Nissan Note I vs Renault Modus: which is more reliable?
According to the MotorFiable Score, the Nissan Note I (7.1/10) has fewer serious documented faults than the Renault Modus (5.9/10), mainly because of their engines.
| Item | Nissan Note I | Renault Modus |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | MPV | MPV |
| Years | 2006–2012 | 2004–2012 |
| MotorFiable Score | 7.1 out of 10 | 5.9 out of 10 |
| Engine score | 8.1/10 | 5.0/10 |
| Most recommended engine | 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M · Buy | 1.2 16v · Buy |
| Score for the rest of the car | 6.1/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Suspension | 6.8 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 7.9 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Steering | 9.5 out of 100 faults | 7.4 out of 101 faultHigh severity |
| Gearbox and clutch | No documented faults | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Electrical system | 9.3 out of 101 faultLow severity | 8.9 out of 101 faultLow severity |
| Bodywork and interior | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 7.1 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Airbags and safety | 6.4 out of 102 faultsCritical severity | No documented faults |
Scores out of 10: the higher, the fewer serious documented faults. How we calculate them
Main faults of the Nissan Note I
Outside the engine
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyRisk of airbag rupture or abnormal deploymentTwo campaigns (2016 and 2017) cover Note I units in which the driver's airbag could rupture on deployment or the passenger airbag deploy abnormally; between them, the production batches covered span practically the whole production of this generation.
- Medium severityFrequency: CommonSuspensionRapid and uneven tyre wearRapid and sometimes uneven tyre wear is, according to fiches-auto.fr, one of the best-known defects of the Note I; rear suspension and wheel bearing noises are also relatively common.
- Critical severityFrequency: RareAirbags and safetyRear seat Isofix anchorages may not behave properly in a side impactA 2006 campaign covers a very specific batch of Notes built in late January 2006 in which the rear seat Isofix anchorages might not behave as intended in a side impact; fiches-auto.fr also independently records an Isofix fitting problem in the first units of the model.
In their engines
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional1.6 16v HR16DE / H4MPremature clutch and flywheel wearThe clutch and, in one case, the flywheel wear out earlier than expected in several owner accounts for the Qashqai I and Juke I with this naturally aspirated engine. It is always a minority of cases and does not indicate any internal block failure.
- Medium severityFrequency: Rare1.6 16v HR16DE / H4MIsolated case of engine stalling due to the fuel pumpOne account from the Nissan Note (first generation) with this engine describes the car stalling while driving because of a fuel pump failure. It is an isolated case among the accounts consulted, not a repeated pattern.
- Low severityFrequency: Rare1.6 16v HR16DE / H4MNo documented pattern of chain, catalytic converter or coil failuresUnlike other turbo engines from the same alliance, the sources consulted do not document a pattern of timing chain, catalytic converter or ignition coil failures for this naturally aspirated block: across more than 100 combined accounts, these sections appear empty or, at most, with an isolated case.
Main faults of the Renault Modus
Outside the engine
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalSteeringNoise, play or loss of assistance in the steeringThe rack and column of the Modus's electric power steering can produce noise or play, and in some cases lose assistance; Renault also recalled a batch of cars in 2005 over a problem in the steering column assembly.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchPremature clutch wear and noise in the manual gearboxOn the Modus, especially on diesel versions used in town, the clutch can slip, judder or wear out sooner than expected; the manual gearbox can also become noisier or find it hard to engage a gear as the mileage builds up.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalSuspensionUneven tyre wear caused by the rear axle geometryOn the Modus, the tyres - especially the rear ones - can wear quickly or unevenly; fiches-auto.fr links this to the rear axle geometry and to wear of the bushes and shock absorbers.
In their engines
- Critical severityFrequency: Common1.5 dCiWear and seizure of the big-end bearingsThe Euro 3 and Euro 4 1.5 dCi engines (approx. 2001-2010), especially the 100 and 105/106 hp, have fragile big-end bearings that can seize and wreck the engine. Renault went as far as paying up to 90% of the repair, with a limit of 7 years and 180,000 km.
- Critical severityFrequency: Occasional1.5 dCiPremature timing belt failureOn the 85, 105 and 110 hp 1.5 dCi engines built up to late 2010, especially in the Mégane III and Scénic III, the timing belt could break early, sometimes before 50,000 km, and damage the engine. Renault opened a workshop action in 2013.
- High severityFrequency: Occasional1.5 dCiDelphi high-pressure pump that sheds filings and damages the injectionOn the first 1.5 dCi engines (up to approx. 2010), especially the versions with Delphi injection of 65, 70 and 85 hp, the high-pressure pump can shed iron filings that contaminate the whole circuit and destroy the injectors. The pump, injectors and rail all have to be replaced.Appears at around 60,000 km