Nissan Qashqai review - Reliability & safety

The Nissan Qashqai finished in 42nd place out of the 50 cars in our 2024 Driver Power survey. Owners liked the refinement of the engines but were less happy with the infotainment system and build quality. Of course, these results are for the pre-facelift cars and Nissan’s Google-based infotainment tech combined with the interior trim upgrades introduced with the 2024 facelift should go a long way to addressing these issues. The Qashqai placed 40th out of 50 cars for reliability. 

How safe is the Nissan Qashqai?

The Qashqai was awarded a top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in December 2021, which is good news for families planning on buying one. Nissan has fitted a comprehensive array of safety features as standard, the likes of which you’d often be expected to pay for by other manufacturers.

There are systems that monitor your blind spots, check that the driver is awake and alert, and monitor any traffic crossing your path behind you. The auto emergency braking function includes junction assist and pedestrian and cyclist detection, while the high beams are automatic and the lane-keeping system prevents you from leaving your lane accidentally. 

There’s a camera in the nose of the car that can give an enhanced view when pulling out of blind T-junctions and we found this particularly useful on our test. It’s part of the Around View Monitor tech that generates a complete 360-degree image of the car’s exterior and should make it almost impossible to drive into anything in a supermarket car park. There’s even an ‘invisible hood view’ that lets you see ‘through’ the bonnet on screen, revealing any rogue kerbs that might damage your wheels. We’re less convinced of how useful this would be in practice.  

What are the Nissan Qashqai service intervals?

It makes sense to order a service plan with your new Qashqai, as it works out cheaper than several individual main dealer services. Plans are available for two, three and four years, for around £530, £800 and £1,100, respectively. Interestingly, all three cost the same amount per month, so you’ll just need to pick how many services you’re covered for.

What is the warranty on the Nissan Qashqai?

The Qashqai gets an average, three-year/60,000-mile warranty. That’s probably the least you can expect from a brand-new car in the UK and it’s short of the five-year warranty offered on the Hyundai Tucson. The Kia Sportage gets seven years of cover, while Toyota now offers a 10-year warranty package for all its UK models. Nissan does have a warranty extension for extra cost, if you’re planning to keep your car longer than a typical PCP finance deal.