years. The reflectors tarnish and the performance really drops. They're about €350 for the pair from Nissan

massy086

right im starting to get worried here:eek::eek:.ianobrien thanks for your input as an almera owner.one thing i did,nt understand was The reflectors tarnish and the performance really drops. They're about €350 for the pair from Nissan.what are these???

johnayo

massy086 wrote: »

right im starting to get worried here:eek::eek:.ianobrien thanks for your input as an almera owner.one thing i did,nt understand was The reflectors tarnish and the performance really drops. They're about €350 for the pair from Nissan.what are these???

Headlamps.

massy086

johnayo wrote: »

Headlamps.

cheer's for that

enricoh

i've an 04 n i'm well impressed with it, have it 5 years n its been hassle free. theres a prob with original headlights but nissan changed them for free. apart from that seals in gearbox went - 20 quid for seals, 20 quid for oil n pints for my mate for sticking them in!