List of Nissan Juke Suspension Issues (5 Troubleshooting Guides)

In this brief article we are going to discuss the different Nissan Juke Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.

Top 5 most common suspension issues in the Nissan Juke? 

The most common suspension issues seen in the Nissan Juke are:

• Front Subframe mounting failure
• Front Shock Absorber Strut Failure
• Rear Shock Absorber Failure
• Front Lower Control Arm Failure
• Front Wheel Bearing Failure

What suspension does the Nissan Juke have?

The first generation of Juke was manufactured from 2004 to 2012. This series was designated C11 and was sold in two versions, a five-door hatchback and four-door sedan. The Juke was sold in North America under the brand name Nissan Versa.

It is also interesting to note that the Juke was designed with the basis of the Renault-Nissan B-platform. The Renault Megane in Europe is another vehicle from the same platform.

Front Suspension

The Front suspension in the Nissan Juke is a fairly conventional MacPherson Strut and Lower control Arm with Anti-roll bar. This arrangement is mounted onto the front subframe.

Rear Suspension

In its All-Wheel Drive version, the Nissan Juke has a rear independent multi link suspension, very similar in appearance to a Mini, but with control arms designed in steel.

The rear trailing arm is integrated with the knuckle and the rear hub, and therefore eliminates the need for two links. There is an Upper Control Arm and Lower Control Arm.

Coil Springs, Anti roll bars and Shock Absorbers provide Stiffness and Damping properties to the suspension. 

The Nissan Jukes’ Front-Wheel Drive variant has a Torsion Beam Trailing Arm Suspension configuration with Coil Springs and Shock Absorbers. 

Front Subframe mounting bush failure

Symptoms:

• Knocking noises while normal driving
• The noise is mostly not correlated to going over a bump; more like an occasional Knock

Troubleshooting Front Subframe Bushing Failure

• The best troubleshooting method would be to go through all the bushings and ball-joints first
• Once it is confirmed that you have no issues at any of the suspension joints, the next thing to look at is the suspension subframe-to-body mounting bushes, since these have flexible mountings to the body
• The subframe bushes tend to wear out beyond ~50K miles and beyond that they start to create Knocking noises.
• To confirm that they are fully worn, it would be best to use a pry bar and try to move the subframe at the mounting bush point. More movement means that the bushes have worn out.

• Generally, at this point they would need to be replaced. 

Pro Tip

• The Subframe bush is press-fitted into the Subframe. In order to replace the bush, you would need to remove the entire subframe along with the steering gearbox.

Front Shock Absorber Strut Failure

Symptoms:

• Rattling Noise going over any rough patches
• Front end bouncier than normal
• Changes in handling behaviour; Vehicle not feeling stable at high speed cornering

Troubleshooting Front Shock Absorber Failure

• The Bouncy Ride symptom points to the Shock Absorber as a probable cause.
• If your vehicle has crossed 50K miles, then it could be due for a shock replacement. Due to long-term internal wear, the shock starts becoming ineffective over time.
• If the front strut shock has started leaking oil due to a failed oil-seal, then it means that the shock will no longer be effective.
• One good way to tell if your shock has failed or not is to do a “Bounce Test”. Put all your weight on one of the front corners of the vehicle pushing it downwards. Keep oscillating the corner till you feel that it has reached its maximum height. Once you take your hands off the corner, observe how it settles. If it takes more than 2 oscillations to settle, that means the damper has failed.

Rear Shock Absorber Failure

Symptoms:

• Knocking and Popping Noises from the Rear going over bumps
• Rear end feels bouncier

Troubleshooting Rear Shock Failure

• The Bouncy Ride symptom points to the Shock Absorber as a probable cause.
• The noises coming from the rear are partly due to the failed shock absorber allowing the bump stops to contact more often. And also the noises partly come from the worn out shock mounting bushes that allow the shock to move and hit against the mounting brackets.
• If your vehicle has crossed 40-50K miles, then it could be due for a shock replacement. Due to long-term internal wear, the shock starts losing its damping action over time.
• If the rear shock has started leaking oil due to a failed oil-seal, then it means that the shock will no longer be effective.
• One good way to tell if your shock has failed or not is to do a “Bounce Test”. Put all your weight on one of the front corners of the vehicle pushing it downwards. Keep oscillating the corner till you feel that it has reached its maximum height. Once you take your hands off the corner, observe how it settles. If it takes more than 2 oscillations to settle, that means the damper has failed.

• In the Nissan Juke, the Rear Shock Top mount can only be accessed from inside the vehicle behind the rear seats

Pro Tip

• When tightening the Shock bottom bolt, make sure that the vehicle is at its normal ride height.
• If this bush is tightened at any other ride height, the Bush  always rests in a twisted condition at normal ride height and will result in a reduced Bush service life.

Front Lower Control Arm Failure

Symptoms:

• The car seems to be drifting
• Steering seems vague while Lane Changing
• Uneven Tire Wear pattern
• Knocking Noises while going over Rough Patches
• Usually seen in ‘13 – ‘17 Nissan Juke Model years

Root Cause:

• Due to a Tire wear issue, it can be inferred that the alignment of the front suspension is outside of the recommended settings. But this is still a symptom.
• The cause for alignment change points to the Lower control arm Bushings and Ball-joints that may have got worn or damaged

Troubleshooting Front Lower Control Arm Bushing Failure: Lower Control Arm Bushing

• Lower Control Arm bushing wears out over time and cracks due to age
• To assess the bushing condition, you can use a Pry-bar and insert it between the Lower control arm and the Subframe. Now, try to move the Lower Control arm using the Pry-bar and observe the movement at the Bush location. If the lower control arm moves without much force, then it means that the bushes have worn out.
• When inspecting the Lower control arm after removal, it is clear that there are tears and cracks in the rubber portion.

Pro-Tip

• For Rusted Bolt connections that are hard to Break-open, do not try repeatedly using hand or pneumatic tools.
• Always first soak it for 10-15 min after spraying a good Rust-penetrant

Front Wheel Bearing Failure

Symptoms:

• Droning noise above 30 mph speeds
• Sound is louder with increasing speed

Troubleshooting Front Wheel Bearing Failure

• Droning noise is generally associated with one of the wheel bearings depending on where the noise is coming from
• Wheel bearings generally have a life of 70K miles, after which, on detecting noise issues, must be replaced
• In the Nissan Juke, the wheel bearing is housed within the Knuckle and the Wheel Spindle. It is of a 2-piece design.
• After dismantling the Knuckle, it would be best to use a Hydraulic Press for removing the “Outer race” of bearing, using an appropriate size collar.

• For removing the bearing “Inner Race”, which is press-fitted into the Wheel Hub, you will need a special clamping fixture and once again using the hydraulic press

• For fitting the new bearing, follow the same procedure in reverse order.

Pro Tip

• When tightening the Shock bottom bolt, make sure that the vehicle is at its normal ride height.
• If this bush is tightened at any other ride height, the Bush  always rests in a twisted condition at normal ride height and will result in a reduced service life.

Conclusion

In this brief article we have discussed the different Nissan Juke Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.

For any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with us.