1989 Nissan Micra LS 1.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Solid, comfortable, dependable and excellent driving position

Faults:

Broke down once due to a broken earth wire in the distributor cap.

Replaced the starter motor.

General Comments:

The car was bought by my parents in 1992 and now has been passed onto me.

No major problems.

Has an excellent driving position and the seats are fairly comfortable. The car has done 105000 and shows no signs of giving up yet.

The engine still starts first time always.

Has a lot of power for a 1.0 litre car. Considerably better than the Corsa I learnt to drive in, however the LS derivative has rather basic functions, for example only a basic MW/LW radio, and no rear wash wipe etc.

Cheap to buy and run.

A little rust on wheel arch, but the bodywork is perfectly solid underneath.

I'd recommend the Micra to anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd November, 2001

15th Oct 2002, 18:07

I have a 1989 Micra and am having a real problem finding the cause of an intermittent "no spark". A problem in the distributer could cause this. There is no wire in the distributer cap itself, but there would be in the distributer.Any advice?

Gerry

mandalay@reach.net.

1989 Nissan Micra 1.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good runner, but don't keep it too long

Faults:

Main problem now is with the gearbox changing 3rd and 4th gears. This appears to be due to a faulty synchromesh. Apparently quite a common problem with Micras. It has been suggested that the gearbox oil should have been changed, but nothing stated in service manual about this. Mileage on my car at the time was 70,000 miles and this seems to be typical when such problems appear. It will cost me £600 to get the gearbox fixed which is not far short of what the car is worth.

General Comments:

Up to the problem described above, I was quite pleased how the car ran.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th July, 2001

1st Nov 2001, 00:31

My Nissa Micra LS (1988) has just done the same, at about 60,000. The gearbox broke up on the M3 in a traffic jam! And, yes, it's going to cost 350 -- 450 to repair and that's about the value of the car. So interesting to hear you've had a similar experience. I've been told it's possible to get a secondhand gearbox through Part Finder but can't find them on the net and am not in a position to do it by phone. Problem is (says my garage) you don't know if you're buying one as bad as the one that's gone. So don't know what to do--a friend of mind got a secondhand one for her Micra.

11th Jan 2002, 16:10

Are you sure it is the gearbox because for a while with my '89 Micra LS, the gearbox became almost impossible to use, the car was almost undriveable, but it turned out that a new clutch cable solved the problem completely. Mine has done 110,000 but had done about 80,000 when the gearbox problem started. A replacement clutch cable is fairly inexpensive.

29th Oct 2002, 12:01

I'm looking for the ratio of a gearbox for a 1.2 litre nissan micra, can anyone help.

7th Apr 2004, 16:04

I have an "F" reg Micra 1.0 which has done 127,000 and still has the original gearbox. At times, the gears can be a little stiff, but it is quite acceptable.

11th Feb 2005, 04:49

My 1989 Nissan Micra LS has done 77,000 miles and the same problem has occurred, keep getting stuck between 3rd and 4th gear. I phoned a number of gearbox people and they all guessed the problem as soon as I told them I was looking for a gearbox (so it must be common). Got a 2nd hand one delivered and fitted for £100 though. Just make sure the box is tested when you buy it.

1989 Nissan Micra LS 1.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Easy to maintain and a cheap car for first time drivers (to bash it a bit) or for old ladies!!

Faults:

Timebelt (went when expected though).

Clutch.

Brakes.

Rusted light bulb.

General Comments:

Good car. Main problem issues are the comfort and definitely a complaint about how much window there is. Cheap to run and even the parts were a good price. Also easy to fix and repair yourself.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th July, 2000

10th Jun 2001, 15:09

We have an 89' Micra LS and an important weakness to be aware of is general wear and tear to the ball joints.

Unfortunately Nissan have not released the patent for replication of 89' wishbones and a 1990 wishbone was quoted at £33 from a local auto parts store. However to replace an 89' wishbone direct from Nissan we were quoted in at a whopping £72!

An additional problem presents itself, as to remove the part from scrap is a very difficult task and 9 times out of 10 the bushes get totalled. However despite this mild irritation the car has been almost indestructible and a highly economic car, and this criticism should not limit its appeal.

BR.