Used buying checklist

Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A reliability, common problems and used buying checks

A used Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A looks better than average for reliability in UK MOT data: 6.8% of 1,346 tests failed, compared with 18.7% across all indexed models. A good example should have a clean MOT history for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical.

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). MOT data does not capture every reliability issue, especially intermittent engine, gearbox or infotainment faults that do not appear during the test.

• 6.8% MOT failure rate
• Median tested mileage 19,442 miles
• 92 failed MOT tests analysed

Most useful finding

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest area to check

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest named problem area in this model's MOT history (4.5 MOT notes per 100 tests). Example MOT phrases from this area include items removed from drivers view prior to test, does not clear the windscreen effectively, and jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen.

Example MOT phrases to search in the car's history:

• Items removed from drivers view prior to test
• does not clear the windscreen effectively
• jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen
• damaged and affecting the driver's view of the road
• Nail in tyre
• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
• with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
• with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
• lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
• ball joint has excessive play

Before you view one

Focus on windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical

The model's recorded failure rate is 6.8%, -11.9 percentage points compared with the average across all models. Use the seller questions below to check whether repeat MOT notes have actually been repaired.

• MOT tests analysed1,346 tests
• Median tested mileage19,442 miles
• Failed MOT tests92

Used buyer verdict

Should you buy a used Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A?

93.2% of the MOT tests we analysed for this model passed. The model's recorded failure rate is 6.8%, -11.9 percentage points compared with the average across all models. This is a buying brief for the exact car in front of you: clean repeat history matters more than badge reputation.

Better than average in our MOT data

Green light if The car has a tidy MOT pattern, recent repairs for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical, matching tyres, and paperwork for service or recall work.

Renegotiate if The latest MOT mentions windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical, consumables are due together, or the seller cannot show what was fixed after advisories.

Walk away if Dangerous defects, corrosion near structural areas, warning lights, or the same component family keep returning without clear repair evidence.

• Repeat unresolved MOT notes for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical
• windscreen, wipers, and mirrors appearing across more than one MOT
• Any dangerous MOT failure on the exact car, especially if the same area appears again later
• A seller who cannot explain MOT wording such as "Items removed from drivers view prior to test"

What should I check first?

Start with windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering. The checklist on this page explains why each area is being recommended, what to inspect, and what to ask the seller. Each item shows whether it comes from MOT results, recall notices, or a standard used-car check.

• Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors Seen in MOT results

  Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (4.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check windscreen damage, wiper operation, washers, mirrors, and demisting.

  • Ask the seller: Have windscreen, wiper, washer, mirror, or demisting faults appeared in recent MOT history?
  • Example MOT wording: Items removed from drivers view prior to test; does not clear the windscreen effectively; jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k and 50-100k miles
• Tyres and wheels Seen in MOT results

  Tyres and wheels is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (3.9 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check tyre age, tread depth, sidewall damage, wheel condition, and alignment wear.

  • Ask the seller: Have uneven tyre wear, damaged tyres, wheel damage, or alignment issues been corrected?
  • Example MOT wording: Nail in tyre
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k and 50-100k miles
• Lights and electrical Seen in MOT results

  Lights and electrical is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.4 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check every lamp, warning light, horn, battery condition, and dashboard messages.

  • Ask the seller: Have any lighting, warning-light, horn, battery, or electrical MOT notes come back more than once?
  • Example MOT wording: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources; with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning; with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k and 50-100k miles
• Suspension and steering Seen in MOT results

  Suspension and steering is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (0.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and inspect steering play.

  • Ask the seller: Has any suspension, steering, ball-joint, spring, or wheel-bearing advisory been repaired?
  • Example MOT wording: ball joint has excessive play; across an axle by more than 50%; across an axle
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k miles
• Emissions, engine, and exhaust Seen in MOT results

  Emissions, engine, and exhaust is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (0.4 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check warning lights, smoke, exhaust leaks, recent emissions failures, and service history.

  • Ask the seller: Has the car had repeat emissions, smoke, exhaust, lambda, or engine-warning MOT failures?
  • Example MOT wording: leaking excessively from engine
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 50-100k miles
• Other MOT issues Seen in MOT results

  Other MOT issues is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (60.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Read the MOT history closely and ask what has changed since the last test.

  • Ask the seller: Are there repeat MOT advisories that still have not been repaired?
  • Example MOT wording: has ply or cords exposed; has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords; in such a condition that it is seriously weakened
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, and 100-150k miles

What changes with mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A, MOT records most often point to mixed mot checks.

Common MOT problem areas

1,346 MOT tests analysed for this model

1,196 Distinct vehicles represented

6.8% Recorded MOT test failure rate — -11.9 percentage points vs all models

Common faults: what usually fails on this model?

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest named problem area in the MOT history (4.5 MOT notes per 100 tests). These counts are issue notes, not failure rates, because a single MOT can list several faults.

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors

• Items removed from drivers view prior to test
• does not clear the windscreen effectively

4.5 MOT notes per 100 tests

Tyres and wheels

• Nail in tyre

3.9 MOT notes per 100 tests

Lights and electrical

• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
• with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

1.4 MOT notes per 100 tests

Suspension and steering

• ball joint has excessive play
• across an axle by more than 50%

0.5 MOT notes per 100 tests

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• leaking excessively from engine

0.4 MOT notes per 100 tests

Mileage and age checks

Mileage changes: what starts showing up after high mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A, MOT records most often point to mixed mot checks. On lower-mileage cars, the most common named areas are windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, tyres and wheels, and lights and electrical.

Mileage range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median mileage
0-50k	1,319	1,178	6.7%-4.2 percentage points vs all models	19,263 miles
50-100k	23	18	17.4%-3.3 percentage points vs all models	54,858 miles
100-150k	2	2	0.0%-26.2 percentage points vs all models	132,279 miles

Problem areas by mileage

Past 100k miles on the Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A, MOT records most often point to mixed mot checks.

Mileage range	Car areas most often recorded	Specific MOT defect examples
0-50k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (4.4 MOT notes per 100 tests) Tyres and wheels (3.9 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (1.4 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
50-100k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (8.7 MOT notes per 100 tests) Tyres and wheels (4.3 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (4.3 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
100-150k	Mixed MOT checks (200.0 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.

Fair comparisons: is this problem normal for its age?

The MOT failure rate rises from 6.4% at 0-3 years to 8.6% at 3-6 years. Compare the car with the nearest age range before treating a fault as normal wear or a warning sign. The average MOT failure rate across all models in the same dataset is 18.7%. The highest failure rate by age is 8.6% for 3-6 years cars, based on 278 tests.

Age range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median age
0-3 years 2023–2026 reg.	1,068	1,006	6.4%-2.1 percentage points vs all models	3.0 years
3-6 years 2020–2023 reg.	278	246	8.6%-2.0 percentage points vs all models	3.1 years

Recall records and data freshness

Recall context: are there safety notices to know about?

No relevant recall notices are listed in this report, but recall completion is tied to the exact vehicle, so the seller should still be able to prove recall status.

No relevant recall notices are listed here. Recall completion is still vehicle-specific, so check the exact car with the manufacturer or DVSA.

Related searches

Common ways people look up the Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A. Each link runs the search and lands on the relevant section of this report.

• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A common problems
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A reliability
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A after 100k miles
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A after 200k miles
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A high mileage common problems
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A age related problems
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A MOT failures
• Nissan Qashqai N Tec Dig T S A recalls

Related reliability guides

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). These are patterns from many MOT tests and recall notices. They help you decide what to inspect and what to ask; they do not certify the condition of one specific car.