Hey guys,

I hope you wont mind me asking a question about buying a new car.

I've found a nice Primera and put down a deposit. Its a 2 year old with 15500 miles on the clock. Its in good condition in and out, but when i popped open the bonnet I saw some rust. The sales man said that's its just surface rust and not a problem.

I compared it with another Primera of the same age and similar mileage, and it looked almost brand new under the bonnet. But the body was scratched and dented and the inside wasn't that great either. So that one was out of the question.

So I would like to go with the first Primera, but I'm not sure if the rust is an issue or not. I'm not that great with the technical side of cars, so I thought I would check with you guys.

The rust is on some covers which doesn't present a problem. Its also on a few bolts, and the lower part of the engine (or whatever is attached to the engine). The frame seems rust free as does the undercarriage. Its also on a small metal tube going into the lower part of the engine (possibly the spark plug, but I could be very wrong).

The car comes with a Nissan warranty and is going to be checked out by their mechanics, so I'm hoping it will be ok.

But I would like your advice, is this something to worry about, or should I go for it?

Thanks in advance,

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Dave

Hi Dave,
Am I right in thinking this rust is surface corrosion on bolted on tin wear etc. and not on the actual structure of the vehicle under the bonnet?
If so it is probably fine but don’t let my word be a substitute for a professional inspection and hpi check.
The vehicle may have spent much of it life to date, by the sea, causing the corrosion you have found, however Nissans are not know for their corrosion problems theses days.
If the corrosion is on the inner wing/chassis legs etc. walk away, at two years old it can only be evidence of very poor accident repairs.
I would defiantly be inclined to have it inspected by a mechanic not affiliated with the seller.
Best of luck; let us know how you get on.

Hey carmedic, thanks for your quick reply.

I would say its surface corrosion on some parts under the bonnet and the bolts, and that the structure seems ok.

--
Dave

That’s probably fine then, you could always post a photo.

I could, but I was stupid enough not to take one when I was at the salon earlier.

i am a big fan of nissans and they are a cracking used buy,but i run a number of car forums and have heard bad things about the new shape primera,ecu problems are high on the faults scale,the car is more of a renault than a nissan,the diesel is a renault unit and it had heavy influence from the french,a good friend of mine has got three primeras in his garage and they all have ecu,keyfob and transformer problems,i have been down there with my diagnostics and they are an absolute nightmare to cure,ask about the warranty because i don't want you out of pocket,and the rust is not a problem anymore not like years ago when they had the thinnest gauge metal of any car.

mark