Faults:

The main thing that was wrong with the car when I bought it, was that it was running rough and seemed to have no real power. After talking to a mechanic mate, I purchasing a new set of spark plugs and pouring a bottle of injector cleaner into the fuel tank. It made the car go smoother and faster; it ran like a dream.

That is all I have done to it; apart from tyres and oil changes, that is it.

General Comments:

The car was very tidy when I bought it, and still is in good shape.

The best $2000.00 NZ dollars I have ever spent. It still runs good.

Faults:

It lost power at traffic light or slowing down after about 20 minutes drive. Can restart after a minute or so.

I have replaced the fuel filter and the problem still there. Then I brought it to a garage and the computer code showed it is the crank sensor problem. It was found that there was engine oil leaking into the distributor, and usually after 20 minutes running, the oil will be spilled by the rotor to cover the sensor so it cuts off power immediately. When the car stopped for a minute, the oil dripped to the distributor bottom and not covering the sensor, it is back to normal. So I have the distributor replaced.

This is my case and hope it can help.

Faults:

I've had the Bluebird for 12 years since new, and nothing mechanical has ever gone wrong. Not one! The only major fault I've had with the car was a leak from the boot lid, into the boot, but other than that, perfect reliability.

General Comments:

I don't actually understand why so many people are saying the Bluebird is powerful and sporty. The 2.0L engine seriously lacks torque and needs to be punted fairly high in the rev range (over 3500rpm) for quicker acceleration. This makes driving up hills frustrating as the auto transmission is forever hunting for the right gear. The lack of torque also makes it a rather thirsty 2L car.

The handling of the car is rather average. Quite a bit of lean and body roll, not that much grip (and I've got premium touring tyres.) Bumps unsettle the handling, and big potholes overwhelm the suspension which I feel is neither particularly comfortable or sporty.

On the upside though, it's a steady cruiser. I've got top of the range SEL model and it's decked out with leather trim, CD player and the like which makes it a relaxed environment to be in, whether its stuck in city traffic or long distance to the countryside. Rear legroom however is not that generous and its noisy!

Overall the Bluebird has served me very well. It just seems like designers at Nissan got confused about whether it was going to be a luxury car or a sports car judging by sports car engine and overly heavy body. Firm pseudo-sports suspension, but crap handling.

The Bluebird is a great car for people who don't pay particular attention to the performance of the car, but value comfort and reliability more.