2009 Nissan Primastar MOT pass rate: 55.8% (2,213 tests)

2009-registered Nissan Primastars passed 55.8% of 2,213 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 10.6 points worse than same-age cars (66.4%).

55.8%Pass rate, 2009 cars

89.4Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,213Tests analysed

137,976 miMedian mileage at test

33.3% / 55.8%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2009 Primastar getting worse?

Pass rate of 2009-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	54.3% -12.6 vs same-age
2024	57.2% -8.9 vs same-age
2025	56.2% -9.9 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2009 Primastar

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	991	25.2%
2	Suspension	930	23.6%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	830	21.1%
4	Steering	327	8.3%
5	Visibility	246	6.3%
6	Tyres	196	5.0%

All Primastar years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2004	2,173	55.7%	-8.7 pts	153,657
2005	2,866	54.5%	-10.0 pts	145,254
2006	3,128	57.4%	-7.0 pts	150,072
2007	3,850	56.1%	-9.1 pts	145,748
2008	2,609	56.1%	-9.1 pts	141,978
2009 (this page)	2,213	55.8%	-10.6 pts	137,976
2011	2,703	53.6%	-15.6 pts	133,359

Buying a 2009 Primastar? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2009 Nissan Primastar reliable?

2009-registered examples passed 55.8% of their MOT tests (2,213 tests, 2023–2025), -10.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 17 years old with a median 137,976 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2009 Primastar?

The median tested example shows 137,976 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.