Faulty Nissan cars must be recalled: Which?

Consumer rights champion Which? has called for seven popular car models from brands such as BMW, Land Rover and Nissan to be recalled over “prolific” vehicle faults.

A survey of over 47,000 car owners found that certain models each had a single problem commonly reported, ranging from faulty batteries to “flawed” fuel systems.

The consumer advice group said the issues highlighted in its latest survey indicate "a weakness in the manufacturing process that should be addressed immediately".

It said three of the seven models highlighted, including the Nissan Qashqai, were found to have the same problems highlighted in its survey last year.

The Qashqai was found to have the highest breakdown rate for cars that were less than three years old, with 21% of owners claiming they needed to replace the battery in that time.

Some 28% of Nissan Pulsar owners also reported battery issues in vehicles between three and eight years old, while 20% of diesel Nissan Juke owners reported problems with the fuel component system.

The car giant, who’s plant in Washington makes some of the affected models, has said that it had taken steps to address the issue by replacing its battery supplier and had contacted around 35,000 potentially affected Qashqai owners.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, said: "It is completely unacceptable that these trusted car brands continue to take customer cash without fixing these widespread faults, many of which are already well-known thanks to our comprehensive survey of UK motoris ts."