Nissan Pulsar N16 (2000-2005)

Best car I have ever owned Excellent reliability never lets me down – Purchased in 2006 had 40,000 klm on the clock now 150,000 Planned to have it for 2 years normally buy Toyota's it's just so reliable, can't recall changing brake pads tyres last forever, on second set of tyres now, servicing car doesn't cost much, it's had one new battery Visibility is second to none, large windows, find a new car with proper… Read more

windows Know I need to put new rubbers in suspension arms 18 years of road impact, probably do that myself Doing my own services now, put a torch over motor & gearbox no oil leaks, can't find any visible problems If you buy one make sure it's been serviced & not worn out, get it checked out

Quality performance! Fuel efficient – Just bought my N16 last week for excellent value. I never thought a car for that price would become one of the best cars I’ve ever owned! Filling up the tank is not a strain on my pockets at all, even during Sydney lockdowns and the increase in petrol prices — which is promising!! I’m a 20 year old red P-plater, and this car is perfect for me!… Read more

Only downside was the factory radio did not have Bluetooth comparability (to be expected) so if someone my age wants a car like this, ensure you have a plug n play OR you can purchase a 1 din aftermarket stereo from a supercheap store. The car is very roomy and reliable. Fits my sister (6’2) in the back seat comfortably. No mechanical problems whatsoever. I highly recommend this car for people learning to drive. If there was any car I would compare this one to, it would definitely be the 2005 Toyota Corolla.

Reliable. Economical. Dedependable – Truely an underdog, the N16 Pulsar is a conservatively styled runabout car which next to its rivals never looked that appealing. Family had a 2001 Ti for 8 years. Top of the line, though you could hardly tell from the tiny 14 inch alloys and indifferent styling. It was an incredibly reliable car which in 420,000km not once caused us any dramas. … Read more

Sadly it met its demise when it was written off by my sister. Alas it was a strong car too, it survived mechanicallly despite being punished by two P plater drivers, although we did always service it on time. Had it not been written off it would easily have seen 500,000km+, I know because I'm a mechanic and did almost every service.

Fuel economy is incredible - I mean INCREDIBLE - compared to the equivalent Toyota Corolla which I have also owned.

Corolla - 5.8l - 7.8l per 100 km.

Pulsar - 5.2 - 6.8 l per 100km.

The interior is comfortable up front but the back is best saved for those under 5"9, the dash is laid out nicely with everything at your fingertips. It's just a shame Nissan never made it into a wagon, hence my mention of Corolla, I had the wagon.

Ride and handling are nicely balanced. Not too hard, not to doughy. The engine needs to be stirred through the 5 speed manual to get the most out of it, the auto is ye olde 4 speed and does nothing but waste the engines potential and hinder fuel economy. Get the manual.

I find that Pulsars tend to be cheaper than rivals on the second hand market, particularly Corolla, 323 and Civic, which is ideal if you simply want a quality economical run around.

I would recommend the Q or Ti grades because the LX and ST are poorly equipped and look cheap in comparison. LX is base spec 1.6 and ST bumps this up to the rest of the ranges BIG BLOCK 1.8. Q gets chrome door handles, body coloured trims and an easy on the eye bodykit.

Ti gets the Q treatment sans the spoiler, plus dual airbags, ABS and climate control. That ABS saved me at least once or twice.

Nissan N16 5 bolt gearbox conversion – I have a manual 2002 Nissan Pulsar N16 with a 1.6 litre engine. The majority of Pulsars have a 1.8 litre engine and if they are a manual, coupled to what is termed a 5 bolt gearbox. The gearbox attached to my car is known as a six bolt but don't let the extra bolt fool you. Despite the additional fastener, it is a weaker gearbox than the five bolt… Read more

as I discovered by researching the internet. My gearbox started making death rattles and sounding like it was filled with marbles so I set about either getting my gearbox reconditioned or buying one from a wrecking yard. I discovered that my 6 bolt gearbox was a fairly rare animal, but not rare in a good way. Quotes from reconditioners ran around $1500 however none had an exchange unit and wanted to strip mine before giving a final cost. Been there and still smarting from last time so I decided to try my luck with the wrecking yards.

I tried the local wreckers in the Illawarra region and they were asking $350 for a 5 bolt and $650 for a 6 bolt. As you see, a massive difference in price. They all told me the two were not interchangeable. I rang another wreckers out of the area who informed me I could convert to a 5 bolt but I would need to change the gearshift linkages and the driveshafts as well which he could supply for $400. I took a punt and bought a 5 bolt gearbox complete with linkages and driveshafts. Low and behold a day and a sore back later, I now have a 1.6 litre Pulsar with a 5 bolt gearbox from a 1.8 litre. Bit of a pain changing the gearshift linkages but now I have a pretty much bulletproof Pulsar. So for the definative answer that I couldn't find online, Yes, you can interchange a 6 bolt gearbox for a 5 bolt.

Great Car – We bought our Pulsar Q automatic new in 2005 & the only problem we have had with it was a warped front disc on the brakes. A lot of people think it has below average fuel economy, but it has a smaller than average fuel tank. Like a lot of car companies, they sell you the car & then try & flog the add on's which once came as standard (like mud… Read more

flaps). It drives very well & you can rid yourself of a lot of road noise by fitting slightly wider tyres. I agree about the visors making a loud noise when you close them though, made me laugh reading the other comments. Servicing cost's can be high if you go through Nissan. We still love the car & have clocked up 120,000 klm's. We have owned Corolla's & previous car was a Mazda 323. But the Pulsar is a much better car & still looks modern & the Q has a sunroof. Reliable. Good to drive & park, enough space for three adult passengers (or two passengers & crotchety father-inlaw) Nothing really, folding rear seats would have come in handy, but used to it now.

Nissan Pulsar N16 Review – Nisan Pulsar N16 year 2000 model Great little car has lasted 19 years to date and still running issues over 19 years cam crank sensors and rear sensor lights flickering key immobilser stopped but now working again just get a new key with a new transponder programmed to vehicle apart from that has been very reliable car Japanese cars are the best.  Show details

Love this car! – I use my car everyday to drive to uni in frankston from berwick. ive had it serviced once since ive owned it (just over a year) and everything was absolutly perfect !! the mechanic said there was no issue with it at all, and it is such a smooth drive. it is an older version, however, its been perfect for me as i am a P plater.  Show details

Great car – I've had my Nissan Pulsar for about 12 years and it's still going strong. Ive had no major issues at all and it's never broken down. She has been a real little beauty as a run about car. Once I decide to update it I will be getting another Nissan no doubt. Own 2 nissan pulsars thus far.  Show details

Nissan Junk – I bought a 2005 Nissan Pulsar last week with 140,168 klms on it. On the way home with it there were times it would stall and need to be restarted. This week it cant start and the compression is very low on all cylinders. What a complete piece of junk. I have always had Toyota in the past and this kind of problem will never exist with any Toyota… Read more

that only has 140k on it. I should have known better from the problems with the Navara I had, never ever ever buy a Nissan......

2005 Manual ST burns lots of oil – Had a 2005 Pulsar sedan for 6 years. It drove well, and never missed a start. BUT it started burning lots of oil after 100k km, and became worse and worse after 150k (around 500mL every 700-800km). It seems that it is a common problem for Pulsar N16's QG18DE engine, which is susceptible to worn piston rings.  Show details

What is 'good' fuel economy for the Nissan Pulsar ST-L 2005 ???? – I know the fuel tank is 50 litres but I just watch the fuel gauge move to empty far quicker than I would like to see! From my calculations I think it's only getting around 450 klms per tank. Does that seem ok or normal? It is a manual 2005 model with low k's, has been well looked after by original owner. Happy with the car overall.... just bad fuel economy!  Show details

Great car – Bought it with a fair and decent price. Its really a great deal car. Been driving it for 5 MTHS , so far it has been good and great to drive . Loving it and would recommend if anyone looking for this car. Cheap, great and reliable for the model.  Show details

Lovely little car. Perfect in traffic. Very fuel economical – Plenty of room back and front. Low running costs. User friendly controls Turns easily . Roomy boot, 4 door. Doors open wide enough to allow elderly people easy access tofront and rear doors.good sir conditioning and heat.ing. locks automatically if you foget to lock it. Duress button on key if in trouble.  Show details

Reliable, efficient and cheap to maintain – I've always had a positive experience with Nissan Pulsars. Never had any major issues with it and when I get my car serviced, it costs almost next to nothing. The only downfall is that it has manual windows so if you like the convenience of pushing a button, then this may frustrate you a bit. I do believe there is a focus on the engine quality… Read more

versus a fancy interior. If you want something that runs well, is reliable, efficient, cheap to maintain and don't mind that your car isn't super fancy then this is the car.

Great car for everyday commute – I purchased a 2004 Pulsar N16 sedan in July last year and still use it daily with no mechanical faults at 180,000km. It has been fully serviced for its lifetime and have nothing major go wrong with it, just the regular tyres, battery and a couple of bulbs. It is a nice drive and gets me to and from work everyday and is good on fuel.  Show details

Great Car – great little big car. did use some oil, but after some long 1200km days driving hard it stopped using oil! reving a cars engine under load does many things, i have 240000km on the clock and does not cost me a dollar. i get 600km to a tank (50L) i have done 25000km in my car in 6months. great car for someone thats looking at buying a cheap car.  Show details

Love my Nissan Pulsar – It has a well set out dashboard, there is more legroom than I had in my older Camry, even though it is an older model Nissan it will definitely do me as I doubt I'll ever be able to get another car. I get good fuel economy and the handling is very good.  Show details

Super reliable, great little car – Have had an 05 Pulsar for 2 years, great little reliable vehicle. Never broken down on me. Boot is big for a hatch and plenty of space in the front seats, back seats are a little bit cramped. Drives really well and very enjoyable to drive. Get about 400-500km on a 50L tank. The only problem is that I find the drivers seat a bit uncomfortable,… Read more

have not been able to position it correctly. If I have a drive longer then an hour then I often get a sore back. The headrests tilt forward and are a little weird too. Could probably be fixed by someone who knows how to position seats or by replacing.

Overall though it's absolutely great, love driving this car.

Best car in terms of reliability – I owned a Nissan for ten years since brand new. I bought it in 2005. It was the last N16 model before Nissan briefly discontinued the model in Australia for a few years. I have never had issues with it except for a small water pump failure about 7 years on. Even with the faulty water pump I was able to drive it to my mechanic to have it replaced.… Read more

$150 total repair cost for a car I had driven daily for 10 years. My mechanic loved my car so much that that he bought it from me to use as a courtesy car for his customers when I upgraded this Pulsar last year.

Really Good Family Car – I have being using N16 almost 10 years. Exceed 220,000 KM. I have replace only disk break set and shock absober sets and some suspension parts. Similar very minor repairs. It is really a good car never disappointed me. I sold recently for a good value to upgrade for a change. Very steady car on the road at any condition. Very good ground… Read more

clearance. Does about 9-10 KM L in the traffic and 13 KM L. There is a common failure in the dash board panel due to sun heat and some fault indication on the meter board. Out station.

Good car issue with c-locking – My keyless entry isn't working,the interior light dosent work on door nor does the the rear demister,checked all fuses,no fault found. Was getting 450k from a tank put neulon petrol additive went from 450-600k straight away. Replaced the starter motor last year. Not using a drop of oil yet,it's got 175k  Show details

It's basically my child – I've got a 2005 N16 MY04 Nissan Pulsar ST, never missed a beat. Once it hit 100,000kms I had issues with the cam sensors and crank sensors. But, Nissan diagnosed the problem within 10 minutes and I bought the parts online and easily fitted them myself for bout $250. That's the worst that's happened to this baby and I've had it for almost 10 years now. This car has seen some things ha! I love it, reliable, solid and economical.  Show details

2001 Nissan Pulsar – The best car ever very reliable with no problems far less than a ford ours has just been in smash but I will buy another the same. Highlly recomend it.  Show details

2005 Pulsar sedan 1.8L – An overall good car. Good on fuel as you can easily get over 400km from its small tank. Good performance from a 1.8L motor. Good space and comfort for front passengers, but not very comfortable and quite limited room for rear passengers . Another convenience of the Pulsar sedan is the massive boot. Very big boot for a small car. The negatives… Read more

of the car are: The auto transmission is very clunky and jerky. The interior develops too many rattles. Very limited interior lighting. Poor turning circle and the 4 speaker sound system is quite poor.

One of the biggest annoyance with this car is getting in it at night and trying to locate where the ignition slot is due to a lack of light. MASSIVE BOOT SPACE, Very good on fuel, good performance for a small 1.8L engine, direct steering and very comfortable car for the front passengers Clunky Auto transmission, too many interior rattles, lack of lighting in the interior & poor turning circle

Reliable and well built – Have a year 2000 model Pulsar Plus hatch (manual transmission) and have had it since new. Apart from being involved in an accident, which is not the fault of the car (or me....), nothing significant has gone wrong with it. New tyres, battery and wiper blades are all it has needed replaced in that time. The car is regularly serviced at the same… Read more

dealer it was purchased from when new, and I always use 95 octane petrol as recommended in the manual. It is mostly used on longer trips, but many of these have been on unsealed roads and the car still seems very "tight" with no rattles or squeaks thus far. It has also been used to cart a few heavy loads which approach the legal weight limit for this car with no hassles. Suffice to say that I could afford a more modern vehicle but am quite happy with this one as it's running just fine. Fuel consumption averages 6.7 litres per 100km in real world driving. Well built, reliable, economical. Nothing so far.

Love my 2002 Pulsar – Best car. Have had since 51,000km now pushing 240,000km. Without a hitch. I fill up with premium and service maybe once every 18 months. Have replaced the tyres twice, breaks only just needing replacing now. Mines a manual and has enough oomf to do what it needs to do. I have fit Soooo much stuff in there, space is there you just have to… Read more

know how to pack it.

I've got one child and another on the way. Love it. fuel efficient, reliable, small exterior with room inside. Cheap to service. Classy looking. Anchor points are at the back of the boot which means the strap takes up boot space. Not a super amount of room for adults in the back, pretty cosy with 5 average height adults in there, but doable. It is a "small" car, so it's to be expected

Worst Car ever – Bought a 2003 n16 Pulsar sedan to replace my first car which was old but was reliable. I purchased a 2nd hand one which had done 110000km. Within a year it had done the head gasket and a big cost to fix it. After that it showed the true problem with this engine, it burns oil quicker than fuel. On a trip home I filled up the oil before the trip and… Read more

within 400 km it was in the red zone. This is a vehicle which is cheaper, the engine has a short life and not reliable Fuel efficient Uses more oil then fuel

I feel very safe in this car its never let me down – This is the best car I have ever owned, it has now got 165,00 on the clock, and the only thing I had trouble with was the breather hose, had to order it from the uk which took around 3 weeks to arrive, but my mechanic says its a really good car. Very economical, reliable good car and it looks good  Show details

Good – I love my Pulsar's, both are 2003 model ST's (we sold one but have replaced it with another as we loved it so much). Great to have a car that can cart three small kids around and still be cheap on fuel. Very economic on the fuel. Wide backseat (we can fit two baby seats and a booster across the back - all narrow makes though). Three anchor points… Read more

on back parcel shelf. Never had a moments mechanical problems with the two we've owned. A small car that still has a good boot (can fit big pram or two kids bikes) Very plastic interior, looks very basic. Central locking went on this one (2003 model) about a year ago, had to be replaced.

Awesome car! – I have a 2001 auto Nissan Pulsar and it has been nothing but great to me. Have never had a problem with it and would recommend it as a good little economical car. Not a little squishy box but not a big car to drive either. Its a shame that Nissan decided to change to Tiidas and not stick with Pulsars as would upgrade to one in a heartbeat Everything Nil Show details

Good – It's a good car, I wish it had the little comforts of newer cars like Holden Cruze. Disappointed with the central locking faulting 'out of warranty', otherwise 5 1/2 years free of expenses other than servicing. I bought brand new 2005 Auto ST-L. It looks great. Easy uncomplicated driving. Sound system is good. Fuel economy ok. Have done interstate… Read more

trips without a hitch. It has cost me nothing to date; I have kept up the servicing. No back window wiper. Bit hard to gauge front/back when parking. Road noise. Could be better fuel economy. Central locking system has just failed; and cannot get any kind of a quote; so I don't know what it will cost me to repair. It had a fuel gauge problem which eventually the dealer replaced. Air con is not powerful enough on those stinker hot days with no outlets in rear when I have the grandkids in back. Don't get black - it's a sauna.

This car has become unreliable,with the remote lock/unlocking not working – The remote will unlock the doors but won't engage the starter motor, sometimes it might take 30-40 times locking then unlocking before it will come good, had Nissan look at it a couple of years age they claim they cleaned some connection any it came good for a while, but now it's playing up again bad, so we have gone back to Nissan (cost $120.00)… Read more

they claim this tine it needs some new electronic part but it has to come from Japan the repair costs will be another $650.00, so we have been waiting for 2 weeks now but still no part has arrived, just as well we have the second car

Remote won't unlock properly, won't engage the starter motor, and unlock the engine immobilizer

Great car perfect for a first time driver – Great car for myself to buy, I do a lot of inner city driving and then do the odd big trip (600km) and it handles this well really happy with my pulsar wouldn't go back to my previous car. Great economy, cheap to keep on the road I have had a few electrical issues, cheap fix though. I have one big issue still to fix with the dashboard lights for night driving Show details

Good – I have owned & driven V8's and family cars the N16 1.8 Lt. Q is by far my favorite, I wanted a 2.0 Lt. engine but with the rise of fuel costs 1.8 Lt. is great on the pocket & good on performance also the car has great sexy appeal about it, its also a pleasure to drive & look forward to every outing. Easy to drive around town or gear up to 3rd &… Read more

off she goes!!!

Purchased Vehicle @ 100,000ks so far 115000ks still enjoying it N16 1.8 Q 2003 Manual. Sports Hatch-The car handles and maneuvers well on tarmac -It has sexy stance about it :->-Seats hug your body-All the basic controls are at easy reach, -Easy to wash because the stands low stands low to the ground-Good on fuel ;-0-16" rims easy to wash ;-)-Sports suspension :-) No passenger interior light looks like i will have to fit one A touch bigger boot A bit more interior width all around Always could be better on fuel & performance