Nissan Qashqai (2010-2013) review | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Lovely car to drive when it works. It continuously gets warning lights coming on which costs loads every time at the Nissan workshop.

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Do not buy unless you are prepared to subsidize Nissan by acquiring replacement parts. Turbo pipes split every half year @ £216 each time. DPF blocks at £250 each time to clear which happens when the turbo pipes need replacing. Tyres wear incredibly fast so you will need a new set annually as well as the brake discs, yes discs not just the pads. I bought this car because my previous car was over 10 years old and was costing around £2-300 in repairs each year. The cost of my nearly new Nissan is 3 times this much. Serious loss of power if you need to accelerate hard such as overtaking. Plan well ahead or just don't risk it. When it works it is quite smooth, but as the damn thing keeps showing warning lights and the lovely garage rubs their hands at each call, I'll be getting rid of it as soon as I can. I no longer feel safe when driving this vehicle. The best part of driving this car is the sense of relief when reaching your destination.

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Bought car November 14 with 39000 miles. Now has 53000 miles and I've had faults with the battery, starter motor, turbo pipe, dpf has been replaced and numerous bits of trim restuck. It suffers an annoying vibration from its engine bay when cold. It has a damp interior, too. Its the worst and most expensive car I have owned. If my wife didn't love it it would be gone.

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The worst car we have ever owned (over a period of 50 yrs). Interior finish suggests a glorified van at best. Complaints from rear-seat passengers about sickness-inducing travel. The ludicrous electric sun-roof (designed not to open, let alone tilt) provides a greenhouse experience of value only to tomato growers. Sat Nav unreliable from day one (after one year Nissan wrote offering an upgrade at a princely sum) so has never been part of our travelling experience. The poor arrangement between the front seats mean the driver needs to be a contortionist to use the USB port. The utility aspect of the rear storage is very limited. Nissan customer service is so shabby, indifference with a token veneer of concern, which from day one convinced us we have made a wiser purchaser. Our previous vehicle, for eight years, was a Toyota Hilux Surf SSRX which in terms of quality of finish, extras, comfort, convenience far outstrips the limited Nissan Qashqai.

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I bought my Qashqai second hand as I don'y drive a lot. I just drive between 2,000-3,000 miles per year. Six months later, the engine power cut off during driving and wouldn't start back up again. I called recovery to pick me up and take to a Nissan mechanic, who found the water pump had stopped working, the valve damaged and the timing belt gone. All of those parts, plus gasket, oil filter cost €1,100. 800 miles later and I noticed smoke coming from the bonnet. I opened the bonnet and saw a lot of diesel had leaked all over the engine from the injector. I wouldn't recommend this car.

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Worst company car I have had in over 20 years! Engine blew at 12,000 miles due to faulty injector it took the dealer / Nissan the best part of 12 weeks to replace the engine. Exhaust valve then went faulty. Eats front tyres. MPG on dash always says about 52 - 54 MPG real MPG is nearer 45.

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Bought it with very low mileage and apart from two new front tyres (tracking) this car has been faultless. The 1.5 diesel unit is a bit underpowered for the size of car but I am willing to forgo that minor detail for better fuel economy. It's spacious, well equipped and smooth on the road. Would like to have been able to afford the N-Tec spec with panoramic sunroof but you can't have everything. After years of Fords this has converted me to a Nissan man.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Before buying our Qashqai in 2010 , we check out all the reviews and the were first class. What the reviews don't explain is the problems the car gets over a period of more that a couple odd days when testing. How disappointed we were. We purchased the car with 8,000 miles on the clock and we are now the second owner, we had the automatic version. A couple of months in the car would not go into gear, so the AA were called out and showed us how to reset the gear box, we took the car back to Nissan who cleared the fault on the third time of trying. The main thing is that the car has done 70,000 miles and the seatbelt on the drivers side has actually cut into the plastic post by around 2 inches of which i will be writing to Nissan to see their excuses, as i see this as a massive flaw and life safety issue. to name but a few problems i have listed below: the overall build quality is poor and tinny the boot rattles. the light inside the car falls down. the electric windows are very slow the leather steering wheel is degrading at a rate of nots the doors don't always shut. the discs were replaced after 45,000 miles the electronic widow switches come out in your hand when operating. Overall a very very poor car. i would like to see the reviews of the same people who cave the rave reviews a few years after the event. a different story i would suspect.

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No Red thumbs down

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I think the drive and feel of this car is great but I have had problems with it that make me unable to recommend it. Following a wobble on the steering when the car was 9 months old I took it to the dealer who informed me that the brake discs were rusty and needed all-round replacement. When I asked about the warranty I was initially told that it was wear and tear, and not covered. After a heated exchange with Nissan over email I asked how long they would warranty the brakes for if replaced and they told me 12 months! (9 month old car!). After pointing this out they finally agreed to replacement of the front brakes only even though I was told this could not be done initially. Rattle/Squeak of drivers seat, took to one dealer 3 times and they said there was no issue and that it had been tested against a new car. I asked the question of Nissan "Are you aware that your new cars have a seat that rattles?" I had to laugh when they said take it to the dealer. Out of frustration I took it to another dealer who immediately found the problem, the seat frame had broken. But rather than replace the seat Nissan decided much to the confusion of even the dealer to authorise welding it rather than replacement. However, this did sort out the problem for about a month after which I felt the weld go and I took it back to the dealer who now can't find an issue with it. Frustrated because I like driving the car, but I think that the dealers have driven me to another make.

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Purchased this car on a recommendation. Pros: The space provided is fantastic; the rear two seats do feel like 'proper' seats (albeit that you would need to be under 5' to sit in comfortably); the middle seats slide forwards to provide additional space. Cons: Fuel economy is dreadful; the 1.5-litre engine is sluggish and would fail to get you out of a tricky situation; the position of the sat-nav is too low and frankly, dangerous (have had comments to this effect from all others who have driven car, without any prompting!); the interior is tacky, reeks of cheap plastic and has cheap-looking stitching on the leather seats; only one USB port and its position is awkward (would be better to have one on dashboard and one between middle seats, with cigarette lighter point); no hanging point on the side of front seats for coats, so the only place to put them is blocking the rear windows - not great for rear passengers - Nissan, you might want to look at Volvo in this respect, who do this simply, but very effectively; car grinds going into second gear. Overall, I would not buy this car again. There are far better (and nicer) cars on the market. For the price paid, I would have expected a better quality finish to the cabin and more attention to detail.

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Driving Nissan Dualis ST / Qashqai for the past 3 years.. Loving it. Excellent family vehicle. Good vehicle to carry stuff around.. Good boot space and leg space. For a small SUV its really good on petrol (2.0L engine). Love it's style, the unique design. And about Nissan, customer service is good however their service charges are high!!!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Probably the worst car I have ever owned or driven. Got this car from new and was so looking forward to driving it, particularly in light of all the good reviews. I knew the 1.6 petrol would be underpowered but didn't realise how underpowered, in order to make decent progress it has to be revved hard which doesn't make for a good mpg. Contrary to the reviews I found the suspension poor (very choppy) particularly so on pot-holed roads, the only time it can be said to be good is when on very smooth (billiard table like) roads. I find the road roar to be very intrusive and sound proofing - what sound proofing? When driving in the rain I thought the back doors weren't closed, but no, the sound was emanating through the rear wheel arches - thank goodness for the radio, at least I can turn it up to drowned out the noise. Nearly forgot; the gearbox is noisy too - on a new car! I also find the instrument pod windscreen reflection to be very annoying; poor design in my opinion - look at most other cars they don't have the separate instrument pod design. I could go on but haven't got the heart and really can't be bothered. Sorry about the moan but it just goes to show 'one man's meat is another man's poison. Got the car on a two year lease and can't wait for it to end.

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Great no problems at all

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Have had no problems with it.

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Very new so no problems so far.

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Was good in snow

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Extraordinary!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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everything works,nothing has fallen off,

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No Red thumbs down

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Clutch and suspension problems

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No Red thumbs down

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no problems so far

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Perfect so far

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Have never had any problems with the car apart from wear on the tyres

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very good on a long journey and confortable

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In five years, had no trouble with vehicle

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The car has been 100% reliable to date.

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fantastic reliability

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quite simply the best car ive had for some time

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Broke down at 4,500miles needed New Gearbox!,At 20,000 New Cylinder Head!!! Now At33,500 Ok at the moment!

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trouble free

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TWO YEARS + TROUBLE FREE MOTORING

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Had two rear suspension units replaced after 2 years use. I didn't feel anything but dealer said they had broken.

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A very good car that fill Our needs whereever we drives. Sometimes up in the mountain wintertime or on the highway throu Norway. Had trouble With the back suspension, and the particle filter, but it was fixed under the warranty. a car that i can recomend.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Excellent alround vehicle

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Quite expensive for a car, but this generation of crossovers has been excellent and the fuel economy has been better than expected, but the suspension needs improving. Great ride and nice high up riding position, pity the rear seats cant fold completely flat, like our other car a honda jazz. I like the rugged utility look and feel, and have taken it on to quite wet and muddy flat grass areas, so for a two wheel drive has handled quite well. Could have had the four wheel drive but didn`t think the extra money was worth it, considering the times it would go off road. Overall, quite a nice practicle vehicle and drives really well, with good upper range power for a 1.5 deisel.

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Having been a driver for many many years i am extremely pleased with the qashqai's comfort and reliability. It was one of the first batch on the road and has had recalls for shock absorbers- once when the rears failed and again to up rate them- both under warranty. My only complaint is the front alloy wheels which seem to corrode easily from brake dust. They have been replaced under warranty but are again showing signs of corrosion. I would strongly recommend nissan cars.

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Excellent, as cars go done everything i would expect with a high mileage car used on mixed roads.

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Agood car to have as a family car for 4 .

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No Red thumbs down

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Abs control unit failed and the have such poor stock control that they can't get the car back on the road for 3 months. Not what i would expect from nissan. The dealer and nissan never talk to each other never call when the say they will and one of them likes to lie to get out of difficult questions.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great car ,perfect for three kids and two dogs. Nothing else on the market offered seven seats, sat nav, ipod connectivity, blue tooth, colour screen reversing camera and glass roof for anything near the price of the qashquai. Plus it runs well and looks good , well pleased.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Nice idea, but not very 'clever'. Surprised by the electrical problems i have had, with the car being japanese design.

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No Red thumbs down

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Excellent vehicle, i considered and test drove a number of vehicles, the qashqai ticked all the boxes and came with many standard features which would greatly increased the cost when considering vw etc

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great all round vehicle

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Brilliant next time going for the four wheel drive one need the hight to get in and out that this model provides . The large mirrors are a great help could do with being heated no problems paintwork still home n leaks fluids or air cannot fault this car well done nissan 10:10

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Most reliable car i have ever had recommend one to anybody

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Lovely to look at but the quality is lacking inside the car.

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No Red thumbs down

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An easy car to drive, plenty of room both front & back. The 4wd coped better than i though it would in the snow.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Pleased with car (7 seater) but disappointed with accelleration and economy

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Went to test drive a ford kuga.....very poor reception so i walked out....went round to the nissan dealer and test drove the qashqai......one of the best vehicles i've ever owned!! Thank you ford. Gc

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No Red thumbs down

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Excellent having been with vauxhall for 30+ years. Changed to nissan and first time with a crossover style and very impressed. Likely to buy another in the early summer

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great car great drive best car we have had.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Unreliable

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No Red thumbs down

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It does what i expected.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love it!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Reliable, looks good, drives well

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Fab car,great price,only downside wasthe long wait for delivery

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Excellent. No complaints.

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90% happy with it!

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Very practical for a small family and the +2 is a 7 seater which is great for large families too. Could be better feul consumption but for a crossover range size car fine.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Nice car to drive and love the driving postion.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I love it- it's really good to live with works in all situations thrown at it so far.very flexible

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Easy to drive,plenty of space front and rear and a pleasure to use

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Great family car and very practical.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love it

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Formerly had a 2 litre quasqai - changed to to 1.6 for better fuel economy. Not so, the promised combine of 54 mpg is false - i drive at an average 55/58 mph on a rural road with little traffic hinderance @ ave 39.2! The dash readings are bad to see due to seating @ steering wheel placement.

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Great car servicing a little pricey even after looking around

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Excellent and drives very well without tiring

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Excelent

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Nice car, but parts are very expensive as is servicing. Quite expensive to buy, but very high levels of kit

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No Red thumbs down

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A good all round family car for the out going family. We have roof bats and carry a canadian canoe 16.5ft a tow hitch and a bike rack that fits to it. We carry three bikes, tents and camping kit, two lots of scuba diving gear all at the same time, thus fun weekends away. I transport my grandson in a childs seat. Every one who travells in it says wow. It has the wow factor. I would like it to have two gas pistons for keeping open the bonnet, not the sigle metal rod. I would like to be able to open the boot whilst in the car. The tinted windows make the look of the car,fab!!! 17" wheels change the whole look of the car also fab!!! First service last month, costly!! Plymouth new dealer not sure of price roughly £299.00 exeter charge £220.00 still steep!!! I still love my car, i'm on my second tour of afhganistan and cant wait to get home and drive it again.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Bettered expectations. Equipment level very good

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have always had new vw for 15 years,decided to have a change and very impressed with the build quality,and the price,performance is a little dissapointing but the car is 7 seats? Could do with a vw engine.

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Disappointed the build quality

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Lovely car cant fault it

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very satisfied

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A stylish car with excellent features really like the elevated driving Position. Very comfortable excellent to drive and handles very well.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Love it, only niggle is the heating and the screen clearance speed

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I know that when i first get in the car that it will not let me down good performance and comfort

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Yes Green thumbs up

Nissan Qashqai (2010-2013) review: owner reviews

“The Nissan Qashqai redefined family car expectations by blending a hatchback's practical dimensions with the looks and safety of a mid-sized 4x4.”

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Nissan Qashqai (2010-2013) review: owner reviews

“The Nissan Qashqai redefined family car expectations&nbsp;by blending a hatchback's practical dimensions with the looks and safety of a mid-sized 4x4.”

Reviews

Owner Reviews

Common Problems

Most Popular

Tips & advice

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

Top 10 best car interiors

The 10 best electric cars in 2026

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2025

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2025

carbuyer news & reviews

Signup today for regular updates

“The Nissan Qashqai redefined family car expectations by blending a hatchback's practical dimensions with the looks and safety of a mid-sized 4x4.”