Inspection of the Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S

My husband bought a used Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S earlier this year. It’s a 2018 model with 3,900 km on the clock, equipped with navigation and full manufacturer options, and in excellent condition—so he decided on it immediately. Time flies, and now it’s already time for the mandatory 12-month inspection.

The Note is mainly used by my husband for commuting and city driving, but he has also driven back and forth between Tokyo and home a few times and gone on several tours. About nine months after delivery, the odometer reads 11,692 km. That means he’s driven around 7,800 km so far. That’s quite a bit of driving.

When my husband bought this Note e-POWER NISMO S, he signed up for the Nissan Maintenance Pro Pack, a fixed-price package that covers regular inspections and oil changes every six months at a discounted rate. So this time, the maintenance fees, oil, and oil filter replacement were basically covered free of charge.

He had mentioned beforehand, “I’ve never been to a Nissan dealer before, so maybe the family should come along this time.” But unfortunately, our younger daughter caught a slight cold, so to be safe, we stayed home.

Spotting the Nissan KICKS

It was a holiday, but when my husband arrived at the Nissan dealer, there were hardly any customers. I guess the impact of COVID-19 is still significant.

Inside the showroom, the Nissan KICKS, which my husband had been interested in for a while, was on display. Like the Note e-POWER, the KICKS is an SUV that runs on electricity generated by a gasoline engine. The design is quite cool, and YouTube reviews say it’s surprisingly spacious for a compact SUV. However, after seeing it in person, my husband said it wasn’t as roomy inside as it looks from the outside.

The rear seats aren’t as spacious as those in the Note, but the higher eye point from the back seats means there’s no feeling of confinement, he said. I’d love to take one for a test drive sometime.

As for the Note’s inspection, it took about an hour and a half. The work included:

Mandatory inspection, computer diagnostics, rear brake drum (nut and lock replacement, wheel cap replacement), engine oil & oil filter element replacement, navigation map update, and noise countermeasures near the room mirror.

Since he had the Maintenance Pro Pack, these services were free of charge.

Air conditioner filter replacement, in-car sterilization and deodorization with Cleberin, and a foam max car wash.

These optional services cost a total of 11,800 yen (including labor, parts, and tax). Seeing this, my husband chuckled:

“When you’re used to Porsche inspections, this price feels incredibly reasonable, but I guess this is the norm. Even just an oil change for a Porsche is really expensive… lol.”

Anyway, I’m glad the Note’s inspection went smoothly. I’d love to drive it on the highway or for a long trip again soon!