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Nissan reliability and common MOT problems by model

Nissan shows a 20.7% combined MOT failure rate across 2,030,380 tests in MOTIntel data. Juke N Connecta Dig T has one of the lower high-confidence rates at 6.6%. Cabstar deserves extra checking at 33.3%.

Statistics are built from DVSA MOT tests carried out in calendar year 2023, plus official recall records and MOT fault wording data. Report index generated 2026-05-09.

Most reliable Nissan models in MOT data

#	Model	MOT failure rate	Tests	Vehicles
1	Nissan Juke N Connecta Dig T	6.6%	5,824 tests	5,072 vehicles
2	Nissan Leaf	13.5%	41,664 tests	33,884 vehicles
3	Nissan E Nv200	16.0%	5,433 tests	4,300 vehicles
4	Nissan Pulsar	17.3%	25,717 tests	20,898 vehicles
5	Nissan 350 Z	19.5%	6,658 tests	5,293 vehicles

Nissan models with the highest MOT failure rates

#	Model	MOT failure rate	Tests	Vehicles
1	Nissan Cabstar	33.3%	14,369 tests	9,548 vehicles
2	Nissan Primastar	31.8%	15,714 tests	10,481 vehicles
3	Nissan Pathfinder	29.8%	8,940 tests	6,256 vehicles
4	Nissan Primera	27.0%	5,576 tests	4,221 vehicles
5	Nissan Almera	26.3%	23,447 tests	17,322 vehicles

Common Nissan MOT problem areas

#	Problem area	MOT notes	Models affected	What to check	High-rate examples
1	Suspension and steering	550,841 MOT notes	20 models	Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and ask whether worn joints or bushes have been replaced.	Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Primastar, Nissan Nv200
2	Corrosion and structure	439,922 MOT notes	19 models	Inspect sills, subframes, suspension mounts, brake pipes, and previous welding or rust repairs.	Nissan Pixo, Nissan Primera, Nissan Almera
3	Lights and electrical	246,770 MOT notes	20 models	Test every exterior light, warning lamp, horn, washer, and basic electrical function before buying.	Nissan Primera, Nissan Cabstar, Nissan Almera
4	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors	159,815 MOT notes	20 models	Check the windscreen, wipers, washers, mirrors, chips, cracks, and whether the driver's view is clear.	Nissan Cabstar, Nissan Primastar, Nissan Nv400
5	Emissions, engine, and exhaust	154,180 MOT notes	19 models	Check cold starts, exhaust smoke, warning lights, service history, and recent emissions repairs.	Nissan Primera, Nissan Almera, Nissan Pathfinder
6	Tyres and wheels	46,658 MOT notes	20 models	Look for matching tyres, legal tread, sidewall damage, wheel damage, and uneven wear.	Nissan E Nv200, Nissan Cabstar, Nissan Primastar

All Nissan model reports

Model	MOT tests	Vehicles	Failure rate
Qashqai	683,919	529,012	20.0%
Juke	345,484	265,229	20.3%
Micra	320,258	245,745	21.8%
Note	197,138	151,941	21.1%
X Trail	116,254	90,166	20.4%
Navara	91,322	69,396	21.8%
Leaf	41,664	33,884	13.5%
Nv200	34,515	25,042	25.2%
Pulsar	25,717	20,898	17.3%
Almera	23,447	17,322	26.3%
Elgrand	15,736	12,037	22.1%
Primastar	15,714	10,481	31.8%
Pixo	15,023	11,672	20.5%
Cabstar	14,369	9,548	33.3%
Pathfinder	8,940	6,256	29.8%
Nv400	8,086	6,057	23.2%
350 Z	6,658	5,293	19.5%
Juke N Connecta Dig T	5,824	5,072	6.6%
Primera	5,576	4,221	27.0%
E Nv200	5,433	4,300	16.0%
Juke Tekna Dig T S A limited data	4,930	4,454	5.7%
Juke Tekna Dig T limited data	4,885	4,317	5.2%
Juke N Connecta Dig T S A limited data	3,791	3,328	6.2%
Cube limited data	3,454	2,676	20.5%
Figaro limited data	3,344	2,459	27.4%
Unclassified limited data	2,773	2,157	21.6%
Nv300 limited data	2,684	2,138	17.0%
Terrano limited data	2,603	1,925	30.1%
Gt R limited data	2,514	2,340	4.6%
Serena limited data	2,468	1,929	17.3%
Skyline limited data	2,237	1,999	10.1%
Pickup limited data	2,034	1,465	29.3%
370 Z limited data	1,916	1,649	11.7%
Kubistar limited data	1,652	1,156	30.2%
Juke Acenta Dig T limited data	1,517	1,347	6.6%
Murano limited data	1,436	1,040	26.4%
Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A limited data	1,346	1,196	6.8%
Patrol limited data	1,315	1,053	19.9%
Interstar limited data	1,299	901	30.9%
D22 limited data	1,105	805	29.5%

Models with limited data (fewer than 20,000 tests or 10,000 vehicles) have full reports but are not indexed in search engines until the evidence threshold is met.