Nissan Qashqai years to avoid — 1.6 million MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2009, 2010, 2011. Strongest in the data: 2020 or 2021. The ranking uses 1.6 million MOT tests across 15 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 5.9-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Qashqai year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2020 Strong 102.1 +2.1 pts 92.0% 94,404
2 2021 Strong 101.7 +1.7 pts 92.2% 31,435
3 2019 100.2 +0.2 pts 88.5% 147,631
4 2018 98.9 -1.1 pts 85.2% 139,116
5 2017 98.6 -1.4 pts 82.6% 176,127
6 2016 97.6 -2.4 pts 79.0% 172,421
7 2015 97.1 -2.9 pts 75.9% 165,900
8 2014 96.0 -4.0 pts 71.9% 131,754
9 2007 89.4 -10.6 pts 54.5% 27,718
10 2013 89.3 -10.7 pts 62.6% 133,969
11 2012 87.6 -12.4 pts 58.8% 118,575
12 2008 87.3 -12.7 pts 52.4% 37,753
13 2011 Inspect 87.0 -13.0 pts 56.1% 96,760
14 2010 Inspect 86.9 -13.1 pts 54.2% 89,217
15 2009 Inspect 85.5 -14.5 pts 51.9% 65,162

Why 2009 and 2010 and 2011 rank lower

The 2011 cohort passes 56.1% of tests (-13.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 102,125 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2010 cohort passes 54.2% of tests (-13.1 points versus same-age cars) at a median 110,348 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2009 cohort passes 51.9% of tests (-14.5 points versus same-age cars) at a median 114,190 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2009 example beats a neglected 2020 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (5.9 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Qashqai years should I avoid?

Based on 1.6 million MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2009, 2010, 2011 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Qashqai year to buy used?

2020 and 2021 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Qashqai reliable overall?

Across 1.6 million tests, the median age-adjusted index is 96.0 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.