Nissan Pulsar 2014 Problems

Just about every small car will match the space of the Tiida so you have two choices, go for a class leader such as the Mazda3 or return to Nissan for a value deal on the Pulsar. The Mazda gets The Tick but the Nissan is very good value.

The car world has changed a lot since your Pulsar Q was a top-drawer choice and these days I would recommend the Mazda2, which gets The Tick and should be similar money but slightly easier to handle.

It should definitely be replaced. Nissan spokesman Peter Fadeyev says: "This matter can be checked and, if needed, rectified by a trained technician at any authorised Nissan dealer."

The transmission in your car is a CVT and changing the oil is definitely recommended. If you doubt that the full service hasn't been done go back to the dealer and ask for an explanation.

We checked with Nissan and a spokesperson confirmed that the "Nissan Pulsar range does not have parking lights. Nissan took into consideration market trends when developing the Pulsar" and decided not to fit them.

Actually, it’s none of those things. This model Pulsar came with the option of a six-speed manual. But if it was an automatic Pulsar, it was fitted not with a conventional automatic, but with a CVT or Constantly Variable Transmission. Instead of a series of gears inside it, the CVT uses cones of different diameters linked by a flexible belt. By altering where on the cones the belt rides, the gearbox can produce different 'gears'.

The idea is that by providing an infinite number of ratios, the engine can always run closer to its most efficient speed, therefore improving fuel efficiency. It’s a great theory, but not all drivers like the sound and feel of a CVT which can feel pretty alien, especially at first. Some manufacturers, in an attempt to make the CVT feel more familiar, electronically engineer in fixed `ratios’ but, in reality, this removes some of the CVT’s efficiency-boosting potential.

Provided the service is done "by the book" and with manufacturer-standard parts, there will be no effect on your warranty.

You would like to think it would last the life of the car, but there are many reasons it might need replacing.