Nissan HR16

The 1.6-litre four of the Micra, Note, Juke and Qashqai — another Renault-Nissan joint design, which is why the same engine appears in Renault and Dacia products as the H4M. One engine, two designations, and a fault documented under one applies to the other.

It is a chain-driven, port-injected engine with variable timing, built for economy rather than output, and it is generally durable. The complaint that recurs most is timing-chain wear at higher mileage — a rattle on cold start, eventually correlation codes — which is worth taking seriously on an engine where the chain is not designed as a lifetime item in practice.

As with the MR20, many of these cars pair the engine with a CVT, and the same caution applies: distinguish an engine-speed symptom from a road-speed one before diagnosing. Carbon on the throttle body producing an unstable idle is the other frequent and cheaply resolved finding.