Nissan Leaf MOT pass rate: 82.6% (49,067 tests, 2025)

Name: Nissan Leaf MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Nissan Leaf passed 82.6% of its 49,067 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.1 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 6 years old with 40,723 miles on the clock.

82.6%Pass rate (2025)

49,067MOT tests analysed

40,723 miMedian mileage at test

6 yrsMedian age at test

How the Leaf compares

Nissan Leaf

82.6%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Nissan average (all models)

73.3%

What fails most on the Nissan Leaf

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Leaf:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	5,105	30.8%
2	Tyres	4,347	26.2%
3	Brakes	3,234	19.5%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,511	9.1%
5	Visibility	1,492	9.0%
6	Steering	507	3.1%

Pre-MOT checklist for Leaf owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Leaf pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2013, 2014, 2015. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2021, 2022. Full ranking and method: Nissan Leaf years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2013	3,674	63.2%	-10.1 pts	67,035	63.2% visual scale
2014	8,950	66.7%	-9.1 pts	61,980	66.7% visual scale
2015	11,823	71.0%	-7.7 pts	54,768	71.0% visual scale
2016	11,742	75.4%	-5.9 pts	54,228	75.4% visual scale
2017	14,629	82.8%	-1.2 pts	46,270	82.8% visual scale
2018	14,797	86.8%	+0.4 pts	44,050	86.8% visual scale
2019	14,493	89.5%	+1.1 pts	34,266	89.5% visual scale
2020	20,931	91.0%	+1.1 pts	27,495	91.0% visual scale
2021	14,270	92.3%	+1.9 pts	24,284	92.3% visual scale
2022	7,498	93.4%	+2.2 pts	19,779	93.4% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Steering: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Ball joint has slight play — 820 cars · 29.3% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 227 cars · 22.9% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 260 cars · 11.9% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 268 cars · 9.0% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 518 cars · 7.3% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Leaf before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Nissan models

Qashqai71.4% pass rate · 537,795 tests Juke70.8% pass rate · 269,741 tests Micra71.5% pass rate · 234,974 tests Note71.9% pass rate · 146,455 tests X-Trail72.9% pass rate · 86,582 tests Navara72.4% pass rate · 68,836 tests NV20064.8% pass rate · 24,653 tests Pulsar74.1% pass rate · 20,806 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Nissan Leaf?

In 2025, 82.6% of 49,067 first MOT tests on the Nissan Leaf were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Leaf fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (30.8% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Nissan Leaf reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 82.6% it performs above the national average at a median age of 6 years and 40,723 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.