Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate: 56.8% (7,674 tests, 2025)

Name: Nissan Primastar 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 Primastar passed 56.8% of its 7,674 MOT tests in 2025 — 20.7 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 17 years old with 143,641 miles on the clock.

56.8%Pass rate (2025)

7,674MOT tests analysed

143,641 miMedian mileage at test

17 yrsMedian age at test

How the Primastar compares

Nissan Primastar

56.8%

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 Primastar

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	3,388	24.6%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3,275	23.8%
3	Brakes	3,155	22.9%
4	Steering	1,102	8.0%
5	Body, chassis, structure	956	7.0%
6	Visibility	837	6.1%

Pre-MOT checklist for Primastar 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
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
With the engine running, turn lock to lock: knocks or stiff spots are testable defects
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

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 →

Primastar pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2004	2,173	55.7%	-8.7 pts	153,657	55.7% visual scale
2005	2,866	54.5%	-10.0 pts	145,254	54.5% visual scale
2006	3,128	57.4%	-7.0 pts	150,072	57.4% visual scale
2007	3,850	56.1%	-9.1 pts	145,748	56.1% visual scale
2008	2,609	56.1%	-9.1 pts	141,978	56.1% visual scale
2009	2,213	55.8%	-10.6 pts	137,976	55.8% visual scale
2011	2,703	53.6%	-15.6 pts	133,359	53.6% 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
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Steering: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: 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):

Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 420 cars · 10.7% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 388 cars · 8.5% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 717 cars · 7.3% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 238 cars · 5.9% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 311 cars · 5.5% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Primastar 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 Leaf82.6% pass rate · 49,067 tests NV20064.8% pass rate · 24,653 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Nissan Primastar?

In 2025, 56.8% of 7,674 first MOT tests on the Nissan Primastar were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Primastar fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (24.6% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Nissan Primastar reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 56.8% it performs below the national average at a median age of 17 years and 143,641 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.