Nissan Primera MOT pass rate: 66.5% (2,484 tests, 2025)

The Nissan Primera passed 66.5% of its 2,484 MOT tests in 2025 — 11.0 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 21 years old with 89,912 miles on the clock.

66.5%Pass rate (2025)

2,484MOT tests analysed

89,912 miMedian mileage at test

21 yrsMedian age at test

How the Primera compares

Nissan Primera

66.5%

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 Primera

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	861	28.7%
2	Brakes	606	20.2%
3	Suspension	504	16.8%
4	Body, chassis, structure	306	10.2%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	257	8.6%
6	Tyres	190	6.3%

Pre-MOT checklist for Primera owners

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

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
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

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

Primera pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2005	2,100	64.8%	+0.3 pts	92,642
2006	1,501	65.9%	+1.5 pts	90,095

Check a specific Primera 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 Primera?

In 2025, 66.5% of 2,484 first MOT tests on the Nissan Primera were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Primera fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (28.7% of its recorded defects), followed by brakes.

Is the Nissan Primera reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 66.5% it performs below the national average at a median age of 21 years and 89,912 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

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.