Nissan Note E12 and e-Power Parts Guide: It's a Hybrid That Insists It Isn't

This guide contains affiliate links to eBay. See the note at the end.

Quick answer: the second-generation Nissan Note (sold in Japan from September 2012 to December 2020) uses four main codes. E12 is the 2WD petrol car (1.2 L HR12DE, or the supercharged HR12DDR), NE12 is the 4WD petrol, HE12 is the e-Power (from November 2016) and SNE12 is the e-Power 4WD (from July 2018). Every one of them still has a petrol engine, so they all need oil filters, spark plugs and air filters. Search by the code, not just "Nissan Note".

Parts in this guide, with live eBay listings

Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Oil Filter
from 11.66 AUD · 20 live listings →Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Spark Plugs
from 40.84 AUD · 24 live listings →Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Engine Air Filter
from 18.19 AUD · 24 live listings →Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Cabin Air Filter
from 20.35 AUD · 24 live listings →Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Front Brake Pads
from 60.11 AUD · 24 live listings →Nissan Note E12 (incl. e-Power) Wiper Blades
from 41.99 AUD · 31 live listings →

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The Note e-Power has a party trick: it drives like an electric car, because the wheels are only ever turned by an electric motor. Then you open the bonnet and find a perfectly ordinary three-cylinder petrol engine, which is there to make electricity. So it's an EV that needs oil changes. Nissan calls it e-Power. Your mechanic will call it "a hybrid, mate". You'll need parts for both halves.

Which Note do you have?

Look at the model code box (型式) on your export certificate. It reads something like DAA-HE12 or DBA-E12. The letters before the dash are an emissions prefix; the part after it is what matters.

Sources: Nissan Japan's Note specification sheet (HE12, E12, NE12) and Note NISMO specification (engines), the Nissan Japan FAQ for the e-Power 4WD date, and Wikipedia: Nissan Note for sales dates. The code shown on the Ucarpac catalogue for e-Power 4WD is SNE12. Not sure? Paste your full code into the free model code lookup, or read how Japanese model codes work.

Is the Note the same as a Versa Note or a European Note?

Same E12 family, but not the same car in the details. The UK built the E12 Note only until March 2017, before e-Power existed, and the North American Versa Note never had e-Power at all. So a Japanese e-Power has no direct "local" twin in the UK or US. Body panels and many petrol-engine service parts are shared within the generation; anything to do with e-Power usually isn't.

The service parts you'll buy most

Plug tip: most "Nissan Note spark plug" listings sell sets of four. The HR12 engines have three cylinders. A set of four isn't wrong if the plug type matches, it just leaves a spare in your glovebox for the rest of time. Check the plug code against the one you take out.

e-Power owners: what's different?

1. Yes, it needs oil. The engine runs less often than in a normal car, but it still needs oil, an oil filter and plugs at the intervals in your service book. Short-trip city cars that rarely warm the engine are not an excuse to skip it.
2. The 12 V battery matters. Like other hybrids and EVs, the e-Power needs a healthy 12 V battery to start up its system. A tired one can cause warning lights or a car that won't switch on. Buy by the code printed on the old battery, not by "Note e-Power battery".
3. Brakes last a long time. e-Power slows itself with the motor a lot of the time (the famous "one-pedal" feel), so pads wear slowly. Rusty discs and sticky slide pins are the more common complaint on cars that sat in storage before export.
4. Leave high voltage alone. Inverter, motor and drive battery work is for a hybrid-trained technician.

How to search eBay for Note parts

1. Start with the code: "HE12 oil filter", "E12 Note front brake pads", "NE12 rear brake shoes".
2. Add the engine code for engine parts: "HR12DE spark plug" gets better results than the model name.
3. Look for a Nissan part number in good listings and search that number on its own.
4. 4WD owners (NE12, SNE12): add "4WD" to every search for rear brakes, suspension and driveline parts, and confirm with the seller.
5. Compare the landed price, including postage and GST or VAT. See eBay car parts myths for why the cheapest listing isn't always the cheapest part.

The import-only fixes

A Japanese Note arrives with Japanese navigation, a radio on the Japanese FM band and a manual you can't read. Start with the week-one surprises guide, then:

• FM band expanders
• Japanese head unit, radio and camera guide
• Check Japanese recalls by frame number

See all Nissan Note & e-Power Parts with live eBay prices →

FAQ

What is the difference between Nissan Note E12, NE12 and HE12?

E12 is the 2WD petrol Note, NE12 is the 4WD petrol Note and HE12 is the Note e-Power. SNE12 is the e-Power 4WD added in July 2018. All are the second-generation Note sold in Japan from 2012 to 2020.

Does the Nissan Note e-Power need oil changes?

Yes. The e-Power uses a 1.2 litre HR12DE petrol engine as a generator, so it needs engine oil, an oil filter, spark plugs and an air filter like any petrol car.

Is the Note e-Power a hybrid or an electric car?

It is a series hybrid. The wheels are driven by an electric motor, and the petrol engine only generates electricity. It cannot be plugged in to charge.

How many spark plugs does a Nissan Note E12 need?

The HR12DE and HR12DDR engines are three-cylinder, so they take three spark plugs. The NISMO S with the 1.6 litre HR16DE has four.

Do UK Nissan Note parts fit a Japanese Note e-Power?

Some body and petrol-engine service parts are shared within the E12 generation, but the UK never had e-Power. Match e-Power parts by Nissan part number and confirm with the seller using your frame number.

More family imports: Grey Import Family Cars, Nissan parts, the Nissan Serena guide and the Nissan Leaf guide.

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