Nissan Primera MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Nissan Primera took 4,340 MOT tests in Britain and passed 57% 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
- 4,340
- First-time pass rate
- 57%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Primera fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics23.3% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes14.4% (all cars 6.8%)
- Suspension13.2% (all cars 9.0%)
- Body and structure9.1% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions7.7% (all cars 3.1%)
- Visibility7.5% (all cars 4.8%)
- Tyres5.9% (all cars 6.4%)
- Seat belts and airbags5.3% (all cars 1.0%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Position lamp: not working 5.0%
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 4.8%
- Stop lamp: not working 4.8%
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements 4.0%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 3.8%
- Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength 3.7%
- SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 3.4%
- Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases 3.2%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 16.2%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 14.9%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 12.7%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 10.7%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 10.1%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 8.1%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 8.1%
- Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread 7.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 431 | 54% |
| 2003 | 509 | 54% |
| 2004 | 664 | 56% |
| 2005 | 906 | 57% |
| 2006 | 658 | 59% |
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 |
|---|---|
| 17 years | 92,178 miles |
| 18 years | 97,728 miles |
| 19 years | 99,848 miles |
| 20 years | 93,744 miles |
Check a particular Primera
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Nissan models
- Nissan Qashqai
- Nissan Juke
- Nissan Micra
- Nissan Note
- Nissan X Trail
- Nissan Navara
- Nissan Leaf
- Nissan NV200
- Nissan Pulsar
- Nissan Almera
- Nissan Elgrand
- Nissan Pixo
- Nissan Primastar
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Nissan 350 Z
- Nissan E NV200
- Nissan Cube
- Nissan Figaro
- Nissan Serena
- Nissan Skyline
- Nissan Terrano
- Nissan 370 Z
- Nissan NV300
- Nissan Pickup
- Nissan Kubistar
- Nissan Murano
- Nissan Patrol
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.