Nissan Primastar MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Nissan Primastar took 10,218 MOT tests in Britain and passed 47% of them first time, below the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 10,218
- First-time pass rate
- 47%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Primastar fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics28.0% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension25.4% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes22.2% (all cars 6.8%)
- Steering13.5% (all cars 1.8%)
- Visibility11.1% (all cars 4.8%)
- Body and structure9.2% (all cars 3.5%)
- Tyres7.0% (all cars 6.4%)
- Exhaust and emissions4.8% (all cars 3.1%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play 10.8%
- Position lamp: not working 8.6%
- Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint excessively worn 8.6%
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements 7.2%
- Stop lamp: not working 5.9%
- Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 5.2%
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 4.7%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 4.5%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 18.6%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 17.8%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 17.8%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 16.1%
- Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s) 9.4%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 8.4%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 7.7%
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil 6.7%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 548 | 44% |
| 2004 | 869 | 48% |
| 2005 | 1,128 | 45% |
| 2006 | 1,264 | 49% |
| 2007 | 1,504 | 48% |
| 2008 | 1,024 | 49% |
| 2009 | 851 | 46% |
| 2010 | 475 | 45% |
| 2011 | 1,004 | 45% |
| 2012 | 516 | 47% |
| 2013 | 526 | 47% |
| 2014 | 457 | 52% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 9 years | 114,167 miles |
| 10 years | 119,910 miles |
| 11 years | 130,619 miles |
| 12 years | 133,539 miles |
| 13 years | 135,099 miles |
| 14 years | 137,425 miles |
| 15 years | 144,218 miles |
| 16 years | 148,149 miles |
| 17 years | 150,506 miles |
| 18 years | 146,878 miles |
| 19 years | 155,799 miles |
| 20 years | 153,292 miles |
Check a particular Primastar
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
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Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.