4,528 tests in 2025
Nissan 350z reliability and MOT pass rate
77.3% passed first time. The 22.7% fail rate is 0.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 20 years old with 85,250 miles.
Pass rate
77.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 22.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
85,250 mi
20 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 11 | — |
| 6-9 years | 193 | — |
| 10-13 years | 197 | — |
| 14+ years | 4,127 | 24% |
What the 350z fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension67 dangerous38.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous38.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous33.3%
- Brakes79 dangerous21.5%
- Visibility1 dangerous17.5%
- Tyres247 dangerous17%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous12.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems10.5%
Is the 350z getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 22.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,952 | 17 | 22.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,636 | 18 | 22.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,530 | 19 | 23.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,476 | 20 | 22.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 350z at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 350z in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits152 tests
- 2Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction115 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn115 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working114 tests
- 5Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits103 tests
- 6SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault92 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect89 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm78 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 350z collects 3.08 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm626 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded616 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened423 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick334 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened294 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure252 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn216 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases205 tests
Questions
What is the Nissan 350z MOT pass rate?
77.3% of the 4,528 Nissan 350z first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 22.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Nissan 350z usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits", recorded on 152 failed tests, followed by "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 38.5% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 38.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 33.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 18.2%; at 14+ years it was 24%. The median Nissan 350z tested in 2025 was 20 years old with 85,250 miles.
Is the Nissan 350z getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 22.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 350z trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Nissan models
Checking a particular 350z?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.